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 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 by the time it attempted its 50th consecutive win, its run was ended by an Mazda Savanna RX-3. The car took 54 victories by the time it was discontinued in 1972. The last of the original GT-Rs, the KPGC110/PGC110 2000GT-R, used an unchanged S20 160 hp (120 kW) inline-6 engine from the earlier 2000GT-R and only sold 197 units due to the worldwide energy crisis. This model was the only GT-R to never participate in a race despite only having one built which now reside in Nissan's former factory turned storage unit for historical cars in Zuma. 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 12 year hiatus from the K/PCG30/110 Skyline GT-R of 1977. 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 G35(sold as the Nissan Vitesse/Skyline in Japan) 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 2.8 L twin turbo instead of the stock 2.6 L engine, racing pistons, connecting rods and camshafts, and an upgraded ECU, giving the Z-tune 500 hp (370 kW) and 540 N•m (400 ft•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 2.6 L straight six-cylinder twin-turbo motor producing 206 kW (276 hp). 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 ATTESA system. The ATTESA 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 ATTESA 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 system. The HICAS system, activated when the vehicle exceeded 80 km/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 206 kW 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 250 kW 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 0.9 bar (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 140 kg very much to his frustration and had to settle for forth place against the top three DTM specification race winning BMW M3 and Mercedes-Benz 190E 2.5-16 Evolution II. 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. Future of the 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 (see below). Underneath the body Nissan will also do away with the traditional straight-6 engine, instead using a twin-turbocharged V6 most probably from the Nissan VQ family of engines. GTR Proto 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 turned out not to be true. At the official unveiling, Nissan stated that it will be a "world car", sold in all nations in similar incarnations. During the 2006 New York Auto Show, Nissan Motor's President CEO Carlos Ghosn announced that the GT-R will be sold in North America as a Nissan model, and not under the Infiniti brand as previously rumored. 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 (pictured right), 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. The production version of the GT-R is set to debut at the Tokyo Motor Show in 2007, with its launch in the Japanese market scheduled for late 2007. |
Upon its release in 1990, the NSX was a design ahead of its time. It was the first time that a Japanese automaker had made a car to compete against the products of the traditional European exotic car manufacturers and the famous Chevy Corvette. Besides competing against these manufacturers the car was also intended to showcase Honda's racing technology, exemplified by the NSX's titanium connecting rods. The car was designed with the input of Ayrton Senna.
Despite the NSX's current age, it still has a strong base of fans and supporters. Honda and others describe the NSX as a supercar based on its styling, body type, drivetrain layout, and handling. Some people have disagreed, claiming that the Honda NSX is not powerful enough. Still, for a time, it sported the highest per-litre specific output of any road going naturally aspirated V6 in the world. On July 20, 2005, a mere several days after the announcement of the closure of current NSX production, Honda CEO Takeo Fukui announced that a new NSX was under development and would sport a Formula 1-inspired V10 motor, with speculation that it might have the SH-AWD (Super Handling All Wheel Drive) system from the Acura RL. In addition, he stated it would be ready within three to four years. Refinements and versions 2002 Honda NSX-R Honda shocked the exotic car world when it introduced its NSX in 1990. Honda designers started with the basic exotic car wedge (championed by the Ferrari Testarossa and 308), that would remain basically unchanged for its entire life. To back up the gorgeous styling, the mechanical specifications were right out of a race car. The NSX featured a super-light all aluminium chassis, body, and suspension, a first for a production car. The suspension was a double wishbone suspension, mounted at both ends on aluminium sub-frames. And the standard race-inspired V6 engine was mounted midship and featured Variable Valve Timing and Lift Electronic Control (VTEC), six individual coils, and titanium connecting rods. This was the first application of VTEC in any production vehicle, but Honda's experience with the VTEC system in the NSX would eventually reach all other Honda and Acura vehicles. Honda produced a very limited number of NSX type R in 1992 for Japan. Major changes include a more aggressive suspension and an extensive weight reduction to 1230 kg from the normal NSX weight of 1350 kg. The NSX type R was very track oriented as it lacked sound deadening, audio, electric windows, and air conditioning in an effort to reduce weight. In 1995 the NSX-T was released with a targa top roof. The removable roof looked great but hurt the chassis rigidity of the NSX and added about 100 pounds of weight. Nevertheless, the NSX-T was the only NSX available in the U.S. for 1995 - coupes were not available. All roofs were now body coloured instead of black and several new colours were available. Finally available on the manual transmission version NSX was the electric power steering previously only available in the automatic version. 1997 brought the biggest changes to the performance of the current generation NSX. For 1997 engine displacement increased from 3.0 L to 3.2 L. This new 3.2 L C32B engine gave it slightly more rated power. This improved horsepower from 270 hp to 290 hp while torque increased from 210 to 224 ft.lb. Another big change was the change from a 5-speed transmission to the current 6-speed manual. On the dragstrip, the new NSX rang up better numbers than the horsepower and torque improvements may suggest over previous model NSXs. Other notable changes include a brake rotor size increase from 12 inches to 13 inches, a new aluminium alloy to reduce weight and increase rigidity, and a transponder in the key. Along with the engine enlargement in 1997, Japan received the NSX type S and NSX type S Zero, weighing in at 1320 kg and 1280 kg, respectively, and both with stiffer suspension than the normal NSX. The biggest exterior changes for the NSX came in 2002 when it received a face-lift with fixed headlights and various other cosmetic refinements such as xenon headlights. The fixed roof NSX was dropped for the 2002 model year. The suspension was revised and the NSX received larger wheels and tiresA second iteration of the type-R dubbed NSX-R was released in 2002, again exclusively in Japan. The NSX-R has a more aggressive rear spoiler and hood vent, along with various refinements to reduce weight to 1270 kg. Under the body, panels and air fences in the front, along with a small rear diffuser serve to produce balanced downforce. The subtle changes along with its renowned handling have kept NSX-R in contention on the track even against considerably higher-powered cars, such as the Ferrari 360. A more agile, more responsive, and quicker limited edition NSX called the NSX-R GT was later released. This model was limited to a production run of 5 cars, at a cost of US $462,400. This NSX was created to help Honda comply with the Super GT production-based race car requirements. The Type-S continues with the face-lifted NSX keeping the weight at 1320 kg. Honda recently halted the production of the NSX due to its age, and to develop the next-generation, tentatively known as the Honda HSC. The next-generation NSX is confirmed to have a V10 engine, but additional information about the new car is scarce. |
HONDA NSX-R |
NISSAN SKYLINE |
All Skylines from the early models, retain the round rear lites, even on the next prototype model above . |
2007 GT-R proto type |
HONDA NSX |
HONDA NSX-R |
HONDA NSX-R GT |