The is a Japanese grand tourer based on the Nissan Skyline range. The first cars named "Skyline GT-R" were produced between 1969 and 1972 under the model code KPGC10, and were successful in Japanese touring car racing events. This model was followed by a brief production run of second-generation cars, under model code KPGC110, in 1973.

After a 16-year hiatus, the GT-R name was revived in 1989 as the BNR32 ("R32") Skyline GT-R. Group A specification versions of the R32 GT-R were used to win the Japanese Touring Car Championship for four years in a row. The R32 GT-R also had success in the Australian Touring Car Championship, with Jim Richards using it to win the championship in 1991 and Mark Skaife doing the same in 1992, until a regulation change excluded the GT-R in 1993. The technology and performance of the R32 GT-R prompted the Australian motoring publication Wheels to nickname the GT-R "Godzilla" in its July 1989 edition. Wheels then carried the name through all the generations of Skyline GT-Rs, most notably the R34 GT-R, which they nicknamed "Godzilla Returns", and described as "The best handling car we have ever driven". In tests conducted by automotive publications, the R34 GT-R covered a quarter of a mile  (402 metres) in 12.2 seconds from a standing start time and accelerated from in 4.4 seconds.

The Skyline GT-R became the flagship of Nissan performance, showing many advanced technologies including the ATTESA E-TS all-wheel drive system and the Super-HICAS four-wheel steering. Today, the car is popular for import drag racing, circuit track, time attack and events hosted by tuning magazines. Production of the Skyline GT-R ended in August 2002. The car was replaced by the GT-R (R35), an all-new vehicle based on an enhanced version of the Skyline V36 platform. Although visibly different, the two vehicles share similar design features and are manufactured in the same factory.

The Skyline GT-R was never manufactured outside Japan, and the sole export markets were Hong Kong, Singapore, Australia and New Zealand, in 1991, and the UK (in 1997, due to the Single Vehicle Approval scheme). They are also popular across the world as used Japanese imports.

Despite this, the Skyline GT-R has become an iconic sports car as a grey import in the Western world (mainly the United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Ireland, Canada, and the United States).GTR Canada.Skyline owners board based in Canada. It has become notable through pop culture such as The Fast and the Furious, Initial D, Shakotan Boogie, Tokyo Xtreme Racer, Wangan Midnight, Need for Speed, Forza, Driving Emotion Type-S, Test Drive, and Gran Turismo.

In 2019, Nismo announced that it would resume production of spare parts for all generations of the Skyline GT-R, including body panels and engines.

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 original Skyline was launched by the Prince Motor Company in April 1957 and was powered by a 1.5-litre engine. The later iteration launched in 1964 called the Prince Skyline GT was powered by a 2.0-litre G7 inline-6 engine shared with the up market Prince Gloria sedan. Two road going versions were built. The S54A which had a single carburettor engine rated at and the S54B which had a triple carburettor engine rated at and production totalled 100 units.

The GT-R abbreviation stands for Gran Turismo–Racing while the GT-B stands for Gran Turismo–Berlinetta. The Japanese chose to use Italian naming conventions when naming the car – as most cars that were made in Japan at that time used Western abbreviations – to further enhance sales. The earliest predecessor of the GT-R, the S54 2000 GT-B, came second in its first race in the 1964 Japanese GP to the purpose-built Porsche 904 GTS. However, the earlier Prince Skyline Sport coupé/convertible foreshadowed the GT-R as the first sports-oriented model in the Skyline range, hence the name.

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 1,000 victories by the time it was discontinued in 1972. The last of the original GT-R models, the KPGC110 2000GT-R, used an unchanged S20 inline-6 engine from the earlier 2000 GT-R and only 197 units were sold due to the worldwide energy crisis. This model was the only GT-R to never participate in a major race despite being developed as a sole purpose-built race car, 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 introduced by Nissan and its performance division Nismo (Nissan Motorsport).

