Nissan GT-R picture special - New York motor show

The second-generation GT-R should have carried on the success of its predecessor, but the oil crisis of the early 1970s meant sales were sluggish. Production barely lasted one year and just 197 cars were built.

Its 2.0-litre engine may not have been drastically different from the first-gen car’s, but the addition of rear brake discs and more complex rear suspension made it a strong evolutionary step forward.

1995-1998 R33 Skyline GT-R

Nissan didn’t bring an R32 to New York, but this immaculate R33 served as a reminder of how great Japanese design was at the close of the 20th century. The R33 used a developed version of the R32’s twin-turbocharged RB6DETT 2.6-litre straight six engine that produced 276bhp and could accelerate the all-wheel-drive car to 60mph in 5.4sec.

Many owners modified their cars to produce significantly more power, meaning today, unmolested examples like this are highly desirable.

1999-2002 R34 Skyline GT-R

Fans of the Fast and the Furious will instantly recognise this as one of the movie franchise’s star cars. The R34 is also sometimes called the PlayStation generation’s Skyline, as it appeared in games like Gran Turismo 2, but it also gained many fans due to its advanced chassis electronics and supercar-aping performance.

The R33’s straight six engine returned with 276bhp, but the R34 made better use of power to accelerate to 60mph four-tenths faster. When production ended in 2002, Nissan announced it would drop the Skyline name from future GT-R models.

2015 R35 GT-R Nismo