How the Nissan Skyline GT-R Became Godzilla | part 2

Watching videos of Group A GT-Rs in period, it's easy to see how Godzilla earned its reputation. The way it puts power down on corner exit is unlike anything else of the period.

"It's this turn-in agility followed by the ability to put all its power down on the way out of corners that made the GT-R such a formidable weapon," said British autojournalist Richard Meaden in an article for EVO on driving the iconic Calsonic-sponsored GT-R. 

"A Group A [Ford] Sierra RS500 was lighter and had 500-550bhp, but with rear-wheel-drive it couldn't match the traction, especially over longer runs. To be fair to Ford, nothing else could." 

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The GT-Rs success was so great in Australia, the Australian Touring Car Championship's governing body reportedly forced the series into a two make championship, consisting of GM-Holden and Ford, a predecessor for today's V8 Supercars series. This ended the GT-R's Australian reign, as turbocharging and all-wheel-drive was no longer allowed in the series. 

It's the R32 GT-R's incredible motorsport success and subsequent inclusion in the Gran Turismo franchise that made Godzilla an automotive icon. It might not have saved Nissan going in the 1990s, but it did give birth to its most beloved icon.