Project CARS 3: The best Heisei JDM sportscar

The GT-R really is the cult icon of the JDM craze and no matter the debate, this machine reigns the topic. The R34 Skyline GT-R and the R35 GT-R, if my memory serves me correctly, are the kings of the Heisei era JDM sports cars and for returning Project CARS fans, it's a treat to play these two Heisei era JDM kings in Project CARS 3.

We begin with the R34 Skyline GT-R, the iconic Japanese 4WD sportscar that is highly coveted by speedo boys worldwide ever since it went on sale in January 1999. The normal Skyline was built to take on the BMW 3-Series and the Mercedes C-Class but the GT-R was built to take on the world's best sportscars. With the 280HP RB26DETT petrol engine, 6-speed manual gearbox, sport-tuned dynamics, and ATTESA-ETS Pro, among many others, the R34 Skyline GT-R's performance is relatively superior even by today's standards. So relatively superior, the speedo boys who spend the rest of their lives binge-watching Fast and Furious movies and Initial D episodes find many ways to have the R34 in their garages and wind it up to supercar levels or hypercar levels if you may.

The R35 GT-R has been around for over a decade since its 2007 Tokyo Motor Show unveiling. Despite its age, it never fails to impress speedo boys itching to have one and humiliate even the most expensive supercars to date. The NISMO version is the result of Nissan's trial and error struggle to create a supercar that can compete against the world's best supercars. In this 2017MY minor change, the GT-R NISMO gains an aggressive exterior design and a new interior as seen in the standard model while retaining the NISMO-tuned VR38DETT engine that produces 600PS of power and 650Nm of torque, mated to a 6-speed dual-clutch gearbox as well as its motorsport-inspired dynamics that its professionals spent countless hours performing R&D in the creation of this ultimate GT-R.

With their quick introduction done, let's find out how much it progressed from the R34 to the R35. With that, it's off to Sportsland Sugo to conduct such a quick experiment.

Ah, the joys of spending the day at Sugo with two GT-Rs on track, the R34 and the R35. While such driving experience salivates most speedo boys, this little experiment showcases how much these machines progressed. Stretching its turbocharged engines and four-wheel drive, the two GT-Rs flexed their muscles as they get through the corners of Sugo with near surgical precision.

I can moan about this all day but I have the video to showcase their worth. Let's get it.

After the two GT-Rs flexed their muscles around Sugo, here are the results;

R34 - 1:48.017

R35 - 1:36.246

At Sugo standards, the GT-R Nismo beat the R34 Skyline GT-R at the rate of almost 12 seconds a lap. That sounds incredible but in the end, they're just GT-Rs having fun.

It's no wonder why the R35 GT-R is the undisputed king of Heisei JDM sportscars and no matter the debate, this machine stands and you will thank Nissan for their efforts to keep the GT-R lineage alive for many years to come. As the end draws near for the R35 GT-R, there are plenty of stories to work on with the king of Heisei-era JDM sportscars any way it can.

Keep on pushing, Godzilla! Keep on pushing until the very end of your life!