These days, movie fans and gearheads alike are well aware of the incredible Nissan Skyline GT-R thanks to its appearances in the Fast and Furious franchise with Paul Walker's Brian O'Conner behind the wheel. But as great as the car looks, sounds, and performs on the silver screen, the true history of the Skyline GT-R might be even more impressive. To celebrate the car's historical significance, Nissan has released a series of videos chronicling the model's success since its introduction over 55 years ago.
The Original
The first-generation Skyline GT debuted in 1964 after a frantic attempt by Nissan to build enough units to meet homologation requirements necessary for competition in that year's Japan Grand Prix. Dubbed the S54 generation, this Skyline was actually a Prince model (having emerged two years before Prince merged with Nissan).
The S54 featured what would become a Skyline GT-R staple: an inline-six powerplant that required modification to the engine bay in order to make it fit. The results were immediately impressive, however, with the car taking second through sixth in the 1964 Japan Grand Prix, losing to a sole Porsche 904.
Keep Running
As fans tuned into the 1964 Japan Grand Prix, they witnessed the birth of a legendary car that would become one of the best in Japan's (and the world's) storied automotive history. The first GT-R would debut in 1969 on a Skyline C10 four-door chassis, featuring a double overhead cam engine producing 160 horsepower and 133 lb-ft of torque. Motorsport success that can only be termed dominance followed, with the sedan notching 33 victories in under two years and a coupe iteration extending that figure to a full 50 by 1972.
Ready For The Big Screen
The Skyline GT-R continued to evolve for another 20 years, reaching new heights with the introduction of the R32 generation in 1989. This would become the most successful variant of all, and the one that would spark lustful dreams in moviegoers worldwide. Now with a twin-turbocharged inline-six and an advanced all-wheel-drive system, the GT-R would become known as "Godzilla" after further motorsport dominance and a shattered Nürburgring lap time.
And of course, as Nissan's current GT-R (the spiritual successor to the Skyline) approaches its fourteenth year of production, the next chapter in the story remains to be written and could be unveiled quite soon.
Source: Nissan