Nissan Skyline GT-R

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The Nissan Skyline GT-R is an iconic Japanese sports coupe in the Nissan Skyline range. Dubbed "Godzilla" by Wheels magazine in Australia when released there in 1989, it was rated by many motoring magazines, including the well-respected Wheels, as providing performance and handling equal or superior to that of European icons like the Porsche 911 and the Ferrari Testarossa, at a considerably lower price. The Skyline's home-market competitors have included the Honda NSX, Toyota Supra, Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution, Subaru Impreza WRX STi, and Mazda RX-7.

 

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History of the brand

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The Skyline name originated with the Prince automobile company which developed and sold the Skyline line of sedans before merging with Nissan-Datsun. The GT-R abbreviation stands for Gran Turismo Racer, with the word Racer being separated to enhance the performance version, as the GT-B stands for Gran Turismo Berlinetta. The Japanese chose to use English as their first language when naming the car, as most cars made in Japan at that time used American abbreviation to further enhance sales. The earliest predecessor of the GT-R, the S54 2000 GT-B, came second in its first race in 1964 to the purpose-built Porsche 904 GTS. The next development of the GT-R, the 4-door PGC10 2000 GT-R , later to be superseded by the 2-door KPGC10 version, scored 33 victories in the one and a half years it raced and by the time it attempted its 50th consecutive win, its run was ended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 1000 victories by the time it was discontinued in 1972. The last of the original GT-Rs, the KPGC110 2000GT-R, used an unchanged S20 160 hp (120 kW) inline-6 engine from the earlier 2000 GT-R and only sold 197 units due to the worldwide energy crisis. This model was the only GT-R to never participate in a race despite only having one built which now resides in Nissan's former factory turned storage unit for historical cars in Zuma.

The Skyline model continued into the 1990s when it became popular largely because it remained rear wheel drive, while most other manufacturers' models were front wheel drive (which had certain complexities inherent in achieving high performance in power or handling when compared to a rear-wheel drive car).

After a 16 year hiatus, from the KPGC110 Skyline GT-R of 1973, the GT-R version of the Skyline was reintroduced with the eighth generation Skyline R32 in 1989. The GT-R became the flagship of Nissan performance, showcasing many advanced technologies, including the ATTESA-ETS system (a hydraulic on-demand four-wheel drive) and Super-HICAS (four-wheel steering). The 1989- GT-Rs remained (relatively) cheap, with a list-price of ¥ 4.5 million (about US$ 31,000).

GT-R Skylines of the 1990s progressed from the R32 (1989), through to the R34 (1998). Production of the GT-R ceased in August 2002. Although Nissan continued the Skyline name with the release of the Infiniti G35 (sold as the Nissan Vitesse/Skyline in Japan), a new GT-R has not yet been released. Throughout its lifetime, various special editions, containing additional performance-enhancing modifications, were released by Nissan and its performance division Nismo.

1989-1994 (R32)

R32 Nismo, N1, and V-Spec

Total production of the R32 GT-R was 43,394 units, with production starting on May 22, 1989 and ending in October 1994, which actually overlapped the release of the R33 Skyline by nearly a year. Four special editions were produced.

The Nismo GT-R was introduced in February 22, 1990, and had a total production of 560 units. It was used to homologate a number of changes to the original GT-R for Group A racing. These included 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 reduce drag and provide more downforce.

The N1 GT-R was introduced on July 19, 1991, and had a total production of only 228 units. N1 cars were produced to compete in Group N racing, and included the Nismo aero kit; but also, to improve the cars reliability during endurance events, an upgraded engine block, higher flow oil and water pumps, and more reliable ball-bearing turbo-chargers. The GT-R's 16" wheels were replaced by 17"x8 wheels with 225/50/17 tires. N1 GT-Rs were made lighter (1470 kg) by removing the ABS, rear wiper, air-conditioner and radio, and installing lighter headlights. All N1 cars were painted in color code 326 (Crystal White). The list price of the N1 was ¥ 5 million.

