BLU RAY – Nissan Skyline R32 GT-R in High Definition! – Zerotohundred

Every legend has its own beginnings. Although the Nissan Skyline GT-R’s roots could be traced all the way back to the late 1960’s, it is not until the third-generation had hit the roads that the three powerful letters made any sense. Powered by a 2.6-liter inline-six RB26 engine, the R32 GT-R went on an unstoppable rampage on the streets and the circuit. But the reign of the San-Ni (32) was not limited to the circuits in Japan where it had totally dominated the Japan Grand Touring Championship by winning all 29 races it entered in the series; it had also left its bite marks on various races all over the world. Races like the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb and the prestigious 24 Hours of Le Mans is just a short mention of the R32 GT-R’s long rap sheet.

So if you are well aware of the local car scene, you would know that it is notoriously hard to spot Skylines on the streets; let alone the monstrous GT-R like this blue-blooded BNR32. A glimpse on this pristine 32 will leave you wondering if it had just rolled out from the factory, but that is hardly the case. That clean and immaculate outlook perfectly hides the age of this timeless beauty and also the range that this particular example had travelled, which is more than enough for it to circle the globe.

From the outside, the GT-R looks pretty much untouched and almost the same as it did when it rolled out from the production lines many years ago. And since this car is primarily a weekend car, we are more than delighted to know that the owner had decided to keep it that way. The bold lines and curves of the BNR32 GT-R is an uncanny reminder of Japanese manga roots translated into reality, with looks so intimidating from the outside, while featuring a heart so legendary for the use of mere mortals, and to think that Nissan actually managed to put these Godzillas on the roads just seems as if they were taunting the entire world!

And if you are well-versed in the world of GT-R, you would have noticed that Nissan had never offered this shade of blue from the factory. This GT-R was originally black in colour, but as a tribute to the Godzilla’s reign in the JGTC back in the early 90’s, the owner decided to replicate the looks of the mighty Calsonic GT-R by giving it a Calsonic BT2 Championship Blue finish. We are not sure what Nissan was thinking, but they should have considered a limited of GT-Rs in this colour as an option from the factory to at least commemorate their legacy in dominating the sport.

And like how the exterior is kept relatively stock, the interior is in surprisingly pristine condition that will have anyone questioning if it was stored in a time capsule for the last 20 years, and a car and had changed hands a couple of times at that!. The owner’s main aim here is to keep the car as close as possible to the original condition and at all cost to refrain from it turning into a street brawler. As such it will be impossible to spot numerous gauge clusters protruding everywhere you turn your head within the cabin. Upon entering the car, you will be taken into a journey back in time to appreciate how different cars were built then, and it helps when distraction is kept to a minimal.

The seats are being retained as standard and the interior is again surprisingly pristine for a car at this age. The same goes to the fully-functioning aircond vents and the scratch-less dashboard. The minor changes made to the interior are the steering wheel, where the stock unit was swapped for a 350mm Personal Grinta, and for the circuit, the driver’s harness features a more reliable item from Willans.

Although Greedy’s boost and oil temp gauges do not come in as standard, they look perfectly at home in the GT-R, as well as the 320 km/h Nismo speedometer.

But if you think, just like the rest of the GT-R that the owner would have kept the engine as close to stock, then you are in for a treat. This particular car had actually gone under the knife for a heart transplant prior, where its previous owner had swapped the factory RB26 to a larger custom-built RB30. But since the current owner prefers to have the car as close as possible to the original state, he managed to track down the exact RB26 unit that had came from this very car and managed to finally reunite the body with the soul.

A story more dramatic than that of Twilight? To us, it totally is. In addition to that, a hand-picked list of aftermarket parts were employed to maximize the potential of the legendary RB26 lump. Still utilizing the R32 cylinder block, the stock crankshaft had been replaced with a more reliable R34 GT-R unit.

A shopping list of parts from Tomei and HKS dominate the engine bay, while the massive Garrett T04Z dual ball bearing turbocharger nestles in the already packed engine bay, beside the 6-throttle, inline-six engine. Also colour-coded in Calsonic blue.

Supplying large quantities in precious fossil fuels are Sard 880cc injectors mated to HKS dual entry fuel rail. A crucial necessity to feed the engine, more so when being governed by Apex’i PowerFC D-Jetro ECU.

Lending a hand in controlling the boost are Blitz dual SBC. To cool this tower of power down, ARC’s intercooler and Blitz ZS aluminium race radiator keeps temperature in check when the going gets hot.

Chassis department wise, Tein’s HA adjustable coilovers were nominated for the purpose of both circuit and street and to make sure Godzilla could stop in its tracks, the front brakes have been upgraded to Brembo 4-pot calipers and vented rotor discs lifted from a Z33 380RS, with a combination of Sumitomo’s rear calipers and also vented rotor discs. A set of befitting 18-inch LMGT-1 completes the nostalgic JGTC racecar look, which truly is a match made in heaven.

If you were given the chance to own a GT-R, how would you want yours to be like? This R32 GT-R might only have been in the owner’s possession for a couple of years, but the love towards the legendary JDM icon had prompted him to give the machine a resurrection even the younger cars would envy.

Specification list

Car: Nissan Skyline BNR32 GT-R

Engine: 2.6-liter RB26DETT inline-six engine

Modifications

Wheels:

Original 18 Inch LMGT 1 Wheels

Brakes:

Z33 380RS Brembo 4 pot calipers and vented rotor discs in front

Standard Sumitomo rear calipers and vented rotor discs

Suspension:

Tein HA adjustable coilovers 24-way adjustment

Nismo rear lower and upper arms