Godzilla is back to taunt the locals at Bathurst in Australia. The Nissan GT-R dominated the world-renowned track in the early 90s but following the famously tetchy win in 1992 after which the Aussies essentially kicked them out, Nissan hasn't campaigned any versions of the GT-R there for 22 years.
That ends February 7 when Nissan will run its GT3-spec GT-R at the Bathurst 12-hour race, competing against the likes of legendary German touring car driver Bernd Schneider in a Mercedes SLS GT3.
Are the mob on the hill ready for Godzilla's return?
It isn't the same Bathurst 1000 race as Jim Richards' 'Godzilla' GT-R won in 1991 and 1992. That 1000km event takes place in October around the Mount Panorama circuit and is now restricted to V8s as per the rulings made to boot out the likes of Nissan in the 1990s. They were just too fast for Aussie pride to cope with, and with the threat of Nissan gone the race reverted to a grudge match between local makers Ford and Holden.
The 1000 has now opened up (Nissan itself competed this year with a pair of Altima saloons) and it remains the blue-riband event at Bathurst, 120 miles inland of Sydney. But with local race-fans grumbling about the blandness of today's 'silhouette' racers the 12-hour event is starting to grow in prestige.
The GT3 Nissan GT-R, whose driver line-up includes famed classic Jaguar racer Alex Buncombe, will face a grid that also features Porsche 997s, Audi R8s and Ferrari 458s. A good variety of classes also sees a trio of Fiat 500 Abarths racing against a BMW 135i and a Mini Cooper. That lot charging down Conrod Straight will make a great sight for Bathhurst's famously beer-amplified spectators, who get a range of excellent viewing options around the mountain and also on top of the pit complex roof.
We can't help thinking that the Bathurst 1000 itself would benefit from opening up to global touring cars to recreate some of those epic battles between the Nissan GT-R, Ford Sierra RS500 and Holden Commodore. After a shattering year for Australian car industry when both Ford and GM (owners of Holden) announced they were pulling car production out of the country maybe it's time to make it a truly global touring car race.