[00:09] >> I'm touching myself. Oh, oh, is that is that AN R34 SKYLINE? I'M going to bust in the middle of Love Park IN FRONT OF THE TOURISTS. Park IN FRONT OF THE TOURISTS. IT'S AN R34 Skyline. I'm using a classic
[00:24] IT'S AN R34 Skyline. I'm using a classic Super Soaker to blast half and half back into my balls so I can give YOUR MOTHER A BACTERIAL INFECTION. IT'S AN R34
[00:36] A BACTERIAL INFECTION. IT'S AN R34 SKYLINE. BUT NOW I see I was looking at the car from the front. And now I see four doors
[00:48] from the front. And now I see four doors and the letters GT on the rear instead and the letters GT on the rear instead of GT-R.
[01:00] Oh, no. My erection. How am I going to get respected from all How am I going to get respected from all the bros named Chet if I don't have the best version of every car? >> Today's episode of Regular Car Reviews
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[02:40] satisfying, let's go back to the Skyline. Mhm. really sell this. Here's the deal. The manual transmission, naturally aspirated manual transmission, naturally aspirated RB25 R32 Skyline is fun, affordable,
[02:57] RB25 R32 Skyline is fun, affordable, useful, decently quick, and it's unique without the big JDM price tag. >> Gladly. >> Okay, yeah, right about there a turbo would be kicking in.
[03:11] would be kicking in. >> There you go.
[03:23] >> Yep. >> Great. Good. >> Great. Good. >> The R32 is Nissan at its peak. The RB >> The R32 is Nissan at its peak. The RB engine and this body goes together like
[03:36] Macho Man and Hulk Hogan shaking hands. Even without a turbo, the RB engine is still a performance machine pushing the sedan through the air with the eagerness sedan through the air with the eagerness of a child running home after the last
[03:51] day of school and the beginning of summer vacation. The steering is sharp and responsive, completely intuitive without being overbearing. And by that I mean, you know how Miatas get when you put coil-overs on them and then a tiny
[04:07] steering wheel and the neutral or dead spot is gone from the center of steering and you have to keep correcting the car because it feels like it's looking for apexes on a straight road. Yeah, the Skyline doesn't have that. Nissan
[04:21] Skyline, the people's M3. Nissan used to be BMW for people whose retirement plan was to keep working. But something changed somewhere in the late 2000s or
[04:33] maybe even in the 2010s. You see, Nissan is still an everyman company in the same in the sense that they still pump out affordable options. But they don't really serve the driver like they used to. In the Venn diagram of the cars that
[04:49] and the cars that are visually appealing, it's basically just three separate piss puddles that never touch, much less form a single pool. I mean, is there any car company in modern history who has had more auto piss performed on
[05:04] who has had more auto piss performed on them while still alive? It feels like every answer as to why Nissan sucks these days boils down to the fact that they aren't doing this anymore. Anything has to be better than model after model
[05:18] of commuter slop, right? Except is Nissan even capable of making a car like this anymore? Yes, you still have Nismo, you still have the GT-R. They're modern, they're performance forward, but how much punishment can they take? How long
[05:34] will they last? The prequel starships are cool, but the battle-scarred, lived-in quality is what made the Millennium Falcon so desirable. And by the the token, this R32 is probably more fun precisely
[05:49] because it looks like it could survive an asteroid field. 2000 Nissan Skyline an asteroid field. 2000 Nissan Skyline R34, the Japanese Mustang. We've said it before, but Skylines to Japan are what Mustangs are to America. Except these
[06:04] don't leave behind a vulture's buffet at every car meet. People from outside North America will come here and flip out over Mustangs. Welcome everybody >> [gasps] >> "They're everywhere." And then we think,
[06:20] "So? Most of them are V6s, nothing special. Essex V6s, Duratec V6s, they use them in everything." And people are like,
[06:32] "But it's a Mustang, and that one's a V8 GT." And we go, "So? It's a Coyote motor. It it it's good, but it's not a Shelby, it's not a Roush, it's not some blown Kenny Bell monster.
