Which skyline GT-R is the best? The R32? The R33? The R34? Is it the R35?! Take a second to fight with your family and friends about why the R33 may or may not be the best…
Every iteration of the skyline nameplate had been birthed from the desire to improve on what had already been perfected. The R32 followed the R31 GTS-R and soon became ubiquitous within the world of motorsport back in the ’80s. It set the fast production car lap on the Nurburgring of * minutes and 22 seconds, beating the previous record set by a Porsche 944. In the spirit of flying closer and closer to that rising sun, Nissan went back to the drawing board and released the successor to the R32, the R33.
The R33 debuted and was quickly disliked for its inability to exactly replicate what the R32 was (some people just hate change). It was just unlucky for the R33 to have been born at a time when the famed “Japanese gentleman’s agreement” was in full effect and to have been debuted with the expectation of overcoming the legacy left behind by the R32. There were some mistakes here and there with the end product and development but despite that, the R33, managed to outclass the R32. Remember that Nurburgring lap time set by the R32? The R33 beat that by 20 seconds! On its own though, it’s a good car.
After the R33, Nissan went back to the kitchen and cooked up one of the most notable cars to ever feature in a Fast&Furious movie, the R34 GT-R, also known as “Godzilla.” The R34 immediately placed the GT-R nameplate in a league of its own. The R34 was still powered by the tried and tested RB26 motor found in the previous GT-R iterations, but this motor had a little more power and torque, among other generational updates. Dominating the motorsport scene, the R34 quickly became a fan favorite and even went as far as to influence the rules for numerous racing championships to even out the playing field. It was that good.
The end of the R34 saw the split of the skyline and GT-R names and the introduction of the R35. The controversial modernization of the beloved GT-R lineage came from the consensus that the R35 was not a real GT-R. The R35 was heavier, larger, longer, and didn’t have the sacred RB26. It was a great car and certainly deserved the GT-R badge.
Quick history over, now let’s watch these four throw down on a drag strip and see which one is faster. The folks at CarWow have managed to gather all four GT-R members together in a beautiful test to see which GT-R stands above the rest. What a wonderful family reunion.
