Calsonic Nissan Skyline GTR: Getting to Know Godzilla

Nissan Skyline GTRs entered 29 races in the All Japan Touring Car Championship from 1990 to 1993. And won all of them.

Group A was introduced to rally and touring car racing in 1982, and produced a set of racers which were plenty wild on the track, but which weren’t so far removed from your daily drive as to be unobtainable. Nissan’s Skyline GTR R32 emerged from it a legend.

The R32 Skyline is an all-wheel drive, four-wheel steered, 650 horsepower in-line six-cylinder twin-turbo beast, with a very tricky brain that controlled the division of torque between its many steered wheels.

They were successful wherever they were raced, earning the nickname ‘Godzilla’ in Australia by eating up all who opposed them on the way to Jim Richards and Mark Skaife winning three Group A Championships on the trot from 1990 and adding two Bathurst 1000 titles in ’91 and ’92.

The All Japan Touring Car Championship was where the Skyline GTR earned its legendary record. It won a clean 29 from 29 sweep across the ’90, ’91, ’92 and ’93 seasons. And this Calsonic GTR was the fastest of the fastest, champion in 1990 and again to close out Group A racing in 1993.

Go for a ride in it and enjoy the complex, melodious and exciting song from its twin-turbo six in this video from Nissan.

Want MORE Godzilla? Don’t we all! Try: Driving the legend: Calsonic Skyline GT-R