"Let's test your knowledge of Japan's Godzilla. No, not the fire-breathing monster that menaced Tokyo so many times through the 1950s and '60s on film. We mean the mighty Nissan GT-R pedigree that was given the ""Godzilla"" nickname in 1989 when the Skyline GT-R (R-32) was unleashed. While that car was never actually exported, its sheer pace, handling prowess, and racing triumphs put it firmly on the international map and secured it a place in sports car folklore."
"But Godzilla had a father. The GT-R was born some 20 years earlier, as the Skyline 2000 GT-R. First launched in 1969, the ""Hakosuka"" GT-R (""hako"" meaning boxy, ""suka"" coming from the Japanese pronunciation of Skyline) was a rare sight. Nissan only built 1945 of them. And today, estimates put the number of original GT-Rs remaining on Japan's streets at about 500."
"Hiroaki Shinomiya owns one of those. The 45-year-old landscape designer is as passionate about his GT-R as he is about traditional Japanese gardens. ""I think it was destiny. When I was around 21, I was driving a GT-R replica in Tokyo when I spotted a real Hakosuka GT-R. After several phone calls, I finally tracked down the owner and asked whether he'd be willing to let the car go. When he realized that I was a landscape gardener, he made me an offer I couldn't refuse. He said that I could have the car for $20,000, half its value back then. But there was one extra condition: He wanted to me to take care of his garden -- permanently. I knew by that statement that he would expect discounts on my work, and I was more than happy to oblige,"" says Shinomiya. ""Yes, I have been tending his garden every couple of months for 25 years."""
When we caught up with Shinomiya at his mechanical workshop on the outskirts of Tokyo, he was between jobs. Dressed in his traditional Japanese gardener's outfit -- it looks like it was inspired by ninja -- and grippy jika-tabi shoes, he had the air of a man who has found enlightenment. Designing gardens and tending to flora each day, combined with his obvious contentment at owning a legendary GT-R, give him a peace and calmness.
Before taking the car for a spin, we asked him to open the hood. Perched in his engine bay was one of Nissan's prettiest-ever powerplants, the so-called S20. With its polished triple Weber carburetors and six shiny pipes, not to mention that bright red rocker cover sporting a Nissan 2000 insignia, the car's pedigree is evident. Essentially the same specification as that of the 1966 Nissan/Prince R380 race car, this 2.0-litre straight-six develops 160 hp at 7000 rpm and 130 lb-ft of torque at 5600 rpm.
The original GT-R was developed for racing. But to strengthen its reach and increase awareness with consumers, Nissan produced a roadgoing version in limited numbers. The racing version proved its supremacy by winning 50 straight races in Japan's touring car series between 1969 and 1972. This S20 engine was later fitted to a car even more legendary than the GT-R: the JDM Datsun 240Z.
"As we waited to pull onto the road, what car stopped to let Shinomiya into traffic? None other than a current model R35 GT-R! We couldn't help but feel that respect was being paid as the prodigal teenager let granddaddy show the way. As soon as Shinomiya got some open road, he floored it, and the R35 was right there, mimicking every move. It was like a kung fu ""Master-Grasshopper"" kind of moment. I was just happy to sit in the passenger's seat. Pushing it through 5000 rpm in the second and third gears of the GT-R's five-speed manual, Shinomiya unleashed the 2.0-liter's fury with a loud, dry, raspy howl that echoed louder than the R35's exhaust note. This Hakosuka GT-R might be 43 years old, but it's mighty quick off the mark, makes all the right noises, and feels as firm, yet composed, as a 370Z."
"Even cruising on public roads, the Hakosuka still looks like it is rolling down pit lane, ready to burst onto a race track. Measuring 4.33m long, 1.67m wide and just 1.37m high, this lightweight 1.1-ton GT-R boasts the specs of a race car. This car still looks mean and well-proportioned, so back in the early '70s, it must have been a design dynamo. Because of its low ride height, Shinomiya-san tells us that he drives it cautiously. Huh?! Yeah, right, when there's no open road and an adventurous right foot. ""Whenever I turn off the road into any carpark, I must be careful not to scrape the underbody, because the car sits so low to the ground,"" he adds."
In fact, there were several carparks we tried to enter to turn around, but we had to quickly abort when the front spoiler started challenging rock-hard asphalt. That was OK by us, because it gave us more time to really appreciate the world of the Hakosuka GT-R. The interior smells of old leather and carpet and polish and wax. There's the workings of analog gauges, the notchy shift feel of that five-speed gearbox, and the raspy, throaty roar of the 2.0-liter. This car has been cared for. The racing bucket seats and steering wheel have been replaced, and parts of the interior leather have been reupholstered, while every other detail inside the car has been meticulously maintained with spoonfuls of wax and elbow grease.
"Shinomiya does have one concern. He says the engine is due for an overhaul. Crikey, it didn't feel like that to us. Hang on, this is a hand-built racing engine that goes back 43 years. So what's that going to cost? ""On the north side of $40,000,"" he laments. He'll have to shape a lot of trees, pen a few award-winning gardens, and create some expensive bonsai to cover that fee."
And what about the car itself? As you might expect, given its racing history and rarity, this GT-R is not cheap. He says it's currently worth around $100,000, but the potential sales price means nothing to him.
"""I wouldn't sell for double that amount,"" he said. ""Because you just can't find impeccably maintained GT-Rs anymore."" And no 43-year-old car handles or sounds like this anyway."""
He's got a point there.
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