The Nissan Skyline NISMO is the pinnacle of the Skyline GT marque and made for Japan only.
A couple of years ago, we heard rumours that Nissan was planning to bring production of the Skyline sedan to a halt. These rumours proved untrue and Nissan has continued to keep this aging but well-loved nameplate going in its home market. Furthering its JDM appeal, Nissan has created a new performance-enhanced version of the sedan called the Nissan Skyline NISMO.
Only 1,000 of the Nissan Skyline NISMO will launched and it’ll be available in Japan in September. It features the qualities of its ‘Skyline GT’ predecessors with aerodynamics and chassis enhancements coming from NISMO – the company’s motorsport division.
Here’s what the Nissan Skyline NISMO brings to the table:
The first change is an engine that has been tuned by NISMO engineers involved in the development of the GT500 racing class engine. The VR30DDTT petrol engine now has a maximum output of 420PS and 550Nm of torque. This is an increase of 15PS and 75Nm of torque.
There is also a NISMO-dedicated automatic transmission shift logic, allowing the engine to operate at higher rpms in Sport and Sport+ modes. In standard mode, the engine and transmission are tuned to be less aggressive.
NISMO engineers have also decided to add grip by fitting wider tires at the rear. These new rubbers are 20mm wider than the stock ones and they wrap around NISMO-exclusive Enkei 19″ aluminium wheels. These wheels are lighter and more rigid than the original rims.
The suspension has been specially tuned to reduce roll when turning and to ensure maximum tracking on uneven road surfaces.
NISMO has also upgraded the brake pads with better friction material that has excellent fade-resistance. This will allow the Skyline NISMO to brake harder repeatedly. The ABS system has also been changed to match the new tyres and pads. The Vehicle Dynamics Control system too has been tuned to match the new hardware.
To increase body rigidity without increasing weight, an adhesive has been used on the front and rear windshields. This adhesive is also found on the Nissan GT-R NISMO.
In terms of aesthetics, this model features many ‘NISMO’ design elements including the bumpers and side sill covers with red accents. There are also NISMO-exclusive fog lamps and NISMO logos peppered throughout. With the new bumpers comes better optimised air flow, cooling, downforce and reduced aerodynamic drag.
Inside, the cockpit features a few changes. These include a steering wheel with a NISMO-exclusive red centre mark. The speedo reads up to 280 km/h and there’s a red ringed tachometer with a NISMO logo. NISMO-designed black RECARO sports seats with red centerpieces are included too with suede upholstery.
Finally, there’s the exclusive NISMO Stealth Grey body colour, though four other exterior body colours are available too.
Only 1000 units of the Nissan Skyline NISMO will be made. There will also be 100 units of the Nissan Skyline NISMO Limited, which will come next year to to commemorate the 60th anniversary of the S54A-1 model Skyline GT. Here are the changes it brings:
- exclusive matte gunmetal painted wheels
- a takumi label that shoes the details of the master craftsperson who individually assembled the engine at the Yokohama plant
- an exclusive serial plate with the car’s production number
- a unique emblem
- 3 colour options: White Pearl, NISMO Stealth Grey and Dark Metal Grey.
