A Nissan Skyline GT-R driven by Paul Walker in Fast & Furious — the fourth film in the saga — is heading across the auction block in a special online event from Bonhams beginning April 28.
The 2000 R34 was driven extensively by Walker during the film, and was actually created to his own personal specifications by Skyline specialist Kaizo Industries for the purpose.
First used in a high-stakes street race by Walker’s character Brian O’Conner to infiltrate Arturo Braga’s heroin-smuggling gang, the Bayside Blue GT-R meets with an explosive end in a confrontation mid-way through the film.
However the car that explodes on-screen is a stunt double, one of six employed in the film which were all in fact rear-wheel drive GT-T models dressed as GT-Rs. That included a buck vehicle used for interior driving shots.
This “hero” car then was the only genuine GT-R used in the film, although curiously it isn’t actually registered as a GT-R — or indeed a Nissan at all. That’s due to the USA’s 25-year rule on imports; Kaizo actually imported the car’s shell and RB26DETT engine separately and registered it as a kit car. The Nevada title states that the vehicle is a “2007 Kai”.
Following that, Kaizo built the car to Walker’s direction. That included new 19×11 Volk Racing RE30 wheels, a custom roll-cage, that plot-advancing computer screen, and OMP bucket seats which Bonhams says remain in Walker’s own seating position.
That’s made more plausible by the fact that after shooting wrapped, it was seized by the US Border Force regarding its origins — R34s are still not legal to import into the US other than as show or display cars — then removed to Germany in 2012, where it remains as part of a display at Munich Motorworld.
Although the car hasn’t moved in some time, it is still fully functional and sports around 550hp. Any buyer though would probably want to get it serviced first if they intend to use it. The Skyline also comes with a copy of the contract from Universal Pictures regarding the supply of the car for filming.
The auction will go live as a standalone through Bonhams on Friday April 28, with bids from verified users running through to 1600 UTC on Friday May 5. There’s no estimate or reserve listed, but with this unique provenance and some wacky prices paid for R34s recently, don’t bank on it being anything less than six figures.
See more articles on Fast & Furious and Nissan Skyline.
