Nissan GT-R: Diving Into The Legacy Of Nissan’s Iconic Sportscar

The Nissan GT-R has had a long, storied history stretching back over 50 years, marked with limited production runs and long spells of radio silence. While many are familiar with the latest R35 and even the R32, R33 and R34 Skyline GT-R’s what few would know is that GT-R’s lineage can be traced back to a company Nissan acquired back in 1966. The Skyline brand originally never belonged to Nissan and was already fairly successful on the race track at the time of acquisition.

Also read: Godzilla Retires: Final Nissan GT-R R35 Rolls Off The Production Line

 

So without further ado, let's dig back into the GT-R’s history, going way before it was even called Godzilla.
 

Prince Skyline (1957 to 1968)
 

Gen 1 Prince Skyline Deluxe sedan.

The Skyline sedan was originally a part of the Prince Motor Company, which launched the sedan as a luxury car for Japanese buyers all the way back in 1957. For two generations, the Skyline would be sold in Japan under the Prince umbrella until the merger of Prince and Nissan into the Nissan Motor Corporation in 1966. Two years later, in 1968, the third-generation Skyline, conceived at the hands of Prince, would emerge, now marketed under the name Nissan, and a year later, the Japanese market would get its first taste of the GT-R.

Gen 2 Prince Skyline GT race car.

The Prince Skyline would first start racing in its second generation in 1964, with the Prince Skyline GT securing numerous places on the podium. A homologation-special road variant called the Skyline GT would also be sold to the public, and thus the Skyline name came to be linked with Japan's circuit racing scene.

1969 Nissan Skyline GT-R ‘Hakosuka’

The first Nissan Skyline GT-R arrived in 1969 as a sedan, with the Coupe arriving in 1970.

It was at the Tokyo Motor Show 1969 that the public would get its first look at the car that would go on to establish a legacy name in the Nissan stable. The original Skyline GT-R arrived as a touring car homologation special envisioned by the Prince Motor Company to continue to take the Skyline name racing. In typical homologation special fashion, the GT-R was developed from the ground up as a race car featuring minimalised sound deadening and quite stripped bare to keep weight in check.
 

Under the hood would sit the engine many aficionados would identify as the S20, a 2.0-litre straight six that would be recognised as the first series-produced engine from Japan to feature four valves per cylinder and dual overhead cams. The engine’s origins could be traced back to Prince’s racing program, with the unit developing 160 bhp of peak power at a high 7,000 rpm and 177 Nm - all driving the rear wheels.
 

The sedan and coupe were both homologation builds and combined recorded 52 race wins over a 3 year period - 49 of them in a row.

The Skyline GT-R - originally sold as a sedan till 1970 and then as a coupe - would dominate on the race track in Japanese Touring Car racing, racking up 52 wins - 49 of them in a row in its three-year racing career.
 

Also read: Nissan GT-R R35 Bows Out After 18 Years; Order Books Close In Japan
 

Totally, the original Slyline GT-R had a very limited production run with just 1945 units produced. The car’s classic three-box design and boxy proportions would earn it the name ‘Hakosuka’ which roughly translates to Boxy Skyline.

Another interesting bit of trivia is that the Hakosuka is featured in the Fast & Furious franchise in the Fast Five film. The car can be seen in the opening sequence when Brian O'Conner and Mia Torreto arrive in Rio de Janeiro.
 

1969 Nissan Skyline GT-R Specifications

Codename: PGC10 (sedan), KPGC10 (coupe)

Engine: 2.0-litre (1998cc) inline six-cylinder petrol

Power: 160 bhp at 7000rpm

Torque: 177Nm at 5600rpm

Transmission: Five-speed manual, RWD

Weight: 1120kg
 

1973 Nissan Skyline GT-R C110
 

The second-gen Skyline GT-R had a very limited run, with the Oil crisis of the 1970s spelling an early demise.

