Rarest R34 Z-tune in the world

The Crown Jewel of JDM Collectibles

The Nissan Skyline GT-R R34 Z-Tune is already one of the rarest and most desirable Japanese performance cars ever built, but Z-Tune #001 sits in a category entirely of its own. In 2003–2005, NISMO hand-built just 20 Z-Tunes worldwide, selecting only the cleanest, low-kilometre V-Spec donor cars and completely rebuilding them to race-car standards. Every Z-Tune received a reinforced chassis, bespoke suspension, full NISMO aero, and the legendary 2.8-litre Z2 engine producing around 500 hp – all assembled by NISMO’s top GT500 race technicians.

But #001 is the first of the 19, the very beginning of the Z-Tune program. It represents the prototype-level benchmark that all other Z-Tunes were measured against. First-of-series cars universally command a premium across the global collector market, but in the case of the Z-Tune – with such microscopic production numbers and factory race-team involvement – #001 becomes historically significant. It is effectively the “halo” R34, the closest road-going expression of Nissan’s motorsport engineering.

With only one #001 in existence, and the entire Z-Tune production run already unobtainable, chassis #001 is considered the holy grail of all GT-Rs – a car whose rarity rivals the world’s most exclusive collector vehicles.

What is this car worth today !

Given growing global demand for blue-chip JDM legends, the irreversible scarcity of all Z-Tunes, and the unrepeatable provenance of owning the very first car NISMO built, Z-Tune #001 reasonably commands an ultra-exclusive valuation. For elite collectors, its historical status, irreplaceability, and cultural impact place it in the same category as 8-figure Ferraris — making a value exceeding USD $20 million not only believable, but entirely justified.

When judging the value of Z-Tune #001, it must be compared to cars of similar rarity, provenance, and cultural impact — not to ordinary GT-Rs. In this context, it fits comfortably among the world’s most valuable collector automobiles.

Since the introduction of the R32 model in 1989 succeeded by R33 and R34, the Second-generation Skyline GT-R has achieved numerous victories in racing scenes over the past 15 years. The advanced mechanism that was materialized by the combination of RB26DETT engine and ATTESA E-TS, has continued to lead its dominate the scene, achieved many victories, and attracted many GT-R fans.



Race vehicles, such as the Gr-A, N1, GT500, and the "Nürburgring specification," were developed based on the R34, which can be said to be the completed form of the 2nd-generation Skyline GT-R, and NISMO, who kept dominant in racing scenes, has unsparingly utilized the technology and know-how it has accumulated over those 15 years. The complete car, created based on the themes "the strongest road-going car in the world" and "Top of GT-R," is the NISMO R34GT-R Z-tune.

The basic concept for the NISMO R34GT-R Z-tune was finalized in 2000, and the vehicle made a splashy debut at the NISMO Festival. At that time, the vehicle was entered into a competition called the "Tuners' Battle," and it was victorious through its use of a maximum power of 600 ps.This prototype machine, which focused on providing complete driving performance, undertook a new challenge in the following year. The challenge was to add comfort as a road-going model. In addition to an authentic leather interior, air-conditioning, and a catalyst, the engine was also changed from the Z1 to Z2. Development trials and tests have already been completed for this prototype machine to mature the vehicle. In 2003, it was finally taken to the revered Nürburgring. Furthermore, the engine was used in the Nürburgring 24-Hour Endurance Race, where it proved itself, and in the 2004 race it won in its class and the overall 5th position. In addition, various unit parts continue to be employed and improved in a variety of applications, and in that year they reached perfection by winning the Tuners' Battle.

And this year, as NISMO celebrates its 20th anniversary, this car will be made available to just 20 customers.


NISMO tuning concept is divided into the three classifications of S, R, and Z.Z-tune:"Z-tune" refers to a vehicle that has been evolved to attain world top class speed and endurance as a road-going car. The pursuit of speed by obtaining a comprehensive balance for the vehicle is the extreme street tuning concept of NISMO."




The high-level specifications are produced from the same handmade manufacturing process used for racing cars.

The NISMO R34GT-R Z-tune, a complete car, created based on an approved car that was carefully selected by NISMO. A vehicle with a mileage of less than 30,000 km that meets all the requirements, including those for body condition, has the parts that will be modified removed, the body reinforced, and other work performed before it is painted and reassembled.
All of the work, from engine production to vehicle assembly, is performed by expert mechanics using the same handmade craftsmanship to race cars to achieve a level of accuracy and specifications that is unachievable in mass-produced vehicles.

Ferrari 250 GTO – $40–$70 million

Only 36 made. The value comes from racing heritage, scarcity, and global cultural influence.
➡️ Z-Tune #001 shares the same formula: microscopic production, factory motorsport involvement, and immense global following.

McLaren F1 – $20–$30+ million

64 road cars. The F1 is valued as the “ultimate driver’s car” and a landmark engineering achievement.
➡️ The Z-Tune is the ultimate expression of the R34 platform, hand-built by NISMO’s GT500 race team, with technology never repeated again.

Porsche 911 GT1 Straßenversion – $10–$20 million

A road-legal race car with extremely low production numbers.
➡️ Z-Tune #001 is the closest JDM equivalent — a road-legal GT500-inspired machine.

Aston Martin DB4 GT Zagato – $14–$20 million

Only 19 produced, highly coachbuilt, now an untouchable collector icon.
➡️ Z-Tune mirrors this exactly: 20 units, hand-built, and culturally iconic.

Lamborghini Miura SVJ – $7–$20 million

Ultra-rare evolution of an already legendary platform.
➡️ The Z-Tune is the ultimate evolution of the GT-R lineage — the “SVJ of Japan.”

 

When judged against the world’s top collector cars, the R34 Z-Tune #001 sits naturally in the $20 million+ class — not because of hype, but because of true historical significance, irreplaceability, and cultural power.

 

Why the R34 GT-R Z-Tune #001 Could Be a $20M USD Car

People still quote the old “$750k Z-Tune” numbers from 10 years ago, but the market has changed massively — especially after Z-Tune #015 traded around $5M USD despite being less original and far less significant.

Z-Tune #001 is the first-ever Z-Tune, the documented NISMO build with extremely low km, full provenance, and near-perfect originality. In exotic-car markets, “#001” cars often sell for 5–10× standard units.
When normal Z-Tunes are already $1–2M, the first chassis sits realistically in the $15–25M zone.

Combined with billionaire buyers entering the JDM space, the RB26’s cultural status, and global collector demand, $20M USD for Z-Tune #001 is not only believable — it’s aligned with what other first-chassis halo cars (McLaren F1, Porsche GT1, F40 LM) already command.

Z-Tune #001 is on track to become a $40M–$70M legendary collectible in 15 years.

Among ALL Japanese performance cars ever made, none have:

• its provenance

• its rarity

• its cultural impact

• its engineering pedigree

• its first-chassis significance

The McLaren F1 went from $3M → $30M.
The F40 LM went from $1M → $7M+.
The Diablo GT tripled.
The LFA Nür tripled.
The R34 GT-R V-Spec II Nür went from $80k → $500k+.

The #001 Z-Tune is positioned to outperform all of them.

 

001 to 009 nismo bought back car and buit into z tune  ( worth the most) 

010 to 018 Not nismo bought back customers sent private cars in for the z tune upgrade. 

 

001 was owned by Shuji MaeJima