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.”
In This Article...
Infiniti Skyline
The Nissan Skyline is a brand of car that was first made by the Prince Motor Company beginning in 1957 and subsequently by Nissan after the two businesses joined in 1967. Its Japanese name is Ri Chan sukairain and its Hepburn name is Nissan Sukairain. Following the merger, the Nissan Gloria, a larger version of the Skyline, was sold in Japan at Nissan Prince Shop dealership sales channels.
Shinichiro Sakurai was substantially responsible for the design and engineering of the Skyline from the beginning, and he remained a major contributor to the vehicle until his passing in 2011.
In addition to coupe and sedan body types, station wagon, crossover, convertible, and pickup/sedan delivery body types are also offered for the Skyline. The later models are best recognized for their recognizable spherical tail and brake lights. Although the Skyline wasn’t sold in the United States until it arrived there as the Infiniti G, the popularity of the GT-R variation of the car in media like video games, movies, and magazines led to a significant increase in the importation of used Japanese automobiles to Europe and North America. Most Skyline models have rear-wheel drive, while all-wheel drive has been an option since the eighth-generation model’s introduction.
Another significant turning point for the nameplate was the eleventh-generation Skyline (V35), which did away with some of the straight-six engine’s distinguishing features (replacing them with a V6) and turbocharging (reintroducing it in the thirteenth-generation/V37 model) as well as eventually separating the GT-R into its own line. Nissan made the decision to keep the Skyline in the luxury-sport market segment, while the 350Z, which shares the same base, brought back the Z series of all-out sports cars. The first Skyline built for export to North America was the V35, which was marketed as the G35 in 2002 under Nissan’s upscale Infiniti brand. The Skyline (V36/J50) is offered as the Infiniti G37 and EX in Europe, North America, South Korea, Taiwan, and the Middle East, respectively.
On April 12, 2010, 225 Skylines participated in a parade lap at the ISTS in Silverstone, UK, which resulted in two world records: the most Skylines recorded at one meet at one time and the most Skylines on a track at the same time.
Skyline GT-R Nissan
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.
Here is a video that provides a brief history of the Nissan Skyline.
One of the most awesome vehicles that was never formally introduced to the United States is the Nissan Skyline GT-R. Of course, the Nissan GT-R is available today, despite it is missing the crucial “Skyline” badge. When Nissan bought Prince, the Prince Skyline in Japan underwent a transformation from a luxury vehicle to a competitive racer. The Skyline was so overwhelming on the racetrack that it was given the moniker “Godzilla” for its ferocious strength and ability. Wish to learn more? The Skyline’s history is outlined in the film from Donut Media up above.
Wren Wesley
Whether it was dressing up as his father’s 1954 Ford on Halloween as a young child, working on vehicles in college, or gathering irritating bits of history, Wesley Wren has spent his whole life around cars.
What year did the Nissan Skyline debut?
The Nissan Skyline of the first generation The 1969 Skyline GT-R was a touring automobile unlike any other. It was modeled after the Nissan Prince R380 racing prototype and had a four-valve Dual Overhead Cam engine for power and a four-wheel independent suspension for exceptional handling.
Who was the R32 Skyline’s inventor?
Japanese automotive engineer Naganori Ito (Yi TengXiu Ling, Ito Naganori, born 1937) was in charge of creating the eighth generation R32 Nissan Skyline, which includes the BNR32 Skyline GT-R.
What Nissan Skyline is the rarest?
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.
The R34 Skyline was produced by who?
Nissan released the Skyline GT-R V*Spec II Nur and the Skyline GT-R M*Spec Nur in February 2002 as the R34 GT-final R’s production models. The Skyline’s development site, the renowned German Nurburgring racetrack, inspired the name of the Nur. A total of 1,003 R34 GT-R Nurs were manufactured.
Skyline and GT-R interchangeably?
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.
Why is there a fondness for skylines?
The performance potential of the Nissan Skyline, especially the GT-R derivatives, must be brought up in any discussion of the model’s appeal.
For instance, the R32 GT-R was so excellent that it was essentially prohibited from racing in Australian motorsport (or so the popular legend goes … the truth is somewhat more complex).
The Toyota Supra MK4, Mazda RX-7, Mitsubishi 3000GT, and other JDM hero cars from the 1990s and early 2000s are all excellent performers, but the Skyline GT-R can potentially be considered the “best of the best” – you can read more about JDM’s definition and history here. It was unquestionably the most focused in terms of what it sought out to accomplish—being capable of the best performance on the racing track—with probably the exception of the RX-7.
Although vehicles like the Nissan 300ZX and 3000GT weren’t far behind the Skyline GT-R in terms of straight-line speed, it was their superior handling abilities that really set them apart (the 3000GT, for example, was really more of a grand tourer designed for high speed cruising and real-world bends, as opposed to the racetrack).
The Skyline has become so coveted and well-liked thanks in part to this outstanding performance. Even by today’s standards, the Skyline is still incredibly speedy even if modern vehicles have past it. It was groundbreaking and absolutely on the cutting edge of what was possible in terms of automotive performance at the time.
Although it’s debatable, there is a case to be made for the Nissan Skyline GT-R as the absolute apex of Japanese performance driving in the 1990s, and as such, it enjoys the popularity to match!
The Nissan Skyline is one of the most well-known Japanese performance vehicles of all time because it was the best of its age, similar to how Muhammad Ali is the most well-known boxer of all time because he was the best (or so he liked to boast).
Why are skylines so expensive?
To sum up, there are numerous important causes for the skyrocketing cost of Skyline:
- When they were first purchased, the cars were not especially affordable (read our guides here to the R33 GT-R cost new and the R34 GT-R cost new for more information).
- Because the Skyline “fleet” is getting older, demand is declining.
- Across the board, classic car prices are growing.
- Global liquidity excess has caused asset prices to surge.
- Skylines are quickly gaining the ability to be driven on American roads, increasing their appeal to one of the world’s major markets. For additional details on this subject, be sure to read Why Nissan Skylines Are Illegal in the United States.
As a result, if you want a Skyline, you’d better be ready to spend a lot of money! Due to how sought-after these cars are, it is doubtful that Skyline prices will decline significantly regardless of whether the vintage car bubble persists or bursts.
Because of this, if you’re thinking about purchasing a Skyline, it’s imperative that you acquire a decent one. For more information on how to purchase a top-notch Skyline without getting scammed, read our buyer’s tips.