1993 Nissan Skyline R32 GT-R HKS Kansai Service

There are very few cars that can earn world renowned nicknames due to their automotive prowess. To cite a few, we have RUF’s Yellowbird, Mercedes’ Hammer and Porsche’s 'Widow maker', but arguably the best and most iconic automotive nickname in history was given to the Nissan Skyline R32 GT-R, rightfully nicknamed ‘Godzilla’.

The GT-R moniker was somewhat of a sacred cow for Nissan having discontinued it in 1973 following their Hakosuka and Kenmari Skylines, but Nissan revived it 16-years later with the introduction of the R32 Skyline. The car’s heart was Nissan’s hugely capable RB26DETT, a 2.6 litre, twin-turbocharged inline 6-cylinder DOHC engine producing the ‘Gentleman’s Agreement’ 276bhp and included all the latest electronic gadgetry including 4-wheel drive, HICAS all-wheel steering, and multi-link suspension. The Godzilla title was gained/earned for two reasons, firstly for its supercar killer performance on the road and secondly for its sheer domination on the racetrack winning every single race (29 out of 29) in the Japanese Grand Touring Championship between 1990 – 1994, as well as winning the 1991 Spa 24hr and Bathurst 1000 in 1991 and 1992 consecutively. Tour de Force doesn’t quite cut it, the R32 GT-R was simply unstoppable and unbeatable.

The car culture in Japan is globally renowned for its passion for modification, enthusiasm for all cars, and unbridled ability to push the boat out. Throughout the 1990s, the tuner culture truly exploded in the Japanese car world with (now) infamous garages, workshops and brands popping up and growing notoriety such as Smokey Nagata’s ‘Top Secret’, Akira Nakai’s ‘RWB’, and brands/factions such as Nismo, Blitz, HKS and others.

Kansai Service was, and still is, a tuning faction/division of performance part gurus, HKS Japan. They are a separate company with a longstanding close relationship with the founders of HKS, so naturally they use lots of HKS parts on their cars, although not exclusively. Their speciality is building reliable, dependable, and fast cars that are backed by a Kansai warranty with the aim of building 600-800bhp cars that would last 10+ years rather than 1,000bhp+ cars that would only last a month. They are known for great service, testing and record keeping for their clients’ cars.

This 1993 R32 GT-R Kansai Service was purchased and imported by our vendor via BHP Imports in 2017 following a long hunt for the right car. As soon as it landed it was immediately detailed and undersealed to futureproof its 4B auction condition. It’s lived a pampered life in a temperature-controlled garage, never driven on a wet or salty road since being in the country, living alongside our vendors collection of JDM royalty. It's finished in Sonic Silver with a grey cloth interior and is one of the very few cars built and prepared by Kansai Service themselves, boasting an almighty specification list. To the naked eye, the car appears to be totally standard, short of the Advan AVS VS5 wheels and small ‘Kansai Service’ badge, however with its Kansai Service treatment it's been quietly tuned and tweaked as they know best, primarily using HKS parts, to produce a very reliable 490whp, approximately 600bhp at the crank. In addition to the mechanical upgrades, the interior benefits from Nissan installed upgraded door and rear parcel shelf speakers, with a Kenwood minidisc player as a head unit.

Even with the novel-length upgrade list, the driveability, comfort, and somewhat unassuming looks are all retained, despite having enough power to embarrass most things on the road, even by today’s standards. All these things add up to help this GT-R retain its Godzilla title in fantastic style, including retaining the HICAS system that many remove due to poor maintenance.

Within the history file there are two sets of keys, a fabulous amount of JDM service history including booklets, invoices, Nissan and Nismo paperwork and Owner’s Handbooks. UK history includes DVLA/registration correspondence, invoices for parts/servicing and MOTs. The mileage is a verified total of 71,750km (44,600 miles), the car was imported with a documented speedometer change at 57,000km for more suitable 320kph items. The car has been kept in kilometres and now reads 16,003km.

The specification list is truly exceptional, using the best parts available, to create an R32 that perfectly encapsulates the tuning scene of the 1990s. The known upgrades are as follows, which we state as ‘known’ due to only listing what we have documentation for:

• - HKS LC turbochargers (full HKS fitting kit with reinforced actuators)
• - HKS exhaust manifold
• - HKS intercooler
• - HKS intercooler piping kit
• - HKS evc/boost controller
• - Nismo 8.5 twin plate clutch
• - Nismo solid shifter assembly
• - Tomei camshafts
• - HKS cam pulleys
• - HKS mushroom intakes
• - HKS Kansai lower brace kit
• - Kansai upper front and rear brace
• - HKS Kansai transmission collar
• - HKS turbo timer
• - DEFI Gauges in centre console
• - HKS pillow ball tension rods
• - New Nismo floor mats
• - HKS exhaust
• - Genuine removable Nissan rear window tint screen
• - New Meister R coilovers supplied and fitted by RB Motorsport in 2021
• - HKS Sports coilovers that the car came on are also included.
• - 17" Advan AVS VS5 alloys with AD08R semi-slick tyres with almost new tread depth.

These special Japanese sports cars from the 1990s are soaring in popularity, and rightly so. Good, low mileage, and special examples are hard to find yet they do exist as you see here. Suitable for any enthusiast or collector alike, this Kansai Service car is truly very special, and R32s are definitely underappreciated, especially in relation to the R34 GT-R, Subaru 22Bs/P1s and special Mitsubishi Evos. These JDM legends are rightly becoming highly desirable and are slowly making their way into the best car collections across the globe, and rarely do we see an R32 of this mileage, quality and calibre on the market making this a superb opportunity.