Please stop kissing the showroom window, sir! (Nissan Skyline)

Member Name: mykp

Product:	Nissan Skyline
Date:	09/03/02 (1061 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Fast as a ferrari, looks like nothing else, can seat four adults

Disadvantages: it isnt a ferrari! its a nissan, its ugly

I have lusted after a Skyline for many a year, I had never had the chance to drive one of these cars and the UK price is well out of the reach of this mortal. Well a new one is anyway!

I have just returned from Japan and whilst I was there I have been looking for a new car to replace my present Toyota Crown. The reason I am looking at a car in Japan is the price. Even with UK tax to pay on importation its still cheaper than UK dealer prices. However thats the subject of another opinion.

My first port of call in my search for a new car was the main Nissan Dealer in Osaka and here they have 3 skyline models, the V-Spec II, the GT-R and the M-Spec.

I will now do my best to explain what you get with each model but the salesman and all the information he gave me was in Japanese and I am trying my best to translate all this.

All models have the same equipment levels but their technical specifications differ. As standard you get Sat-Nav, Air Con, Electric Everything, 4 Airbags (2 in the dash - passenger and driver) and 2 in the door pillars (one on each side), Anti Lock Braking, Active 4WD, 4 wheel steering, 18inch alloys and 6 speed manual transmission. There is also an option of 5 speed automatic transmission as well but that was 180,000 yen extra. (£980)

All models have the same 2.6 litre engine but this engine is in a variety of tune for different models explained the salesman but all the brochures I was given report the same figure for BHP for each model.

The GT-R is the first in the range and priced at 5,048,000 yen (£27,500). Next is the V-Spec II which is 5,740,000 (£31000), and the top of the range is the M-Spec at 5,950,000 (£32,200). Now the difference between the ranges as far as I can tell is that the V-Spec and the M-Spec have harder suspension for better cornering and produce their power quicker! The M-Spec apparently has adjustable suspension also. Thats if my poor Japanese is correct.

Anyway,
whats the car like to drive?

Well, I took a test drive in a V-Spec II and I would just like to say that if you own one of these cars then you are one lucky SOB. As I went out with the dealer and my brother in law was in the back I didnt really get the opportunity to drive the car to my limits but from what I did experience! "WHAT A CAR". The acceleration is superb. 0-60 is said to be 5 seconds and I can believe it. Although getting the turbo to kick in from the moment you drop the clutch takes some practise.

From a set of traffic lights I floored it and I could not believe how quickly the cars behind disappeared in my rear view mirror. This is a quick car. I have only been in one other car that was faster and that was a Lotus Carlton!

Braking is just as amazing as the acceleration and after driving my 2 tonne tank around this was quite a shock as to how quickly it did stop. I do like a car that you can feel secure in the fact that you know it will stop.

The accuracy of the cornering is superb, and for such a big car the turning at slow speed is excellent thanks to the power steering. High speed turning is helped by the stiff suspension and the electronics in the car which sort out any mistakes if you push things a bit too hard. The Skyline has a computer onboard which monitors things like the wheels, traction, etc and if it thinks something is wrong will adjust power or drive to correct this mistake.

The Skyline is the only production car to have driven the old Nuremberg Ring circuit in less than 8 minutes, so I was told by the dealer with a big smile.

The interior is plastic tastic as all the dash and interior trim is plastic, but if you buy Japanese you kind of expect it to be. Easy to clean, functional and relatively pleasing to the eye. The most amazing thing about the interior for me was the seats. Even though this is a sports car it still has four seats and even with me driving and the seat back
as far as it would go (I'm just a tad under 6 foot) my brother in law who was sat behind me still had enough room in the back. (Although hes only 5'7) The front seats are these amazing bucket seats which hold both your backside and shoulders firmly in the seat. The seats in the M spec are full race items and can be fitted with full harness instead or as well as a seat belt, but this renders the rear seats useless.

The other thing that smack you in the face about the dashboard is the centre console, the car I took out had a 6 CD in dash changer, MD and tape with more flashy lights than you can shake a stick at. On top of this is the Sat Nav system which is a sizeable LCD screen which shows the street you are driving down in 3D, so you get the building on the side of the road represented as blocks on your map.

This screen also has all the car performance items on it. For example you can see how many G forces you are pulling when you move the car around the street. It might sound useless but its amazing to watch. You can also pull up all the car data as well as you drive along, such as Oil temperature, Oil pressure, Turbo Boost, etc. The list is quite long. If you are really sad though you can download all this information to your computer as the car has a serial interface lead linked to all the electronics.

The styling of the outside of the car isnt to most peoples tastes, but for me the raw styling and uglyess of the body is what makes it such an appealing car. Nothing else looks like a Skyline except another Skyline. With its boxy rounded shape the Skyline definitely stands out if its in your rear view mirror.

I didn't buy the car as my wife (the eternal voice of common sense) told we cant afford a new one, but I still lust after one of these cars. To buy one here is stupid as they are way too expensive compared to Japan, so I?ll have to keep saving my pocket money or maybe Father Christmas might be so kind as to leav
e me one.

I'm off to write my letter to Santa now :)

© copyright 2002, Mike Porter.

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