Melbourne, Australia – Nissan's world-famous Calsonic GT-R R32 race livery will make a welcome return to the race track when it features at this month's Wilson Security Sandown 500.
At the annual 'retro round' for Supercars, the #23 NISMO Nissan Altima Supercar of Michael Caruso and Dean Fiore will race in the legendary blue colours of the Calsonic-sponsored GT-R - a car that dominated Japanese Group A racing in the early '90s.
Run by Team Impul in the Japanese Touring Car Championship, the Calsonic Nissan GT-R R32 took an impressive 15 victories, as well as the 1990 and 1993 titles. In addition, the famous R32 model holds the remarkable record of remaining undefeated in all of its 29 races, from its debut at the start of the 1990 season through to the end of the Group A era in 1993.
With the Calsonic Nissan finding increased global fame thanks to its popularity in the Gran Turismo video game, the Nissan GT-R R32 also achieved considerable success in Australia winning the Bathurst 1000 twice and the Australian Touring Car Championship on three occasions.
"Nissan has achieved a lot in global motorsport and there are so many great liveries to choose from," said Michael Caruso.
"The Calsonic livery is one of Nissan's most famous and perfectly represents its racing heritage.
"The original Calsonic GT-R was so successful on the track. A perfect record is unheard of in motorsport, so this definitely elevates this car to legendary status.
"Mark Skaife explained what it was like to drive and it sounded wild. What a beast!
"I hope I can emulate its success at the Sandown 500."
One of the longest sponsorships in motorsport, Calsonic has joined forces with Nissan for more than 30 years in Super GT, major endurance events including the 24 Hours of Le Mans and the All-Japan Sports Prototype Championship.
In Super GT alone, Calsonic won the first three consecutive championships as a sponsor from 1993 to 1995, driven by Masahiko Kageyama, and the famous livery is still seen today on the GT500 driven by Jann Mardenborough and Hiro Yasuda.
The original Calsonic GT-R resides at the Nissan Heritage Museum, in Japan.
September's Wilson Security Sandown 500 is the first event of the Supercars' endurance season, followed by the Super Cheap Auto Bathurst 1000 and the Vodafone Gold Coast 600, both staged in October.
Drivers and co-drivers with the most points over these three events are presented with the Pirtek Enduro Cup – a reward for being the most consistent team.
Car Statistics: Nissan GT-R R32
Japan Touring Car Championship (JTCC) competition history
Debut: Nippon 1990
Final race: Fuji 1993 JTCC Round Starts: 29 JTCC Round Wins: 29 JTCC Titles: 4
Team Statistics: Calsonic Nissan GT-R R32
Japan Touring Car Championship (JTCC) competition history
Debut: Nippon 1990
Final race: Fuji 1993 JTCC Round Starts: 29 JTCC Round Wins: 15 JTCC Titles: 2
Drivers: Kazuyoshi Hoshino and Toshio Suzuki (1990 and 1991), Kazuyoshi Hoshino and Masahiko Kageyama (1992 and 1993).
Major Australian GT-R R32 results
Bathurst victories: (2) 1991 & 1992
Australian Touring Car Championship titles: (3) 1990, 1991 & 1992
About Nissan Motor Co.
Nissan is a global full-line vehicle manufacturer that sells more than 60 models under the Nissan, Infiniti and Datsun brands. In fiscal year 2015, the company sold more than 5.4 million vehicles globally, generating revenue of ¥12.19 trillion. Nissan engineers, manufactures and markets the world's best-selling all-electric vehicle in history, the Nissan LEAF. Nissan's global headquarters in Yokohama, Japan, manages operations in six regions: ASEAN & Oceania; Africa, Middle East & India; China; Europe; Latin America and North America. Nissan has a global workforce of 247,500 and has been partnered with French manufacturer Renault under the Renault-Nissan Alliance since March 1999.
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