First generation (C10; 1969–1972)

The first Skyline GT-R, known by the internal Nissan designation of PGC10, was introduced on 4 February 1969, and was exclusive to Japanese Nissan dealership network called Nissan Prince Store when the Prince company was integrated into Nissan operations in 1966. It was available originally as a four-door sedan after a public debut at the October 1968 Tokyo Motor Show as the Skyline 2000GT. It was advertised alongside the R380 racecar to showcase the Skyline's racing heritage. It was equipped with the 2.0 L DOHC S20 Inline-six engine rated at at 7,000 rpm and at 5,600 rpm. Power was delivered to the rear wheels by a 5-speed manual transmission and the car was equipped with a limited-slip differential. The first Skyline GT-R rode on a semi-trailing arm strut suspension. The braking system consisted of disc brakes at the front and drum brakes at the rear.

In October 1970, a minor change to the base Skyline introduced a two-door coupé bodystyle with the chassis code KPGC10. Aside from the changes made to the C10 series as a whole, the only changes specific to the KPGC10 model from the PGC10 included the addition of black FRP overbumpers to the rear wheel arches, a change from bullet-shaped to Talbot- shaped wing mirrors, and a redesigned front grille.

The interior of the car was very basic and featured racing bucket seats and a three-spoke steering wheel along with wood inserts. The pedals were finished in aluminium.

A popular name for the PGC and KPGC10 Skyline GT-R was Hakosuka, which combines 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 832 PGC10 and 1,197 KPGC10 Skyline GT-Rs were produced.

Second generation (1973)

The KPGC10's successor, the KPGC110, was introduced in 1973 after its introduction at the 1972 Tokyo Motor Show. Powered by a 1,989 cc S20 inline-6 engine, the second generation of the GT-R delivered power to the rear wheels through a 5-speed manual gearbox. This car also had both front and rear disc brakes. The suspension was a semi-trailing ring arm setup and minor aerodynamic parts were added.

This model of the GT-R was also known as the Kenmeri Skyline, due to a popular advertisement featuring a young couple (Ken and Mary) enjoying the Hokkaido countryside before Mary points to a detached train cargo carriage. The advertisement later spawned a hit song by Buzz, and the tree featured in the advertisement later became a minor star itself.

The KPGC110 Skyline GT-R was discontinued Because the S20 engine from first generation did not comply with the increasingly stringent emissions laws. A total of 197 cars were built by the end of its short production run. For the next decade, this was the last GT-R until the production of the R32 in 1989.

Third generation (1989–1994)

Concept After discontinuing the Skyline GT-R in 1973, Nissan revived the GT-R nameplate again in 1989. At the time Nissan was competing in Group A Racing with the Skyline GTS-R. Nissan wanted to retire the GTS-R in favor of a more competitive vehicle. The new generation of the GT-R, E-BNR32 chassis (commonly shortened to R32), was designed to dominate Group A class racing.

Nissan Kohki (Nissan's power train engineering and manufacturing facility) originally tested a twin turbocharged bored and stroked version of the RB20 engine. This set up resulted in a power output of and used a rear wheel drive drivetrain. Under Group A regulations, a turbocharged engine must multiply its engine displacement by 1.7, putting the new Skyline in the 4,000 cc class, and requiring the use of 10-inch-wide tyres. Knowing that they would be required to use 10-inch-wide tyres, Nissan decided 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 heavier; the added weight put the GT-R at a disadvantage to other cars in the 4,000 cc class. Nissan then made the decision to increase the displacement to 2,600 cc, and put the car in the 4,500 cc class, with the car's weight near-equal to competing cars. The 4,500 cc class also allowed for 11-inch-wide tyres. New engine block and heads were then developed to better match the increased displacement. The result was a car that had a power output of .– Nissan Heritage Collection "R32 Story"..nissan-heritage-collection.com Later REINIK (Racing & Rally Engineering Division Incorporated Nissan Kohi) produced Group A racing engines rated between – REINIK History "REINIK History". .reimax.co.jp/pages/history/index.html depending on track conditions.

Production

This new RB26DETT-powered all wheel drive concept was put into production as the R32 Nissan Skyline GT-R. The R32 developed at 6,800 rpm and of torque at 4,400 rpm, it had a curb weight of . Nissan officially started its production run 21 August 1989, and began its Group A campaign in 1990.