Ultra-Rare Nismo Skyline GT-R Could Be A Million-Dollar Nissan At Auction

an hour ago - 19 February 2026, Carbuzz

The Nissan Skyline GT-R is a global performance vehicle icon, despite largely being exclusive to Japan during the nameplate's decades of existence. There were some exports to places such as the United Kingdom and Australia, but the GT-R was forbidden fruit for much of the world until the arrival of the R35 iteration in the late 2000s.

Now, there's a chance for an American to own one of the rarest Skyline GT-R versions of them all. Broad Arrow Auctions is selling a 1996 Nissan Nismo 400R at its Amelia Island event on March 6 and 7. The company estimates this special car could sell for $900,000 to $1.1 million, potentially placing it in the rare echelon of Japanese vehicles worth a million dollars or more.

What Makes The 400R So Special?
In 1995 and 1996, Nissan campaigned the Nismo GT-R LM race car in the 24 Hours of Le Mans. The effort resulted in a 10th-place overall finish and 5th in class in 1995. In part to celebrate the solid finish, the automaker built 44 examples of the Nismo 400R, bringing lessons learned from the competition machine to a road-going model.

The 400R was based on the 1995-1998 Nissan GT-R V-Spec, known internally as the R33 generation. It featured a bored-and-stroked version of the regular twin-turbocharged 2.6-liter RB26DETT, now displacing 2.8 liters. There were also several other upgrades, including the turbochargers straight from the Le Mans racer. A Nismo intercooler kept things running cool. A model-exclusive electronic control unit managed the powerplant. The six-speed manual gearbox gained a twin-plate clutch.

1996 Nissan NISMO 400R Broad Arrow Auctions
The extensive modifications boosted the power output to 400 horsepower and 346 pound-feet of torque, completely obliterating the "Gentlemen's Agreement" in Japan that kept production cars to a maximum of 276 hp. The cars were reportedly able to hit 60 miles per hour in around 4.0 seconds.

The suspension also received an overhaul. The 400R rides on Bilstein dampers with Nismo springs. The pieces also dropped the car's ride height by 1.2 inches. The vehicle was also about 2.0 inches wider than a normal GT-R.

The standard R33 GT-R looks plenty aggressive, and the 400R is even more aggressive. The car features a front fascia with a large central opening, making the Nismo-branded intercooler easily visible. The vented hood is carbon fiber. Side sills visually broaden the vehicle's stance. The rear wing also has a carbon-fiber airfoil. This example is in the color QM1 White and rides on Rays Nismo LM-GT1 three-piece wheels. The interior is black cloth with red stitching.

This 400R is number 8 of the 44 examples produced. The odometer shows 16,313 kilometers (10,136 miles). The vehicle history report indicates a manufacturing date of February 1996, and the first buyer registered it in Japan in July of that year. The vehicle had inspections in July 2019 and July 2021. The machine initially went to Canada in July 2023 and came into the United States in 2024. This car also won the Hagerty Car Culture Award at the 2024 Amelia Concours d'Elegance. Under the 25-year rule, the vehicle should now be legal to register and use in the US.

The 400R is quite a valuable machine. In 2022, a seller was asking $2.2 million for one, but it wasn't clear whether the car actually sold for that price. RM Sotheby's auctioned one of these machines for $995,000 in 2025. This one could top $1 million when it hits the auction block in March.