ABOUT THE R32 NISSAN SKYLINE GT-R

The R32 GT-R (nicknamed 'Godzilla' by Australian media, after it dominated Australian touring car racing) is the top of the line R32 Skyline, and is a very capable machine even to this day. It's safe to say that there are a lot of Skyline owners who aspire to own a GT-R one day!

CONCEPT
After cancelling the Skyline GT-R in 1973, Nissan revived the GT-R again in 1989. At the time Nissan was competing in Group A Racing with the R31 Skyline GTS-R. Nissan wanted to retire the GTS-R in favor of a more competitive vehicle. The new generation GT-R, E-BNR32 chassis (commonly shortened to R32), was designed to dominate Group A racing.

Nissan Kohki (Nissan's power train engineering and manufacturing facility) originally tested a twin turbocharged 2350cc bored and stroked version of the RB20 engine. This set up produced 313 hp (233kW) and used a RWD drivetrain. Under Group A regulations, a turbocharged engine must multiply its engine displacement by 1.7, putting the new Skyline in the 4000 cc class, and requiring the use of 10-inch-wide tires. Knowing that they would be required to use 10-inch-wide tires, Nissan made the decision to make the car four wheel drive.

Nissan developed a special motorsport-oriented 4WD system for this purpose called the ATTESA E-TS. Although this assisted with traction, it made the car 100 kg (220 lb) heavier; the added weight put the GT-R at a disadvantage to other cars in the 4000 cc class. Nissan then made the decision to increase the displacement to 2600 cc, and put the car in the 4500 cc class, with the car's weight near-equal to competing cars. The 4500 cc class also allowed for 11-inch-wide tires.
New engine block and heads were then developed to better match the increased displacement. The result was a 600 horsepower car. Later REINIK (Racing & Rally Engineering Division Incorporated Nissan Kohi) produced Group A racing engines between 500–650 hp (373–485 kW) depending on track conditions.

PRODUCTION
This new 2.6 L four wheel drive concept was put into production as the R32 Nissan Skyline GT-R. The R32 developed 276 hp (206 kW) and 266 lb·ft (361 Nm) of torque, and had a curb weight of 1,430 kg (3,146 lbs). Initial production of the car was the required 510 to allow for homologation starting on May 22, 1989.
Its successful debut along with critical acclaim by the motoring press created a heavy demand for the car. Nissan officially started an unlimited production run August 1989, and began its Group A campaign in 1990. Due to strict Group A homologation rules, Nissan was required to also sell a series of the Skyline GT-R which more accurately reflected the car they use in Group A racing. This series was called the Skyline GT-R 'Nismo' edition.

The Skyline GT-R 'Nismo', introduced on February 22, 1990, has a total production of 560 units as required for the "Evolution" models regulation (over 500). Its purpose is to homologate a number of aerodynamic changes used in Group A racing. Changes include additional ducts in the front bumper to improve airflow to the intercooler, a bonnet lip spoiler to direct more air into the engine bay, and an additional boot lip spoiler to provide more downforce. The 'Nismo' GT-R was only available in Gunmetal Grey.

The Skyline GT-R 'N1' model, introduced on July 19, 1991, was designed for home-market N1 racing with a total of 228 units produced. The most notable change was in the engine, which was upgraded to the R32-N1 specification. The car was also lightened by the removal of the ABS, air conditioning, sound system, rear wiper, trunk carpet, and the use of light-weight headlights. No color options were available and all 'N1' cars were delivered with a thin layer of Crystal White paint. The result was a 30 kg weight savings for a curb weight of 1,400 kg.
To celebrate the success of the GT-R in both Group N and Group A racing, Nissan introduced the Skyline GT-R V-Spec ("Victory SPECification") car on February 3, 1993. The V-Spec added Brembo brakes and a retuned ATTESA E-TS system to the Nismo and N1 packages, as well as 17" BBS wheels with 225/45/17 tires. The V-Spec has a list price of ¥5,260,000.

Finally on February 14, 1994 the Skyline GT-R V-Spec II was released, with the only change being wider 245/45/17 tires. In addition, both the V-Spec and V-Spec II had a curb weight of 1,480 kg (3,256 lbs), weighing 50 kg (110 lbs) more than the standard GT-R. Total production of the V-Spec I and II was 1,453 and 1,303 units respectively.

Total production of the R32 Skyline GT-R was 43,394 units, with production starting on May 22, 1989. An above average proportion of the GT-R's were sold in white: this is likely because white is the national racing color of Japan in international motorsport.

	What does it look like?