The second generation of the GT-R would arrive in 1973, but would never really live up to its predecessor. The global oil crisis of the 1970s saw the model’s production run end within months of deliveries commencing. Unveiled at the Tokyo Motor Show in 1972, sales would commence in January 1973, only for the model to be pulled from the shelves by April with just 197 units sold.
 

Despite the short run, the second-gen GT-R was the first car to feature all-wheel disc brakes. It would also feature the twin round tail lamps, a design signature that has identified the GT-R for generations.
 

1973 Nissan Skyline GT-R Specifications

Codename: KPGC110 (coupe)

Engine: 2.0-litre (1998cc) inline six-cylinder petrol

Power: 160 bhp at 7000rpm

Torque: 177 Nm at 5600rpm

Transmission: Five-speed manual, RWD

Weight: 1145kg
 

1989 Nissan Skyline GT-R R32 ‘Godzilla’
 

The R32 is the car that earned the GT-R the Godzilla nickname following a very dominant run on the race tracks in Japan and Australia.

It would be almost two decades later when the GT-R name would return for its third generation, now with the seventh-generation Skyline. The R32 was a technological tour de force for its time, debuting the iconic RB26 DETT twin-turbo in-line-six engine, the just as iconic ATTESA ET-S (Advanced Total Traction Engineering System for All Terrains and Electronic Torque Split) traction management system - used by all subsequent generations and all-wheel steering.

Also read: Nissan Unveils Limited-Edition GT-R T-spec Takumi, Skyline Special Editions 
 

And just for the kicker, Nissan actually bought one unit of the legendary Porsche 959 to reverse engineer its variable all-wheel drive system to develop the ATTESA ET-S system.
 

The famous ATTESA ET-S system is said to have been reverse-engineered from a Porsche 959.

The R32 would go on to dominate the racing scene globally winning the All Japan Touring Car Championship between 1990 and 1993, scoring back-to-back victories in the 1990 and 1991 Spa 24 Hours and taking the top prize in the 1990 Nurburgring 24 Hours in its category. It would also dominate Australian Touring Car racing, winning titles between 1990 and 1992, earning it the nickname ‘Godzilla’ in reference to the fictional Japanese character that laid waste to everything in its path.

Also read: Porsche 959 Nissan Bought To Engineer The R32 GT-R Is Headed For Auction
 

Notable race wins included a class victory in Le Mans and back-to-back wins at the Spa 24 hours.

The R32 retired in 1994, with almost 50,000 units sold.
 

1989 Nissan Skyline GT-R Specifications

Codename: E-BNR32 (coupe)

Engine: 2.6-litre (2568cc) inline six-cylinder twin-turbo petrol

Power: 276 bhp at 6800rpm

Torque: 353Nm at 4400rpm

Transmission: Five-speed manual, AWD

Weight: 1430kg

 

1994 Nissan Skyline GT-R R33

The R33 was essentially an upgrade to the R32 and is probably best known for the Nismo 400R special edition - one of the most sought-after GT-Rs.

The fourth generation of the Skyline GT-R would make its global debut in 1993 as an evolution of the R32. The RB26 DETT was retained but now enhanced to develop more torque, while the ATTESA-ETS would be recalibrated for improved operation.
 

The R33 would not see the same success on the track as its celebrated predecessor but would still go on to win the 1998 GT500 racing series in Japan and come 10th overall at Le Mans in 1995. In all, Nissan sold over 16,600 units of the R33 GT-R, including the much-prized GT-R 400R limited edition - the only R33 GT-R to have breached the then ‘Gentleman’s agreement’ to cap maximum power, with 400 bhp and 440 Nm on tap. 

Only 44 units of the 400R were ever made, with the car now valued in the millions and one of the most sought-after GT-Rs around. Production would end in 1998 with the arrival of the R34.
 

