HKS Group A R32 GT-R Makes A Late SEMA Appearance
An iconic part of HKS and racing history, the Group A R32 Skyline GT-R race car flies in from Japan for the final days of SEMA 2021.
While perusing the halls of SEMA, it’s not at all uncommon to see insanely rare pieces of automotive history. Furthermore, it isn’t uncommon to see crazy bits of motorsports heritage. From rally racing, touring cars, drifting, and even up to Formula One, you’ll see it all at SEMA. Furthermore, it’s not at all uncommon to see something spectacular make an appearance at the booth belonging to the iconic Japanese tuning company HKS. Initially, HKS displayed a red 2022 Toyota GR 86. However, a late Instagram post from HKS had a flock of people rushing back toward their booth. These kinds of surprises are what make SEMA so unique. Furthermore, this is why only going for a day or two can wind up shooting you in the foot. If you’re a big-time car enthusiast and you have the opportunity to get into SEMA for the whole week, you absolutely should.
On the second-to-last day of SEMA, HKS posted on Instagram that the Group A R32 Skyline GT-R was now sitting in their booth. Unfortunately, according to a follow-up post, it had been stuck in port in Long Beach, California, after being shipped from Japan. Thankfully, SEMA allowed HKS to load the car in after-hours despite being past the setup deadline.
The HKS Group A GT-R Is a Monster of Racing History
The Group A spec R32 Nissan Skyline GT-R is no joke. This is an actual race car. It competed in the Japanese Touring Car Championship from 1992 to 1993. HKS saw their first victory with the R32 Skyline GT-R platform in 1993 in the third round of the Japanese Touring Championship. Though it was a short-lived racing career, the iconic livery and green-tinted headlights stick in the memory of racing drivers and enthusiasts alike. This car is nothing short of iconic, and it’s terrific to see that it still gets some time in the sun.
Not Done Being Used
According to an Instagram post, this beloved piece of racing history is going racing once again. With iconic former Formula Drift driver Daijiro Yoshihara behind the wheel, this classic race car is set to compete at Super Lap Battle at Circuit of The Americas in Texas and the Global Time Attack Finals at Buttonwillow Raceway Park in California.
We love when an old race car isn’t a show queen!
Ultimately, we are super happy we got to see this piece of racing history. It’s not often you get to see a racing icon in person. That, again, is one of the many great things about attending SEMA. Furthermore, though, we couldn’t possibly be happier that HKS is far from retiring this beast of a car. Many old racers are sitting in private collections and being displayed in museums. However, HKS stands out from that crowd. Instead, they’re still shipping this beastly R32 GT-R all over the world to compete in races. How could you not respect that?
Photos: Braden Carlson