Nissan Skyline
The Nissan Skyline ( Nissan Sukairain) is a line of compact cars, sports cars and compact executive carsoriginally produced by the Prince Motor Company starting in 1955, and then by Nissan after the two companies merged in 1966. After the merger, the Skyline and its larger counterpart, the Nissan Gloria, were sold in Japan at dealership sales channels called Nissan Prince Shop.
The Skyline was largely designed and engineered by Shinichiro Sakurai from inception, and he remained a chief influence of the car until his death in 2011.
Skylines are available in either coupé, or sedan body styles, plus station wagon, crossover, convertible and pickup/sedan delivery body styles. The later models are most commonly known by their trademark round brake and tail lights (as of 1972). While not distributed in the United States until its importation as the Infiniti G, the Skyline's prominence in video games, movies and magazines resulted in many such cars being imported there from 1989 to late 2005 via Motorex. The majority of Skyline models are rear-wheel drive, with four-wheel drivebeing available since the eighth-generation's debut.
The 11th-generation Skyline (V35) was another major turning point for the nameplate, as it dropped some of the previous generation Skyline's trademark characteristics such as the straight-6 engine (replaced with a V6) and turbocharging, and eventually separated the GT-R into its own line. Nissan decided to retain the Skyline for the luxury-sport market, while its platform-mate, the 350Z, revived the Z line of pure sports cars. The V35 was the first Skyline made for export to North America, being sold under Nissan's luxury marque Infiniti as the G35. The Skyline (V36/J50) is sold in Europe, North America, South Korea, Taiwan, and the Middle East as the Infiniti G37.
On April 11, 2010 a Guinness Book of Records event took place with 225 Skylines taking part in a parade lap at the ISTS at Silverstone UK which produced two world records: the most recorded Nissan Skylines at one meet at one time, and Most Nissan Skylines on a track at the same time.
GT-R
The first GT-R Skyline appeared in February 1969. Called the PGC-10 (KPGC-10 for later coupé version) internally and Hakosuka by fans. Hako means Box in Japanese, and suka is short for Skyline. It used the 2.0 L (1998 cc) S20 I6. This new DOHC engine (which was designed by the former Prince engineers) produced 160 hp (118 kW, 180 N m), and was similar to the GR8 engine used in the Prince R380 racing car.
The GT-R began as a sedan, but a 2-door coupé version was debuted in October 1970 and introduced in March 1971. The cars were stripped of unnecessary equipment to be as light as possible for racing, and performed well at the track. The sedan racked up 33 victories in less than two years, and the coupé stretched this to 50 through 1972.
The C10 raced against many cars including the Toyota Corona 1600GT (RT55), Isuzu Bellett GTR, Mazda Familia (R100) & Capella (RX-2) – even Porsche. In late 1971 the new Mazda RX-3 became the GT-R's main rival. The GT-R managed a few more victories before the RX-3 ended the GT-R's winning streak.
Models:
1500 – 1.5 L G-15 I4, 88 hp (71 kW, 128 N m)
1500 – 1.5 L G-15 I4, 95 hp (71 kW, 128 N m)
1800 – 1.8 L G-18 I4, 105 hp (78 kW, 150 N m)
2000GT – 2.0 L L20 I6, 120 hp (90 kW, 167 N m)
2000GT-R – 2.0 L S20 I6, 160 hp (118 kW, 180 N m)
Body styles
C-10 4-door sedan or 5-door wagon 1968
GC-10 4-door 2000GT 1969
PGC-10 4-door GT-R Skyline 1969
KPGC-10 2 Door GT-R Skyline 1970
KGC-10 2000GT-X 2-door 1971
KGC-10 2000GT-X 4-door 1972
HGLC10 2000/2400GT 4-door Left Hand Drive
C110
The C110 generation was produced from 1972 through 1977. For export in the 1970s, the C110 and GC110 Skyline was sold as the Datsun K-series, with models such as the Datsun 160K, 180K and Datsun 240K.