[06:46] Ford made Mustangs at every single trim and every single price point. And the same goes for Skylines, many different ones at many different levels. This 2000 ones at many different levels. This 2000 Skyline GT is the equivalent of a 2000
[07:01] Skyline GT is the equivalent of a 2000 SN95 New Edge Mustang GT. Shut up." Yeah, so a 2.5 L inline-six is not equal to a 4.6 L modular V8, but an RB is still an RB and loves to live up near redline, while a modular V8, even with
[07:16] three valve heads, would rather live at 3000 RPM listening to butt rock and drunk texting Heather. This R32 Skyline is from November of 2000, so this is is from November of 2000, so this is post-facelift. And the trim is 2.5 GT or
[07:32] ER34 rear-wheel drive with options that include xenon headlights, a rear spoiler, a three-disc CD changer, premium audio, and a limited slip factory navigation system in the year 2000, although this version is basically
[07:46] just weeaboo ways because it can't comprehend not being in Japan. So, if you are, it thinks you're at Tokyo Station. But, all of this is just secondary to the actual talking point we're making here, whether it is to
[07:59] praise or complain. The six-cylinder inline RB25DE Neo engine with Neo standing for Nissan Ecology Oriented, meaning depending on the range, you got things like variable lift and timing, solid lifters, and
[08:14] improved fuel economy and emissions. Okay, so power. Okay, so power. This gets about 197 horsepower at 6,000 RPM and 188 pound-feet of torque at 4,000 RPM, and that's good. I mean,
[08:28] remember the 7M without a turbo made 190. This has 10:1 compression and the equivalent of 125,000 mi. And the overall durability of the RB is one of its biggest selling points. As the Japanese ad says,
[08:43] >> Body is power. Driving body. Improve body rigidity as a fundamental factor for joy of driving a car at will. >> Meaning, uh, the more durable the car, the more you can beat on it, and the more fun you have, I guess. Even though
[08:58] this is a four-door, they still give you a seat that raises and lowers [clears throat] your thigh position right here. To have your legs fit at the proper angle. This down
[09:11] here then raises your butt. So, the two of them together can raise the seat up. of them together can raise the seat up. Or you can have a completely crazy race
[09:23] racing position right here. And this is not a higher prestige Skyline, but they still give you that. And people want to switch these things depending on what you want to call them. And I want to say, "No, really, Nissan
[09:37] knew what they were doing here. All you need to do is work the knobs and position. And the bolstering here, even though this is just the sedan, is still very, very aggressive by American standards.
[09:52] It will hold you into the seat. And back here in the rear, you do have a seat belt for the third position, but they didn't continue the bench seat across. They kept the bolstering here. So,
[10:07] whoever gets stuck uh riding the middle, they're going to be sitting upright. With their Look at my head. I need this extra inch. This is a silly design. You literally, I apologize to
[10:25] group, you're going to be in the middle seat of the Skyline every single time because I am hitting the headliner. Right here. Because Look at my butt. Look Here's the seat down here.
[10:40] seat down here. My butt is up here. The cup The cup holder falls right through. It is a cup holder, as Nick would say, in the nominal sense.
[10:53] It's two squares separated by a thin piece of plastic. This at best, I mean, you got to hope your friends just drink juice boxes to be honest with you. They give you a cigarette lighter back here
[11:08] the a a ashtray back here, but they don't give you a cigarette lighter in the back. I half expected to see one. I'm just noticing now that everything is tilted toward the driver, including the
[11:23] ashtray. >> The ashtray, the stereo, everything. It's not as exaggerated as the Supra or NX, obviously, but it's still that quintessential '90s driver-centric
[11:36] >> And this is like premium the end the late '90s where you have compact discs and tape deck at the same time, but the tape deck were up to Dolby Digital now.
[11:50] >> And even though I love the '80s designs where everything was everything was silver, according to Techmoan, late '90s was the absolute peak for tape deck uh technology.
[12:04] these things sound as good as a CD. And then there's that talks about, "No, if you have the right equipment, a tape can a tape cassette CD." Is it broken?
[12:18] cycles through. It has the three >> Oh, it takes the CDs out of the little cartridge and loads them into there. that in there, what's the ingress there? What's that say?
[12:31] >> Three compact disc auto changer. >> Oh, in just old an old script font that else in the car. >> Believe it or not, the the head unit and >> Oh, That's an That's an Alpine head unit. That's kick ass.
[12:46] reason. >> For her part, Matty sought out a high-mileage model that was well maintained and regularly driven and wanted a GT model, meaning the non-turbo sedan with the 2.5 L
[13:01] and rear-wheel drive and of course manual transmission. And what she got was a rewarding car that makes you earn the fun. As she explained to us, she had a source a battery from a 2010 Prius that fits in here and an air filter from
[13:15] a 300ZX that also fits. As for oil, takes uh 10W-40 and for gas, you can get away with 91 octane in this. You don't have to put the 93 octane that the uh variants really want. Okay, what what I want you to understand
[13:30] Okay, what what I want you to understand is how quiet the NA Nissan Skyline is without the turbo. When it revs, it just sounds like a hardly sounds like anything. So, I'm going to take the mic and I'm going to
[13:43] going to take the mic and I'm going to put it on the engine itself.
[14:02] pistons. It just sounds like the letter H a whole bunch. But, if we want to dip our toes in a previous generation's mentality, this is rare JDM ownership
[14:14] cuz here we go. According to the uh GT-R Registry, Nissan only made about 274 Registry, Nissan only made about 274 facelift regular 2.5 GT sedans with
[14:26] manual transmissions. Most were either higher spec or turbocharged. So, while this is not one of one, it's proudly one of few. And yet, people are still going to look at the Skyline and judge it for everything it isn't. Nissan Skyline.
