--- title: "That Nissan GT-R You Hated in Gran Turismo’s License Tests Is Getting a Hot Wheels" description: "Gran Turismo's infamous R34 GT-R Pace Car will make a sweet-looking Hot Wheels, even if I cursed it as I followed it in GT4 license tests." date: "2024-04-04" modified: "2024-04-04" authors: - name: "Adam Ismail" job_title: "Senior Editor" link: "https://www.thedrive.com/authors/adam-ismail" url: "https://www.thedrive.com/news/that-nissan-gt-r-you-hated-in-gran-turismos-license-tests-is-getting-a-hot-wheels" categories: - "Culture" - "News" - "Video Games" --- # That Nissan GT-R You Hated in Gran Turismo’s License Tests Is Getting a Hot Wheels ![]() *\Sony Interactive Entertainment, Entertainment Earth\* It can be difficult to keep up with all the sweet new Hot Wheels releasing every few months, but one particular casting is making the rounds this week that I will definitely need to keep an eye out for: *Gran Turismo's* iconic and, arguably, infamous [Nissan Skyline GT-R R34]() Pace Car. The R34 is now releasing as a part of the second set of Pop Culture releases for 2024, along with another *[Gran Turismo]()* selection, Nissan's Concept 2020 Vision GT. This actually isn't the first time Mattel has released the white, red, and black GT-R—an earlier version launched in 2018. However, that rendition [looked pretty bad](), with the tampos for the livery only being applied to the sides and top of the car, rather than the whole way around. It was a poor-quality first effort, but this new attempt is one I'd actually love to have in my collection. A light bar on the roof would've been the cherry on top, but I'll take what I can get. ![]() ![]() This particular Skyline will be familiar to anyone who got into *Gran Turismo* during its PlayStation 2 heyday. It was introduced in the *Gran Turismo Concept* series as a guide for the course license tests; it'd appear again in *Gran Turismo 4*, where many more of us likely got to know it, chasing it around tracks like the Nürburgring Nordschleife in that game's license tests. *GT4* also marked the first time it was drivable, and from then on, the car appeared in *GT5* and *GT6*, as well as the PSP release. In *[GT Sport]()* and *[GT7]()*, it was replaced by an [R35]()-based version with a similar livery. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QvjSseqHC98 Alongside the likes of the Castrol Tom's Supra or the Suzuki Escudo Pikes Peak Special, the GT-R Pace Car *is* *Gran Turismo*. And unlike those vehicles, it only exists in these games. As long as we're talking about fictional race cars that should see similar diecast treatment, I'll go ahead and nominate the [Honda S2000 LM Race Car](), with its integrated light pod for endurance racing and its lean, mean, low rear wing. It's one of the boldest and best-looking racing transformations Polyphony Digital's ever delivered, and it's sure created a bunch of them over the last three decades. In any case, having one of these on my desk will always draw a smile, even if the pace car *definitely* didn't do that back in the day, in some of those license tests. Time heals all wounds—even skill-issue PTSD. *Got tips? Send 'em to tips@thedrive.com* ## Author Adam is a Senior Editor at The Drive, concentrating on curating and developing the site's slate of daily journalism, from initial pitch to final copy edit. When he's not at his desk researching leads and working with writers, he's testing vehicles or reviewing racing games, new and old. He joined The Drive in 2023, following seven years of covering consumer technology and cars. A car lover and gamer since his earliest memories, Adam came to know the automotive world through video games. First it was Daytona USA, Sega Rally, and Ridge Racer; then came Need For Speed, which inspired an encyclopedic knowledge of '90s supercars, and, of course, Gran Turismo. If not for them, he'd assuredly be doing something else right now. Adam is based in the suburbs outside Philly, where there are ample roads for his hot hatch to stretch its legs. In his car, he's probably listening to indie rock, drum and bass, or Yankees baseball. ### Author social links [Bluesky]() [Instagram]() [LinkedIn]()