At the car’s heart was the legendary RB26DETT 2.6-liter in-line six DOHC twin-turbo engine. Rated at 276bhp and 260lb-ft of torque, it was under-stressed and ripe for tuning – 1,000bhp was attainable. Moreover, it boasted a heady red line – a rarity for turbo motors, placed at 8,000rpm.
In 1989 then, JDM Sport Classics offer the R32 had eyebrow-raising performance: 0-62mph took 5.6sec and a 156mph top speed was claimed. Such firepower saw it outstrip period rivals such as the BMW (E30) M3 and Porsche 911 (930) Turbo.
Key to the R32’s crushing cross-country speed was a four-wheel-drive system called ATTESA E-TS – Advanced Total Traction Engineering System for All-Terrain with Electronic Torque Split – which incorporated a five-speed transmission, LSD, multi-plate clutch, and a hydraulic unit. Channeling all the power to the rear wheels in normal conditions, it could shuffle up to 50 percent to the fronts if required.
