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Cars > Transform

This company will turn your R35 Nissan GT-R into an R34 (sort of)

The Artisan GT-R combines the best of old and new

The Artisan GT-R is an R35 made to look like an R34. IMAGE FROM ARTISAN VEHICLE DESIGN

While the R35 Nissan GT-R might be a masterpiece of automotive engineering for many, enthusiasts still lament the demise of the models bearing the Skyline name. The R34, in particular, has a massive following thanks to movies and video games. These days, mint examples are extremely hard to find, and cost a small fortune. But if you have an R35 and want to give it some Skyline vibes, there is now a company that can do that.

The front fascia has the R34's rectangular headlights. IMAGES FROM ARTISAN VEHICLE DESIGN

UK-based Artisan Vehicle Design says that it can take an R35 and turn it into a proper R34 homage. And based on these images, the end result really does look like a legit successor to the Skyline-based GT-R. The exterior appears to balance elements between the two models with a generally boxy profile. The front fascia gets a redesigned bumper with rectangular headlight clustersa key design feature of the R34.

The transformation is said to involve reskinning the R35 with carbon-fiber body panels that should reduce the original car’s rather porky curb weight. The interior is left untouched for the most part, save for lashings of Alcantara and a bespoke steering wheel, shift knob, and seats. Artisan also claims that there are no limits to customization, so unicorn horns and missile launchers can probably be requested.

Do the customization options include retractable machine guns? IMAGES FROM ARTISAN VEHICLE DESIGN

The Artisan GT-R sounds well and good, then. After all, retro-inspired cars like this are all the rage these days. But a little poke around the website raised some red flags. For one, not all links are functional. Any company (especially startups) needs to make a good first impression, and having a website that works is one way of doing that.

Second, some of the important details such as performance figures are not available online. We could only assume that the firm will be charging a princely price tag for each conversion, so it is imperative that potential buyers have easy access to a spec sheet at the very least. Not all of them will have the patience to search online.

And finally, anyone booking a build slot needs to input credit-card details right away. The company charges a deposit fee of 0.5% of the purchase price. This isn’t strange by any means. But for a website that isn’t exactly transparent with what customers can expect, requiring a deposit up front is a little weird.

The interior appears to retain most of the R35's creature comforts. IMAGES FROM ARTISAN VEHICLE DESIGN

But for those who still feel that Artisan Vehicle Design is a legitimate entity, they can send their personal R35s over or ask for help in sourcing a suitable donor car. The vehicles will be reportedly taken to Hanover, Germany, for the conversion work. Only 36 units will be built. For more details (because there is a clear lack of it), you can use this contact form.



Miggi Solidum

Professionally speaking, Miggi is a software engineering dude who happens to like cars a lot. And as an automotive enthusiast, he wants a platform from which he can share his motoring thoughts with fellow petrolheads. He pens the column ‘G-Force’.



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