Nissan Skyline GT-R

the Nissan Skyline GT-R is a Japanese sports car based on the Nissan Skyline range.

The first GT-Rs were produced from 1969-1977. After a 16 year hiatus since the KPGC110 in 1972, the GT-R name was revived in 1989 with the Skyline R32. This car was nicknamed "Godzilla" by the Australian motoring publication "Wheels" in its July 1989 edition, a name that sticks to this day. The R32 GT-R surprisingly dominated the motorsport in Japan, winning a 29 straight victories out of 29 races. The GT-R proceeded to win the JTC Group A series championship 4 years in a row, and also had success in the Australian Touring Car Championship winning from 1990-1992, until the GT-R was outlawed in 1993.[1] The Skyline GT-R (R33) was also the first production car to lap the legendary Nürburgring in under eight minutes.

The Skyline GT-R became the flagship of Nissan performance, showcasing many advanced technologies including the ATTESA-ETS 4WD system and the Super-HICAS four-wheel steering. The GT-Rs remained inexpensive compared to its European rivals, with a list-price of ¥ 4.5 million (US$ 31,000). Today, the car is popular for import Drag Racing, Circuit Track, Time Attack and events hosted by tuning magazines. The GT-R actually is the winner in the 2007 Tsukuba Time Attack held in Japan—the M-Speed GT-R (9 out of the top 15 cars consists of GT-Rs). Production of the GT-R officially ceased in August 2002.

The Skyline GT-R was never manufactured outside of Japan, and the sole export markets were Australia, in 1991. Despite this the car has become an iconic sports car, including in countries from the Western World (mainly the United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, Ireland and Canada). It has become notable through pop culture such as cinema and video games like the The Fast and the Furious series, Initial D, Wangan Midnight, and Gran Turismo.

The car was named by BBC's Top Gear as the only true Japanese contribution in the line of Supercars.[6] The car was also named by the main presenter of the show, Jeremy Clarkson, as one of the best cars in the world.

History of the brand

The Skyline name originated from 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 while the GT-B stands for Gran Turismo Berlinetta. The Japanese chose to use English 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 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 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 major race despite the sole purpose-built racecar 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 released by Nissan and its performance division Nismo (Nissan Motorsport).
1st generation (1969-1972)

The first Skyline GT-R, known by the internal Nissan designation PGC10, was released in February 4, 1969. It was available originally as a four-door sedan after a public debut at the 15th annual Tokyo Motor Show. It was advertised alongside the Nissan R380A racecar to showcase its racing heraldry. It was equipped with the 2.0 L DOHC S20 I6 producing 160 hp (120 kW) at 7000 rpm and 118 N·m (87 ft·lbf) of torque. Power was delivered to the rear wheels by a 5-speed manual transmission. The first Skyline GT-R rode on a semi-trailing arm strut suspension. It was available as a coupe in March 1971 with the chassis code KPGC10.

A popular name for the PGC and KPGC10 Skyline GT-R was "Hakosuka," which is a combination of 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.

2nd generation (1972-1977)
Second generation 1972 Nissan Skyline GT-R coupe
Production 1972-1977
Assembly Tochigi, Tochigi, Japan
Body style(s) 4-door sedan
2-door coupe

3rd generation (1989–1994)
Concept

After canceling the Skyline GT-R marque in 1973, Nissan revived the GT-R again in 1989. At the time Nissan was competing in Group A Racing with the 1988 Nissan Skyline GTS-R. Nissan wanted to retire the GTS-R in favor of a more competitive vehicle. The Nissan Skyline E-BNR32 chassis (commonly shortened to R32) had just been designed, and was chosen as a base to build a more competitive Group A race car.

Nissan originally designed the new R32 Group A Skyline to have a 2350 cc Straight 6 turbocharged engine, and produce 313 horsepower (230 kW) using a RWD drivetrain. Under Group A regulations, a turbocharged engine must multiply its engine displacement by 1.7, putting the new Skyline in the 4000 cc class, and requiring the use of 10-inch-wide tires. Knowing that they would be required to use 10-inch-wide tires, Nissan made the decision to make the car all wheel drive. Nissan developed a special motorsport-oriented AWD system for this purpose called the ATTESA E-TS. Although this assisted with traction, it made the car 100 kg (220 lb) heavier; the added weight put the GT-R at a disadvantage to other cars in the 4000 cc class. Nissan then made the decision to increase the displacement to 2600 cc, and put the car in the 4500 cc class, with the car's weight near-equal to competing cars. The 4500 cc class also allowed for 11-inch-wide tires.
Layout FR layout
Engine(s) 2.0L I6
Transmission(s) 5-speed manual

The KPGC10's successor, the C110, was released in 1973 after its introduction at the 1972 Tokyo motor show. Powered by a 1989 cc I6 S20 engine, the second generation GT-R delivered power to the rear wheels through a 5-speed manual gearbox. The suspension was a semi-trailing ring arm setup and minor aerodynamic parts were added.

This edition of the GT-R was also known as the "Ken & Mary" 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.

