GT-R NISMO

Make
Nissan
Segment
Coupe

Thanks to movies like The Fast and the Furious and video games such as Gran Turismo, Japanese Domestic Market (JDM) vehicles have enjoyed great popularity amongst gearheads. The love affair people have with icons such as the Toyota Supra and Nissan Skyline GT-R has seen the value of these vehicles skyrocket in recent years.

If you're lucky enough to own a BNR34 Skyline in the States, you'll certainly be the envy of your local Cars & Coffee meet. But, there's a downside - sourcing replacement parts. Thankfully, Nissan's performance subsidiary Nismo has a heritage program that enables owners to purchase rare components and keep these cars on the road. Getting your hands on these bits, however, seems to prove troublesome.

One part, in particular, has drawn the ire of several customers. As reported by Japanese Nostalgic Car, not long after being listed, pre-orders for the R34 GT-R and the S15 Silvia instrument clusters closed.

Available in two color schemes, the black instrument cluster features yellow/orange lettering. The Nismo-branded item has a speedometer that reads up to 320 km/h (199 mph), while the rev counter goes all the way up to 11,000 rpm. It's a fairly clutter-free design, and also includes the obligatory fuel gauge and engine temperature display.

Aesthetically, the white dials are more appealing. The black lettering makes it easier to read at a glance, too, and, save for the different color scheme, it shares the layout of the more somber black cluster. As for pricing, the black set was priced at 99,000 Yen (approx. $710) while the sportier white dials commanded slightly more, at 100,000 Yen ($718).

It's a shame these desirable components have sold out so quickly, as we can imagine many owners would love to get their hands on this, especially when you look at the price of secondhand parts - some people have listed used clusters for as much as $800.

Hopefully, Nismo decides to offer the product again soon but, according to the Japanese Nostalgic Car, this is very unlikely. It notes that once these make their way to customers, these limited quantity units won't be produced again. Of course, until Nismo says so itself, there's still some hope left for Skyline customers.

Reproduction parts have become big business in recent years, allowing classic car owners to maintain their pride and joy with new and genuine pieces that would otherwise prove difficult to source.

Toyota Gazoo Racing department offers a similar service to Supra owners, and even Mazda has cottoned on to the idea. MX-5 Miata drivers can keep their cherished roadsters in tip-top shape thanks to a catalog comprising 1,100 parts - all remanufactured in Japan. Over in Europe, Mercedes-Benz offers a similar service, and so does Porsche.

As for the future of performance Nissans, many have questioned whether these vehicles will lose their edge as the company heads into the electric era. But there's still a glimmer of hope. According to the man who developed the R35 GT-R and the new Nissan Z, executives haven't decided on the future of these vehicles. Hopefully, they will retain internal combustion engines for a little bit longer.