Motor Australia – September 2019

17

1996.Legendarytest

driverDirkSchoysman

lapstheNurburgring

Nordschleifein

7min59sec,anunheard-

oftimefora standard

productioncar.Butwas

it standard?Rumours

swirlofspecialtyres

andextraboost.

THE 7:59

'RING LAP

1

1

1

AUGUST1991.TheR32GT-R’sglobaltakeovercontinueswithan

outrightwinatthe 1991 Spa 24 HoursdrivenbyJapan’sNaoki

Hattori,SwedeAndersOlofssonandAussieDavidBrabham.It’s

a dominantdisplay,thetrioconvertingpolepositionintoa 21-lap

victory,whileinsixthoutrightanotherR32winstheGroupN class.

JUNE1995.TheGT-RLM’sLeManscareerwasa troubledone.

Tenthoverallandfifthinclassin1995,oneofthewettestever

races,wasn’ta terribledebutbutby 1996 thePorsche 911 GT1had

movedthegoalpostsanddespitea larger,morepowerful2.8-litre

engine,theR33LMcouldonlymanage15thoutrightandanother

fifthinclass,leadingNissantocancelthethirdyearoftheprogram.

OCTOBER1991.FollowinganunsuccessfulBathurstdebutin 1990

RichardsandSkaifemonstertheMountainin1991,securingpole

positionandwinningbya lap.Theygoback-to-backthefollowing

yearincontroversialcircumstances,Richardscrashingoutbut

beingawardedthewinfollowingthestoppageoftherace.

R32 SHAKES UP THE

EUROPEAN TOURING

CAR ESTABLISHMENT

LE MANS 24 HOUR

DREAMS ARE DASHED

BATHURST 1000

GLORY & THE'PACK

OF ARSEHOLES'

R33 GT-R:

THE DIFFICULT

SECOND ALBUM

R33 LM: NISSAN

BUILDS A UNICORN

FOR LA SARTHE

14

15

OCTOBER1993.TheR33GT-Rappearsforthefirsttimeat

theTokyoMotorShow,thoughdoesn’tbeginproductionuntil

January1995.TheV-Specis nowa regularproductionvariant

andintroducesanupgradedall-wheeldrivesystem.Australian

brochuresareprintedbuttheR33is neverreleasedlocally.

1995.NissanannouncesitsintentiontoreturntoLeMans and

competeintheGT1class,whichrequiresthecreationof one

road-goingvariant.Thusa solitaryNismoGT-RLMis created,

100mmwiderthanstandardandconvertedtorear-wheel

drivetosatisfyGT1regulations.Sadly,it rarelymovesthese

days,livingitslifeinNissan’sZamaheritagecollection.

fif

,

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