Nissan Skyline GT-R Details, Photos and Videos

The Nissan Skyline GT-R is a sports car based on the Nissan Skyline range. The first cars named "Skyline GT-R" were produced between 1969 and 1972 under the model code KPGC10, and enjoyed legendary success in local Japanese touring car racing. This model was followed by a brief production run of second-generation cars, under model code KPGC110, in 1973. After a 16-year hiatus, the GT-R name was revived in 1989 as the BNR32 ("R32") Skyline GT-R. This model GT-R proceeded to win the Japanese JTCC Group A series championship four years in a row. The R32 GT-R also had success in the Australian Touring Car Championship helping the R31 Skyline GTS-R to victory in 1990 and winning alone in 1991 and 1992, until a regulation change excluded the GT-R in 1993.

The formidable technology and performance of the R32 GT-R prompted the Australian motoring publication Wheels to nickname the GT-R "Godzilla" in its July 1989 edition.Wheels then carried the name through all the generations of Skyline GT-Rs, most notably the R34 GT-R, "Godzilla Returns" was described as "The best handling car we have ever driven" and further ran a 12.7 quarter mile and 4.4s 0-100 also proving its strong straight-line capabilities.

The Skyline GT-R became the flagship of Nissan performance, showcasing many advanced technologies including the ATTESA E-TS All-wheel drive system and the Super-HICAS four-wheel steering. Today, the car is popular for import drag racing, circuit track, time attack and events hosted by tuning magazines. Production of the Skyline GT-R ended in August 2002. The car was replaced by the R35 GT-R, an all-new vehicle based on the V36 Skyline platform. Although visibly different, the two vehicles share similar design features and are manufactured in the same factory.

The Skyline GT-R was never manufactured outside Japan, and the sole export markets were Hong Kong, Australia and New Zealand, in 1991, and the UK (in 1997, due to the Single Vehicle Approval scheme) as used Japanese imports. Despite this, the car has become an iconic sports car, including countries from the Western World (mainly the United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Ireland, Canada, and the United States). It has become notable through pop culture such as The Fast and the Furious, Initial D, Shakotan Boogie, Wangan Midnight, Need for Speed, Forza, Driving Emotion Type-S, and Gran Turismo.

The car was named at the time by BBC's Top Gear as the only true Japanese contribution in the line of supercars, and by Jeremy Clarkson as one of the best cars in the world.

The Skyline name originated from Prince automobile company, which developed and sold the Skyline line of sedans before merging with Nissan-Datsun.

The original Skyline was launched by the Prince Motor Company in April 1957 and was powered by a 1.5-litre engine. The later iteration launched in 1964 called the Prince Skyline GT was powered by a 2.0-litre G7 inline-6 engine shared with the up market Prince Gloria sedan. Two road going versions were built. The S54A which had a single carburettor engine rated at 78 kW (106 PS; 105 hp) and the S54B which had a triple carburettor engine rated at 92 kW (125 PS; 123 hp) and production totalled 100 units.

The GT-R abbreviation stands for Gran Turismo Racer while the GT-B stands for Gran Turismo Berlinetta. The Japanese chose to use Italian naming conventions when naming the car – as most cars that were made in Japan at that time used Western abbreviations – to further enhance sales. The earliest predecessor of the GT-R, the S54 2000 GT-B, came second in its first race in the 1964 Japanese GP to the purpose-built Porsche 904 GTS. However, the earlier Prince Skyline Sport coupé/convertible foreshadowed the GT-R as the first sports-oriented model in the Skyline range, hence the name.

The next development of the GT-R, the four-door PGC10 2000 GT-R, scored 33 victories in the one and a half years it raced, and by the time it attempted its 50th consecutive win, its run was ended by a Mazda Savanna RX-3. The car took 1,000 victories by the time it was discontinued in 1972. The last of the original GT-R models, the KPGC110 2000GT-R, used an unchanged S20 119 kW (160 hp) inline-6 engine from the earlier 2000 GT-R and only 197 units were sold due to the worldwide energy crisis. This model was the only GT-R to never participate in a major race despite being developed as a sole purpose-built race car, which now resides in Nissan's storage unit for historical cars in Zama.

The Skyline continued into the 1990s when it became popular largely because it remained rear wheel drive, while most other manufacturers were focusing on front wheel drive cars.

Throughout its lifetime, various special editions containing additional performance-enhancing modifications were introduced by Nissan and its performance division Nismo (Nissan Motorsport).

The first Skyline GT-R, known by the internal Nissan designation of PGC10, was introduced on 4 February 1969, and was exclusive to Japanese Nissan dealership network called Nissan Prince Store when the Prince company was integrated into Nissan operations in 1966. It was available originally as a four-door sedan after a public debut at the October 1968 Tokyo Motor Show. It was advertised alongside the Nissan R380 racecar to showcase the Skyline's racing heraldry. It was equipped with the 2.0 L DOHC S20 Inline-six engine rated at 119 kW (162 PS; 160 hp) at 7,000 rpm and 176 N⋅m (130 lb⋅ft) at 5,600 rpm. Power was delivered to the rear wheels by a 5-speed manual transmission and the car was equipped with a limited slip differential. The first Skyline GT-R rode on a semi-trailing arm strut suspension. The braking system consisted of disc brakes at the front and drum brakes at the rear. It was available in a coupé bodystyle in March 1971 with the chassis code KPGC10.

The interior of the car was very basic and featured racing bucket seats and a three-spoke steering wheel along with wood inserts. The pedals were finished in aluminium.

A popular name for the PGC and KPGC10 Skyline GT-R was "Hakosuka," which combines the Japanese word for box ("hako" or ハコ) and the pronounced abbreviation of skyline ("Suka" or スカ as in スカイライン or "sukairain").

A total of 1,945 PGC and KPGC10 Skyline GT-Rs were produced.

The KPGC10's successor, the KPGC110, was introduced in 1973 after its introduction at the 1972 Tokyo Motor Show. Powered by a 1,989 cc S20 inline-6 engine, the second generation of the GT-R delivered power to the rear wheels through a 5-speed manual gearbox. This car also had both front and rear disc brakes. The suspension was a semi-trailing ring arm setup and minor aerodynamic parts were added.

This model of the GT-R was also known as the "Kenmeri" Skyline, due to a popular advertisement featuring a young couple (Ken and Mary) enjoying the Hokkaido countryside. The advertisement later spawned a hit song by Buzz, and the tree featured in the advertisement later became a minor star itself.

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