Automobile of the Week: This Extremely Coveted 2002 Nissan Skyline GT-R May Fetch $675,000 at Public sale

The Nissan Skyline GT-R has a long history as the Japanese automaker’s premier sports car. The first series, made from 1969 through 1972, was a successful touring car, followed in 1973 by a second-generation model made for just one year. It would be 16 years before the GT-R resurfaced, in 1989. That car earned the nickname “Godzilla” from the Australian motoring press, claiming repeated victories in touring car championships at home and abroad. The final evolution of the Skyline GT-R was the fifth-generation model, called the R34.

That R34 series was made from 1995 through 2002, and the last of these—the Skyline GT-R M-Spec Nür, is the most desirable of them all. The “Nür” part of the moniker is, of course, short for Nürburgring, the torturous German racecourse where Nissan engineers fine-tuned the Skyline. Nissan test driver Kazuo Shimizu set a lap time there of 7 minutes, 52 seconds in the R34, breaking the record of its R33 predecessor, which was the fastest production car around the track at the time.

The “M” in its name paid homage to Nissan’s chief engineer Kazutoshi Mizuno. Nür production reached just 1,003 unites, only 285 of which were the ultimate M-Spec version. Setting the Nür models apart from the standard GT-R was the RB26DETT engine, a special-edition mill based on Nissan’s N1 racing power plant. Coupled to a six-speed manual transmission, the inline six-cylinder engine features larger twin turbos and develops about 330 hp, though it was conservatively advertised as having only 276 hp.

It’s human nature to covet what can’t be had, and no Skyline GT-R—made only in right-hand drive—could ever be had stateside when new. Its rarity, combined with the model’s string of victories in motorsport, elevated the GT-R to iconic status among fans worldwide. When asked about the popularity of performance-oriented Japanese Domestic Market (JDM) models as bona fide collector cars, John Kraman, Lead TV Commentator/Analyst for Mecum Auctions says, “This phenomenon is driven by a newer and younger enthusiast who has been exposed to pop culture, social media, and movies as well. Nissan’s Skyline GT-R M-Spec Nür is a perfect example of emerging trends in the collector-car market.”

One of only 24 examples of the M-Spec Nür to wear black factory paint comes to the Mecum Auctions sale in Glendale, Ariz., on Saturday, March 9. This freshly imported 2002 Nissan Skyline GT-R was brought to the U.S. from Japan in April of 2023, under the “Show or Display” exemption that allows some cars less than 25 years old to enter the country, and be driven no more than 2,500 miles per year. And Mecum Auctions will work with the winning bidder to facilitate transfer of ownership by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).

Showing about 27,000 miles on it, this car is all original—including its paint—and has never been modified. Complementing its ominous exterior color and dark gray wheels is a black leather interior with gold stitching, heated leather sport seats, air conditioning, and an AM/FM/Cassette/CD stereo system. Of course, a steering wheel on the right side of the dashboard completes the signature look of Nissan’s most in-demand Skyline GT-R of them all, which, in this case, is estimated to fetch as much as $675,000.

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Click here for more photos of this 2002 Nissan Skyline GT-R M-Spec Nür.