Introduced after the last R31s in 1989, the R32 is considered by many enthusiasts to be the best Nissan Skyline ever. The eighth, R32 generation embraced the Skyline racing heritage, and marked the return of the GT-R, along with a slew of technological additions (the Skyline also gained a more pleasurable appearance).

There were various models of the R32 in sedan form, most now using some form of the proven RB series engines -- the naturally aspirated straight-six RB20DE, with 2000cc of displacement. The base model, the GXi, by no means a sports machine (not even using an RB, but a CA18 carryover from the Silvia); the GTS a step up, with a 155 hp RB20DE; GTS-t and GTS4, both sporting the turbocharged RB20DET; and the later GTS25, with a 2.5-liter RB25. For the first time, the normally rear wheel drive Skyline now either had a limited slip differential to channel its power to the rear, or to all four wheels via the ATTESA-ETS system (GTS4).

Of course, these were small beans compared to the brand-new Skyline GT-R introduced in August 1989.

The incredible 2.6-liter, RB26DETT engine, making use of dual ceramic ball-bearing turbos, now powered the mighty GT-R, outputting 276 hp (Japan's voluntary horsepower cap). However, since it was designed for specially for Group A Motorsports, it is extremely easy to modify; some only slightly tuned Skylines run anywhere from 500 to as much as 1300 horsepower with the same RB26 engine. This potential power earned the GT-R the nickname "Godzilla". Of course, its greatness did not just come from a strong engine. The GT-R now utilized two particularly advanced drive systems, the ATTESA-ETS on-demand four wheel drive system, and an improved version of the R31 GTS-X's all-wheel steering (HICAS) system, now called Super HICAS. A higher performance model, called the GT-R V-spec ("victory specification") used sport tires, and ventilated disc brakes all around (four pistons in the front, two in the rear). It was basically only on the street for homologation purposes.

These advantages make the GT-R particularly nimble despite its massive curb weight of over 3000 pounds, and give it the perfect balance of speed, power and maneuverability. It was only natural that the Skyline R32GT-R won 29 races on the Group A circuit -- every single race it was in. Group A actually had to be disbanded as nobody wanted to race against "Godzilla". Only about 44,000 R32 GT-Rs were produced.

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