Author: GATER KAZUKI｜GT-Rotaku.com

Hello everyone, this is GATER KAZUKI.

I'm sure any GT-R enthusiast knows the story of the R32 winning 29 consecutive races in Group A. However, I don't think many people can accurately tell the story of "what happened to the GT-R after Group A ended."

Today, I'm going to tell that story.

The End of Group A and the New Stage of GT1

The R32's complete domination of the Group A championship ironically created a problem. The GT-R was so strong that the Group A category itself became unviable.

In 1993, the Group A regulations for the JTCC (All Japan Touring Car Championship) ended, and in 1994, a new category called JGTCC (All Japan Grand Touring Car Championship) began. This JGTCC was a rather chaotic category, with Supras, Ferrari F40 LMs, Porsche 962Cs, and even a Lamborghini Countach (driven by the Japan Lamborghini Owners Club under the name KEN WOLF) all competing in the same race. It was, shall we say, a chaotic grid typical of a transitional period.

In the GT1 class of this JGTCC, three Skylines backed by NISMO participated: Calsonic, ZEXEL, and the team of Masahiro Hasemi—"Mr. Skyline" himself.

The Maverick GT-R Created by Masahiro Hasemi

While the Calsonic and ZEXEL cars were modified Group A donor chassis, Hasemi's team took a completely different approach.

They converted the GT-R to RWD (rear-wheel drive).

The Group A R32 was 4WD with Attesa E-TS, which was the source of its overwhelming combat power. To intentionally switch it to rear-wheel drive would normally be considered a regression. But Hasemi's judgment was different. By removing the 4WD system, the RB26 could be mounted further back in the chassis, dramatically improving weight distribution. Furthermore, a new full-carbon wide body was specially manufactured.

In other words, they abandoned the Group A formula and created a new GT-R optimized for the new GT1 rules.

This car is the "UNISIA JECS Skyline GT-R GT1."

Incidentally, this RWD conversion, from my perspective, also makes me feel that "a rear-wheel-drive GT-R might actually be more interesting." The fact that Hasemi made that decision in a real race situation is simply intriguing.

A Car That Moved After 30 Years

The last race this car competed in was the opening round of the JGTCC in 1995, at Suzuka. It secured pole position in that race. Its rivals included other 4WD Skyline teams, a Ferrari F40, and a Porsche 993 GT2. After taking pole on that grid, it struggled with tire wear management and finished in 4th place. That was its last race.

Recently, this very car, which had been dormant for 30 years, had a shakedown at the Blyton Park circuit in Lincolnshire, UK. The owner, "Group A Fabrication," carefully restored it to running condition.

It's equipped with the original RB26 engine. The transmission is the original 6-speed XTrac sequential gearbox. The wheels are the original SSR magnesium. It returned to the circuit with the scars of 30 years ago still intact.

Its current output exceeds 500ps. While it was about 450ps under the Group A regulations due to the mandatory 31mm restrictor, it now runs without a restrictor. There are plans to install a new Group A engine to protect the original engine and aim for over 600ps. The car weighs 1,200kg.

The Meaning of This Car

The reason I wanted to write about this car is within the context of "the evolution of the GT-R."

After the R32 dominated Group A, its technology and experience were not simply passed on to the next generation. Hasemi's GT1 machine made a bold change by converting to RWD, reinterpreting the potential of the GT-R within the GT1 regulations. The knowledge gained there was then fed back into the development of the R33 LM that competed at Le Mans in 1995.

The R32 that won in Group A, after GT1, headed to Le Mans. Knowing this progression makes it clear that the story of the R32 car doesn't end with its 29 consecutive Group A victories.

After that pole position, the GT-R that had been dormant for 30 years is once again running on the circuit. The fact that the sound of its RB26 echoed once again at Blyton Park simply fills me with joy.

The story of the GT-R continues.

That's all from GATER KAZUKI.