The Nissan Skyline GT-R is probably the most iconic car to come out of Japan in it's entire car-building history. It's been in production for a long time now, and it's not hard to see why. With a nickname like "Godzilla", it should be obvious that this car has a serious reputation around the world.
With its racing heritage and humble beginnings, the Skyline GT-R has become one of the most famous sports cars in the world. Appearing in film and other media over a span of decades, it has cemented its place as one of the most impressive cars of all time. Below are some of the features and facts as to why the Nissan Skyline GT-R is so awesome.
10 Historic
It's well documented that the Skyline GT-R is one of the most historic cars to come from Japan. The very first Skyline was produced by Prince Motor Company in April 1957 and the first Skyline GT-R was introduced on 4 February 1969. As an interesting side note, the Japanese used Italian naming conventions such as GT-R (Gran Turismo Racing) and GTB (Gran Turismo Berlinetta) to help increase sales in the western market.
Since 1969, there have been dozens of GT-Rs, all looking slightly different with different levels of performance. It's one of Japan's most celebrated and beloved series of cars and is still running today with brand new GT-Rs still being released.
9 Pop Culture Icon
It should be well known to those who have seen the Fast and Furious franchise just how popular this car is. This car has featured in multiple iterations of the film with the R32, R33, R35, and most famously the Nissan Skyline R34 GT-R. This helped bring the status of the car to a whole new level with a western audience.
The Skyline also has incredibly close ties to the Gran Turismo series of video games too. Anyone who played racing games on any version of the PlayStation should be aware of how highly regarded this car is in Japan. With the Gran Turismo games being Japanese, it was fitting for it to be a cover car for almost the entire series. On another cool side note, the people who developed the R35 interfaces were actually the same people who developed the interfaces in the Gran Turismo games meaning the speedometer and other gauges were identical.
8 Nismo
It's almost impossible to talk about the Skyline without mentioning Nismo. They are the in-house tuning company for Nissan, and they help already great cars become even better. They were formed in 1984 as a merger of two motorsport departments and the racing pedigree is well and truly on display as they have competed in JSPC, JTCC, the 24 Hours of Le Mans, and the 24 Hours of Daytona. They currently participate in the Super GT, the Blancpain GT Series, and Formula E.
The truly greatest versions of any Skyline are usually the Nismo-tuned ones. Possibly the greatest of all is shown just above here with the Nissan Skyline R34 GT-R Nismo Z-Tune. 19 V-Spec IIs were completely stripped and rebuilt with parts created out of Nismo's extensive race experience. The end result was a car capable of 0-62 in 3.8 seconds and a top speed of 200 MPH.
7 RB26 Engine
There are many famous engines to come from Japan but arguably the most famous of them all is the RB26 used by Nissan for a number of years. In fact, the RB26, or more specifically the RB26DETT used in GT-R models, was actually used in Skylines from 1989-2002.
The RB26DETT engine is a 2.6-liter inline-six with a parallel twin-turbo system, using a pair of T25-type ceramic turbochargers. The first 2.6-liter RB26DETT had 276 HP. By the end of production, power levels had increased to around 316 HP. The RB26 is widely known and popular for its strength and power potential due to its iron block and forged internals, making it a modification-friendly platform for tuners and aftermarket modifications in general.
6 JDM Build Legend
In classic Japanese fashion, the Skyline is very often modified. As said earlier, the RB26 is a very easily modifiable engine meaning it is a dream to work with for tuners but also visually, it's not uncommon to see Skylines with body modification upgrades as well as performance ones, too.
It's easily possible to put a whole new body kit, spoilers, lights, hood, wheels, etc, on all versions of the Skyline. Everything from the original older Skyline GT-Rs to the more modern ones receive treatment. In fact, they are so often modified, it's actually incredibly difficult to find unmodified versions of Skyline GT-Rs, and if they are found in great original condition, they have monumental value.
5 Modern Supercar
The Skyline has come a long way since the '60s and the best example to show this is the newest platform, the R35. The R35 has been around since 2007 and this car was the first to actually have the Skyline part of its name dropped. It's now simply referred to as the Nissan GT-R.
This platform is far different from the ones that came previously. For starters, it looks completely different and has ditched the boxier frame in favor of a more rounded, modern look. The performance of the R35 is perhaps the biggest change. The newer version of the R35 is capable of reaching around 200 MPH and has well over 500 HP. These specs are a far cry from the models that came before.
4 Ahead Of It's Time
Possibly the most famous and best example of the Skyline is the R34. One of the reasons this car was so popular was because it just seemed so far ahead of its time and still is so sought after today. It's no surprise the car is still so valuable and still in such high demand even in 2021.
Part of the reason this car was so ahead of its time was the handling and the RB26 spoken about earlier. The looks still hold up so well also and even back in the late 90s when the R34 was first introduced, it just seemed like it would be a classic for years to come. The interior may not be quite up to modern standards, but it can be forgiven slightly on that front.
3 Race History
It shouldn't really come as any surprise that Skylines have a long history in racing. Part of the reason the road cars are so good to drive is because of the inclusion of these Skylines in racing events. The Skyline GT-R has been competing in touring car events since the 60s and still competes in them today.
The four-door PGC10 2000 GT-R managed 33 victories in the one and a half years it raced and took 1,000 victories by the time it was discontinued in 1972. The Skyline GT-R later earned the nickname "Godzilla", due to its track performance and country of origin.
2 Handmade Engines
Possibly one of the most interesting facts about the Skyline GT-R, is that the engines are all hand-built by a small team of 4 people know as the Takumi. In Japan, takumi is a word used to describe a master craftsman who has perfected his skills over the years with painstaking work and dedication.
The four takumi of Nissan's plant in Yokohama are Takumi Kurosawa, Tsunemi Ooyama, Izumi Shioya and Nobumitsu Gozu. Together, they share over 100 years of exceptional work in their chosen field. These craftsmen are responsible for hand-building every twin-turbocharged V6 engine found in the Nissan GT-R, production vehicles, and even the racecars alike. Each engine is assembled with care and precision by one of these four individuals.
1 Grip
Quite possibly the reason the Skyline GT-R handles so well, and the R35 especially, is down to the sheer grip when the car is being thrown around the track. You would be hard-pressed to find any street-legal car which comes close to how the GTR handles.
The GT-R has an advanced 4wd system, torque vectoring to direct power, adaptive suspension to control grip and slip, a powerful engine, as well as a large array of sensors to monitor everything. The seamless communication of these parts working in harmony allows the GT-R to be a track monster further cementing its place in car legend.