Generations Of... The Nissan Skyline (Part 4) A #blogpost by Gurminder Bains

Another one! No this is not DJ Khaled, it’s me Mr Bains once again writing about my favourite series of cars, some of the more eagle eyed of you may have noticed me saying that I wasn’t going to do a post on the Infiniti badged Skylines but as I mentioned in the closing paragraph of the last post I’d be doing an injustice to the Skyline series if I was to purposely skip the Infiniti badged Skylines based upon my views. However, you’ll be pleased to know that those views have changed since creating this post. So sit down, relax and read.

If you haven’t read the previous three posts, where have you been!

The New Generation Skyline

The 1999 Infiniti XVL concept was the next direction that the Skyline would take, however we didn’t know that at the time. In 2001 when the overlap between the final variants of the R34 GT-R and the new Nissan Skyline also known as the New Generation Skyline and of course the Infiniti G35, people were shocked to see that the Skyline had transformed again from a RB powered car into an all new V6 powered car. The eleventh generation of the Skyline was based on Nissan’s FM platform which is shared with the Nissan 350Z, the body styles on offer were sedans and coupes as usual. Engines on the other hand were available in three variations a 2.5L V6 in the 250GT and 250GT-Four which had 213HP, one up from that was the 300GT which had a 3.0L VQ30DD engine producing 257HP and finally the range topping 350GT-8 and 350GT Coupe which was given the biggest 3.5L V6 capable of 269HP in the sedan only 350GT-8 and 277HP in the 350GT Coupe. Furthermore, the V35 generation was the first Skyline to be exported to the USA where it was known as the Infiniti G35.

The V35 Skyline was supposed to be a rule breaker as it was supposed to be known under a different name but Nissan chose to stick with the name because they wanted the V35 Skyline to be aimed at the luxury sports car market whereas the 350Z (which is shares its platform with) was advertised as a pure Nissan sports car.

Unlike the Skylines of old, Japanese tuners mostly ignored the V35 Skyline, tuners like HKS, Top Secret and Mines continued to develop packages for the R32 to R34 generation of Skylines. Eventually, Top Secret did tune a V35 but swapped the VQ35DE for a VK45 V8 with twin turbos, Signal USA entered a V35 into Formula Drift however even then the VQ35DE was scrapped for a SR20DET.

Nip and Tuck

Out goes number eleven and in comes number twelve. The new Nissan Skyline V36 wasn’t much of a change from the previous car it went on sale in 2006 only as a sedan. The early models included the 250GT, 250-GT Four and 350GT. The engines on release were a 2.5L VQ25HR with 222HP and a 3.5 VQ35HR with 311HP. In 2007 the coupe came which brought along the introduction of a bigger V6, the VQ37HR which gave the V36 328HP, it was known as the 370GT and was only available as a coupe.

2008 introduced convertible variant of the V36, however it was only available in the US and was known as the Infiniti G37, back in Japan the 370GT Type P cars had eighteen inch wheels which was normal, while 370GT Type S and 370GT SP cars had nineteen inch wheels. Other editions of the V36 were the 50th Limited which celebrated 50 years of the Nissan Skyline and was available in 250GT 250GT-Four and 350GT specs. A proposed special edition was the Skyline Coupe Aero Sports which used a 350GT sedan and 370GT coupe with a front and rear wing a new grille and new wheels.

In 2009 Nissan introduced a crossover… Yes, a crossover Skyline which is also known as the Infiniti EX37 it used the range topping 3.7L V6 in 370GT and 370GT-Four specs.

The Latest Generation

Finally, we are at the latest generation of the Nissan Skyline, also known as the Infiniti Q50. It was introduced in 2014 and even the Nissan variants of the cars have Infiniti badges. One of the most prominent changes about this generation is that it is the first Skyline to have hybrid powertrains and also the HV37 brought back turbo power, also it is only available as a sedan. In February 2014, the H37 went on sale to the public the engines on offer were a 200GT-t a 2.0L turbocharged engine with 208HP an engine which was borrowed from Mercedes, a 350GT Hybrid using the VQ35 V6 coupled to a HM34 electric motor, it produces 359HP in total, also there is the 350GT Four Hybrid which has the same power figures as the 350GT Hybrid. The marketing of the HV37 was rather unusual in comparison to previous Skylines, it was and still is aimed at males over 40 and the posters and billboards never use Nissan or Infiniti branding, the only name used for the adverts is just the Skyline name.

What Next?

So where next for the Skyline? Well, I’ve probably said that I don’t think that the Infiniti badged cars are true Skylines, but since then and since reading up on them I’ve had an epiphany. You see the original Prince Skylines were marketed as ‘small luxury sedans’ and from the V35 onwards they have been classed as ‘small luxury sedans’ you see Nissan is taking the Skyline back to its original roots of luxury and perhaps in the future they plan to bring back the performance variant of the Skyline meaning we could see a Skyline GT-R. It may be unlikely but it certainly is possible, as for the Nissan GT-R, I think that the Skyline name could return to that also so you could see a Nissan Skyline GT-R (R36)? Furthermore, the future of the Skyline could land in the hands of the Infiniti Q60 or could Nissan/Infiniti bring back the Q50 Eau Rouge concept and use that as a base for the next performance Skyline, which may sit under the GT-R. All I know and hope is that the Skyline is a legendary name and I hope Nissan keep producing Skylines, but don’t produce another crossover and call it a Skyline.

Thanks For Reading

Were next for this series, well to round of the Generations of the Nissan/ Prince Skyline, there will be a top 10 of my favourite Skylines. Finally as you now know the Skyline is easily my favourite series of car, so I will be doing a build post where I aim to create my dream Skyline.

Till Then…

Gurminder Bains