The Nissan Skyline was first created by the Prince Motor Company in 1957, and after the two businesses combined in 1966, Nissan began producing it under the name “Nissan Skyline.” The Skyline had a 1.5L GA-30 engine and was offered as a four-door sedan or a five-door station wagon.
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Since 1957, the Nissan Skyline brand of affordable vehicles has been manufactured for the domestic Japanese market, first by the Prince Motor Company and then by
The Nissan Skyline’s propensity to eat supercars and rule the racetracks earned it the moniker “Godzilla.”
What does Nissan’s Skyline mean?
The word “skyline” in English, which denotes an outline of mountains against the sky, is where the word “skyline” originates. Regarding the naming process, there are two theories. The first theory holds that developer Shinichiro Sakurai is responsible for the name SKYLINE. This moniker was chosen to honor the Northern Alps’ snowy mountains and clear skies that the author experienced while skiing in Shiga Kogen, Japan. The second idea holds that Fuji Precision Industry’s top management, which was Nissan’s forerunner, named the SKYLINE brand. First, “Sky” was taken out of the titles of the golf balls made by Fuji Precision Industry called “Blue Sky” and “Skyway.” Finally, one of the internal submissions, SKYLINE, was chosen.
Nissan’s declaration in support of the second theory above came in December 2020, when the name SKYLINE won the Good Naming Award.
The letters “GT” in the GT-R stand for “Grand Touring” in English. R380’s initials and the word “race” in English are combined to form the letter “R.”
A Nissan GT-R is a Skyline, right?
Simply said, the GTR and Skyline are from separate automobile segments. Nissan’s Pre-R35 cars are referred to as Skyline. Despite the fact that both the Skyline and R35 models use the GTR suffix, the Nissan R35 GT-R is a member of a distinct series than the Skyline GTR. Additionally, they are very dissimilar in terms of configuration. The primary distinctions between GTR and Skyline are shown below.
What was the Nissan Skyline’s successor?
A sports automobile built on the Nissan Skyline platform is known as the Nissan Skyline GT-R (Japanese: Ri Chan sukairainGT-R, Hepburn: Nissan Sukairain GT-R). The first “Skyline GT-R” vehicles, with the model code KPGC10, were made between 1969 and 1972. They were successful in Japanese touring car racing competitions. In 1973, a limited number of second-generation vehicles bearing the model number KPGC110 were produced in its place.
The GT-R moniker was brought back in 1989 as the BNR32 (“R32”) Skyline GT-R following a 16-year absence. The R32 GT-R was utilized to win the Japanese Touring Car Championship four years in a row in Group A standard versions. Prior to a regulation change that banned the R32 GT-R in 1993, the R32 GT-R enjoyed success in the Australian Touring Car Championship, where Jim Richards and Mark Skaife both used it to win the championship in 1991 and 1992, respectively. The Australian auto magazine Wheels gave the R32 GT-R the moniker “Godzilla” in its July 1989 issue due to the vehicle’s technological advancements and performance. Following that, Wheels continued to use the moniker for every subsequent Skyline GT-R generations, most notably the R34 GT-R, which they dubbed “Godzilla Returns” and hailed as “the best handling car we have ever driven.” In tests conducted by automotive journals, the R34 GT-R accelerated from 0-100 km/h (0-62 mph) in 4.4 seconds and completed a quarter-mile (402 meters) in 12.2 seconds from a standing start time. At the time, it was one of the production cars with the fastest acceleration.
The ATTESA E-TSAll-wheel drive system and the Super-HICAS four-wheel steering were just two of the cutting-edge technology on display in the Skyline GT-R, which quickly rose to the position of Nissan’s performance flagship. The automobile is still in demand today for import drag racing, circuit racing, time trials, and competitions sponsored by tuning publications. The Skyline GT-production R’s ceased in August 2002. The GT-R (R35), a brand-new car built on an improved version of the Skyline V36 platform, took the place of the previous model. Despite their obvious differences, the two cars were made at the same factory and have identical design elements.
The only Skyline GT-R export markets were Hong Kong, Singapore, Australia, and New Zealand in 1991, and the UK (in 1997, thanks to the Single Vehicle Approval process) as used Japanese imports. The Skyline GT-R was never produced outside of Japan.
Despite this, the automobile has gained notoriety as a Grey import sports car, especially in Western countries (mainly the United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Ireland, Canada, and the United States). The Fast and the Furious, Initial D, Shakotan Boogie, Wangan Midnight, Need for Speed, Forza, Driving Emotion Type-S, Test Drive, and Gran Turismo are just a few examples of popular culture works that have made it well-known. Nismo declared that it would restart manufacturing replacement body panels and engines for all Skyline GT-R models in 2019.
The vehicle was recognized as one of the top automobiles in the world and as the sole authentic Japanese supercar at the time by BBC’s Top Gear and Jeremy Clarkson.
What makes the Nissan Skyline unique?
The Nissan Skyline’s propensity to eat supercars and rule the racetracks earned it the moniker “Godzilla.” The Nissan Skyline GT-R is arguably the most recognizable automobile to have ever been produced in Japan. It has been produced for a while, and it’s easy to understand why.
Nissan stopped building Skyline for what reason?
However, Nissan has had to redesign its organizational structure and refocus its resources on SUVs, EVs, and other growth categories. This has required choosing to abandon the 1957 Skyline, which was produced by Fuji Precision Machinery, afterwards known as Prince Motor Company.
Are Nissan Skylines uncommon?
