Nissan Skyline GT-R

The first GT-R generation, the 1969 PGC10 (nicknamed "Hakosuka" for its boxy "hako" body), came straight out of racing: the S20 inline-six, derived from a competition program, drove the car to a winning streak that made GT-R a legend in Japanese motorsport. The badge disappeared in 1973, a casualty of the oil crisis, and stayed out of production for over a decade.

The comeback came in 1989 with the R32, and it changed the brand's history: powered by the twin-turbo RB26DETT inline-six and the ATTESA E-TS all-wheel-drive system, the R32 dominated Japanese touring car racing so thoroughly that rivals pushed for rule changes, the nickname 'Godzilla', coined by the Australian press after a season of crushing wins, stuck for good.

The following generations, R33 (1995) and R34 (1999), cemented the Skyline GT-R as an icon outside Japan, largely thanks to games like Gran Turismo and the R34's appearance in "2 Fast 2 Furious". In 2007, Nissan launched the successor simply as GT-R (R35), dropping the Skyline name, officially closing the lineage that started in 1957.

• The nickname "Godzilla" was coined by Australian magazine Wheels in 1991, after the R32 swept the local touring car championship.
• The RB26DETT engine was officially rated at a "gentlemen's agreement" 280 hp, but delivered noticeably more in practice.
• The R34 was never officially sold in the United States; most of its American fame came from games and movies, not the real market.
• After the R35, Nissan retired the Skyline name from the GT-R, today "Skyline" and "GT-R" are different cars in the lineup.