A sports automobile built on the Nissan Skyline platform is known as the Nissan Skyline GT-R (Japanese: Ri Chan sukairainGT-R, Hepburn: Nissan Sukairain GT-R). The first “Skyline GT-R” vehicles, with the model code KPGC10, were made between 1969 and 1972. They were successful in Japanese touring car racing competitions. In 1973, a limited number of second-generation vehicles bearing the model number KPGC110 were produced in its place.
The GT-R moniker was brought back in 1989 as the BNR32 (“R32”) Skyline GT-R following a 16-year absence. The R32 GT-R was utilized to win the Japanese Touring Car Championship four years in a row in Group A standard versions. Prior to a regulation change that banned the R32 GT-R in 1993, the R32 GT-R enjoyed success in the Australian Touring Car Championship, where Jim Richards and Mark Skaife both used it to win the championship in 1991 and 1992, respectively. The Australian auto magazine Wheels gave the R32 GT-R the moniker “Godzilla” in its July 1989 issue due to the vehicle’s technological advancements and performance. Following that, Wheels continued to use the moniker for every subsequent Skyline GT-R generations, most notably the R34 GT-R, which they dubbed “Godzilla Returns” and hailed as “the best handling car we have ever driven.” In tests conducted by automotive journals, the R34 GT-R accelerated from 0-100 km/h (0-62 mph) in 4.4 seconds and completed a quarter-mile (402 meters) in 12.2 seconds from a standing start time. At the time, it was one of the production cars with the fastest acceleration.
The ATTESA E-TSAll-wheel drive system and the Super-HICAS four-wheel steering were just two of the cutting-edge technology on display in the Skyline GT-R, which quickly rose to the position of Nissan’s performance flagship. The automobile is still in demand today for import drag racing, circuit racing, time trials, and competitions sponsored by tuning publications. The Skyline GT-production R’s ceased in August 2002. The GT-R (R35), a brand-new car built on an improved version of the Skyline V36 platform, took the place of the previous model. Despite their obvious differences, the two cars were made at the same factory and have identical design elements.
The only Skyline GT-R export markets were Hong Kong, Singapore, Australia, and New Zealand in 1991, and the UK (in 1997, thanks to the Single Vehicle Approval process) as used Japanese imports. The Skyline GT-R was never produced outside of Japan.
Despite this, the automobile has gained notoriety as a Grey import sports car, especially in Western countries (mainly the United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Ireland, Canada, and the United States). The Fast and the Furious, Initial D, Shakotan Boogie, Wangan Midnight, Need for Speed, Forza, Driving Emotion Type-S, Test Drive, and Gran Turismo are just a few examples of popular culture works that have made it well-known. Nismo declared that it would restart manufacturing replacement body panels and engines for all Skyline GT-R models in 2019.
The vehicle was recognized as one of the top automobiles in the world and as the sole authentic Japanese supercar at the time by BBC’s Top Gear and Jeremy Clarkson.
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Inside the creator’s head for the Nissan GT R
Shiro Nakamura, the creator of every modern vehicle to leave the Nissan/Infiniti factory, and I were having dinner conversation one hour ago in Pebble Beach. What probably wasn’t the most unique thing I could have asked Nakamura-san was: Which other designers, except Nissan’s, do you admire?
Nakamura stopped, turned to face me, and grinned. “That’s a question I hear all the time. But it’s a valid query.” He thought for a moment before responding. “Everything Bill Mitchell does is great. GM was extremely successful in the 1950s and 1960s. The Mako Shark, the first Oldsmobile Toronado, is something I enjoy. I also enjoy Giuigiaro and Pininfarina.” I then persisted in asking Nakamura to list particular automobiles that he admired. And he did not think twice. “I enjoy the Lancia Stratos, the De Tomaso Mangusta, and perhaps most of all the 289 Cobra.” When I retorted that the Stratos is one of my favorite automobiles, Nakamura made a direct turn in my direction. “Yes. It is excellent.”
While Nakamura currently resides in Japan, he has formerly resided in Southern California (where he attended the renowned Art Center in Pasadena to study automotive design), and he also has a design studio in Detroit that he frequently travels to. Nature is where inspiration originates from, he claims. “I enjoy the many seasons. I enjoy seeing the snow in Detroit during the winter “He concedes. “California is sometimes too pleasant,” he continues.
Nakamura enjoys discussing the outdoors. Even though he speaks English very well, he almost seems embarrassed to declare, “Nature is something.” He speaks of Mount Fuji with the utmost reverence. “In Japan, I can view Mt. Fuji every day as I travel to work, weather permitting. It is really lovely. aggressive without being aggressive. In my cars, I try to evoke that feeling.”
I question him about the new GT-R supercar, which is his most notable design. What is the design philosophy and how does it relate to the Nissan/Infiniti lineup? Infiniti is a woman, claims Nakamura. “The designs frequently use negative shapes, shapes that are drawn in and tapered to reveal curves. However, the GT-R is a man. Muscle on top of muscle on top. The entire form expands outward. I purposely wanted it to appear savage, like a contemporary 289 Cobra. It lacks the sophistication of a contemporary Ferrari.”
I’m going to see pictures of the new G37 Convertible tomorrow. Nakamura refers to the modifications in the prototype we anticipated seeing in the metal and says, “It is not ready to show you.” “I’m hoping you’ll enjoy Los Angeles soon.”
Four master craftsmen who hand-build each Nissan GT-R engine are part of Nissan’s illustrious Takumi program.
California’s IRVINE – A master artisan who has honed his abilities over years of laborious work and dedication is referred to as takumi in Japan. It is only available to individuals at the pinnacle of their field. Four men have been recognized as takumi at Nissan’s sizable engine manufacturing in Yokohama. One of the most celebrated sports vehicles in automotive history is powered by an engine that is exclusively assembled by them.
