Forza Horizon 3: The legendary NISMO R33 LM

Continuing on the Nissan Skyline's 60th anniversary celebration, let's take a look at one of the rarest Godzillas of all time and this Godzilla is a corker when it participated Le Mans in 1995 with satisfactory results. Meet the legendary R33 NISMO GT-R LM.



Specifically, the Road Going Version of the said car, the one you can get from Forza Horizon 3's Duracell Car Pack. Anyway, I got a chance to try out with the rarest road-legal Godzilla of all time and while this one is basically a living legend in the eyes of racing game fanatics, this rare beast is impossible to ignore due to its legendary status in the world of motorsports.

So, how did they do it? Nissan became a major player in the competitive world of endurance racing with their R87E, R88C, and R89CK, which set a pole position at the 1990 Le Mans 24 Hours. However, regulation changes prompted Nissan, pretty much like every carmaker in the world, to end its Group C racing campaigns and instead, making production-based GT cars starting with the R32 Skyline GT-R, which dominated Group A racing for 29 races, hence earned the nickname Godzilla. With the success of the Group A R32, they've developed their worthy successor to this vehicle, the R33 NISMO GT-R LM. First of all, it was stripped out to almost nothing as well as converting it from four-wheel drive to rear-wheel drive, resulting to 1150kg of weight. Apart from that, the RB26DETT engine was tuned to Group N regulations, producing over 400HP of power output.

Before taking the R33 LM to Le Mans, they have to homologated it for road use and for this "Road Going Version", however, the said engine dropped a hundred horses of power output while putting road-legal stuff to make this race-worthy Godzilla suitable for road use. Anyway, back to Le Mans, only two race cars have participated in 1995. Whereas the #23 car, the pink one, retired with gearbox failure after 157 laps, the #22 finished in 10th place overall, fifth in class. Although average, it shows what Nissan is capable of in the world of endurance racing.



Being inside the R33 GT-R NISMO LM is a great honor to get behind the wheel of this mythical demon from the Skyline timeline, if you are looking for another great way to celebrate 60 years of Nissan Skyline, but by getting to know about the rarest Godzilla of all, first impression wasn't always grateful because while this is basically an R33 Skyline GT-R underneath, it doesn't feel like the GT-R at all because it's a rear-wheel drive car but despite being rear-wheel drive racer, it still has that Skyline magic to it and then there's the noise, which is very ear-deafening during fourth gear max speed runs. So deafening, it feels like your head's going to blow off any minute, and that's downright scary.

The NISMO R33 GT-R LM can be downright mind-blowing for a road-legal version but because this is the rarest GT-R of all, it's downright legendary and I think I have a brilliant idea to do with it,,,







It took me a lot of time to find the perfect replica of the #22 design as seen from the 1995 Le Mans endurance race where it place 10th overall and 5th in class and here it is. Gotta give credit to the one who made this exact replica but anyway, I did some improvements to make sure it is as race-ready as the real thing and believe me, this GT-R's not afraid to be pushed too hard.

To test this, I sent this one to a little invitation from the best of 90's Japanese sportscars and looks like this one's up to a challenge against one of the most iconic street racers from Japan since the late 20th century. Ready?





Man, that was a good game and driving the R33 NISMO GT-R LM is a real blast for me and did you see the part where the inevitable photo finish occurred at the end of the second round? It's impossible but it happened anyway.

So, with that taken care of, the celebration of 60 years of Nissan Skyline continues...

Forza Horizon 3: The car that would be the new Skyline Coupe

Last time, I drove the one-off, GT-R-powered, Skyline saloon called the Infiniti Q50 Eau Rouge Concept while moaning about how Nissan execs complaining to other people to stop including the R35 GT-R to the Skyline timeline in the same way that today's WRX is part of the Impreza bloodline even though two cars are now separate models. As true experts know, the "real" Skyline timeline started out as a midsize family saloon and continues all the way to the current Skyline known to many as the Infiniti Q50.



Continuing the Skyline's 60th anniversary celebration, I was in a middle of a quick thinking that the Q50 (which is a V37 Skyline to the Japanese market) did have a coupe version called the Q60. Since no production-spec Q60 on sight, because the Forza producers are too coward to feature it, I'm only stuck with this 2015 concept car as seen from the 2015 NAIAS but don't worry, it's almost as close to the real one.



