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Know Your GT-R History : Group A




What does Group A mean to you? I can’t really say I paid much attention in the heyday of Group A. I was old enough to notice, and old enough to care about racing, but since I was in the US, it’s just not something we got a chance to see here in the 1990’s.



The FIA or Federation Internationale de l'Automobile  introduced Group A in 1982 to replace modern touring cars, and Group N to replace standard touring cars.
Normal FIA Group A requirements stated that a minimum of 2500 cars had to be produced to qualify, until 1991, then 5000 were required as a minimum. The FIA however allowed Evolution models to be homologated with a minimum of 500 cars like the Nismo Nissan Skyline GT-R(560 produced).  Check out some of the Group A and Australian touring car videos above. Below, there is also the first 5 pages of the FIA Group A Homologation paperwork for the Nismo R32 Skyline GT-R. 

My Nismo Nissan Skyline GT-R. #500







There were three divisions within Group A, Division 3 for cars above 2500cc, Division 2 for cars with engine displacement between 1600 and 2500 cc, and Division 1 for cars with less than 1600cc displacement. 





Group A was phased out in 1994, when German DTM switched to a 2.5 liter engine formula. In Japan the Japanese Touring Car Championship switched to what would eventually become JGTC and then Super GT.  Australian touring car switched to a V-8 formula in 1993, which became V-8 Supercar.

The series that used the Group A formula.
·         Australian Touring Car Championship 1985-1992
  • Nissan Skyline GT-R won Championship 1991-1992
·         Australian 2.0 Litre Touring Car Championship 1986-1987
·         Australian Endurance Championship 1985-1986 & 1990-1991
·         Australian Manufacturers' Championship 1985-1991
·         British Touring Car Championship 1983-1990
·         Deutsche Tourenwagen Meisterschaft 1984-1994
·         European Touring Car Championship 1982-1988
·         All Japan Touring Car Championship 1985-1993
  • Nissan Skyline GT-R won Championship 1990-1993
·         World Rally Championship 1987-2001
·         World Touring Car Championship 1987


The cars
·         Alfa Romeo 33
·         Alfa Romeo 75
·         Alfa Romeo Alfasud
·         Audi Coupé GT5E
·         Audi 80 GLE
·         Audi V8
·         Austin Metro
·         BMW 323i
·         BMW 5 series
·         BMW 635 CSi
·         BMW M3 E30
·         Fiat Uno
·         Ford Capri
·         Ford Falcon XE
·         Ford Escort RS 1600i
·         Ford Escort RS Turbo
·         Ford Escort RS Cosworth
·         Ford Mustang
·         Ford Sierra RS Cosworthand RS500
·         Ford Sierra XR4Ti and XR4i
·         Holden VK Commodore SS
·         Holden VK Commodore SS Group A
·         Holden VL Commodore SS Group A
·         Holden Gemini
·         Honda Civic Si (AU)
·         Honda Civic SiR (EF9)
·         Jaguar XJS
·         Lancia Delta Integrale
·         Maserati Biturbo
·         Mazda 323 GTX/GT-R
·         Mazda 929
·         Mercedes-Benz 190E 2.3-16
·         Mercedes-Benz 190E Evolution
·         MG Maestro 1600
·         MG Maestro 2.0 EFi
·         Mitsubishi Galant VR-4
·         Mitsubishi Starion
·         Nissan Gazelle
·         Nissan Pulsar EN13
·         Nissan Pulsar GTI-R
·         Nissan Skyline RS-X
·         Nissan Skyline GTS-R
·         Nissan Skyline GT-R (R32)
·         Peugeot 206 GTi
·         Peugeot 206 RC (GTI 180)
·         Opel Ascona
·         Opel Monza 3.0E
·         Opel Omega
·         Rover SD1 3500/Vitesse
·         Subaru Legacy
·         Subaru Vivio
·         Talbot Sunbeam TI
·         Toyota Celica Supra
·         Toyota Celica ST162
·         Toyota Celica GT-Four (ST165)
·         Toyota Celica GT-Four (ST185)
·         Toyota Celica GT-Four (ST205)
·         Toyota Corolla FX AE82
·         Toyota Corolla AE86
·         Toyota Corolla AE92
·         Toyota Corolla AE101
·         Toyota Supra and Turbo-A
·         Volvo 240 turbo
·         Volvo 360
·         Volkswagen Golf GTI
·         Volkswagen Scirocco




Nissan Skyline GT-R - R32 History

GT-R history 1989-1998

August 1989 – R32 GT-R debuted

February 1990 – GT-R Nismo debuted

March 1990 – Group A GT-R debuted and won its first race

November 1990 – 1990 Group A series Champion

August 1991 – Spa Francocious 24 hr Endurance Race , Group A GT-R won the race (First time for a Japanese car to win)

November 1991 – 1991 Group A series Champion

November 1992 – 1992 Group A series Champion

March 1993 – GT-R Vspec debuted

November 1993 – 1993 Group A series Champion

February 1994 – GT-R Vspec II debuted

April 1994 – GT Racing series debuted and the GT-R won



Source: Wikipedia and gtrusablog.com

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Item Reviewed: Know Your GT-R History : Group A Rating: 5 Reviewed By: Sean Morris