To celebrate the success of the GT-R in both N1 and Group A racing, Nissan introduced the V-Spec ("Victory Specification") car on February 3, 1993. The V-Spec added Brembo brakes and a retuned ATTESA-ETS system to the Nismo package, as well as 17" BBS wheels with 235/45/17 tires. The V-Spec had a list price of ¥ 5.260 million. N1 cars were then based on the V-Spec.

Finally on February 14, 1994 the V-Spec II was released, the only change to the V-Spec being wider 245/45/17 tires. Total production of the V-Spec I and II was 1,453 and 1,303 units respectively.

1995-1997 (R33)

The R33 was developed in 1995 as a successor to the venerable R32 model that Japan had gotten to know well. It had an upgraded RB26DETT, with bigger valves, a smoother exhaust, and an Upgraded SUPER HICAS All Wheel Drive System.

There were many variants of the R33, including racing versions, the most popular being the Skyline LM and HKS Drag GT-R. To develop the LM for homogelation, a special edition R33 was released on November 3rd 1997. The car was called the 400R, with R standing for Racing. Developed with Nismo, it featured an overbored RB26DETT engine, the RBX-GT2, with polished ports, an upgraded exhaust, composite parts, and a more free flowing turbo and intercooler system. The car developed a staggering 450 Horsepower, and allowed the car a top speed of over 200mph.

One R33 GT-R LM was made for road use, although that sits in Nissan's car collection in Zuma.

1998-2002 (R34)

NISMO R34 Z-Tune

On 14 January 2005, NISMO resurrected the R34 GT-R for one last tour of duty before the introduction of the anticipated next generation GT-R. Labeled as the R34 Z-Tune, the NISMO engineers made the car the most powerful road-going GT-R in the World. The heavily spread rumor of a 10 second 1/4 mile time only added to the Z-Tune's supercar status, thus placing it in the realm of super exotics like the Ferrari Enzo, Lamborghini Murcielago and Porsche Carerra GT at less than half the price in some cases. With the production of R34 GT-R ending in 2002, the only option for NISMO was to find R34 GT-Rs with less than 20,000 miles in pristine condition. Using these GT-Rs as the foundation, and with a lot of technology borrowed from the JGTC GT500 class GT-Rs and endurance racing GT-Rs, the so called Z-Tune had a heavily modified 2.8 L Z2 version of the RB26DETT instead of the stock 2.6 L Z1 engine, forged pistons, forged connecting rods, NISMO spec camshafts, and an upgraded ECUgave the Z-Tune 500 HP (370 kW) and 540 N·m (400 lb·ft) of torque. Other modifications included extensive chassis stiffening, an F1 quality SACHS coilover system worth $35,000 USD, a specially designed Brembo Braking system as well several other exclusive features. The car quickly became affectionately known as the "Mother of all GT-Rs" and its price tag reflects that, at about US$ 175,000. NISMO has stated that this car will be a limited edition, and all 20 of 20 built have already been sold! With the limited quantity, the Z-Tune is one of the rarest productions cars made by a major Automotive company.

Power-train

The GT-R of the 1990s included a 2.6 L straight six-cylinder twin-turbo motor producing 206 kW (276 hp). The turbo-chargers were of a hybrid steel/ceramic design allowing them to spool up faster due to the light nature of the ceramic exhaust wheel.

Power was delivered to all four wheels using an electronically-controlled all wheel drive system referred to by Nissan as the ATTESA-ETS system. The ATTESA-ETS system uses two G-Sensors mounted underneath the centre console, which feed lateral and longitudinal inputs to the ECU. The ECU would then control the feed of power by allowing a limited amount to be delivered to the front wheels via an electronic torque split converter. In 1995, the ATTESA-ETS Pro was introduced as an option for R33 GTR customers, and came as standard equiptment in GTR V-spec models. It was later standard equiptment in all GTR models for the R34 Skyline GTR. The ATTESA-ETS Pro added an Active Limited Slip Differential, which was controlled by the onboard ATTESA computer. This was only for the rear differential, as the front differential remained as a normal Limited Slip Differential. The ATTESA-ETS Pro was also advertised in brochures as adding an electroniclly controlled 4-channel ABS brake system. Although it is not related to the all wheel drive system, it uses much of the same sensors, and the same computer.