[14:41] everything it isn't. Nissan Skyline. >> Um actually, yes. This is good, but you should have got a Mark IV Supra. >> Can everybody else just shut up about the Mark IV Supra? You're never going to get one, and you don't even want one
[14:57] responsibility that comes with owning a Supra. You just want validation so you don't have to pay Instagram models for dick ratings. The Mark IV Supra is
[15:09] always going to be desirable. It's always going to be legendary. But, the elephant in the room that no one wants to address right now in 2026 the R34 has anti-Supra status because it's not only more attainable, it's managed to become
[15:24] more desirable of all the JDM cars. I'm really talking about the GT-R, but with a catch. People want the quote-unquote real one, which means the R34 GT-R with
[15:37] the twin turbo, and to a lesser extent the GTS-T. the GTS-T. And it's easy to see why. The R34 cannot be refused. You see these tail lights, the quad circles, and then you noticed
[15:50] that they're different sizes? Yeah. The R32 has four tail lights and they're all the same size, but the R34, two are bigger than the others. That's how you bigger than the others. That's how you spot it really fast. The R34 is like an
[16:03] offer from The Godfather, or it's free samples at Costco when your blood sugar is low. It's the chance to get some of that hydraulic helmet from the girl next door. It's a car you will never have to justify to anybody, because anybody in
[16:17] your life whose opinion is worth haunting you will understand why a turbocharged R34 coupe makes sense. But then you get to this, and it's a sedan, and it isn't turbocharged. It's the high school quarterback who balled up socks
[16:31] in his under armor. You come into it expecting the RB25DET "What's this?" But then you drive it, and you go, "Ah, what's this? This is fun. It's still exciting. I'm driving a Skyline
[16:47] and I'm having fun." People who look down their noses at the R34 sedan carry the same energy as the factory setting disappointment of a sports dad, acting
[16:59] like his dreams have anything to do with the worthiness of the one who's failing to achieve them on his behalf. Anything a parent doesn't like about their child is probably their fault, and the same is sometimes true of cars. Okay, so it
[17:14] or the RB25DETT, that's twin turbo, that's the GTR engine. It's not those things. But it's not like Nissan phoned this car in. This is the automotive equivalent of gas station uppers washed down with bus
[17:28] station coffee. It's the pick-me-up that creates unsustainable euphoria because you're whipping around in this car as if you're in one of those racing arcade cabinets. Eyes wider than a skeptic entering heaven. But then you realize
[17:41] that the car isn't really geared to keep up with this sort of power delivery. In the US, we get up to 80 mph and just hold it there. But this doesn't like that. revs high and you're going to hear it in the cabin.
[17:54] It drones on a little bit like a physics professor without anybody waiting at home. And you're going to be cramped in this very anti-American cabin. I'm 5'10, 175 lb and I'm wondering how much lower I have
[18:09] to sit and how much longer I have to count carbs to finally feel comfortable in this thing. But the non-turbo Sedan's secret weapon is that it's detached from its legacy in the way the turbo coupe is
[18:21] not. Because this is not a turbo, nobody wants it. So it's cheap to buy because everybody is busy buttering their eggplant to own a GTR, which has basically become the new split window Corvette Stingray. In 5 years, those
[18:36] cars are going to be trailered around to every car show in the tri-county area by people who just noticed their first gray hair in the morning. The R34 GTR is going to become the official car of the new boomer. Because boomer is a
[18:52] new boomer. Because boomer is a generation, but it's also a mindset. And perceived value is actual value. I'm not sure when all the boomers return to the start menu, who's going to be the new boomer. Well,
[19:09] it may be Gen X. It may be elder millennial who start It may be elder millennial who start behaving like them. And the car for the is the twin turbo Nissan R34 GT-R.
[19:23] I just farted when I said that. They will take the GT-Rs. They will wheel them off trailers. They will plop them down at car shows. And pretty soon you're going to see folding chairs right next to them. But I think,
[19:37] okay. I hope I hope we are getting past the point where value is tied to perception. Things are more valuable if you can enjoy them while going about your day
[19:51] like a normal person without the risk of being approached every time you park. Because it can sometimes feel impossible to participate in the world without being observed. As if at any moment we might become the subject of a social
[20:06] media post just by being out in the world. And we won't get any say in it. You can be anonymous one day and then say the wrong thing in front of the wrong person and become the main character of the internet the next day.
[20:19] There's no sense that the things that we have or the daily life we experience can have or the daily life we experience can ever be solely ours. It's always for the observation and comment of others whether we want it to be or not. You get
[20:34] an R34 coupe, people will assume you want to be noticed. You want to be congratulated and fussed over. But I don't get that sense from the sedan in spite of or maybe because of its performance, which is adequate but not
[20:48] outrageous. It feels like it's more for the owner than it is for the world. This That you're not going to care about dents and scratches. You're not going to care about mileage or rain. You're going to drive it in the weather. You're going
[21:03] to do drifts in gravel parking lots. You're going to enjoy an R34 for what it's meant to be. A delightful, fun, manual transmission, rear-wheel drive, straight-6, double cam, happy revving engine. You're going to love this. And
[21:19] honestly, you should buy one of these. Forget the turbos. Just get a sedan with a stick shift and rear-wheel drive or all-wheel drive. Enjoy it for what it is. And there's plenty of people who know how to work on these now. Get the
[21:31] regular R34 GT and defy that boomer mentality.