TheSmokingTire- 1990 Nissan Skyline GTR R32 Review – Video
For those of us Americans who grew up with the original racing simulators, but without the ability to see JDM Sports Cars on the street, the Skyline GTR was the ultimate fantasy mobile. Matt remembers the car going all the way back to the first Gran Turismo, and it was so much better than any other car in the game it was crazy. Turns out that was also true in real life, as the R32 Skyline GTR was so fast it was banned from Group A racing. To drive one today is to be impressed not only with the car’s pace, but also with the level of refinement and driver involvement.
Nissan Skyline GTR32 History
This new 2.6 L all wheel drive concept was put into production as the R32 Nissan Skyline GT-R. The R32 developed 206 kW (276 hp) and 266 lb·ft (361 N·m) of torque, it had a curb weight of 1,430 kg (3,146 lbs). Nissan officially started its 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 that more accurately reflected the car they use in Group A racing. They called this series the Skyline GT-R ‘Nismo’ edition.
The Skyline GT-R ‘Nismo’, introduced on 22 February 1990, has a total production of 560 units as required for the “Evolution” models regulation (over 500). Only 500 of the cars were sold to the public, with 60 being held by Nissan to turn into race cars. 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 3 February 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 14 February 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 43,934 units, with production starting on August 21, 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.