Nissan Skyline R32 GT-R

Only 10 of the 600 cars in this catalogue combine an inline 6 engine with AWD. That is a remarkably narrow technical path, and the Nissan Skyline R32 GT-R shows both what it gained and what it surrendered by following it. Against a field where many cars pursued different layouts and drivetrains, this configuration trades outright pace for a broader idea of performance. The figures make that clear. Its 0 to 100 km/h time of 5.6 seconds places it 512th out of 600, faster than 88 cars here, while its 265 km/h top speed sits a healthier 389th. The decision was never about chasing a single headline number.

The engine itself reinforces that argument. A 2.6 litre, twin turbocharged inline 6 producing 280 bhp and 353 Nm is unusual within this collection before the driven wheels are even considered. Only 14 of the 600 catalogue cars pair a twin turbocharged setup with an inline 6, and only 33 use that engine layout at all. Add AWD and the group shrinks to just 10. That rarity is not about production totals or mythology. It comes directly from the engineering recipe represented across this catalogue.

Measured by power alone, the Skyline R32 GT-R ranks 519th of 600, placing it within the top 87 per cent for modest output rather than excess. Its used price of £95,000 sits almost exactly in the middle of the collection, ranking 295th, despite delivering a cost per bhp of £339. That balance is revealing. This is not a car that asks to justify itself through the largest power figure or the fastest sprint. It asks whether an uncommon combination of drivetrain and engine layout is itself worth collecting.

Japan contributes 48 cars to this catalogue, while Nissan accounts for 10 of them. Within that group, the Skyline R32 GT-R stands apart by concentrating several uncommon technical choices into a single 2 door coupe built between 1989 and 1994. Those choices shape its identity far more than any isolated specification.

A garage built from 600 possibilities becomes more interesting when one space is reserved for a car that reached its conclusions differently. This is that space.