1:18 Nissan Skyline (R32) GT-R Group A

[Petrolhead]

This is a 1:18 Nissan Skyline (R32) GT-R Group A Team Impul 'Calsonic' #12 by Kyosho.
This generation of the Skyline GT-R was one of the most successful in motorsport.In fact,it was the R32 racers' monster track performance that earned the GT-R its 'Godzilla' title if I'm not mistaken.The R32 enjoyed crushing success in both Group N and Group A racing and it was this motorsport success that prompted Nissan to bring out the first ever Skyline GT-R V-Spec ('Victory Specification').The model seen below is a 1:18 replica of a Group A race car from the 1990 season.
The 1990 season of Group A racing is the one that established the GT-R as a motorsport legend.For the car absolutely obliterated every single contender by winning 29 out of 29 races of that year.The GT-R was number one in each and every race!Not always from the same racing team but always a GT-R.
The most successful cars were Team Impul's Calsonic liveried racers like this one with 550 bhp under the hood and a weight of just about 1250 kg.
What was it that made the GT-R so successful?The answer is 'ATTESA 4WD' which was a totally new take on all-wheel drive systems.Basically,the GT-R is rear-wheel driven as long as the rear wheels can handle the power.And when the rear wheels reached their limit,power was sent to the front wheels.This made the GT-R both four-wheel drive and rear-wheel drive combining the good bits of both systems without retaining most of the drawbacks of either.
But enough of the engineering lecture.On with the show...



Everything opens.

[srinjayray]

Mean machine!!! This looks as if its factory made for beating the shit out of everything else. Amazing Skyline there, IMO its the best thing Japan has given to the auto industry.

[Petrolhead]

Not exactly spartan in here

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Well said,Srinjay!
I love how all GT-Rs have always had really mean looking rear ends.Like Nissan knew that's the bit of the car most people would ever see whether on the road or on track and decided,therefore,that it must express all of the car's aggression.

[Guggga]

Beautiful racer! These are the first proper pictures I am seeing of this example and I am now wishing that you had posted this earlier when she was available at Automania I wanted her but couldn't find any good pictures of her to make my mind up!

Btw, why isn't there a roll cage inside since this is a track car? :S

[Petrolhead]

Thanks for liking the pictures,Guggga!
I think it is still available at Automania but you'll have to check with Rakhesh.As for your question about the cabin,I was thinking of mentioning this after looking around a bit but I don't think this Kyosho example is a very accurate rendition of the actual Group A racing car.The interior should have been more stripped out and the roll-cage really is conspicuous by its absence.The wheels also seem wrong.I think what Kyosho did was take their 1:18 model of the road car and then give it the racing livery while leaving the rest of the car untouched.Guess the AutoArt rendition of this racer is a way more accurate option.But I really wanted a Group A Skyline (R32) GT-R in the collection and I love the blue Calsonic livery and this is a pretty solid model otherwise.I'll probably get more appropriate looking wheels (or atleast paint these silver) and put in some homemade roll-bars someday.But this will have to do for now.

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White!The wheels should be white in the centre with aluminium lip.

[model collector]

Great one! Love the pics!

[winstoncds]

i wouldn't know much about this car but I wouldn't expect Kyosho to take such shortcuts. Roll cage, 5 point racing harness, engine mods, cross brace....glaring omissions. If this model didn't have the race stripes, I would definitely have loved to have a R32 in this color.

[channabasanna]

Nice addition Siddanth sure Kyosho have missed out on the Roll Cage in this one :S

[Petrolhead]

Thanks for looking,fellas!
I guess this is really more a 1:18 replica of a road-going replica of the Group A racer than a scale-model of the racing car itself!

[Petrolhead]

(01-23-2012 07:30 PM)Petrolhead Wrote:  I guess this is really more than a scale-model of the racing car itself!

I've confirmed this at last!!Kyosho actually refers to this model as a 1:18 Nissan Skyline (R32) GT-R 'Calsonic' Steet Version.This really is a 1:18 replica of a road-going replica of the Group A racer!!

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An appeal to the mods.If you want,you can shift this thread to the 'Exotics' section and get rid of the 'Group A' bit of the title so I can use this in the future to post pictures of all my R32 road cars.