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When Chevrolet Bought GM (Sort Of)Meet Godzilla, the R32 Nissan Skyline GT-R
The R32-generation Nissan Skyline GT-R was so dominant in Group A racing that it earned the nickname Godzilla and cemented itself as a JDM legend.
Titan of JDM
When 1954’s Godzilla was adapted from its original Japanese version for US audiences, the studio changed the name to Godzilla, King of the Monsters! and spliced in scenes featuring Raymond Burr, mostly looking out a window and gasping in terrified awe at the destruction wrought by the radioactive titan.
35 years later, Nissan was keen to get back into racing and revived the Skyline GT-R to take on Group A touring cars. The R32 Skyline GT-R, with its advanced all-wheel-drive system and powerful twin-turbo engine, utterly dominated to the point that the Australian motoring press dubbed it “Godzilla” and Aussie racing bodies effectively banned the car.
The US importation rules stipulate a waiting period of 25 years before vehicles can be brought to our shores. This has meant American fans of JDM (Japanese Domestic Manufacturer) vehicles have for decades looked across the Pacific in awe at some of automotive history’s greatest cars. We’ve been, in a sense, like Raymond Burr spliced into that Godzilla movie, looking from afar upon the R32 Skyline GT-R in terrified wonder.
The R32, a.k.a. Godzilla, was not the first Nissan Skyline GT-R, but it was the car that sparked our fascination with that legendary JDM nameplate. That’s why we sought out the best example we could find on Carsforsale.com, a 1994 Skyline GT-R with the original drivetrain, and minimal yet tasteful upgrades. But before we examine that specific vehicle, let’s take a moment to consider what made the R32 such a compelling JDM icon.
Getting to Godzilla
The Skyline did not begin life as a Nissan. The Japanese automaker Prince had first built the Skyline in 1957 and developed its first racing version, the Skyline GT, in 1964. Prince merged with Nissan in 1966, and the Skyline continued on, launching the GT-R in 1969.
The Skyline GT-R was aimed squarely at the Japanese GT circuit, then dominated by imports from Europe and America. Nissan was determined to change that with the GT-R, which performed admirably against the likes of the Porche 904. The Hakosuka (box skyline) was powered by the S20, a 2,000-cc inline-six based on Prince’s GR8 racing engine, and equipped with dual overhead cams, hemispherical combustion chambers, and four valves per cylinder.
The next generation GT-R arrived in the fall of 1972 and was known colloquially as the Kenmeri after a TV commercial featuring a couple Ken and Mary. The Kenmeri featured the same S20 motor but radically updated looks reminiscent of American muscle cars of the day. Sadly, the Kenmeri’s run was cut short, a combination of the 1973 Oil Crisis and Nissan canceling their racing program. Just 197 Kenmeri GT-R were built.
It would be another 16 years before Nissan decided to bring back the GT-R name, just in time for the heyday of JDM performance cars spanning from the late 1980s through the early 2000s. Despite a “gentlemen’s agreement” among carmakers to limit output to 280 horsepower, performance obsessed engineers and executives snuck in a good many extra ponies under the hoods of their cars. Engines built to that official 280 horsepower threshold frequently dyno’d for dozens more horsepower and were, in fact, engineered to withstand tuning up into the 1,000-horsepower range. The advent of Japanese tuner culture and secretive street racing clubs like Mid Night Club made legends out of cars like the Mazda RX-7, Toyota Supra, and Nissan Skyline GT-R.
What Made the R32 a Beast
In the late 1980s, Nissan was looking to build a replacement for their GTS-R racecar in Group A. Logically, they decided to bring back the Skyline GT-R, but with a decade-and-a-half-worth of technological advancement. The new R32 Skyline GT-R was benchmarked against the Porsche 959, itself a testbed for advanced performance engineering.
The 959’s biggest influence was its all-wheel drive system. Unlike the prior GT-R, which had been rear-wheel drive, the R32 generation would leverage all-wheel drive. Engineers took Nissan’s existing ATTESA (Advanced Total Traction Engineering System for All-terrain) and added a few more letters to an already cumbersome acronym with ETS or electronic torque split.
Whereas the 959’s AWD system adjusted torque front to back based on weight distribution, the GT-R’s ATTESA-ETS kept power rearward until a slip was detected, at which point the system could send up to 50 percent of the power to the front wheels to maintain traction. This tweak in design allowed the GT-R remarkable agility entering corners and superb grip when applying throttle coming out of corners. It would prove decisive in competition.
The other major advancement for the R32 Skyline GT-R was its new engine. Gone was the S20. In its place was the RB26DETT (dual overhead cam, electronic fuel injection, twin-turbo). The twin-turbo straight-six displaced 2,600 cc and made an official 276 horsepower and 260 lb.-ft. of torque, though the real output was closer to 300 horsepower.
Combined with its advanced all-wheel drive system, the new GT-R quickly came to dominate Group A. The R32 Skyline GT-R won all 29 of its Japanese Touring Car Championships, took the 1991 Spa 24 Hours, along with all three Group A championships between 1990 and 1992 as well as both the 1991 and 1992 Bathurst 1000. The dominance and destruction were so total the Australian sporting press gave it the moniker “Godzilla.”
This 1994 Nissan Skyline GT-R
The R32 Skyline GT-R was in production from 1989 through 1994. It’s therefore been eligible for import to the US since 2014. With thirty years since production concluded and the growing interest in JDM classics here in the US, it’s not easy to find Skyline GT-Rs in good, near original condition. This 1994 example carries both its original engine and transmission in addition to a well-kept interior. Upgrades are minimal but wisely chosen and include Brembo brakes, BBS aluminum wheels wrapped in Toyo summer tires, TRUST shift knob, and an aftermarket steering wheel.
This 1994 Nissan Skyline GT-R carries 37,837 original miles and is priced at $75,995.
