Barring the skyrocketing price of gas, a Nissan Skyline is still a grail for a lot of gearheads. If you had a Nissan Skyline NISMO, you’d have a whole lot of performance plus two additional doors, and that’s a pretty big draw, right? Despite having no relation to the more beastly GT-R – they’ve “stopped” being related for a long time now – the Skyline badge is still a force to be reckoned with, and after being NISMO’fied, here’s all that it’s getting.
Nissan Skyline NISMO Limited – 2 more doors, and then some
On the outside, the Skyline NISMO features a full range of design elements shared by new-generation NISMO road vehicles, including specially developed NISMO front and rear bumpers as well as side skirts with distinctive red accents. NISMO-exclusive fog lamps and the NISMO logo come standard as well. It also makes use of moldings that surround the front bumper lower grille and fog lamps, and the surf lines running along the sides are actually functional, improving high-speed stability by significantly enhancing downforce and reducing aerodynamic drag.
Airflow to the radiator and oil cooler has been optimized after a redesign of the front grill’s cross-section opening and the shape of the internal air guide. This delivers cooling performance that ensures reliability while also reducing overall air resistance.
NISMO-exclusive Enkei 19-inch aluminum wheels have been fitted onto the Skyline NISMO. They are not only wider but also lighter and more rigid. This combined with rear tires that are wider by 20mm results in improved initial steering responsiveness and better ground contact that heighten cornering performance. Specially tuned suspension and stabilizer bars are also part of the package.
The high quality fit and finish of the popular 400R model and its unified black tones a superb driving environment can also be expected in the Skyline NISMO. The cockpit features a leather-wrapped steering wheel with a NISMO-exclusive red center mark, a 280 Km/h speedometer, and a red-ringed tachometer sporting a NISMO logo that underlines the car’s performance.
The NISMO-tuned black Recaro sports seats are accented with a red backrest centerpiece. The suede upholstery is positioned to centralize pressure, ensuring the occupants stay positioned even when taking corners spiritedly. The overall structure of the seat(s) also helps ensure the high level of comfort required for grand touring. This is a Skyline after all, yes?
Powering the “regular” Skyline NISMO and the Limited is an engine tuned exclusively by the same engineers involved in the development of the GT500 racing class engine. Its maximum output has been raised from 405 PS to 420 PS and its maximum torque has gone up from 475 Nm to a gut-wrenching 550 Nm. The result? Powerful yet tractable acceleration.
Now we get to its price. The Standard Skyline NISMO will retail anywhere between JPY 7,880,400 and 8,470,000, while the NISMO Limited will be pegged at JPY 9,479,800. Roughly translated, and please do not quote us as saying this is a direct conversion of the prices, will be around PHP 3.1USD 0.05INR 4EUR 0.05CNY 0.38-3.325M for the Standard and PHP 3USD 0.05INR 4EUR 0.05CNY 0.37.72M for the Limited. A bit far from the GT-R’s tag, and all things considered, this is pretty interesting, indeed.
Sadly, our wishful thinking (and our headline) is brought about by the fact that this Skyline NISMO is a Japan-only release. Only 1,000 units will be built, and 100 of NISMO Limited will ever see the light of day. Chances are, we won’t see it either, but if there’s some rich honcho who does manage to bring one in (by some miracle or an exorbitant amount of cash), this would be a real treat for every Nissan and Skyline fan.
Gray market, perhaps?