Facts
-
Year of manufacture
1999 -
Movie
2 Fast 2 Furious (2003) -
Role
Brian O’Conners Skyline -
Screen Driver
Paul Walker -
Status
Original Principal Car #1 -
Engine
2.6-litre inline six-cylinder, twin-turbo -
Standard power output
280 hp -
Gearbox
Six-speed manual gearbox
Silver paintwork with blue go-faster stripes – a Skyline that became a symbol of Japanese high-performance automotive engineering for an entire generation: Brian O’Conner’s Nissan GT-R opens 2 Fast 2 Furious, the second instalment of the legendary film series, with one of Hollywood’s most famous street races.
The vehicle on display at the Red Bull Ring Classics is an original ‘principal car’ used during filming. ChromeCars is presenting it in its unrestored original condition – and in running order.
The vehicle
Even if it had never had its starring movie role, the R34 GT-R would still have been a truly exceptional car. Its RB26DETT twin-turbo six-cylinder engine, six-speed manual gearbox and electronically controlled all-wheel drive made it one of the most technically sophisticated Japanese sports cars of its time.
For the film, the Skyline was given a silver paint finish, blue graphics, C-West body parts, large wheels and blue underbody lighting. The result was significantly more eye-catching than the standard model, yet it remained unmistakably a GT-R.
The movie character
Brian O’Conner is already seen driving the Skyline in the prequel to the series, The Turbo Charged Prelude for 2 Fast 2 Furious, which recounts his escape from Los Angeles to Miami. In 2 Fast 2 Furious, he competes against Suki, Slap Jack and Orange Julius, and wins the night-time street race after leaping over the raised drawbridge.
The car suits Brian, who is technical, fast and more controlled than many of his opponents. The silver-blue Skyline also established his close connection to Nissan-branded vehicles within the film series.
Fun fact
At an early planning stage, the idea was that Brian would drive a Dodge Neon SRT-4. However, technical consultant Craig Lieberman championed the Nissan Skyline GT-R. Lieberman was nevertheless not entirely satisfied with the final design. The blue stripes, in particular, reminded him more of American muscle cars than of the Japanese tuning scene. They nevertheless became a distinctive feature of the film.
The story behind the car
In the finished film, only one Skyline is seen. Behind the camera, however, there was a small fleet of them. According to current records, a total of six automobiles were used: five genuine GT-Rs and one modified Skyline for specific camera shots.
The Skyline brought along by ChromeCars, designated Universal #40 and Principal Car #1, was the most important vehicle for close-ups, interior shots and driving sequences. It was also used in the prequel and was the car that collided with a parking meter in one scene.
After filming, the Skyline largely disappeared from public view. Around 2008, it found its way to a Norwegian collector and was parked on the upper floor of his house for almost 18 years. In 2026, ChromeCars acquired the vehicle following several years of negotiations. Craig Lieberman was involved in verifying its film history.
The legend
Brian’s Skyline is often portrayed as if a single car had completed all the races, sustained all the damage and performed the famous bridge jump. In fact, the duties were shared out amongst several cars. The Skyline now on display at the Petersen Automotive Museum performed the bridge jump and was later used as the second ‘hero car’. It is not identical to the ‘Principal Car #1’ presented at the Red Bull Ring Classics.
Performance figures for Brian’s Skyline are often mixed up with production figures and data from different movie cars. For Principal Car #1, which was displayed at the Red Bull Ring Classics, ChromeCars specifically states 420 hp. This figure therefore refers to the actual example presented here, rather than merely to the Skyline GT-R’s official production output.
What is certainly proven for this particular car is that it is the original Principal Car #1 from 2 Fast 2 Furious, preserved in its unrestored state and in running order.