The car also had computer-controlled all wheel steering system referred to as HICAS. The HICAS system activated when the vehicle exceeded 80 km/h and controlled the steering of the rear wheels in the same direction as the front to improve turn in on entry to corners. It should be noted however that this feature is often seen as more of a hindrance then help in race applications. The system tends to favour less advanced drivers, and can make the rear suspension unstable during high speed cornering. For this reason many kits are available to override this system usually by looping it's hydraulic lines back on themselves. This is seen to make the car much more predictable when driving at the limit of grip.

While the published figures from Nissan were as quoted above, practical tests showed the car had a factory power output of closer to 330ps (325hp) at the flywheel. The lower published figure was Nissan's response to the need to abide by a gentleman's agreement between the Japanese auto manufacturers not to release a car to the public exceeding 280ps (276hp) of power output.

Modification

The Skyline GT-R is a popular target for modification due to the strength of the RB26DETT engine. This engine, common to all GT-Rs, is widely considered as one of the most durable engines when heavily modified. Many aftermarket suppliers have produced "bolt on" upgrade kits for the GT-R to boost power output well beyond the factory specification.

In relatively stock form with proper maintenance, the RB26DETT has been known to produce as much as 500 HP on stock internals (pistons, rods, crankshaft, etc.). Part of the reason why the RB26DETT responds well to modifications is simply because the block is made of iron. Many GT-R owners who choose to remain relatively stock have been able to get many years of service from this stout engine as many consider it near indestructible with stock output.

The ceramic turbochargers that are equipped from the factory on some GT-Rs are some of the biggest weak points of the car. They are set to make 7psi of boost pressure (0.5bar) and raising them past 11+ PSI can cause them to break off. Being ceramic, they are not as durable as a steel turbine would be under higher boost but the benefit is that they spool quicker. A common upgrade for the turbocharger is the N1 turbo, which is equipped on the RB26DETT-N1 version of the Skyline GT-R engine. Intended for racing, the N1 turbo provides more power without sacrificing response while keeping the cost relatively low for upgrades.

A common swap for those GT-R owners in search of more horespower and torque is the RB30 shortblock. This shortblock was originally produced for Australian markets under Holden and several other brand names but due to its compatibility with the RB26 cylinder head it is gaining massive popularity with Skyline enthusiasts all over the world. The common swap is to merge the RB26DETT cylinder head with the RB30 shortblock to produce a hybrid 3.2L RB32DETT. The RB30 shortblock is essentially an RB26 with a longer stroke ratio, which in turn means more displacement and the addition of much needed torque. The stock RB30 requires a bit of modification to work with an RB26, or with the right resources OS Giken sells a fully prepped 1500 HP ready RB30 shortblock for $20,000 USD. A 3.2L RB series engine has been known to provide up to 1400+ WHP on a properly built motor.

Some tuning garages in Japan, UK, and Australia, have managed to harness the engine to produce levels in excess of 1000 hp. Veilside, in Japan, has modified an R34 Skyline GTR to 1200 whp. They have also modified an R32 Skyline GTR to accelerate to 300 km/h in 13 seconds.

Motorsport

The GT-R's success in motor racing was formidable, particularly in the annual 1,000 km race at the Mount Panorama circuit in Bathurst, Australia, where the champion in 1991 and 1992 was a GT-R (despite receiving additional 100 kg in weight penalties and a turbo pop off valve in 1992 due to its unbeatable performance), and in the Japanese GT series where it has remained dominant up to the present day.

