Feature: Driving Nissan’s sports car legends

This performance hero is one of the most feared giant killers on the track and the road, bringing mind-bending speed only seen on much more expensive cars.

Godzilla, Japan’s king of the monsters, evolved over decades and 35 films to become a cult character. The same principle is true of its automotive namesake, the Nissan GT-R.

The turbocharged Godzilla has played hero and villain at Bathurst and beyond, breaking records, challenging supercars and establishing its legend around the world.

The Nissan GT-R is one of the world’s most legendary sports cars.

Nissan marks its half-century in sports cars with this year’s editions of the GT-R supercar and 370Z sports coupe. Joining the local celebrations on a Queensland track, we drive classic models including the 240Z coupe unveiled in 1969.

The GT-R is nicknamed ‘Godzilla’.

Taking inspiration from Jaguar’s evocative E-Type, the 240Z challenged perceptions of cut-price Japanese cars by combining attractive styling and strong performance. It no longer feels particularly quick but the 240Z’s glamorous styling and proportions still command a loyal following.

Powered by a 2.4-litre inline six-cylinder producing about 114kW, the original Zed proved successful in race and rally events around the world.

The grumpy idle and worn gearbox of a 1971 example reinforces the need to be sympathetic to a machine near 50 years of age.

Nissan has launched a special edition to commemorate the car’s 50th anniversary.

But it feels strong on the move, with a creamy howl from the exhaust and richly textured induction note reminding you how sanitised modern cars have become.

A pristine 1981 280ZX with little more than 30,000km on the clock feels more comfortable and refined than the 240Z, underpinned by a touch of bordello in a cabin with red carpets, seats, steering wheel and dash.

Nissan's modern GT-R echoed the Bathurst success of the original.

From the 1990s, there is the big 300ZX coupe, with V6 power and a focus on luxury, followed by a 2002 350Z presented as a smaller and altogether more focused machine.

Today’s 370Z is a close relative of the 350Z, with a similarly raw experience from its raucous if strained V6, turret-like cabin and short wheelbase.

Then again, the 370Z is almost old enough to be considered a classic.

You can draw a neat line between two camps at Nissan’s heritage day. Folks aged over 40 are drawn to the Zeds and the younger crowd focuses on the GT-R.

Modern Zed cars are focused on older drivers.

The latter coupe is a local legend, taking two Bathurst wins and three touring car titles.

The original boxy “Hakosuka” Skyline GT-R models were available to Japanese buyers from 1969 — it took another 21 years for the first official imports to reach Australia, in the form of the twin turbo, all-wheel drive R32 series.

Fittingly for a pop hero, the automotive Godzilla is associated with more than a few stretches of the imagination, including a claimed 206kW peak power figure and a speedo on Japanese models that tops out at 180km/h. It’s much faster than that.

The Zed cars combined a stylish coupe body with zippy performance.

The original car doesn’t feel earth-shattering today, even if it is much more potent than a 30-year-old V8 Holden or Ford — which is why Bathurst rules were rewritten to ban the GT-R.

We try three examples of the 1990s GT-R family, soaking up effortless torque with all-wheel drive traction and the unmistakeable whoosh of forced induction.

A tuned version feels ready to rumble with modern sports cars — it’s precise, fast and a lot of fun when the boost kicks in. It’s every part the PlayStation fantasy of Gran Turismo brought to life.

The 370Z is starting to show its age.

It’s easy to see why good-condition examples of Australian-delivered R32 or later Japanese-market R34 GT-Rs fetch well more than $100,000 today.

And there are clear parallels with the heavy-hitting R35 series now in showrooms, including a famous triumph over European supercars at the Bathurst 12-Hour in 2015.

Earn the stripes

Just like its ancestors, the 50th Anniversary GT-R is a monster to drive, with 419kW of power and 632Nm of torque capable of rocketing it from rest to 100km/h in 3.0 seconds.

More comfortable and refined than earlier R35 GT-R versions, the big beast leaves circuit work to the GT-R Nismo or Track Edition. Priced from $209,300 plus on-roads, the 50th Anniversary model costs $9500 more than an equivalent Nissan GT-R Premium Luxury coupe, adding plaques, badges, stickers and two-tone leather trim.

The 50th anniversary 370Z coupe, with 254kW/363Nm, costs $53,490. The $3000 premium gets you two-tone white or silver paint, distinctive seats and badges.