One of the rarest and coolest Nissan Skyline GT-R variants could also soon be one of the most expensive. Broad Arrow, the auction house owned by classic car insurer and publisher Hagerty, has a 1996 Nissan Nismo 400R in its upcoming Amelia Island auction and expects it to sell for up to $1.1 million. Considering that an eBay seller once asked $40,000 just for a 400R badge, I believe it. And while there are plenty of rare JDM limited editions, this one deserves the hype.
Based on the already-legendary R33 Skyline GT-R, just 44 of these cars were built. And they were built with unique parts that were never sold individually, making a 400R essentially impossible to replicate. Parts like the over fenders, front bumper, double-wing rear spoiler, and LM carbon-fiber hood can only be found on a genuine 400R, Brian Jannusch of Toprank Importers explained in a 2021 Hagerty post.
Also unique to the 400R is the RB-X GT2 engine. Derived from the RB26 used in other versions of the R33, the twin-turbocharged inline-six was enlarged from 2.6 liters to 2.8 liters and fitted with larger turbos, bumping output from 280 metric horsepower to 400, hence the name. Engine development was done by Reinik, the same company that worked on the Calsonic R32 GT-Rs that dominated Group A racing in Japan and Australia before the R33’s arrival.
The cars themselves were hand-assembled at Nissan’s Omori factory with Nismo parts, including LM-GT-1 three-piece wheels, a twin-plate clutch, a new exhaust system, and suspension that incorporated Nismo springs and Bilstein shocks, lowering the 400R by about two inches.
A production run of 100 was planned, but only 44 were officially completed, with 41 listed on GTR Registry. According to the auction ad, the car shown here is the eighth built and currently has 10,136 miles on its odometer. It was purchased by the seller in November 2022 and imported to Canada in July 2023, then imported to the United States the following year.
This is probably one of the few 400Rs outside Japan, which might be enough for someone to justify spending seven figures on it. That means most people will still only get to drive a 400R in Gran Turismo, but hopefully the new owner won’t be shy about showing off their purchase.