A few years back, Nissan made old-school Skyline GT-R owners the world over ecstatic with the launch of the Nismo Heritage program. Long story short, this essentially made it easy for enthusiasts to get a hold of genuine parts and products for their vehicles.
Frankly, this would have been enough. The option to buy discontinued R32, R33, and R34 parts is already a godsend. Nissan, though, isn’t done just yet.
The Japanese car manufacturer has announced another restoration program, this time with the aim of restoring ancient Skyline GT-R units to as close to brand-new as mechanically possible. The Nismo Restored Car program includes full-body restoration, full engine disassembly and overhaul, interior cleaning, and inspection and replacement of deteriorated electricals.
On top of all that, a complete inspection—which includes performance readings on a dyno and a driving test by a Nismo test driver—will be conducted after the restoration. Nissan will also install a special plate engraved with the restored vehicle’s serial number as proof of its work. Restored vehicles also come with a one-year or 20,000km warranty.
Awesome. But before you run to your garage and promise your baby a complete overhaul, know this: Depending on the condition and model year of your vehicle, the restoration could cost as much as 45 million Japanese yen. Do the math, and that’s roughly P20.7 million. Yikes.
Oh, by the way, Nissan says the responsibility of transporting vehicles for restoration is up to the owner, so you’ll probably have to shell out for that, too. Good luck if you live outside Japan.
In all seriousness, though, this is a good thing. Sure, you’ll have to be pretty filthy rich to afford a full restoration from Nismo, but at least the option is there. So, what say you about the cost? Absurd or worth it?
