Images: Seth Reinhardt
One of the most technically-advanced Group A Touring Cars in the world, the car which would go on to become known as Godzilla, this Nissan Skyline R32 GTR is something very special indeed.
Purchased by GIO directly from Nissan Motorsports in 1991, this is the only customer car Nissan Motorsport ever built. It is chassis number four of just five Nissan Motorsport Group A GTRs built. And with chassis number 1 written off in the 1990 Adelaide Grand Prix, today it survives as a member of a very exclusive club
In period it was retained and maintained at the Dandenong factory alongside Nissan Works GTRs so that GIO could take advantage of the resources and technical know-how of Fred Gibson’s Nissan Works Team.
Mark Gibbs and Rohan Onslow were the lucky men with the job of driving it, and between them built an impressive race record for the machine. It claimed the Australian Endurance Championship in 1991, won the Drink Drive 500 at Sandown in 1991 by six laps, qualified second for the 1991 Bathurst 1000 and went on to claim third outright, also winning the Dulux Best Presented Car.
Then, in 1992, 004 returned to Bathurst to finish sixth outright in the great race.
Two and a half decades on from its delivery, it’s in tip-top racing shape and still going very well indeed contesting the Heritage Touring Car series with owner driver Terry Lawlor.
We enjoyed watching it live up to its namesake by monstering the field all weekend long at Round 1 of the 2015 Heritage Touring Cars series at the recent HSRCA Wakefield Park Historic Summer race meet. They even set a new lap record along the way.
Piloted by current owner Terry Lawlor it won the Heritage Touring Car Group A Championship in 2014, and claimed lap records at Sandown Raceway, Morgan Park Raceway, and the Gardner and Druitt layouts of Sydney Motorsport Park.
Terry Lawlor and team are working hard on the car and continuing to fine-tune it and develop their race craft. To see them in action make sure to head to a round of the Heritage Touring Car Series near you.
Upcoming events include Round 2 to be held at the HRCC’s Autumn Historic Warwrick in May, Round 3 at the HSRCA’s Sydney Retro Speedfest and special events as the Penrite Oils Heritage Touring Cars at the 2015 Formula 1® Rolex Australian Grand Prix as well as races at the Bathurst Motor Festival in April.
Images thanks to Seth Reinhardt
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