Video: Witness an R32 Nissan GT-R put its 1,000 HP to use on a speedway

A recent video from AutoTopNL stars an older Skyline GT-R whose main issue with performance is the speedometer gauge maxing out at 180 km/h (112 mph), way below its actual capabilities. Luckily for us, the driver had a precise GPS meter as he took the monstrous ride down an autobahn.

The R32 generation of the GT-R saw the daylight in the distant year 1989. Its 2.6-liter inline-six engine was twin-turbocharged for a stated 280 PS (276 hp / 206 kW), but the actual output was much higher than the official rating. Back in the era, Japanese automakers had a kind of gentleman’s agreement between them not to build any production cars exceeding 280 metric horsepower. This was thought to be an efficient measure against traffic fatalities. As the engines continued to evolve, though, their actual power grew far beyond these artificially imposed limits.

As you could guess, the example being tested in the video is far from stock. The engine block is the same, but the turbochargers are way different, resulting in the mill pumping out 1,014 PS (1,000 hp / 746 kW) and 963 Nm (710 lb-ft) to the wheels. The transmission is six-speed sequential instead of manual.

As one would expect, the four-digit output lets this GT-R snap off the start line and attain supercar speeds with no visible effort. Watch the video to find out just how good a Japanese classic can be with a little tuning.