Nissan is restarting production of the Skyline’s RB26 straight-six

As Skyline GT-Rs cement themselves as one of the hottest collector cars on the rise, demand for period-correct, original parts is blowing up. Nissan’s NISMO Heritage program stepped up at the end of 2017 with an initial list of new factory-refurbished components, but now things are getting serious—Godzila’s RB26 engine is going back into production.

According to NISMO Heritage’s Japanese website, the 2.6-liter engine’s block and heads are now listed as on the production schedule, with shipping beginning April 1. The price for the block and head are 170,000 and 187,000 yen, respectively (about $1536 and $1690). It’s unclear if that price includes shipping, which may add a lot of cost for customers outside of Japan.

This news will no doubt be a godsend for Skyline enthusiasts, who are generally willing to pay big bucks for an original engine or specific components.

The RB26 was used most famously in the R32 (1989–94), R33 (1995–98), and R34 (1999–2002) Nissan Skyline GT-R models. In the R32 Skyline it made 276 hp at 6800 rpm and 266 lb-ft of torque at 4400 rpm, complete with an aluminum head, six individual throttle bodies, oil-cooled pistons, twin-turbocharging, and more. It was a technological marvel, but it’s also smooth and refined even my today’s standards.

After R32 parts support from NISMO Heritage began in late 2017, Nissan followed up with additional parts for R33 and R34 models in late 2018, but it was mostly small hoses, trim pieces, wiring harnesses, and the like. Now there are wiper motors and windshield washer reservoirs for the R33 and R34, but for the R32 there are also fuel pumps, muffler assemblies, and body parts like fenders, roofs, and front spoilers to go along with the major engine components.

We’ve reached out to NISMO in Yokohama for additional information, and we will update this story with more information as we get it. For now, it’s as good a reason as any for JDM enthusiasts to celebrate, and we only expect Nissan’s list of Heritage goodies to get longer in the future.