Long time Australian touring car fans may recall when a new kid on the block appeared in 1991 and decimated all that stood in its way. The same car, which would see Australian racing legend Jim Richards standing on the podium calling the series’ fans “a pack of assholes” after piloting his Nissan R32 GT-R to victory.
Yep, the humble, and since banned, GT-R Godzilla. Race fans have pined for it’s return and there was a glimmer of hope when the noose was loosened to allow other makes outside of the long standing Holden vs Ford battle that the series had become in recent years, but Nissan would choose to campaigned a Patrol V8-powered Altima instead, to meet then four-door sedans and V8-only regulations.
BUT, and this is a huge but, with Supercars’ Gen II regulations permitting the use of body types other than four-door sedan bodies and non-V8 powerplants, the rumor mill went into full swing — could this see the return of the mighty Godzilla?
The series’ official on-screen car graphic design company, ssMedia — who also designs liveries for DJR Team Penske — seems to think so as they’ve dropped rendors of Nissan Motorsport’s potential Supercars future.
Wrapped in a livery that looks starkly similar to that worn by the Altima when launched and tested prior to competition in 2012, the GT-R has long been suggested as a replacement chassis — despite dropping the Altima from Australian showrooms, Nissan Motorsport has confirmed they will continue with the Altima into 2018.
As the regulations currently stand, the GT-R is having a hard time fitting on top of the Supercars control chassis, and the four-wheel drive system would need to go, but we hear that modifications to the rules are in discussion.
Stay tuned for the inevitable announcement …
