The original GT-R

To call the Nissan Skyline GT-R a ‘motoring icon’ would be a considerable understatement. A technological tour de force if ever there were one, it has lit the automotive touch paper for an entire generation of doe-eyed fanboys and girls, the vast majority of whom are likely to consider 1989 the point of origin for their four-wheeled hero.

And not without reason: the R32 Skyline’s appearance marked the end of a 16-year absence, which saw the GT-R name slink into obscurity.