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.

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.