The earliest versions of the R34 Nissan Skyline GT-R are now eligible for import into the U.S. under the 25-year rule, but examples of the car are already here, legally, and two of them are up for grabs via auction.
One example, finished in black paint, is headed to Mecum’s auction taking place in Glendale, Arizona, in early March. The second, finished in white, is currently listed on online auction website Bring a Trailer. The price at the time of writing is $150,000, but the bidding is likely to go much higher given the rarity of the car.
Both examples up for grabs are rare M-Spec Nür editions, of which just 285 examples were built. Another M-Spec Nür sold on Bring a Trailer last year for $455,000, and in 2021 another R34 GT-R, a lesser V-Spec, sold for $315,000 on the same auction site.
The original M-Spec GT-Rs were launched in 2001 to celebrate GT-R chief engineer Kazutoshi Mizuno, and the following year the M-Spec Nür was launched to celebrate the Nürburgring racetrack. The Nür treatment brought a boost in performance, primarily from a special version of the R34 GT-R’s twin-turbocharged 2.6-liter inline-6 that was based on a racing engine. Key upgrades included larger turbochargers with steel turbine blades instead of the standard ceramic units.
2002 Nissan Skyline GT-R M-Spec Nür – Photo credit: Bring a Trailer
2002 Nissan Skyline GT-R M-Spec Nür – Photo credit: Bring a Trailer
2002 Nissan Skyline GT-R M-Spec Nür – Photo credit: Bring a Trailer
While the engine was officially rated at 276 hp, it’s well known that this was an understated figure to meet a previous gentleman’s agreement between Japanese automakers to limit output to 276 hp in the interest of safety. The real output is widely thought to hover around 330 hp.
Other special touches of the M-Spec Nür included gold-colored accent stitching and a speedometer running up to 300 kph. The cars also featured gold paint for the engine’s valve cover and an engine bay plaque.
The alleged mileage of the black car is just over 44,000 km (approximately 27,340 miles), while the white car is alleged to have covered 39,000 km (24,230 miles).
Both of the cars have been brought into the U.S. under the Show or Display exemption of the NHTSA. Future owners will need to gain approval from the NHTSA for granting of a new exemption. They will also be limited to driving the car up to 2,500 miles per year, though once 2027 rolls around the cars will be eligible for the more lenient 25-year rule.