The Evolution Of The Nissan/Datsun GT-R In Pictures | HotCars – HotCars

The Nissan Skyline became one of the most popular cars in the world, all thanks to race wins and video games. Here's the GTR's evolution.

Today there are few cars as highly touted, as well know, or as lauded as the Nissan GT-R. It's an icon for so many reasons and it's been around since before Ford graced us with the mighty Mustang or Chevrolet shouted back with their killer Camaro. In fact, it's been branded under three different parent company names. It's featured four-doors as well as coupes, and today it stands alone as the only Japanese car to have the ravenous following that it does today.

Often nicknamed Godzilla, it's fascinating to review how this giant killer was born, how it grew up, and why it's earned that nomenclature. When you consider the amazing sports cars from the island of Japan, none come close to garnering the same attention. The Supra has long since lost much of the luster it gained after The Fast & Furious brought it back into the limelight. Old rivals like the 3000GT VR-4 have long since died. The legacy of the Skyline and its bloodline is one of potent sticking power. Let's dig in.

In 1957 a company called Prince debuted the Skyline as an economy car of sorts. In many ways, you can see the design influence of the same years Chevrolet Bel Air.

It was powered by a 60 horsepower 1.5-liter engine and only really turned into a performance car in 1964 with the introduction of the GT Skyline.

In 1969 the car was finally a Nissan branded product and models like this GT-R were highly touted as performance vehicles in its home country.

It housed a six-cylinder engine that produced 160 horsepower. That power was good enough to help it win 52 races in just three years of racing.

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In 1972 the Skyline became known as the Datsun K-Series. In fact, the K-Series was the car that after a short departure brought back the iconic round taillights found on every version of the car that followed it.

While some GT-Rs were created in the K-Series, the oil crisis saw that version killed off not long after it debuted.

The R30 was the first really modernized Skyline that started to shape the future of the vehicle. From the moment it arrived in 1981 Nissan worked at improving it each successive year and it showed.

Each year it became more powerful, more capable, and with models like the 2000RS lighter. All of this progress resulted in a return of the GT-R model to the lineup and serious racing capabilities that are still lauded to this very day in the region.

When the R31 Skyline arrived in 1986 with a slightly modernized shape and more features it started to garner the reputation of a truly all-around sports car. Comfortable, fast, and attractive.

It was also the first Skyline to be imbued with the power that came from the RB Redtop Nissan engine family. The continued to build on the advancements of the R30, adding a bigger turbocharger and four-wheel-steering to some models.

Then the R32 showed up and threw down the gauntlet. After years of slowly crafting an excellent sports car, in 1989, this version destroyed the competition. It's quite simply one of the most dominant racing platforms ever seen in motorsports.

In four years of racing during one series the Skyline entered 29 races and won EVERY SINGLE ONE OF THEM. The road car took many queues from the race car and the legend became unstoppable.

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The R33 is by many accounts, the ugliest of the modern Skylines. It's a fine car though. You'll notice by this point how, much like Porsche, Nissan wasn't making wild changes and dramatically different cars as much as they were taking all the lessons learned from the previous generation and making small tweaks to add performance.

The R33 was no change in that successful formula. To this point, it was the safest Skyline ever produced as well and the 6-cylinder engine became standard on all models.

Here's the one everyone wants,including me. The R34 Skyline is the car that so many of us used in Gran Turismo to decimate all as I've heard it put. It was available with a twin-turbo six-cylinder that could handle more power than Jeff Bezos has and looked like it was going fast even when it wasn't. The internal technology was incredible too.

Nissan employed a screen that told drivers far more vital info about their cars than any had before. Quite simply, this is the one everyone remembers even if they've never seen one in person.

As a person living in the USA, I can say from experience that this was an answer to many people's demands. After decades in countries all across the globe save for the United States, Nissan finally built one that could be sold here. It's been a staple of the track day, autocross, street racing scene ever since.

This most modern GT-R wasn't branded as a Skyline, a marketing misstep perhaps but it hasn't hampered sales. Well known as the cheapest ticket to ludicrous speeds here, the R35 is so bespoke and well-built that now, more than a decade later it's barely changed and is still highly regarded. That can't be said for it's aging baby brother the 370Z.

The GT-R 50 is a wild collaboration between Nissan and Italdesign. Intended to be a totally bespoke and super future version of the GT-R it's pricey at more than $1,000,000. That price comes with ample power to the tune of 710bhp. The trouble seems to be that Nissan can't find buyers.

For such a rare and bespoke vehicle normally these things are snatched up before they're even revealed but after more than a year now, there are still some available should you be in the market.

NEXT:Nissan Finally Reveals GT-R 50 By Italdesign In Track Photos

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Stephen Rivers is a 6'6 racing junkie who's owned 2 BMWs, 3 MINIs and still owns a Rallycross tuned WRX. His dream car is a TVR Cerbera, couple that with his history and he's clearly a masochist.