No other race victories by the GT-R could escape without controversies, at the 1990 Macau Grand Prix Guia touring car race, the factory backed R32 driven by Masahiro Hasemi led the race from the start to the finishing line which caused a wave of protests by the European entrants. The following year, the car was forced to carry a weight penalty of 140 kg and was up against the more competitive DTM BMW M3 and Mercedes-Benz 190E 2.5-16 Evolution II. A disgruntled Hasemi was forced to settle for fourth place. For the following and final year the weight penalty was reduced and works backed Hasemi returned with another privateer R32 that crashed in the race, Hasemi would retire with engine failure. The GT-R's success at Mount Panorama in 1991 and 1992, both by Jim Richards, led to a change in formula regulations, which came to exclude turbocharged and four-wheel-drive cars in subsequent years. It also led indirectly to a move to the Super Touring Car category in the JTCC and the creation of the JGTC grand touring car series in Japan, where GT-Rs can only compete in rear-wheel drive form.

In the UK Andy Middlehurst took the Nissan Skyline GT-R (R32) to two consecutive championship wins in the National Saloon Car Cup. Other championship titles include the 1993 Spanish Touring Car Championship.

Nowadays, the car is popular for import drag racing, Time Attack and events hosted by tuning magazines.

Popular Culture

The Skyline GT-R is also a popular car for street racing in Japan, and also featured, among others, as the vehicle of choice for Night Kids leader Nakazato Takeshi (by TOKYOPOP) in the anime series Initial D, as well as the manga series Wangan Midnight. It is also featured in many racing games such as the Gran Turismo and Need for Speed series, Forza Motorsport and Street Racing Syndicate.

Future of the GT-R

The Nissan GT-R will likely be available internationally by the end of 2007 as a 2008 model. The car is a radical departure from the traditional GT-R formula. It will be separated from the "Skyline" nameplate and for the first time the car will not share a common body style with the sedan range. The evolutionary, incremental changes between models R32 through R34 have been done away with, with much more aggressive styling displayed on the concept model (see below). Underneath the body Nissan will also do away with the traditional straight-6 engine, instead using a twin-turbocharged V6 most probably from the Nissan VQ family of engines.

There has been proof of registered trademarks for the next GT-R in Japan, Australia, Europe, and Canada as well as the U.S. (the car will be sold in both right- and left-hand drive versions). It will have to overcome many new, stringent emissions laws in Japan.

Early speculation of Nissan using the Infiniti name in North America for the GT-R turned out not to be true. At the official unveiling, Nissan stated that it will be a "world car", sold in all nations in similar incarnations. During the 2006 New York Auto Show, Nissan Motor's President Carlos Ghosn announced that the GT-R will be sold in North America as a Nissan model, and not under the Infiniti brand as previously rumored.

It was initially speculated that the North American market would receive a V8 instead of the long speculated twin-turbocharged V6 (rumors of the birth of the VK45DETT). It has long been known that Cosworth has been contracted out to do engine development, which suggests the new motor will be just as durable and strong as the RB series it will be replacing. The drivetrain configuration will most likely remain All Wheel Drive, in keeping with the GT-R's longtime theme of using advanced technologies. Additionally, Lotus has been contracted out to assist with suspension and handling development of the GT-R.

At the 2005 Tokyo Motor Show, Nissan unveiled a GT-R Proto concept car (pictured right), and they have stated that the production GT-R will be 80-90% based on the concept. At the same time they also revealed the near-final design on GTRProto.com, but the material was subsequently removed and as of now the page only harbors the "GT-R logo" image. The GT-R Proto was actually the second concept version of the next generation GT-R, as an earlier GT-R Concept was shown at the Tokyo Motor Show in 2001.

Test mules wearing bodywork that is highly similar to the GT-R Proto have been subsequently spotted on the Nürburgring, more often than not followed by a 2006 Porsche 911 Turbo that has been speculated as being used by Nissan as a benchmark car. Both the test mules and the 911 Turbo have also been spotted parked in Nissan's test facility.

The production version of the GT-R is set to debut at the Tokyo Motor Show in 2007, with its launch in the Japanese market scheduled for Fall 2007. The U.S. launch will follow in Spring 2008.

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