Nissan Skyline GT-R R32: The Birth of Godzilla

On August 21, 1989, Nissan put the Skyline GT-R back on sale after a 16-year absence. The previous GT-R — the KPGC110 of 1973 — had been killed by the oil crisis and emissions regulations. For 16 years, Skyline fans had lived without a proper GT-R. Then Naganori Ito and Hideshi Kano's engineering team at Nissan introduced the BNR32, and within 36 months it had so thoroughly dominated Group A touring car racing that the FIA changed its rulebook specifically to stop it. The car earned the nickname "Godzilla" from Australian journalists — and the name stuck forever.

The Design Brief

Nissan's 1988 decision to resurrect the GT-R came with specific goals:

• Win Group A: The BNR32 was designed from day one to dominate Group A touring car racing in Japan, Australia, and Europe.
• Revolutionary AWD: Implement ATTESA E-TS — an all-wheel-drive system that could transfer 100% of power to the rear wheels under normal driving and vector torque to the front in milliseconds when needed.
• Super-HICAS: Rear-wheel steering system for razor-sharp turn-in.
• RB26DETT: A 2.6L inline-six twin-turbo, underrated at 280 PS due to the Japanese "gentleman's agreement" power cap, but actually producing 320-340 PS at the crank in race trim.

The lead engineer was Naganori Ito. The RB26DETT was designed by Masanori Kudoh. The goal of the RB26 was explicit: a race engine with enough durability for street use. The block was designed to handle 600+ PS reliably, and the N1 race variant with reinforced oil passages could handle 800+ PS.

Group A Domination (1990-1993)

The R32 GT-R's competition debut was at the 1990 All Japan Touring Car Championship (JTCC). Nismo-prepared BNR32s won every single race they entered in Group A from 1990 through 1993. In Australia, the Gibson Motorsport team's Skyline GT-R (driven by Jim Richards and Mark Skaife) won the 1991 and 1992 Bathurst 1000 — beating local Holden and Ford V8 touring cars on their home track. The Australian motoring press coined "Godzilla" because the GT-R was "monstrous, unstoppable, and alien."

When the FIA finally banned Group A for the 1994 season, the R32's racing career ended with a 50-race winning streak in Japan alone. The ATTESA E-TS system combined with the RB26DETT created a car that was simply untouchable on wet tracks and dominant on dry ones.

Production Variants

• R32 GT-R (1989-1994): The base car. 280 PS catalog.
• R32 GT-R V-Spec (February 1993): 17-inch BBS wheels, Brembo brakes, larger intercooler, revised ECU.
• R32 GT-R V-Spec II (February 1994): Same as V-Spec but with wider rear tires.
• R32 GT-R N1: Factory homologation model with reinforced block, oil cooler, and stripped interior for racing. Only 228 built. The most valuable R32.
• R32 GT-R Nismo (Nismo Stage 1/2/S-Tune/R-Tune): Factory-tuned variants from Nismo.

Total R32 GT-R production: approximately 43,937 units from 1989 to 1994.

The Australian Ban

In 1992, the Australian Touring Car Championship changed the rules specifically to neutralize the R32 GT-R's AWD and turbo advantages. Local V8s couldn't compete with the Skyline on technical merit, and the change split the racing community. The R32 had been so dominant that removing it was the only way to give local cars a chance.

Today's Market

The R32 GT-R was legal to import into the US starting in August 2014 (the first JDM car to become 25-year-rule legal under the modern exemption). Clean base cars trade for $60,000-$100,000. V-Spec II examples bring $90,000-$140,000. N1 race homologation cars have sold for $250,000+. The 1991 Bathurst winner (Jim Richards/Mark Skaife) is in the Nismo Omori Museum and is priceless.

Legacy

The R32 GT-R put Japan on the performance world map. It proved that Japanese engineers could build a car that would dominate European and Australian racing. Every subsequent GT-R — R33, R34, R35 — inherited the R32's engineering philosophy. The ATTESA E-TS system was refined for 25 years. The RB26DETT lived until 2002 in the R34, and the Nismo Z-Tune evolution of it (2.8L stroker) is still considered one of the great tuner engines ever produced.

Naganori Ito retired from Nissan in 2001. When asked about the R32 in a 2010 interview, he said: "We had a clear mission. Win Group A. Everything else was in service of that goal. When we did it, the rest of the car became a bonus for the road drivers. That's how you make a great car — you give engineers one impossible thing and let them solve it."