Nissan R32 GT-R drag racing compilation

The late 1990s was a golden era for Japanese tuners, with most of the major manufacturers producing models begging for some aftermarket enhancement.

No car was more tuneable than mighty Nissan R32 GT-R. With its venerable RB26DETT engine capable of soaring past 1000kW and ATTESA all-wheel drive system capable of putting most of that to the ground, it dominated almost every form of motorsport.

This included the drag strip. It might not have been conceived with the 400m in mind, but GT-Rs were soon capable of blistering quarter mile times.

Competition amongst tuners was fierce and led to what became as the 'RH9' club, with companies clamouring to join this elite band of cars capable of running nine-second quarters on street tyres.

Hanging on to these weapons, however, was another matter entirely. Without the clever transmissions and electronics of today's cars, drivers were left wrestling with clutches and H-pattern gearboxes as the cars bucked and bounced for the entire length of the strip.

Sadly, today Japan's drag racing scene is a shadow of its former self, with the country no longer having a dedicated drag strip following the closure of Sendai (where this video was filmed).