Author: GATER KAZUKI | GT-Rotaku.com

Hello everyone, this is GATER KAZUKI.

This time, I'd like to talk about something a little different: Paul Walker and the R32.

First off, I'm not a huge fan of the Fast & Furious series. They handle cars too roughly. However, I readily acknowledge that Paul Walker himself was a die-hard car guy, and I genuinely respect him for that.

Now to the main topic.

While the image of "Paul Walker and the R34" is well-established in the public consciousness, the story that his love for the R34 originated from the R32 is something that's fairly well-documented in overseas media, yet there are hardly any articles written about it properly in Japanese.

So, I thought I'd compile it here.

The encounter with the R32 was the beginning of everything

According to Craig Lieberman, the technical advisor for The Fast & Furious, Paul Walker's serious interest in JDM cars was sparked when he saw an R32 GT-R at a vehicle casting venue for the movie.

Both an R32 and an R33 were brought to that casting venue, and the producers and directors reportedly preferred the R33. The R32, due to its scarcity, didn't really resonate with the production side.

But Walker thoroughly examined the R32 on the spot. From there, his interest in the Skyline truly took off.

The public image of "Paul Walker, who loved the R34," actually has its origin in that brief encounter with the R32. I believe this sequence of events is worth documenting properly when discussing the R32 car.

Walker actually owned an R32

When 21 cars from Paul Walker's collection were put up for auction at Barrett-Jackson's Scottsdale auction, a 1989 R32 GT-R was among them.

Moreover, it was a vehicle tuned for track use. It wasn't just a display car; he actually drove it.

The winning bid was $100,100 (approximately 15 million yen). Considering that the market price for a regular R32 is around $20,000 to $75,000, this was a significant price. While Walker's ownership history and its track-spec status certainly boosted the price, the fact that it fetched such a sum speaks volumes about his reputation as a collector.

All proceeds from the sale were reportedly put into a trust for Walker's daughter, Meadow. This part, I honestly think, is a genuinely good story.

The R34 in the movie and his personal R34 were different cars

As a supplementary note:

The R34 that appeared in the movie and the R34 that Walker acquired as a personal possession were different vehicles. According to Lieberman's testimony, Walker himself moved to purchase two R34s after filming for the movie was completed.

He wasn't just driving an R34 as a character in a movie; he went and bought them with his own money after filming. That's the important point. Walker's relationship with the Skyline wasn't "acting for a role" but stemmed from his pure, personal love for cars.

What The Drive's tribute article conveys

The Drive magazine's tribute article to Walker contains the following passage: After mentioning that the R32 GT-R built its "Godzilla" legend by crushing numerous rivals in touring car races, it describes Walker as "a true car guy who owned seven BMW E36 M3 Lightweights, loved tuned Nissans, and everything with wheels: Saleen Mustangs, Porsche 911 GT3s..."

For someone who owned a personal 1989 R32, tuned it for the track, and drove it, I don't think there's a more fitting description than "true car guy." This isn't just empty praise typical of a tribute article; it's an assessment based on facts.

Someone should have documented that the R32 was the starting point

When Japanese media covers Paul Walker, only the R34 is mentioned. While it's understandable given its strong connection to the movie, I believe the fact that "his love for the R34 began with an encounter with the R32" is worth documenting properly in Japanese.

The R32 ignited one car guy's love for the Skyline. That flame led to the purchase of the R34, to the R34's use in the movie, and to people around the world coming to know the Skyline.

The origin of this causality is the R32.

That's all from GATER KAZUKI.