The Smoking Tire Reviews A Nissan Skyline R32
By Mike Garcia
Matt Farah finally reviews his personal R32.
Unlike most people of the world, I am not a huge Skyline fan. I have driven the R35 in brief stints and found it incredibly capable. So capable in fact, that it was just pure overkill on regular roads. I dared not to push it, but was familiar enough with the car to get the sense of driver feel, or lack there of. The R35 is a special car, in the sense that driver feel is based on lateral and horizontal g-forces instead of touch inputs. I like a few of the classic Skylines, but the one that has really stood out to me was the R32.
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So why the R32? It’s not like it’s an easy car to get a hold of. Admittedly, I have never driven one. Blame the radio control car model company, Tamiya. They came out with a shaft-driven, all-wheel-drive, on-road radio control kit with some suspension travel. I loved the idea of it. I could actually drive a 1/10 scale version after all. Here’s a radio control car based on a 2+2 seated car, with all-wheel-drive, four-wheel-steering, an a turbocharged six-cylinder engine. What more could a gearhead want?
want to learn more about buying and modifying Nissan Skylines? These guys sold me my car and have a blog... https://t.co/luYrZOEKGM
— Matt "Stick to Cars" Farah (@TheSmokingTire) April 11, 2016
Perhaps, that’s exactly why Matt Farah (@TheSmokingTire) bought one for himself. He explains some of the light modifications of the car. There is a Cusco front strut brace. He removed the restrictor to unleash one full bar of boost, which increased the horsepower from the “gentleman’s agreement” of 276 horsepower to roughly 325. If I remember correctly, the initial horsepower rating is still underrated. Matt also chose to lock the four-wheel-steering system and kept the steering to just the front wheels.
What is amazing is how a car from 1990 could look so incredibly refined. There seems to be minimal noise, vibration, and harshness into the cabin. It’s obvious that Matt isn’t pushing his own car as hard as a few other cars in the One Take series, but his car is rare, and in good condition.
Like every used car, there are a few minor issues. There is a niggle with the air condition system. The door seals are faded away, which is expected for a well-aged vehicle, even a garage-kept one.
According to Matt, the Skyline is capable of 24 miles per gallon using 91 octane gas. Personally, I find that incredible.
Next: Is The Nissan Skyline R32 A Smart Buy?