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Nissan Skyline GT-R
The Nissan Skyline GT-R is an iconic Japanese sports coupe in the Nissan Skyline range. Dubbed "Godzilla" by Wheels magazine in Australia when released there in 1989, it was rated by many motoring magazines, including the well-respected Wheels, as providing performance and handling equal or superior to that of European icons like the Porsche 911 and the Ferrari 360 Modena, at a considerably lower price. The Skyline's home-market competitors have included the Honda NSX, Toyota Supra, Mitsubishi 3000GT, Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution, Subaru Impreza WRX STi and Mazda RX-7.

History of the brand
The Skyline name originated with the Prince automobile company which developed and sold the Skyline line of sedans before merging with Nissan-Datsun. The earliest predecessor of the GT-R, the S54 2000GT-B, came second in its first race in 1964 to the purpose-built Porsche 904GTS race car. The next development of the GT-R, the KPGC10/PGC10 2000GT-R, scored 33 victories in the one and a half years it raced and scored 50 by the time it was discontinued in 1972. The last of the original GT-Rs, the KPGC110/PGC110 2000GT-R, used an unchanged S20 160hp (120kW) inline-6 engine from the earlier 2000GT-R and only sold 197 units. This model was the only GT-R to never participate in a race.

The Skyline model continued through into the 90s when it became popular largely because it remained rear wheel drive, while most other manufacturers' models were front wheel drive (which had certain complexities inherent in achieving high performance in power or handling when compared to a rear-wheel drive car).

Skyline GT-R R32-R34
The GT-R version of the Skyline was reintroduced in 1989 after a 16 year hiatus from the Skyline GT-R of the late 1960s. However, the majority of Skylines sold were non-GT-R models, with the GT-R becoming the flagship of Nissan performance. Considering the performance of the car, and the fact that Nissan showcased many advanced technologies in the GT-R not previously seen in mass produced vehicles, the 1989- GT-Rs remained (relatively) cheap. Although unconfirmed, it is even rumoured that they were sold at a loss. Although strange today, this cavalier attitude to marketing was common among Japanese car manufacturers of the late 1980s and early 1990s.

GT-R Skylines of the 1990s progressed from the R32 (1989), through to the R34 (2000) Production of the GT-R ceased in August 2002 with the release of the V35 Skyline platform (sold as the Infiniti G35 in the United States) which includes only non-GT-R models. Before the final R34 Skyline GT-R was sold, various packages and special editions such as the V-Spec, containing additional performance-enhancing modifications, were released by Nissan and the performance division of Nissan, Nismo.

On 14 January 2005, Nismo resurrected the R34 GT-R for one last tour of duty before the introduction of the anticipated next generation GT-R. Labeled as the R34 Z-tune, the Nismo engineers spared no expense into making this car the most powerful road-going GT-R ever created. With much technology borrowed from the GT500 Racing GT-Rs and endurance racing GT-Rs, the Z-tune boasts a 2.8L twin turbo instead of the stock 2.6L engine, racing pistons, connecting rods and camshaft, and an upgraded ECU, giving the Z-tune 500hp (370kW) and 540N·m (400ft·lbf) of torque. The car became affectionately known as the "Mother of all GT-Rs" and is expected to carry a price tag of $170,000 US dollars. Nismo has stated that this car will be a limited run edition, and only 20 will ever be made and sold.

Power-train
The GT-R of the 1990s included a 2.6L straight six-cylinder twin-turbo motor producing 206kW (276hp). The turbo-chargers were of a hybrid steel/ceramic design allowing them to spool up faster due to the light nature of the ceramic exhaust wheel.

Power was delivered to all four wheels using an electronically-controlled all wheel drive system referred to by Nissan as the ATTESSA 4wd system. The ATTESSA system uses two G-Sensors mounted underneath the centre console, which feed lateral and longtitudinal inputs to the ECU. The ECU would then control the feed of power by allowing a limited amount to be delivered to the front wheels via an electronic torque split converter. V-Spec models were equipped with (amongst other things), a faster reacting ATTESSA Pro 4wd system with adjusted ECU settings, improving oversteer considerably.

