For a car never sold new in the U.S., the Nissan Skyline GT-R has an enviable reputation here. Enthusiasts know it as a movie and video-game star, and even as a surprisingly common matchbox car.

This R34-era Nissan GT-R is the latest case in point. To the uninitiated, the R34 has too much in common with its base car – the tenth-generation Nissan Skyline – to be given a second look, but it’s ...