The Z-tune, R400, and, of course, Brian O’Conner’s electric blue R34 from 2 Fast 2 Furious are a few particularly uncommon Nissan Skylines. But there is only one Godzilla that is genuinely as uncommon as a unicorn: the magnificent R33 LM.
The silhouette of this squat, wide-arched R33 may be recognizable to Gran Turismo players from the opening movie of the first game. Since then, every episode of the racing franchise has featured a similar vehicle. But unlike the fantasy realm of pixels where several copies can coexist, there is only one hard copy in existence.
It is kept at Nissan’s magnificent Zama DNA garage. A carefully crafted toy box stuffed to the gills with the Japanese manufacturer’s back catalog. We also met the LM there for a brief one-on-one conversation.
We begged and begged to be allowed to drive it, but that was not possible. Even Carlos Ghosn, the biggest of all Nissan bigwigs and chairman, president, and CEO, has never been permitted to operate a vehicle.
Even still, we continued to plead, threaten, and even consider stealing it in order to experience driving without a PlayStation controller.
What does the Nissan Skyline look like in America?
The GT-R first appeared on American roads in 2008. Nissan ditched the Skyline moniker and gave the GT-R a twin-turbo V6 engine that produced 473 horsepower, giving it performance levels that could rival and even surpass those of iconic American muscle cars, German supercars, and Italian supercars.
What distinguishes the Nissan GT-R from the Skyline?
The Skyline models date back to 1935. AWD is standard on ALL Skylines and the R35, which also goes by the moniker “GTR.” That is mostly what the GTR stands for. The term “Skyline” is no longer necessary because there are no RWD versions of the R35. R34, for instance, included GTR (AWD) and GTT (RWD). And separate equipment and an engine.
Since the GT-R is rather an expensive sports car and is targeted at buyers who can afford it, I assume Nissan just omitted the moniker “Skyline” to avoid the risk of people remembering it as “just” a tuner car rather than a high-end sports car. simply for marketing purposes.
Nissan Skyline is it legal in the US?
In summary, the Nissan Skyline GT-R is prohibited from being imported into the US since it does not adhere to the 1988 Imported Vehicle Safety Compliance Act. The Skyline was not designed with the necessary safety elements to abide by the applicable traffic safety regulations.
A vehicle is exempt from these rules once it reaches the age of 25, at which point it is allowed to be imported and used on American roads.
With California being likely the most noteworthy exception in terms of particular states where you would have difficulties importing due to tougher emissions control legislation, this means that vehicles like the R32 GTR (the original “Godzilla”) can be imported into the USA.
By 2024, you should be able to start importing the R34 GTR. The oldest versions of the R33 GTR are also starting to become legal for import and compliance (provided there are no additional changes to legislation by then, or further tightening of emissions and environmental rules which is always a risk in the current climate).
To be on the safe side, there are no laws that prevent you from importing a Nissan Skyline as a “show piece” that isn’t allowed to be driven on the road but instead sits in your garage. However, we have heard stories of people looking to buy and store Nissan Skylines with a view to registering and complying them once they turn 25 years old in the hopes of increasing value. While it is likely not a bad idea, there is always a chance that the government could modify import regulations, leaving you with a depreciating burden rather than an asset that depreciates over time. Although it’s unlikely, it’s nevertheless important to remark.
We would be interested in hearing from you if you are aware of any other legitimate ways to buy a Skyline GTR in the United States. Please comment down below!
How much does a Nissan Skyline R34 cost?
Currently, base-model r34 Skyline GT Rs rarely sell for less than $100,000, while the rarest models, like the V or M spec Nurs, fetch over $300,000 at auction.
What is the price of a Nissan Skyline R34?
The Nissan Skyline R34 GT-R example with the chassis number BNR34-006741 is a base model, but it still has all the GT-R features, such as the RB26 DETT, ATTESA E-TS all-wheel drive, and more. This is not a V Spec or a M Spec, which begin around $180,000 for a low-mileage model and can reach as high as $500,000 in some cases.
With 103,250 kilometers (64 156 miles) on the clock, this Nissan R34 GT-R is painted in white (paint color QM1). The timing belt, water pump, and spark plugs were replaced as part of a major service performed on the vehicle on March 23, 2017, at a certified Nissan dealer. The vehicle’s odometer read 100,340 kilometers (62,348 miles) at the time.
The automobile has a few nice improvements but is otherwise mainly stock. A full NISMO aero kit, featuring a front aero bumper, side skirts, rear under-spoiler set, carbon pillar garnish, and GT shift knob, is one of the numerous NISMO goodies that are included. A lightweight flywheel, a sports clutch, a clutch cover, and other NISMO components are also available.
The car is described in the description as being problem-free and rust-free. Additionally, it has a long list of service records and certified mileage. The listing’s final paragraph also implies that the asking price is negotiable, so if you’re still itching for a Nissan Skyline R34 GT-R, it would be worthwhile to look into it while the standard R34 GT-Rs are still reasonably priced.
I was born in 1992, and my family is very into cars. When I was six years old, a Lamborghini Diablo SV that I had seen in a magazine sparked my interest in automobiles. I graduated from high school with a Master of Arts in Media and Communications and a Master of Science in Marketing. I’ve developed my precision driving skills over the years and have tested more than 250 vehicles all across the world. I’ve learned some fundamental mechanics throughout the years, and I even assisted with the restoration of an Alfa Romeo Giulia Sprint and a 1964 Jaguar E-Type. My main passion is modern vehicles, but I also enjoy Asian Martial Arts, swimming, war history, craft beer, vintage weapons, and car repair. Recently, I’ve developed a taste for automotive photography. I eventually want to restore my own classic car and get my racing license, following which I intend to start my own racing team.