The car also had computer-controlled all wheel steering system referred to as the HICAS 4ws system. The HICAS system, activated when the vehicle exceeded 80km/h, controls steering of the rear wheels in the same direction as the front to improve turn in on entry to corners.

While the published figures from Nissan were as quoted above, practical tests showed the car had a factory power output of closer to 220 flywheel kilowatts. The lower published figure was Nissan's response to the need to abide by a gentleman's agreement between the Japanese auto manufacturers not to release a car to the public exceeding 206kW of power output.

Modification
The Skyline GT-R is a popular target for modification due to the strength of the RB26DETT engine. This engine, common to all GT-Rs, is widely considered as one of the most durable motors when heavily modified. Many aftermarket suppliers have produced "bolt on" upgrade kits for the GT-R to boost power output beyond the factory specification.

The car as delivered from Nissan was capable of producing reliable power figures as high as 250kW at the wheels with only minor changes to peripheral systems (turbo boost, exhaust, intercooling, intake). Popular feedback from Skyline GT-R owners is that turbo boost can be safely increased to around 0.9bar (from the factory set 0.7 bar) with no changes to the factory turbochargers. Increases beyond this limit risk the ceramic exhaust wheels delaminating from the shaft.

Motorsport History
The GT-R's success in motor racing was formidable, particularly in the annual race at the Mount Panorama circuit in Bathurst, Australia, where the champion three years running was a GT-R (despite receiving additional weight penalties in years two and three due to its unbeatable performance), and in the Japanese GT series where it has remained dominant up to the present day.

No other race victories by the GT-R could escape without controversies, at the 1990 Macau Grand Prix Guia touring car race, the factory backed R32 driven by Masahiro Hasemi led the race from the start to the finishing line which caused a wave of protests by the European entrants. The following year, the car was forced to carry a weight penalty of 140kg. The GT-R's success at Mount Panorama in 1991 and 1992, both by Jim Richards, led to a change in formula regulations, which came to exclude turbocharged and four-wheel-drive cars in subsequent years. It also led indirectly to a move to the Super Touring Car category in the JTCC and the creation of the JGTC grand touring car series in Japan, where GT-Rs can only compete in rear-wheel drive form - and still win.

In the UK Andy Middlehurst took the Nissan Skyline GT-R (R32) to two consecutive championship wins in the National Saloon Car Cup. Other championship titles include the 1993 Spanish Touring Car Championship.

The Skyline is also a popular car for drifting in Japan, and also featured as the vehicle of choice for Night Kid leader Nakazato Takeshi in the anime series Initial D.

Future of the Skyline GT-R
The Nissan GT-R will be available internationally by the end of 2006 or early 2007, likely launched in 2006 as a 2007 model. The car is a radical departure from the traditional GT-R formula. It will be separated from the "Skyline" nameplate and for the first time the car will not share a common body style with the sedan range. The evolutionary, incremental changes between models R32 through R34 has been done away with, with much more aggressive styling displayed on the concept model. Underneath the body Nissan will also do away with the traditional straight-6 engine, instead using a twin-turbocharged version of the V6 used in the 350Z.

There has been proof of registered trademarks for the next GT-R in Japan, Australia, Europe, and Canada as well as the U.S. (the car will be sold in both right- and left-hand drive versions). It will have to overcome many new, stringent emissions laws in Japan.

Early speculation of Nissan using the Infiniti name in North America for the GT-R may not be true, as the official unveiling stated that it will be a "world car", sold in all nations in similar incarnations. However, AutoWeek reported on December 5, 2005, that it would be an Infiniti.

It was initially speculated that the North American market would receive a V8 instead of the long speculated twin-turbocharged V6. It has long been known that Cosworth has been contracted out to do engine development, which suggests the new motor will be just as durable and strong as the RB series it will be replacing. The drivetrain configuration will most likely remain All Wheel Drive, in keeping with the GTR's longtime theme of technological superiority.

At the 2005 Tokyo Motor Show, Nissan unveiled a GT-R Proto concept car, and they have stated that the production GT-R will be 80-90% based on the concept. At the same time they also revealed the near-final design on GTRProto.com, but the material was subsequently removed and as of now the page only harbors the "GT-R logo" image.