Unfortunately, the second generation GT-R was unsuccessful, for a gas crisis hit in the early 1970s, drying out any demand for high-performance sports cars. A total of 197 cars were built by the end of its short production run. For the next decade, this would be the last GT-R until the production of the R32 in 1989.

Production

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 1,430kg (3,146lbs). Initial production of the car was the required 500 to allow for homologation starting on May 22, 1989. It's successful debut along with critical acclaim by the motoring press producted a heavy demand for the car. Nissan offically started an unlimited 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 which more accurately reflected the car they use in Group A racing. This series was called the Skyline GT-R 'Nismo' edition.

The Skyline GT-R 'Nismo', introduced in February 22, 1990, has a total production of 560 units as required for the "Evolution" models regulation (over 500). 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 30kg weight savings for a curb weight of 1,400kg.

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 February 3, 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 million.

Finally on February 14, 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 1,480kg (3,256lbs), weighing 50kg (110lbs) more than the standard GT-R.[9] 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 43,394 units, with production starting on May 22, 1989. An above average proportion of the GT-R's were sold in white: this is likely due to the fact that white is the national racing color of Japan in international motorsport.
Production figures

* Standard Cars = 40,390
* NISMO Group A Evolution = 560
* V-Spec = 1,453
* V-Spec II = 1,303
* N1 Race Version = 228
* Total = 43,930

4th generation (1995–1998)

The E-BCNR33 (R33) was developed in 1995 as a successor to the venerable R32 model. The engine in the R33 was nearly identical to the R32. It used the same turbochargers and the same specification for the manual gearbox, although the syncros were made to be stronger. The engine corrected the R32's weak oil pump drive collar, which tended to fail in higher power applications, with a wider collar. The base model R33 GT-R weighs 1,540 kg (3,400 lb).[10]

The R33 GT-R launched in January 1995 with the base model GT-R and the V-spec model. The V-spec model weighed in 10 kg (22 lb) heavier, and had sportier suspension resulting in lower ground clearance. The V-spec also featured the newer ATTESA E-TS Pro all wheel drive system, which included an Active Limited Slip differential. The V-spec model also included a four wheel independent channel anti-lock braking system.

At the same time as the release of the R33 GT-R and GT-R V-spec, Nissan released the R33 GT-R V-spec N1 model. Changes made in the R33 N1 are similar to those in the R32 N1. The car was made lighter by removing the ABS, air conditioning, sound system, rear wiper and trunk carpet. The R33 GT-R V-spec N1 received the slightly revised R33 N1 engine.

A special edition R33 was released on November 3, 1997 called the 400R, with R standing for Racing. Developed by Nismo, it featured an overbored RB26DETT engine, the RBX-GT2, with polished ports, an upgraded exhaust, composite parts, a twin-plate clutch, and a more free flowing turbo and intercooler system. Nismo brake pads were fitted to the car, and aerodynamic updates were also added, such as wider fenders, side skirts, a new rear bumper, a new front bumper with bigger air scoops, and a redesigned bonnet and rear spoiler made of carbon fiber. The 400R was also fitted with 18x10 Nismo LM-GT1s. The car developed 400 horsepower (300 kW) and 347 lb·ft (470 N·m), which allowed a top speed of over 186 mph (300 km/h), and enabled it to reach 0–97 km/h in 4.0 seconds. Nismo had originally planned to produce 100 units of the 400R, however only 44 units were ever made due to the closure of the production line for the R33 in 1998.

A limited 4-door version of the R33 Skyline GT-R was produced to celebrate Nissan's 40th anniversary. The car was produced by Autech and Nismo, both tuning subsidiaries of Nissan.

At the same year, Nissan UK imported 100 of its V-Spec model to be exclusively sold by Middlehurst Nissan, each of these came with an especially designed cufflinks by tailor Ozwald Boateng.
Production figures

* Standard Cars = 9,872
* V-Spec = 6,551
* Autech-Version = 447
* Total = 16,870

(Figures Include N1 and LM Limited Versions)

5th generation (1999–2002)

The GT-BNR34 (R34) Skyline GT-R and GT-R V-spec models were released in January 1999. The R34 GT-R was also made to be shorter (from front to rear), and the front wheels were made closer to the front. The valve covers were also painted glossy red, rather than dull black.

A new feature on the R34 GT-R is a 5.8" LCD multifunction display on the center of the dashboard, which shows seven different live readings of engine and vehicle statistics such as turbocharger pressure (1.2 bar max), oil and water temperature, among others. The GT-R V-spec model added two extra features to the display: intake and exhaust gas temperatures. Nismo Multi-function Displays (MFD)can be bought at an extra cost, they include a lap timer and an increase in boost pressure measurement to 2 bar. The R34 GT-R was made shorter to increase handling and stability.

Like the R33, the new R34 GT-R V-spec models come equipped with the ATTESA E-TS Pro system and an Active LSD at the rear, while standard GT-R models come with the non-Pro system and a conventional mechanical differential. The V-spec model also had firmer suspension, and lower ground clearance. The V-spec model also included a plastic front air diffuser (covering the underside of the engine), and also a rear carbon fiber air diffuser, designed to keep air flowing smoothly under the car.