While this is basically the concept version of the car that would be the V37 Skyline Coupe, it's been powered by its next-generation 3.0L V6 twin-turbo engine generating 400HP of power and same amount for torques. This kind of engine powers not just the production version Q60 but also the Q50 as well, although Nissan has no plans to offer the turbocharged V6 model to the Japanese model as of now. A turbocharged V6 engine with 400HP of power is what you called, in Infiniti terms, the 400 Red Sport, and it has some bits and bobs sourced from, you guessed it, the Nissan GT-R. No wonder they christened the engine code VR30DTT and it comes with two kinds of configurations with the lesser one produces 300HP of power. Need I say more?



A turbocharged V6 engine may sound like the future is happening now but when revving, this engine sounds like the it came from the RB era of Nissan sportscars. It maybe feels modern for a turbocharged six-cylinder petrol engine but it sounds very old school and that's a good thing. It's a shame that the Japanese will be missing out on this engine at this moment in time but no time to rest, let's drive it to the place "where Skylines belong". You get the point but let's do it in honor of the Skyline's 60th anniversary!





The job is over but the celebration continues. I may wish that Nissan should bring the new Skyline Coupe (now based on the Infiniti Q60) to the Japanese market along with the 400HP turbo V6 engine, which makes a nice addition to the four-door saloon model, but like all good historians, the story continues because there are still a handful of Skylines that needs to be driven in the Land Down Under while honoring the Skyline's 60th birthday with a little storytelling.

Forza Horizon 3: Which one is real?

2017 marks 60 years of Nissan Skyline and it's also 10 years of the R35 GT-R and while JDM fanatics are honoring the Skyline's 60th birthday this year, some Nissan experts are annoyed that most car enthusiasts are always putting the R35 GT-R in the history of Nissan Skyline rather than the V35 Skyline, which was known to some as the Infiniti G35, the V36 Skyline known by some as the new Infiniti G37, and the latest V37 Skyline known as the Q50 in saloon and Q60 in coupe. So, have you ever seen the Nissan Skyline timeline that has the R35 GT-R on it that annoys most Nissan execs?





To find out why, I'm driving this one-off Infiniti Q50 Eau Rouge, which is basically a V37 Skyline with bits and bobs from the Nissan R35 GT-R on it. So, you might be thinking why the folks from Nissan want people to stop calling the R35 GT-R a Skyline and instead focus on the "real" history of the Nissan Skyline? Well, some people don't understand Japanese cars to the fullest or that's because to them, the Skyline is the epitome of the JDM car empire and when the GT-R emerged at the 2007 Tokyo Motor Show, most folks still call it a Skyline in the same way today's WRX STi is still called an Impreza by car enthusiasts, not Subaru.

Both the Skyline and Impreza started out in life as normal everyday cars so it's understandable that some people still call these latest hi-po JDM cars the names that no longer bear from its predecessors. Anyway, when the folks from Nissan's Infiniti brand developed this one-off Skyline, they believed that this kind of trend will stop. Although this one-off never saw the light of day, it's proof that they made a car that can break many barriers for the Skyline nameplate and show world what the Skyline is capable of rather than being Nissan's 3-Series killer.



Nissan noticed people calling the R35 GT-R a Skyline rather than focusing on modern-day Nissan Skylines and used it as motivation to build this one-off powered by a 560HP VR38DETT engine sourced from the R35 GT-R while mated to a 7-speed DCT as well as Intelligent AWD and the Skyline's trademark Direct Adaptive Steering. With the Eau Rouge, Nissan wanted to change people's perception of the Skyline name by all means necessary.





Weird. What I have here is a battle between the car that is meant to be called the Skyline and the other that doesn't really bear the Skyline name from its predecessors and the venue for this place is, you guessed it, the Skyline View Circuit segment of the Surfers' Paradise. Get it? This is like a matchup between Yo-Kai Watch's Walkappa and Faux Kappa, with a tasty twist on it. With the V37 Skyline modified to have R35 GT-R bits on it and the "real" GT-R in place, let's find out which one is real.



And now the results...

2014 Infiniti Q50 Eau Rouge (560HP/442ft-lb/3,836lb/57%/3,800cc/A 798) - 1:14.741
2017 Nissan GT-R (565HP/467ft-lb/3,933lb/54%/3,799cc/S1 861) - 1:10.070

So, despite everything I've witnessed between these two, it's a clear reminded that the GT-R did separated from the Skyline range in the same way what happened between Subaru's Impreza and WRX STi. It's proof that these guys know how to separate the men from the boys and because this R35 GT-R is quicker than the Skyline with the same engine from it, it's a point that will have Nissan execs want people stop putting the R35 GT-R in the Nissan Skyline timeline. A point that they will have it mentioned during the Skyline's 60th anniversary celebration.