Takumi Kurosawa, Tsunemi Ooyama, Izumi Shioya, and Nobumitsu Gozu are the four takumi of Nissan’s Yokohama facility. They have a combined track record in their field of excellence spanning more than 100 years. Every one of the stunning 545-horsepower twin-turbocharged V-6 engines found beneath the hood of the Nissan GT-R, production automobiles, and racecars alike are hand-built by these engine craftsmen. One of these four people carefully and precisely assembles each engine.
The takumi craftsman proudly attaches a plaque bearing his name on the finished masterpiece whenever an engine is finished, providing as a timeless reminder of the high caliber of craftsmanship and knowledge that went into each creation.
Numerous Nissan GT-R owners have traveled to the Yokohama plant to see the takumi engine builder who built the engine for their car by hand. Even well-known American late-night talk show host and automotive enthusiast Jay Leno has traveled to the factory to see the takumi.
The Yokohama facility of Nissan is an industry leader in terms of efficiency and technology. It has manufactured more than 35 million engines in its over eight decades of operation, including the incredibly powerful VR38 that drives the storied Nissan GT-R high-performance sports car.
“Our company was founded in Yokohama, and we are honored to produce Nissan’s flagship engine here. It stands for the apex of the Nissan brand “said Nobuhiro Ozawa, manager of the Yokohama facility. We affix the nameplates of the takumi who individually handcrafted these engines and invested their souls and feeling of responsibility into each one.
Regarding Nissan The Renault-Nissan Alliance includes Nissan Motor Co., Ltd., the second-largest automaker in Japan, which has its headquarters in Yokohama. Nissan sold more than 4.9 million automobiles and earned 9.6 trillion yen (USD 116.16 billion) in fiscal 2012 while employing more than 236,000 people worldwide. Nissan sells a wide variety of vehicles under the Nissan and Infiniti brands, totaling more than 60 models. Nissan introduced the Nissan LEAF in 2010 and is still at the forefront of zero-emission transportation. The LEAF is currently the best-selling EV in history. It was the first mass-market, all-electric vehicle to be introduced globally.
the person who created the Nissan GT-R
Some refer to Kazutoshi Mizuno, a man who started working for Nissan in 1972, as the Godfather of the NissanGT-R. He always said that he wanted to improve the “Godzilla” car whenever people asked him how he imagined this particular model.
Mizuno-san acknowledges that when he first began working for Nissan fifty years ago, he wasn’t a good employee. I never worked long hours or late into the night since I was usually napping. You see, I had created a Formula Junior car while I was a student. “Mr GT-R” clarifies, “I was solely in parts design at Nissan, not car development.”
Nissan took note of this and hired the young engineer to work at a dealership to get to know the clientele of the business. People with disabilities who Mizuno-san sold automobiles to informed him that, for them, a car is their entire life—almost like a human.
Big changes occurred in my psyche. I came to the realization that the car is for a customer, he says.
In 1987, Mizuno-san joined Nissan’s racing team, and in 1994, he participated in the company’s R33-series Skyline GT-R project during the company’s Le Mans campaign. He oversaw the group that created the Nissan 350Z, the first InfinitiFX, and the final Skyline by the year 2000, among other vehicles. Finally, he was personally chosen to work on the GT-R project in 2003 by Carlos Ghosn, CEO of the Renault-Nissan Alliance.
Prior to the GT-initial R’s public unveiling, Kazutoshi Mizuno labored for nearly five years. The highlight was when he presented his child at the Tokyo Motor Show in 2007.
A supercar must meet three criteria. First, it must weigh no more than four kilograms for every horsepower. We have a 3.6 kilogram ratio. Two, it needs to be capable of 300 kph on public roads. In addition, according to Mizuno-san, it must be able to complete one lap of the Nurburgring Nordschleife in less than eight minutes.
Leading design studios in Tokyo and California is a well-known designer that created the Nissan GT-R, Juke, 350Z, and Qashqai.
One individual is mostly responsible for all of Nissan’s most popular designs during the past two decades. Shiro Nakamura has had an impact on everything, from the GT-R to the Juke. But he hasn’t been sitting by the pool quietly working on crossword puzzles since he retired in 2017.
The 70-year-old veteran of the auto business has been creating at his two studios, SN Design Platform and Hollywood Hills Design Platform, located in Tokyo and Hollywood, respectively. He concentrates on exciting new projects there. And by that, I don’t just mean automobiles—certainly not Nissans.
In a rare interview, he told Automotive News, “I don’t have to be Nissan’s Nakamura.” “I want to be a more self-sufficient person.”
For clients he is not yet willing to name, the small studios work on a variety of projects, including electric motorcycles, large trucks, and electric vehicles. However, Nakamura will assert that the studios will devote up to 90% of their efforts to developing electric automobiles.
However, the projects won’t be limited to the auto industry. His labs will experiment with a wide range of goods, including watches and audio speakers.
Nakamura claimed, “We even run our own programs without a client.” “You must go on your own exploration. You never know; a business might be intrigued. I object to being constrained.”
Nakamura’s career was unconstrained even though he worked for Nissan. In actuality, it was distinguished by his friendship with Carlos Ghosn and the freedom it brought.
He retired from his position as Senior Vice President of Nissan Motor Corp. in 2017, just before Ghosn’s downfall. Nakamura was recruited by the contentious former CEO from Isuzu, where he was instrumental in developing the VehiCROSS, to head Nissan’s comeback. There, the designer was given the freedom to design cutting-edge cars including the Cube, GT-R, Juke, and LEAF.
Since Nissan has left, Nakamura has only positive things to say about Nissan. In fact, he intends to purchase an Ariya for himself later this year.