1994 Nissan Skyline GT-R Specifications

Codename: E-BCNR33 (coupe)

Engine: 2.6-litre (2568cc) inline six-cylinder twin-turbo petrol

Power: 276 bhp at 6800rpm

Torque: 368Nm at 4400rpm

Transmission: Five-speed manual, AWD

Weight: 1540kg
 

1999 Nissan Skyline GT-R R34
 

The R34 has become a staple in online gaming, and its appearance in the Fast & Furious franchise has made it globally renowned.

The R34 to many is the most recognisable of the GT-R, thanks to its long involvement in video games and starring in the Fast & Furious franchise. The R34 would be another evolutionary generation of the Skyline GT-R, retaining the services of the RB26DETT and upgrading the existing hardware, including the ATTESA system. The R34 would also be the first GT-R to use a 6-speed manual gearbox.
 

The R34 would be the last of the Skyline GT-Rs and the only model Nissan would buy back from customers to release a high-performance special edition - the Z-Tune. Interestingly, Nissan would buy back 20 units of the R34 to upgrade the vehicles to churn out 493 bhp and 540Nm in line with its GT500 Nismo racecars and feature a special silver paint scheme. The R34 would see the curtains fall on its lifecycle in 2002, with the GT-R brand driving off into the sunset till 2007.
 

1999 Nissan Skyline GT-R Specifications

Codename: GF-BNR34 (coupe)

Engine: 2.6-litre (2568cc) inline six-cylinder twin-turbo petrol

Power: 276 bhp at 6800rpm

Torque: 392Nm at 4400rpm

Transmission: Six-speed manual, AWD

Weight: 1560kg
 

2007 Nissan GT-R R35

The R35 was the first GT-R to not be related to the Skyline and is Nissan's longest selling GT-R.

The R35 marked the first time the GT-R would not be based on the Skyline. The R35 was built on its own dedicated platform, independent from the Skyline, which still remains on sale today in some markets in its thirteenth generation.

The R35 swapped the tried and tested RB26 straight six for a 3.8-litre, twin-turbo V6, pushing out 473 bhp of power in 2007, though this number would evolve over the years. Unlike its predecessors, the R35 would be offered with an automatic gearbox out of the box though it would inherit the latest generation of the ATTESA ET-S all-wheel drive system that played a part in making the R32 an icon.
 

The Nismo was the most powerful iteration of the GT-R with 600 bhp on tap.

The R35 would be the longest-serving GT-R from Nissan, with sales for the car finally ending in 2025. As with the C10, R32 and R33, the R35 would also make a name for itself in the motorsports world, winning 5 Super GT 500 Series championships, 3 Super GT300 series championships, the 2015 Bathurst 12 hours, and 5 Super Takyu series championships.
 

The sports car would also set multiple Nurburgring lap records, posting a time of 7 min 38 seconds in 2007 in damp conditions and improving to 7 min 29 seconds the following year. These times continued to improve till November 2013 when the GT-R Nismo set a time of 7 min 8.679 seconds - the fastest time posted by the R35.
 

 The R35 did see notable race wins on the track with numerous GT Car race titles in Japan.

The R35 would also receive several incremental changes over the course of its 18-year production run as Nissan continued to tinker with the car’s performance. The 3.8-litre twin turbo V6 in the final models would ended up developing 565 bhp while the Nismo pushed out 600 bhp.
 

Nissan rolled the final R35 GT-R off the production line in August 2025, with tightening emission standards and safety regulations finally retiring the sports car with about 48,000 units sold globally.

The Future Of The GT-R

Nissan's 2023 Hyper Force Concept is expected to preview the next evolution of the GT-R.

However, while Godzilla has for now been put to rest, Nissan has said that the GT-R name will be revived yet again in the future. Speculation remains rife on the future of the GT-R with the switch towards electrification suggesting that the next iteration of the icon could do away with internal combustion entirely, though this remains pure speculation at the time. Nissan CEO Ivan Espinosa has said that for now, the brand has no concrete plans in place for the GT-R, though “the GT-R will evolve and reemerge in the future.”