The star car of the forthcoming motion picture ‘Gran Turismo’ (to be released in Malaysian cinemas on August 17) is a Nissan GT-R and on August 25, one lucky person will be able to become its new owner.
This will be the person who is successful in the auction by Silverstone Auctions which will be held in the UK on August 25. It is expected that the bidding level will be between £225,000 – £275,000 (RM1.32 million – RM1.61 million) for the most successful GT-R NISMO R35 GT3.
Not all movie cars are sold
Normally, cars used in big-budget movies do not become available for sale as the film company retains them for sequels or PR duties. However, on those occasions when they are offered to the public, they are highly sought after.
Recent sales of ‘Fast and the Furious’ cars have proven the point, with a recent Paul Walker GT-R reaching US$1.3 million (RM5.93 million) at an auction.
A genuine racing car
The GT-R to be auctioned is a genuine racing car, actually used in races. Significantly, it finished ninth in the Nurburgring 24 hours in 2015, which was Nissan’s best result in recent history. The car has recently been owned by the creator of GT Academy.
The unusual and unique black livery was run in remembrance of a spectator who passed away in an earlier VLN round accident involving two GT-Rs. So this example of the already iconic GT-R really has both on-track and on-screen history that cannot ever be rivalled.
The ‘Gran Turismo’ story
‘Gran Turismo’ tells the evocative and true story of Jann Mardenborough, a bedroom gamer to real-time GT racer and Le Mans 24-Hour driver who wins the competition to climb the ‘stairway to heaven’ with Nissan’s Academy programme, ending the hopes of his contemporary gamer hopefuls.
It is based on the global GT Academy franchise and the car to be is an important part of the real GT Academy story. With a combined production and promotion budget believed to be US$180 million (RM821.25 million), ‘Gran Turismo’ will have been seen and loved by millions by the time of the auction. So the new owner will possess a car that many race fans and gamers have fantasised about.
