Someone Paid $70,000 to Have Me Shoot Their Nismo CRS M-Spec Nür R34 GT-R

There are some stories in car culture that can’t be told right away, and this is one of them. In fact, I still cannot tell you where I shot these photos – the car’s owner is extremely private, and I respect that. Perhaps one day I will be able to share the entire experience as well as the rest of the vehicles in this private collection (picture your dream Gran Turismo garage). For now, though, what I can share are the images and the story of how I found myself here in the first place.

About two years ago, my friends at Pennzoil reached out with an idea. They asked if I would be willing to auction off eight hours of my time for a one-day charity photo shoot. The auction would run on Bring a Trailer just like one of their normal vehicle listings, except instead of selling a car, they would be selling me. Other individuals and brands also donated experiences and items, and everyone involved could select their own charity as the beneficiary of the auction. I chose the 43 Institute.

It’s no secret that Ken Block helped shape my career. He used his platform to promote the car culture we all love, and gave so many of us a stage to showcase our work. He pushed us to refine our craft and to think bigger.

Now that he is gone, the 43 Institute continues Ken’s mission by fostering young and up-and-coming talent – especially those who do not come from wealthy backgrounds or have natural connections. That matters to me. Supporting the cause felt like the right thing to do. It was also my small way of giving back to Ken and keeping his legacy alive, not to mention a way to thank his family and friends.

When the auction went live, I honestly hoped it would reach $5,000. Eight hours of my time raising five grand for charity felt fair and realistic. I was already grateful to be included in the project.

I remember exactly where I was when the auction was ending. I was standing in line at the airport in Cabo, Mexico, checking in for a flight. That year, the Baja 1000 ran in reverse from Cabo to Ensenada, and I had just shot the start of the race and was flying north to capture the finish. While I was in line, I kept refreshing the auction page on my phone. When it crossed $5,000, I felt relieved and also very happy – we had raised a meaningful amount of money for a good cause. Heck, it might be enough to get a kid somewhere in the world a scholarship to a school. Who knows? However, the bids kept coming.

On Bring a Trailer, every time someone places a bid near the end, the clock resets to give others a chance to respond. That clock kept resetting. $10,000… $15,000… $20,000…

When it passed twenty grand, I was stunned. $20,000 for eight hours of my time felt surreal. I was already overwhelmed, but the bidding didn’t stop there. $30,000…$40,000… $50,000…

People joked that it would be poetic if it landed at forty-three thousand dollars, since #43 was Ken’s number, but by that point, we were already well past it. The momentum slowed around $60,000, and I assumed that would be the ceiling. Then it climbed again.

When the hammer finally fell, the total read just shy of $70,000 plus fees. I stood there in the airport staring at my phone. I could not comprehend that someone had spent that much money for a day of shooting with me, all in the name of charity and continuing Ken Block’s incredible legacy.A few months later, I connected with the winning bidder and flew out to his state. When I walked into his garage, I immediately understood the assignment. Sitting there with delivery miles was an R34 Nissan Skyline GT-R M-Spec Nür.

This was not just any GT-R M-Spec Nür, though – if there’s such a thing – but a full Clubman Race Spec (CRS) built by NISMO’s Omori Factory with essentially every available NISMO option selected.

If you understand what a NISMO CRS build represents, you know this is not just a restoration – it’s a reimagining of the R34 by the people who originally engineered it. The cost? Well into the seven-figure zone.

One thing that many people don’t know is that for Nismo to restore a car, it needs to be extremely clean to begin with. People have brought cars to Omori Factory, only to have them turned away because they’re too modified and/or have had previous crash repairs.

Unlike many of the Omori Factory builds, this one was stripped down to bare metal and acid dipped before being refreshed with a full Silica Brass (EY0) respray. Every component was either renewed or upgraded, with the entire restoration taking around two years to complete.

The engine is something completely unique from what I’ve seen out of Omori Factory. It’s an F-Sport R (FSR) RB26DETT built with an N1 block, GT500 crankshaft, GT connecting rods, Z-Tune pistons, Z-Tune cams, and more. It displaces 2.8L and, by utilizing turbos from the Nismo R3 engine, produces over 500whp.

Like the other RB26 engines used in Nismo complete cars, this one features a special coil cover plate to denote its specification. Don’t go looking for the ‘FSR’ cover in the Nismo catalog though, because you won’t find it.

Inside, the car features all-new trim refinished with R35 GT-R materials, as well as modified R35 seats. At the owner’s request, gold stitching was used throughout the interior. I loved the radio delete, which really shows a driver’s focus.

Aside from the Z-Tune, Nismo complete car builds do not get more serious than this, and in some ways, the CRS feels even more refined and usable. Yes, during the shoot, I had the chance to drive the car on the street for its maiden voyage since being restored – a privilege I did not take lightly.

Below is a video of the car being restored. You can see that Omori Factory put 250km on the clock during testing.

The Skyline was extraordinary, but what stayed with me was the intention behind the winning bid. Someone believed in the cause enough to put real money behind it.

Thank you to Pennzoil, thank you to Bring a Trailer, and, most importantly, thank you to the winning bidder of the auction. This car represents the absolute pinnacle of JDM tuning – and this incredibly generous gesture represents the best of our community.