Video: Where the Nissan GT-R Got Its Godzilla Nickname

https://www.youtube.com/embed/5vRDo4rchmc

After dominating the Japanese Touring Car Championship, the R32-chassis GT-R set its sights on the Australian Touring Car Championship in 1990. At the time, the Ford Sierra Cosworth was the reigning king of the series.

However, the R32 was quick to dominate in Australia as well, leading to a number of media outlets giving the Japanese sports car its iconic “Godzilla” nickname.  

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Oldboy Speedwell
Oldboy Speedwell New Reader
11/5/20 2:02 p.m.

That's awesome footage!

 

I love watching all the vintage film from Bathurst --- went down a rabbit-hole once when I stumbled across it and there's lots of quality vids of classic action from there.

 

Origin stories are always fun too, thanks!

Contrasting against the aggro monster moniker was the earlier version which is known as the "phantom GT-R"...

...because they only made 197 of them and they are exceedingly rare.

One sold at Sotheby's for $176,000 in 2015:

https://rmsothebys.com/en/auctions/mo15/monterey/lots/r155-1973-nissan-skyline-ht-2000gt-r-kenmeri/180548

This brings us back to the softer-than-Godzilla nickname for that era of Skyline which was "Kenmeri".

As in Ken & Mary:

So named because of the advertising campaign that Nissan used for that model.

 

j_tso
j_tso Reader
11/5/20 2:22 p.m.

There was also Newman Skyline

 

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