The body styles were, once again, four-door sedan, two-door hardtop coupé, and five-door station wagon. The C110 was more fussy in its styling than its predecessor, particularly so in wagon form, where unusually for a wagon design, no windows were fitted between the C and D pillars. Its appearance seems to be influenced by the 1970–1975 Citroën SM. The C110 was the first version to return to the round rear tail and brake lights introduced in 1963 albeit with dual units from the previous generation, and the appearance has become a traditional Skyline feature. The styling also influenced a smaller, more affordable two-door coupe, called the Silvia, introduced in 1975. Nissan introduced its emission control technology, primarily consisting of fuel injection on trim packages ending with an "E", using the moniker Nissan NAPS also in 1975.
The C110 Skyline was better known as the "Ken & Mary" or "Kenmeri" Skyline, stemming from the advertisement campaign in Japan at the time which featured a young couple (Ken and Mary) who relaxed and enjoyed the countryside in Ken and Mary's Skyline . The ads were highly successful and perhaps as a result the C110 was sold in very large numbers in Japan. It sold just as well in Australia (in a 2.4L 6-cylinder form, badged as "Datsun 240K"), though few survive today. There, the 240K was about the same price as a Ford Falcon GT or BMW 5 series, around AUD$5000.
GT-R
The Nissan Skyline GT-R hardtop arrived in September 1972 but only lasted until March 1973, when Nissan ceased its production. The oil crisis saw many people preferring economy cars and high-performance sports cars were looked down upon. Nissan pulled out of Motor Racing, so there was no purpose to the GT-R. It was not officially exported anywhere, although Nissan contemplated exporting to Australia. Only 197 KPGC110 GT-Rs were ever sold in Japan,[12] through specialist Nissan Performance shops (before it was called NISMO). This was the last GT-R for 16 years until the BNR32 in 1989.
Models:
1600 – 1.6 L G16 I4
1800 – 1.8 L G18 I4
2000GT-X – 2.0 L L20A I6, 130 hp (96 kW, 172 N m)
2000GT-R – 2.0 L S20 I6, 160 hp (118 kW, 180 N m)]
C210
The succeeding C210/211 and GC210/211 of 1977 continued to split the Skyline range into basic and six-cylinder models, the latter with a longer wheelbase and front end. This line continued through 1981. A rare variant would be the wagon version, which had a unique styling treatment behind the rear doors, of a much smaller window than usual between the C and D pillars. The Skyline received an internal and external facelift in late 1978,[13] which led to a change of the model code from 210 to 211. This was also when the Skyline first appeared in several European export markets, such as Germany.
The GT-EX replaced the discontinued GT-R with a turbocharged engine, the L20ET. As installed in the recently renewed Nissan Cedric/Gloria, this had been the first turbo engine to power a Japanese production vehicle. One notable aspect of the turbo versions was that they were not intercooledand there was no form of blowoff valve, only an emergency pressure release valve. As usual with Japanese cars of this period, there were four- or five-speed manuals and a three-speed automatic, with a column-shifted three-speed manual available on lower end cars and vans.
The "T" designation on the L16T and L18T does not signify a turbocharger was included; it denotes that those engines came with twin carburetors. The L-series engines were all switched to the cross-flow Z-series in late 1978. The larger 2.4 litre inline-six was never offered in the domestic Japanese market; having been reserved for export. Export engines were rated in DIN horsepower, so while a Japanese-spec L24 promised 130 ponies, European market cars with the same engine only claimed 113 PS (83 kW). On the other hand, European buyers could also get the fuel injected L24E with 127 or 130 PS (93 or 96 kW) DIN, about on par with what the turbocharged GT-EX offered. Originally marketed as the Datsun 240K-GT in Europe, the fuel injected version was sold as the Datsun Skyline in most markets where it was available. It has a claimed top speed of 186 km/h (116 mph).
In June 1980 the two-liter, fuel injected inline-four Z20E engine was added to the lineup, as was the 2.8 liter straight-six GT-Diesel with 91 PS (67 kW).
Models:
1600TI – 1.6 L Z16 I4, 95 PS (70 kW), 13.5 kg·m (132 N·m)
1800TI – 1.8 L Z18 I4, 105 PS (77 kW), 15.0 kg·m (147 N·m) - the similar L18 received a claimed 77 PS (57 kW) DIN in European export markets.
