The classic lines of the first modern GT-R are still evocative after 27 years. With modest proportions, an understated look, but wide fenders and a snarling front air dam, there’s something purposeful, yet sleek about the R32. Some fans have taken these cars and adulterated the quintessentially-1980s styling, whereas others have kept that clean, angular look and improved upon it. This pristine example embodies the second approach, and it also features a selection of tasteful, go-fast goodies to complement the car’s racing pedigree.

Importantly, this GT-R keeps many of its visible modifications in the family. The glaring red paint is borrowed from an R35, the brakes from an R34, and the wheels are Nismo items. Five-spoke, clean, uncomplicated and very angular, these rollers complement the R32’s geometric aesthetic, while giving it a modern look. Moving inside the cabin, the familiar, body-hugging seats of the R34 GT-R adorn the interior, and only a few tasteful mods like a Momo steering wheel and a few Defi gauges put the aesthetic icing on the cake. The overall build ethos shows a strong insistence on clean lines and understated but purposeful parts – nothing gaudy here.

Menacing and understated, this build embodies all the traits that made Godzilla so attractive.

As attractive as this wingless Skyline may be, it wouldn’t be doing justice to the GT-R name if it weren’t sufficiently fast. With plenty of experience in drifting, this car’s owner, Clint Brown, has tastefully modified the RB26 to produce both a stirring exhaust note and plenty of power. With a modestly-sized, externally-wastegated GT35 turbo and a huge Kakimoto exhaust, the GT-R makes 500 horses at the wheels and simply screams.

Melodious, monstrous and paying attention only to the essential, this GT-R takes the aspects which made the R32 such an alluring car and builds on them. As a masterpiece of discretion and purpose, this particular car shows that there’s much more to flash and crackle. This car has substance though-and-through, and not only will it impress the old timers, but it will silence naysayers and thrill enthusiasts.