Baby Godzilla Nissan Skyline R32 GTS-T

Author: Glenn Munn

Article:
In 1989 the R32 GTS-T was born with specifications way ahead of
its time. The R32 was smaller in size compared to the old boxed
shaped R31, looking much more like a sports car than a family
sedan. The box shape was refined dramatically and the famous
round stove top tail lights were retained. The interior was
dramatically improved to make you actually feel like your
sitting in a sports car.

The silky smooth RB20DET engine suits was introduced to the R32
and really compliments the car well but lacks a little torque..
The 158kw is produced by a 2 liter, twin cam, inline 6, with
variable valve timing on the engines intake. Air is forced into
the engine via a turbocharger with a ceramic exhaust wheel for
quick spooling. Air is further cooled via side mounted air to
air intercooler. All this technology back in 1989 meant the
Skyline was capable of achieving 0-100 in 6.5 seconds and the
400m sprint in 14.8 seconds.

Driving the R32 is fantastic it weighs 1320kg's and is equipped
with independent multilink suspension on all 4 corners. This
equates to a direct steering feel and great handling. Another
technical gadget shared with its bigger GTR brother is a 4 wheel
steering system called HICAS, which stands for High Capacity
Actively Controlled Steering. This system as the name suggests
actively steers the rear when cornering, the amount the rear
wheels turn is depended on speed and cornering angle. This
device seems to reduce under-steer giving the Skyline a flatter
cornering feel.

Tuning potential for the R32 is fantastic add a nice free
flowing exhaust and intake and the RB20DET really comes to life
and sounds great too. You can add another 25+kw to the factory
claimed 158kw with these 2 modifications alone. Stiffer
sway-bars front and rear will drastically improve the already
fantastic handling. In Australia a Nissan Skyline R32 GTS-T
coupe can be picked up for 10-14 thousand dollars this is good
value for money for amount of performance they deliver.

About the author:
Glenn Munn has been a sports car Enthusiast for many Years. More
information and tuning guides for all popular skyline models can
be found at my new website. href="http://nissanskyline.6te.net">Nissan Skyline