1800TI-EL – 1.8 L Z18E I4, 115 PS (85 kW), 15.5 kg·m (152 N·m)
2000GT-EL – 2.0 L L20E I6, 130 PS (96 kW), 17.0 kg·m (167 N·m)
2000GT-EX – 2.0 L L20ET turbo I6, 145 PS (107 kW), 21.0 kg·m (206 N·m)
Datsun 240K-GT – 2.4 L L24 I6, 142 PS (104 kW) DIN, 18.0 kg·m (177 N·m), 180 km/h (110 mph), 0–100 km/h in 13.5 s.
The "T" designation on the L16T and L18T does not signify a turbocharger was included; it denotes that those engines came with twin carburetors. The L-series engines were all switched to the cross-flow Z-series in late 1978. The larger 2.4 litre inline-six was never offered in the domestic Japanese market; having been reserved for export. Export engines were rated in DIN horsepower, so while a Japanese-spec L24 promised 130 ponies, European market cars with the same engine only claimed 113 PS (83 kW). On the other hand, European buyers could also get the fuel injected L24E with 127 or 130 PS (93 or 96 kW) DIN, about on par with what the turbocharged GT-EX offered. Originally marketed as the Datsun 240K-GT in Europe, the fuel injected version was sold as the Datsun Skyline in most markets where it was available. It has a claimed top speed of 186 km/h (116 mph).
In June 1980 the two-liter, fuel injected inline-four Z20E engine was added to the lineup, as was the 2.8 liter straight-six GT-Diesel with 91 PS (67 kW).
Models:
1600TI – 1.6 L Z16 I4, 95 PS (70 kW), 13.5 kg·m (132 N·m)
1800TI – 1.8 L Z18 I4, 105 PS (77 kW), 15.0 kg·m (147 N·m) - the similar L18 received a claimed 77 PS (57 kW) DIN in European export markets.
1800TI-EL – 1.8 L Z18E I4, 115 PS (85 kW), 15.5 kg·m (152 N·m)
2000GT-EL – 2.0 L L20E I6, 130 PS (96 kW), 17.0 kg·m (167 N·m)
2000GT-EX – 2.0 L L20ET turbo I6, 145 PS (107 kW), 21.0 kg·m (206 N·m)
Datsun 240K-GT – 2.4 L L24 I6, 142 PS (104 kW) DIN, 18.0 kg·m (177 N·m), 180 km/h (110 mph), 0–100 km/h in 13.5 s.
R30 RS
Although making about the same power as the L20ET-powered GT-ES models, the version of the Skyline initially known as the 2000RS was released on October 2, 1981 as more of a stripped-down lightweight racer, without as many luxury extras included (quoted curb weight was only 1,130 kg (2,490 lb)). These were equipped with the naturally aspirated 4-valve-per-cylinder DOHC FJ20E engine generating 110 kW (150 PS; 148 hp) of power at 6,000 rpm and 181 N·m (133 lb·ft) of torque at 4,800 rpm. The official Nissan chassis designation for all FJ20-powered models was DR30.
In February 1983 the DR30 range received a significant boost in performance with the introduction of the turbocharged FJ20ET engine in the 2000RS-Turbo. Front brakes were also significantly upgraded to cope with the power increase. Now with 140 kW (190 PS; 188 hp) of power at 6,400 rpm and 225 N·m (166 lb·ft) of torque at 4,800 rpm on tap, the FJ20ET enjoyed new-found prestige as the most powerful Japanese production engine of its era.
Nissan sought to elevate the status of the DR30 Skyline as their new flagship model in light of this success, and it received a generous amount of changes to distinguish it from lesser Skyline models in August 1983. Interior equipment was significantly upgraded to now include electric windows, air conditioning and power steering as standard in the new RS-X model (for Extra) with an increased curb weight of around 1,235 kg (2,723 lb); gone were the days of the spartan, stripped-out race interior, although this could still be specified at time of purchase. But by far the most striking change to the RS was the new unique front end treatment, nicknamed Tekkamen or Iron Mask by fans for its distinctive look. The headlights were considerably slimmer, and instead of a conventional grille the bonnet now sloped down to two narrow slits above a facelifted front bumper and airdam.