Another special model of the R34 GT-R is the M-spec. It was similar to the V-spec, but had special "Ripple control" dampers and a leather interior with heated front seats.

At the time of the R34's release, like the R32 and R33, Nissan released an R34 N1 model. The R34 GT-R N1 was equipped similar to the R32 and R33 N1 models - a homologation special. It was sold without ABS, air conditioning, audio equipment, rear wiper, or carpet in the trunk. The new R34 N1 was also given the new R34 N1 engine. Only 45 R34 N1 models were produced from the factory, 12 of which were used by Nismo for Super Taikyu racing. The rest were sold to various customers, mostly racing teams, and tuning garages.

The V-Spec versions was also imported into the UK, a number of modifications was carried out to the car, these were 3 additional oil coolers, revised ECU map, full Connelly leather interior, underbody diffusers, stiffer suspension, active rear limited slip differential, extra display feature on the in car display.[13]

In August 2000, Nissan released a newer V-Spec II GT-R model. The V-Spec II has increased stiffness in the suspension (even stiffer than the original V-spec) and had larger brake rotors on the rear. It also comes equipped with a carbon fiber hood, which is lighter than the aluminum that all other GT-R hoods are made from. Also different on the V-Spec II was an iridium center console and aluminium pedals. The seats were also made with black cloth rather than the gray cloth used on previous R34 GT-R models, and the amber turn lenses were replaced with white versions. From this point on the standard trim level GT-Rs and V-Specs also received these updates, with the exception of the carbon fiber bonnet.

In February 2002 Nissan released a final production model of the R34 GT-R called the Nür. Nissan also released a limited Manufacturer Special model designated the M-Spec. This came in two forms, the base M-Spec, and the Nür. The Nür was sold in 2 different models: the Skyline GT-R V-spec II Nür and the previously mentioned Skyline GT-R M-spec Nür. The Nür was named after the famous German Nürburgring racetrack, where the Skyline was developed. The Nür model featured an improved RB26DETT based on the N1 racing engine, used by Nismo in Motorsports. The V-spec II Nür is based on the regular V-spec II model, and the M-spec Nür was based on the regular M-spec model. Other than the addition of the Nür engine, the Nür models also included a different color of stitching on the interior trim, as well as a speedometer reading up to 300 km/h (186 mph).

Production figures

* Standard Cars = 3,964
* V-Spec = 7,301
* N1 Race Version = 45[14]
* Total = 11,312
Z-Tune

Nismo originally designed the concept of the Z-tune in 2002 when Nissan was putting an end to the R34 Skyline production. The first Z-tune was built in 2003, using a used 2002 Skyline GT-R V-Spec II. It was built with a concept RB26DETT 'Z1' engine. The cylinder diameter was bored out, and the crankshaft was designed with a longer stroke. The engine was now a 2.8L, and produced about 500 hp (370 kW).

Nismo was then given the approval from Nissan to build Z-tune models for the Nismo anniversary. Nismo then purchased 20 used R34 GT-R V-Specs, each with less than 18,000 miles (29,000 km) on the clock, they were then completely stripped and were resprayed to a "Z-tune Silver," a special color exclusively for the Z-tune.[15] For each of the 20 production models, the 2.8L engine was revised to allow it to reach 9000 rpm. The turbochargers were supplied by IHI in Japan. The engine is advertised as making as much as 500 hp (for warranty reasons). This second revision of the Z-tune engine is called the 'Z2'. The bodywork is designed with the same functional components used in Nismo's GT500 racing cars, such as engine bay vents on the hood and fenders, as well as wider fenders for wider wheels. The Z-tune is also improved with an aggressive suspension setup from Öhlins/Sachs, and a specially designed Brembo brake setup.

The entire car is essentially handmade, with the car being completely stripped and re-built from the chassis up. Engineers reinforced and stiffened the chassis seam welding in key areas such as the door seams and door frames and added carbon fiber to the strut towers and transmission tunnel and the engine bay, completely redesigning the suspension, drivetrain, engine, gearbox and other components so as to work at maximum efficiency and reliability as is expected of a road-going vehicle. Although Nismo planned on building 20 cars, they ceased production on only 19 (including 2 prototypes).[16] The Z-tune is often regarded as the most expensive (prices for some have been known to exceed $180,000 usd) street legal GT-R ever built.Replacement
Main article: Nissan GT-R

Following the end of R34 production in 2002, Nissan announced their plans to separate the GT-R model from the Skyline name, creating an entirely new vehicle although it would remain on the same platform as the Skyline. This new car, now known simply as the Nissan GT-R, debuted in 2007 in Tokyo. Released to the consumers in 2008, it was the first GT-R available worldwide, entering the North American market for the first time.

Although based on the FM platform used by the V36 generation Skyline, the GT-R uses an evolved Premium Midship (PM) platform. The car retains its heritage by using the chassis code CBA-R35, or simply R35.