One to Buy: 850km from new 1991 Nissan R32 Skyline GT-R N1
With its immensely tuneable twin turbocharged inline six cylinder engine and a four-wheel drive chassis riddled with state-of-art technology, Nissan’s R32 Skyline GT-R blew the competition into the weeds during its inaugural 1990 racing season.
Most notably, the GT-R won all six rounds of the 1990 Japanese Touring Car Championship, a feat repeated in 1991, ‘92 and ‘93, after which a rule change excluded the car from competing in the series any longer.
Undeterred, Nissan took the GT-R into the new-for-1994 Japanese GT Championship where it won the premier GT1 class for two seasons until the McLaren F1 GTR arrived in 1996.
For the 1991 season, Nissan added an N1 variant to its GT-R range in order for customers to have a fully optimised race car platform straight from the factory.
These N1 machines came with much of the equipment from the Nismo-prepared RA version plus a specially prepared reinforced engine with larger turbos. The Nismo version’s cross-drilled and vented discs were switched to purely ventilated units for improved long distance reliability with cooling improved thanks to air deflectors mounted on the suspension rods.
As a consequence of its even more basic specification, a further 20kg was cut from the Nismo RA and the N1 weighed in at just 1380kg.
Only 245 examples of the N1 were produced between 1991 and 1994, all of which were finished in Crystal White.
Of these, probably the finest example extant is currently on offer with Bingo Sports in Tokyo.
Having covered just 850km from new, chassis ‘213004’ is presented in as-new condition.
Reprinted below is Bingo Sports’ description:
VIN: BNR-32-213004
Mileage: 850 kilometers
Exterior Color: Crystal White
The N1 version of the R32 Skyline GT-R was first introduced in 1991 for FIA Group N endurance racing homologation, it was based on the R32 Skyline GT-R NISMO variant from 1990, with a few different features.
Like the NISMO version, the N1 version has the distinct ducts on the front bumper and the hood lips. However, in an effort to reduce weight, the radiator grill and rear wiper were removed, while the ‘projector’ headlights were replaced with the simpler halogen lights. The ABS is absent, while air conditioning and audio system were optional. The N1 version was only available in Crystal White (326).
One of the main highlights of the N1 variant is the engine, which was upgraded to N1 racing specification, and it was believed to be hand-built and balanced.
The engine block of the N1 variant received reinforcement over the standard engine, with the turbocharger turbine being swapped from ceramic-type to a larger steel Garrett T25 turbo chargers for improved durability.
Weighing at about 1,380kg, the Group A cars racing in N1 endurance categories required brakes that could withstand more demanding circumstances. To address this, the brake discs were not perforated to avoid cracking and air deflectors were installed on the front suspension rods to help cool the brakes better.
Nissan produced a total of 245 examples of the three N1 models throughout its production run from 1991 to 1994, with just 118 units of the Skyline GT-R N1 (non V-spec) produced.
This is probably one of the finest examples, with around 850km on the odometer. Unlike the V-Spec and V-Spec N1s, this example features a set of 5-spoke aluminium wheels found on the standard model. This particular N1 has had a roll-cage fitted.
