Here’s Your $10k Nissan GT-R R34 Replica From Thailand Based On A Rover 200 Coupé

The Nissan Skyline GT-R R34 is one of the most iconic Japanese vehicles, with well-preserved, low-mileage stock examples selling for half a million dollars these days. So what happens when you want a GT-R but you don’t have the funds needed for the real thing? The answer is hidden in a small garage from Thailand that is building and selling R34 replicas based on the Rover 200 Coupé.

A British two-door coupe from the early ’90s doesn’t sound like an ideal base for an R34 replica but if you look closely you will notice that the two models have a similar design on the side windows. This makes it easier to convert while keeping the stock greenhouse.

The Thai craftsmen disassemble the front and the rear end of the Rover 200 Coupé (1992-1998), adding new body panels that result in significantly lengthened overhangs. They are using genuine or aftermarket parts from the 10th generation Nissan Skyline (1998-2001), including headlights, taillights, fenders, bumpers, trunks, etc.

In terms of size, the 4,270 mm (168.1 in) long Rover is significantly shorter than the 4,600 mm (181.1 in) long Nissan. However, their wheelbases are closer than you would expect measuring 2,550 mm (100.4 inches) and 2,665 mm (104.9 inches) respectively. This allows for a pretty convincing look, and only an R34 afficionado would recognize that this is not an original car when spotted on the road.

Instead of limiting themselves to the exterior design, the team went a step further by converting the interior as well. The complete dashboard and the center console come from an R34 Skyline which sounds impressive. However, you shouldn’t expect the telemetry screen or the extra gauges of the GT-R since those parts are very hard to find. In this specific example, the least convincing feature is the GT-R badge on the steering wheel.

If you are wondering what hides under the long vented hood, prepare to be disappointed. It is the stock Honda-sourced 1.6-liter four-cylinder engine producing just 109 hp (82 kW / 111 PS). Although most variants of the Rover 200 Coupé had a manual transmission, this example is fitted with an automatic gearbox that sends the power to the front axle.

As you can guess, the performance of this replica won’t be matching the wild looks although you can always use the performance flagship Rover 220 Coupé Turbo as a donor car. This was fitted with a turbocharged 2.0-liter engine producing 197 hp (147 kw / 200 PS) while it came with a limited-slip differential and uprated brakes. Still, no Rover can match the performance credentials of a genuine Nissan GT-R which came with a twin-turbo 2.6-liter or 2.8-liter inline-six producing up to 493 hp (368 kW / 500 PS) in the ultra-expensive Z-tune form.

However, we should be focusing on the good stuff which is obviously the replica’s affordability. According to the official Facebook page of the Bangkok-based Thai Body Car, the cost for a fully converted model is between ฿250,000-420,000 ($7,524-12,640). If you already own a Rover 200 Coupé and want to use it as a donor vehicle, bear in mind that the whole process will take two months – not including shipping to and from Thailand. The good thing is that they have been doing it for a long time now so they definitely have quite an experience.