Further enhancements were made for 1984, most notably the addition of an intercooler allowing the compression ratio to be increased from 8.0:1 to 8.5:1 with revised turbocharger exhaust housing to the FJ20ET powered model increasing output to 205 PS (151 kW) of power at 6,400 rpm and 245 N·m (181 lb·ft) of torque at 4400 rpm. An automatic transmission option was also added at this time, and changes to the "PLASMA Spark" ignition system followed in early 1985 towards the end of R30 production. At this time a lightweight, no-frills specification known as the RS-Turbo C was made available with the same intercooled FJ20ET engine. The Turbo C swapped power windows for manual, multi-way adjustable driver's seats for a fixed example and deleted the anti-skid control, fog lamps and rear deck spoiler in an effort to minimize weight.
To this day the FJ20-powered R30 Skyline remains a cult car both at home and overseas (there are still dedicated "one make" drag racing events for this model in Japan), and is credited with rejuvenating the Skyline brand in the early 1980s. It also paved the way for the eventual re-introduction of the legendary GT-R badge, markedly absent since the end of C110 Skyline production in 1973.
The DR30 achieved success in Australian touring car racing during the mid-1980s. The factory backed Peter Jackson Nissan Team made its Group Adebut in the opening round of the 1986 Australian Touring Car Championship, and over the 10 round series, lead driver George Fury would win four of the rounds and it was only unreliability in the first two rounds that cost Fury the title, finishing only 5 points behind the Volvo 240T of Robbie Francevic. Fury then went on to finish second to the BMW of Jim Richards in the 1986 Australian Endurance Championship, winning four of the six rounds, though failures to finish in the opening round at Amaroo Park in Sydney, as well as a DNF at the James Hardie 1000 at Bathurst cost him the title. Team driverGarry Scott would put the DR30 on pole for the James Hardie 1000 before going on to finish third with young charger Glenn Seton.[21] Despite missing out on the drivers title, Nissan would win the 1986 Australian Manufacturers' Championship from BMW. Fury finished off 1986 by finishing second to the V8 Holden Commodore of Allan Grice in the Group A support race for the Australian Grand Prix in Adelaide.
Fury was joined in 1987 Australian Touring Car Championship by Glenn Seton. While Fury had a frustrating first half of the championship, Seton would battle it out with the BMW M3 of Richards for the title. The series came down to the last race at Sydney's Oran Park Raceway where Richards used the nimble M3 to defeat Seton and win his second ATCC in three years. With Fury finishing third in the championship, this saw Nissan sharing victory with BMW in the 1987 Australian Manufacturers' Championship. The final competitive race for the Peter Jackson Nissan DR30's came in the Group A support race for the 1987 Australian Grand Prix in Adelaide where Fury again finished second behind the Ford Sierra RS500 of Dick Johnson.
The 340 bhp (254 kW; 345 PS) DR30 continued to be used by privateer racers in Australian touring car racing until 1989.
1800TI – 1.8 L Z18S SOHC I4, 105 PS (77 kW), later models 1.8 L CA18E SOHC I4, 115 PS (85 kW)
2000TI – 2.0 L CA20E SOHC I4
2000TI – 2.0 L Z20E SOHC I4
2000GT and Passage – 2.0 L L20E SOHC I6
2000GT Turbo, Passage and Paul Newman Version – 2.0 L L20ET turbo I6, 140 PS (103 kW, 206 N m)
RS – 2.0 L FJ20E DOHC I4, 150 PS (110 kW, 181 N m)
RS-X and RS-X Turbo C – 2.0 L FJ20ET DOHC turbo I4, 190 to 205 PS (140 to 151 kW, 225 to 245 N m)
200D GT – 2.0 L LD20 SOHC I4 Diesel
280D GT – 2.8 L LD28 SOHC I6 Diesel
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