1957 Prince Skyline
The first Skyline wasn’t actually a Nissan. In 1957 the Prince Skyline was introduced as a four-door luxury car. In fact, the following car — of which even spawned an estate — was also a Prince.
1968 Datsun Skyline
In 1966 Prince and Nissan-Datsun merged and the Skyline was reborn as a Datsun in 1968. Still a saloon, it was a far cry from today’s Godzilla.
1970 Datsun Skyline GT-R
The first GT-R model appeared the following year and from 1970 could be had as a coupe. Power came from a 158bhp 2-litre engine. Stripped of any unnecessary weight, the GT-R soon made a name for itself in motorsport.
1972 K-Series
The following K-Series generation marked a big change in design ethos. The American influence is clear to see, but this new look divided opinion. Its GT-R incarnation lasted only one year as the fuel crisis of the 1970s took hold.
1977 Datsun Skyline
In 1977 the Skyline saw a return to a more subtle Japanese styling. GT-R models remained absent, but the 240K-GT boasted 140bhp and a 116mph top speed thanks to fuel injection.
1981 Nissan Skyline
The R30 generation Skyline was the first to be globally branded as a Nissan in 1981. It spawned 26 variants including the only Skyline hatchback.
Things got interesting with the introduction of the 200RS that offered 148bhp. The model was developed into the 187bhp 200RS Turbo and later 202bhp.
R30 and the following R31 also saw success in the Australian touring car series.
1987 R32
The 1987 R32 is where the elements of modern Skyline begin to come together. All-wheel drive was made available along with powerful twin-turbo engines for the return of GT-R models.
The V-Spec II car became the ultimate Nissan Skyline of the time, but the limited run of 500 276bhp Nismo models meant they became real unicorns.
1998 R34
R33 Skylines introduced better safety, but it was the R34 that marked a stellar period of development. A standard four-door model could still be had, however, GT-R development was moving at a pace. Over just three years it was transformed into one of the most potent performance cars of its era.
Turbos, intercoolers, exhausts, were continuously tweaked to make the GT-R even faster. Its battery was even moved under the rear seat to free up more space in the engine bay. This continuous fettling created many limited-run cars – there were 11 variations in total.
2001 V35
The less said about the V35 and V36 Skyline the better. Designed for export to the American market, it left much to be desired. It was later rebranded as the Infiniti G35.
2008 R35 Nissan GT-R
Today’s R35 Nissan GT-R might have dropped the Skyline nameplate, but its ancestry is easy to trace. A 3.6-litre twin-turbo V6 engine feeds 562bhp to all four wheels.
A 0-62mph time of under three seconds puts more exotic supercars back in their place.
The track-focused Nismo reduces weight while bringing the total output to 592bhp.
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