If someone handed me a blank cheque and said "go buy a Skyline GT-R," I wouldn't hesitate for a second. R34 GT-R V-Spec II. That's the answer. Not the standard car, not the V-Spec I — the V-Spec II. Let me explain exactly why, because there are real, meaningful differences that justify the premium.

The R34 BNR34 GT-R launched in January 1999 and production ended in August 2002. That gives you a four-year window of one of the greatest cars ever made. In that time Nissan built approximately 11,578 GT-Rs across all variants. Of those, the V-Spec variants are the most desirable, and within V-Spec, the V-Spec II is the holy grail of road cars (the Nür and M-Spec Nür are in their own category).

What V-Spec II Actually Means

The V-Spec package has been around since the R32, but in the R34 it took on a very specific meaning. V-Spec added ATTESA ET-S Pro — the active limited-slip differential in the rear that gives you genuine on-demand torque vectoring. It added larger Brembo front brake rotors (355mm vs the standard 324mm). It added a stiffer suspension tune and revised damper settings.

The V-Spec II, launched in 2000, went further. It added carbon fibre bonnet (hood) as standard — the first time a factory carbon bonnet appeared on a Japanese road car at this price point. The N1 oil cooler came standard on V-Spec IIs, which the standard V-Spec didn't have. The ATTESA ET-S Pro received revised software calibration for sharper response.

Weight dropped slightly compared to the standard car due to the carbon bonnet. Not massively — about 6-7kg — but on a car as carefully engineered as the R34, every kilogram matters.

The Engine: RB26DETT at Its Best

Every R34 GT-R runs the RB26DETT. Same 2.6-litre twin-turbo inline-six that appeared in the R32 and R33, but in the R34 it received several improvements. The head porting was revised, the turbos were marginally uprated, and the ECU mapping was refined.

Factory output is the same 280 PS that every GT-R officially claims — again, that's the Japanese industry agreement number, not the actual output. Most stock RB26DETTs in R34 spec dyno between 315-330 PS at the wheels. With supporting mods and a remap, 400 PS on the stock block is totally achievable. The RB26 responds to tuning better than almost any other engine on the planet. 600 PS on built internals is common. 1000 PS in race applications isn't unheard of.

The Garrett GT2530 turbos are the stock unit and they flow reasonably well to about 350 PS. Beyond that, HKS, Trust (GReddy), and Turbonetics setups are the go-to options. The RB26 takes to boost like it was designed specifically for it — because it was.

The Nürburgring Benchmark

In 1999, Nissan sent an R34 GT-R V-Spec to the Nürburgring Nordschleife and lapped it in 7 minutes 59 seconds. First production car under 8 minutes. It was a landmark moment that cemented the GT-R's reputation as a genuine supercar killer and not just a Japanese touring car that happened to be fast.

The car that set that time was essentially stock. A street-legal car with road tyres and no roll cage, faster around the world's most demanding circuit than most purpose-built track cars of the era.

Buying an R34 V-Spec II

Prices have gone absolutely stratospheric and they're not coming down. In Japan, clean V-Spec II examples start around ¥15-20 million for standard colours. Midnight Purple III — the iconic colour most associated with the R34 — commands a 30-40% premium over that. In US dollars post-import, budget $150,000+ for a clean example, significantly more for Midnight Purple or low-mileage cars.

What to look for: check the build date plate inside the engine bay. V-Spec II production started in August 2000. Verify the carbon bonnet is original (not an aftermarket replacement). Check the ATTESA ET-S Pro is functioning properly — the active diff is expensive to repair if it's been neglected. Look for signs of boost being run hard without proper maintenance: check the spark plugs, look for oil in the intercooler pipes, inspect the turbos for shaft play.

The R34 GT-R V-Spec II is not an affordable car anymore. But it's also one of the most significant automobiles ever made, and ownership of a genuine, documented example is something you'll never regret. If you can get one, get one.