The Nissan R32 Skyline GT-R was a mysterious car that had raised a lot of questions, rather than answers. It was forbidden fruit for us here in the States, and Nissan Fanatics would count days for this mad machine to be legally available. What's so special about it, you ask? The fact that an R32 GT-R went on to dominate the Australian Bathurst Racing Series, winning every race entered into, leaving the V8 counterparts in the dust! This is what gave it the famous GODZILLA nickname.
It was a no-frills 2-door coupe exclusive for the Japanese Domestic Market (JDM) but was special as it packed in the legendary RB26 Inline-6 engine that has been the holy grail for modification houses. Nissan had over-engineered this engine to the extent that you could easily churn out 600+ hp with minimal mods. For the record, the 1996 Nissan R32 GT-R was rated at 280 hp because of the peculiar Gentleman's Agreement that kept a tap on 'excessive' performance!
Not many were aware of this incredible machine up until the advent of JDM because of the Fast and Furious Franchise. But Initial D was another very influential Japanese Street Racing manga series that was behind the sudden craving for the JDM cars. The R32 GT-R had a very sinister first impression for us, thanks to Rin Hojo, The Infamous Grim Reaper from Initial D, who rode a blacked-out R32.
The Nissan R32 Skyline GT-R was the reason for the GT-R being called 'Godzilla', and the rest is history!
Nissan GT-R Was Called 'Godzilla' Because Of The R32 Skyline
Not just any other Nissan R32 Skyline GT-R, but the iconic 986 hp Calsonic GT-R, Nan incredible car Nissan built. This Blue apparition right here is what started it all. It was as if all hell broke loose when the Skyline R32 GT-R entered the racing scene. It entered the Japanese Touring Car Championship and won all of it, every one of the 29 races.
Then Nissan took it overseas and won the Australian Touring Car Championship. It was here when the press noticed this humble-looking coupe obliterating the likes of Fords with V8s with no remorse. The local press thus gave it the nickname - 'Godzilla' after the fictional monster that destroyed everything in its way. It further went on to win the Bathurst 1000 in 1991 and 1992 as well as the Spa 24-Hrs in 1991.
The R32 Skyline GT-R Packed In The Legendary RB26DETT Engine
The Nissan R32 Skyline GT-R was powered by the Godly RB26DETT 2.6L Twin-Turbo Inline-6 motor. It churned out 276hp and 260 lb-ft and had a glorious take on eating up tarmac all the way up to 8,000 rpm. This was one of the most iconic Japanese engines ever built. It was the holy grail of modification houses and could easily be tuned to over 1000 hp.
It was well advanced for its time as Nissan packed the R32 with features like AWD, 4 Wheel Steering, and the race-derived twin-turbos that spooled their way to dominance on the tracks. This car was so damn impressive that it raced the iconic Porsche 959 time and again in the Group A Class races, and beat it every single time.
R32 Skyline GT-R Did 0-60 Mph In 5.6 Secs; Faster Than A BMW E30 M3
All of these advancements allowed the R32 Skyline GT-R to achieve an impressive 0-60 mph timing of 5.6 seconds and a top speed of 156 mph. These figures were mind-boggling for a car of such sober stature during the time. For reference, the BMW E30 M3 was considered to be one of the fastest coupes of the time, did 0-60 mph in 6.2 seconds.
The R32 GT-R came in 4 different trims - Standard, Nismo, V Spec, and V Spec II. All of them used the same RB20 series engine but was tweaked a bit differently for added juice. The power figures ranged from 217 -276 hp, but actual figures were close to 316 hp. The V Spec II, the quickest of the lot did 0-60 mph in an eye-popping 4.7 seconds.
The R32 GT-R Had A Soothing Drive-Centric Layout
All of the R32 GT-Rs were made in RHD layouts as was never sold to the US or any other LHD countries. But that doesn't stop you from being mesmerized by the simplicity this car carries while being a driver-focused car. The dashboard is leaned towards the driver and is a fairly basic layout. No flashy bits here but you sure get good huggable cloth seats along with air-conditioning.
Nissan R32 Skyline GT-R Looked Humble For Its Street Cred
Nissan was not particularly loud with its design language but sure did go on with the trend of the wedge-style design that was gaining traction and making cars look cool during the 1970s. The body was sleeked out with sharp you curved elements. Bigger intake slots upfront were made for more air for the fire-breather.
The rear continued to be dominated by the iconic quad-ring taillight setup. The form factor was muscular and its race-spec rear wing connected to its racing pedigree. It came with either 16 or 17-inch wheels, with the V Spec models being offered with BBS rims.
NISMO Is Building Spares And Restoring The OG Godzilla
The car gods have reciprocated. Nissan's performance division - Nismo, had announced a new Heritage Parts Department in 2017, that would focus on providing classic car parts. These include off-road parts for the Frontier, Titan, and the defunct Xterra.
Along with these, they would also be providing parts of the iconic Skyline line-up including new blocks for the 2.6L RB26 Twin-Turbo Inline-6 motor. They will also restore the Godzilla from scratch for $430,000. A price worthy of paying we say.
Sources: Automobilemag.com, Nissanusa.com, Wikipedia.org, Topspeed.com, Goodwood.com, Evo.co.uk, Motorbiscuit.com