First impressions of the LEGO Speed Champions Nissan Skyline GT-R (R34) and Brian O’Conner minifigure

December 3, 2022 | 12

Here’s an exclusive first look and preview of the upcoming LEGO Speed Champions 76917 2 Fast 2 Furious Nissan Skyline GT-R (R34), which will be released in January 2023.

I was very lucky to sit in on an interview and presentation by Speed Champions Designer, Chris Stamp, who walked a bunch of us through some of the new Speed Champions sets coming in 2023, which include Paul Walker’s Nissan Skyline R34.

Special thanks to Balazs from RacingBrick who allowed us to sit in on his interview with Chris Stamp. Check out this interview with Chris Stamp on Youtube, for a deeper dive into the design of this set!

We were given a very early look at the Nissan Skyline, based on 2 Fast 2 Furious, as well as the Brian O’Conner / Paul Walker minifigure, but keep in mind that these were very early prototypes and are not the final production models, so you might spot some dodgy elements, or stickers.

You might also notice some heavy blurring in the background as there are some Speed Champions cars that have not been officially announced yet, so I’ve had to mask them out until the right moment.

Here’s Paul Walker’s Grey Nissan Skyline from 2 Fast 2 Furious, along with the iconic blue racing stripes. It’s really gorgeous, and does an incredible job capturing the look and feel of his legendary Nissan Skyline.

Here’s a look at the Nissan Skyline from the movie – not a bad approximation.

Here’s a look at the back, which has the stickers for his license plates, as well as the GTR badge, and Toyo Tires branding.

The Nissan Skyline’s signature red taillights are captured particularly well, as is the blue spoiler. The taillights are absolutely crucial because they’re the most important aspects of Skylines, and Chris really nailed it here.

The interior has some really fun details, such as Brian’s blue bucket seat, and in his passenger seat, giant canisters of NOS, as well as the stickered panel with 3 gauges.

It’s definitely one of the coolest and most faithful interiors yet, and I love that it’s even a right-hand drive, which makes sense given that this is a Japanese import that Brian restored.

Speaking of Brian O’Conner / Paul Walker, here’s a look at the minifigure. His carefree blonde hair works well here, and they’ve captured his facial expression well too.

I only noticed after coming home, but because this is such an early prototype, the details on his legs were re-created with stickers! The retail model has plain legs, which suggests that there was a change made.

It’s a rare sneak peek into what LEGO designers do when they need to mock up models, when elements haven’t been produced yet, and shows just how much can change in months.

For reference, this was in late September 2022.

Some really fun new elements are included. The 6-spoke rims are new, and if you look at the wheel arches, you’ll notice that they’re printed and decorated, allowing the pattern to extend all the way.

I believe decorated wheel arches are new for Speed Champions, so this is super exciting that the technology is finally here!

It goes without saying that I think this will be one of LEGO’s most successful Speed Champions vehicles. The Nissan Skyline is a legendary Japanese sportscar, and Paul Walker’s depiction of Brian O’Conner is partly responsible for its legend and popularity.

It’s also a beautiful tribute to the late Paul Walker, who passed away in 2013, and for fans of the Fast & Furious series, it’ll be so good to pair up the Brian and Dom minifigures.

To hear more from Chris Stamp, check out his interview with RacingBrick on Youtube!

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