Hands up who...

[Rezz]

...who was in high school when the all conquering R32 GT-Rs were slaugtering the Australian (and Japanese) Group A competition in '91/'92? Did it have a lasting effect as what it did for me?

I see alot of Japan residents are in their late 20's... (27 - 29)... did you guys all get interested in Skylines from back in the Group A days?

Well, since the mid-1980's, I'd ALWAYS supported the underdog in Group A, and back then it was definately the SA22 RX-7 and the R30/31 Skylines (George Fury?) up against the "giant" V8 Commodores/Camaros/Falcons. So when the R32 GT-R entered the category, I first of all felt that 4WD would never work!!! But right from the first round the GT-R just killed everything in it's path. The Cosworth Sierras were also a favourite, but the GT-R ate them too... I was scarred for life!

I guess that was probably the first time ('91) that I ever considered going to Japan... plus the fact that one of my high school friends was half Japanese. After Group A finished, I never really looked at Australian Touring Car racing again, but preffered Rally/JTCC right up until I came to Japan in mid-2000.

What got you interested in Skylines or what brought you to Japan?

[DCD]

I came to Japan in 93 and finished school in Tokyo. Thats where I got subjected to extreme car culture like I had never experienced before! I had lived 9 years in th UK prior to that and I remember reading about the R32 GT-R in a few magazines and hearing about its success downunder and in Japan.

I started seeing 32s around and I fell in love right then and there. Then in 95 a friend of mine got an R33 GT-R for his birthday (b@stard!) and thats when it really got to me that there was no better car for myself. I got to drive it many times and it just made me want one more and more. I started attending the various meets and races in Tokyo and got totally sucked in. I dreamed about owning my own GTR for so many years and gradually modding it in my own way ...and now I'm doing it! Couldn't be happier:)

So I would have to say I fell in love with the GTR after seeing it in action, trying it and obviously witnessing its tuning potential. Its success in racing was just a bonus for me and I still rate it as the best car in the world!

[funkymonkey]

I was at Bathurst in 1991 when the Skyline won, with my dad and my uncle (who is a huuuge V8 fan and a Holden used car dealer)... at a tender age of 11 I didn't know what was goin, cept that they made an uber cool noise when they went past... And they were red... which made them even better

My interest in skylines was then stirred up again in 1997 when my cousin imported a 4 door R33 GTSt. It was the best thing since sliced bread back in the day, even though it was a rather stock Series 1.5

Manga brought me to japan oh and a school exchange program lol

[Sciby]

To be honest, I didn't give a damn about cars until I bought my first one in '98... t'was a 1988 Vitara JX... I did suspension, stereo, and some spotties, but it was just transport... I mean, I always liked watching F1 and Bathhurst, but only really watched for the crashes... kinda like watching the State of Origins between NSW and QLD for the fights.

In 2001, I got sick of the Vitara, and wnated something that was more sporty with way more power. I was originally aiming for a VX SS, but the bank refused me... then I went to a family wedding in Perth (lot of rellies there) and my cousin suggested I buy a skyline, because they were the bees knees, blah blah blah. I wasn't convinced, but I decided to look into it.

They looked phat, they had the power and the technology and most importantly, the bank would give me the money for one.

My Skyline was the first I ever drove.

[Demon Dave]

I've always been into cars since an early age, but I didn't really follow the Grp A tournaments - rally and F1 were my main interests. I can remember visiting the NEC motorshow (UK) from an early age and it seemed I was at Donington park (about 10 miles from my house) almost every other weekend - whether it be to watch the racing, check out the Sunday market or head-bang away at the Donnington Monsters Of Rock Festival

First time I became aware of skylines was probably around '96 when a friend of mine somehow managed to get his hands on some Jap car brochures and the R33 GTR was amongst them. Of course, we hadn't a clue what the text said!

[homer2288]

I was a big fan of F1 (during the Alain Prost & Ayrton Senna era)..wasnt into group A's. However, I remembered when Nissan Aust. 1st release the R32 GTR...it was all over the media...and at a price (at that time can be traded for a house with reasonable sized block)...if i am not wrong, it was going for $110k...then came the Honda NSX...

[Ronin 09]

I watched the 32GTR when it flogged everyone in Aus Group A... Always been a huge fan of the tin tops, especially when there was variation - BMW E30M3s, Sierras, Skylines, etc etc.

My first 'real' car was an E30 323i, I SO wanted to do the M3 guard conversion etc, but never did it. Sold it and got an R33 GTS-t. Still miss the BMW when i see it (sold it to a guy who lives around the corner). Realised that I really wanted a 32GTR, so sold the GTS-t, took a loan, found an Aus GTR and never looked back!

Don't ever want to sell the 32... the next car will have to be a practical one, then an E30 M3 to start collecting the set of late 90's group A race cars

[CircusMonkey]

...who was in high school when the all conquering R32 GT-Rs were slaugtering the Australian (and Japanese) Group A competition in '91/'92? Did it have a lasting effect as what it did for me?

 

I see alot of Japan residents are in their late 20's... (27 - 29)... did you guys all get interested in Skylines from back in the Group A days?

 

Well, since the mid-1980's, I'd ALWAYS supported the underdog in Group A, and back then it was definately the SA22 RX-7 and the R30/31 Skylines (George Fury?) up against the "giant" V8 Commodores/Camaros/Falcons.  

Sidenote:

Aren`t Aussies big on Holden`s ?

RB produced engine by Nissan?

[Hiroshima Screamer]

i remember this event , my mates got the whole race on the ol VHS format recorded from the tele.

[Sciby]

Sidenote:

Aren`t  Aussies big on Holden`s ?

RB produced engine by Nissan?

Yeah, for the most part Australians buy Holdens or Fords, if they're after a performance vehicle. However, some of us prefer to consider all options, rather than just blindly buy what the guy next door has.

On that note, there are a billion holdens out there, but there's relatively few Skylines and other imports. The numbers are increasing (my Skyline used to be the only import in the 100+ car park here at work, but just this morning I saw two silvias and a soarer. Now I just have the best import in the carpark.

RB's are produced by Nissan, but in the mid-80's, Holden bought a number of 3L RB engines with a single cam head for their VL Commodore. It came out in turbo and non-turbo models, although the turbo isn't as powerful as an R33 (and I believe it's roughly the same as an R32), they're still good cars. Good family car with potential for performance.

[Informer]

I was amazed by the GTR, actually liked the R31 and the Skyline Syloette (sorry can't spell). Remember that came in white or something.

Most amazing was that one of my neighbour actually bought the R32 GTR, gunmetal grey. Think he got it for 90,000++ bux!!!