GT5 Transcripts/Nissan CALSONIC SKYLINE GT-R Race Car '93



One of Nissan's main intents when building the R32 GT-R was to win Group A races. Group A race cars were normally based on production cars with at least 5000 units produced over a 12-month period, but regulations included a supplementary clause that allowed for an "upgraded" model, as long as at least 500 of the road-going versions were produced during the year.

Enter the Nismo GT-R. In 1990, Nissan marketed 500 limited edition GT-Rs under the Nismo banner. Nismo was Nissan's motorsports and aftermarket division. The biggest difference between the stock GT-R and the Nismo was that the latter had a metallic turbocharger instead of a ceramic one. Nissan developed the car as a Group A racer, entrusting it to drivers Masahiro Hasemi and Kazuyoshi Hoshino.

The R32 GT-R performed impressively on the track as expected, beating its main rival, the Ford Sierra RS500 Cosworth. The 542 HP generated by the twin-turbocharged inline-6 was distributed to all four wheels that accounted for excellent grip on all types of road surfaces. Hoshino in the blue Calsonic GT-R thrilled fans with his intense racing style of catching air over the corner curbs. From the first race of 1990 to the last of 1993, the R32 GT-R won all of its 29 Japan Touring Car Championship races, with the Calsonic Skyline claiming 15 of those victories.