There, it's easier to said than done but there's one Skyline I want to show you later on but for now, this will serve as a motivation that for 60 years of Nissan Skyline, the trend of putting the R35 GT-R on the Skyline history has to stop and understand the real history of the Nissan Skyline; from the Prince Skyline saloon of 1957, all the way to the Infiniti Q50 saloon that was called the Nissan Skyline V37.

Happy 60th birthday, Skyline!

Forza Horizon 3: A new Asian treasure

As I thought that my treasure hunting days are well and truly over ever since I found all fifteen barn finds scattered throughout Down Under, looks like the latest update gave us a brand new barn find rumor, something they've never done that throughout the history of Forza Horizon.

The latest barn find rumor is hidden somewhere at Byron Bay, what else but the place where your Horizon adventure began but the real question is, what's inside the barn? Looks like the treasure hunt starts now...

So, what's inside the barn? Hold on, what's this?!



This is,,,a KPGC110 Skyline 2000GT-R. This kind of classic Skyline was called by speedo boys as the "Kenmeri" Skyline because of the advertising that has the couple named Ken and Mary on it. But this is the GT-R version. It was launched in 1972 following the original was launched. The Kenmeri Skyline GT-R was the first Japanese car to have disc brakes front and rear. Although popular, it was short-lived with 197 units made after stricter exhaust regulations were introduced. Wow, 197 units made, that made the Kenmeri Skyline 2000GT-R one of the rarest JDM cars in history and a good one can set them a massively priced 176,000 US Dollars. Now that's what I call a supercar money in an ultra-rare Asian treasure your parents surely remembered.

Okay, let's try out this Asian treasure on the road because my schedule's just cleared so I can try out this legendary machine.



Nothing like going back to our grannies' timeline to see how fast the Kenmeri Skyline 2000GT-R is and it would be a shame to miss out this legendary Asian treasure if you haven't heard about the latest FH3 that featured a brand new barn find never done in the Horizon series.

IMPUL gets their work on the V37 Skyline (Q50)

Nissan specialist, IMPUL, finally got their mojos to work on their latest tuning project using the Nissan V37 Skyline (Infiniti Q50) as the base. Although release schedules aren't announced as of press time, the V37 Skyline tuning program from IMPUL comes with an array of aero kit upgrades and IMPUL has put a price tag each.

The The front bumper with daytime running lamps on it starts at 145,000 Japanese Yen (around $1,450), the side steps costs 95,000 Japanese Yen (around $950), the rear half costs 85,000 Japanese Yen (around $850), and the rear spoiler costs 95,000 Japanese Yen (around $950). Have them all and this full kit will cost you 400,000 Japanese Yen (around $4,000).

IMPUL will also offer an OHLINS SUPER SHOCK suspension, priced at 338,000 Yen (excluding tax), which IMPUL said that it offers great cornering stability.

URL: http://www.impul.co.jp/products/model/V37_SKYLINE.html

Forza Motorsport 5: Skyline Eau Rouge

Last time, I tried out the Infiniti Q50S on Forza Motorsport 5 and while the Infiniti Q50 is a localized version of the Nissan Skyline V37 but with the 3.7L V6 VVEL engine in it, it still handles like a sportscar. The secret weapon to handle the Q50 with precision and accuracy lies to its Direct Adaptive Steering and I believed to be much more effective than those less-communicative power steering cars. It sure is fun to have one but I wish this Skyline to be more Skyline than this Skyline but luckily, they're ahead of me.

What lies beneath the shadows is called the Infiniti Q50 Eau Rouge, it's a concept car based on the Q50 that I just drove earlier but this is a preview of the high-performance model that delivers a serious threat to the Europeans.

 

It looks like the Q50 but because this is a high-performance take on the said saloon, it incorporates Formula One inspiration to its aerodynamics, perhaps no wonder it was heavily inspired by Sebastian Vettel's championship-winning F1 car. Eau Rouge is named after a vicious corner from Spa-Francorchamps, the venue for the Belgian Grand Prix and because the elevation's very vicious even for a skilled veteran, perhaps no wonder why they decided to call it the Eau Rouge for this car.

This car was revealed at the 2014 NAIAS but only the outside view because what lies under the bonnet, it's everyone's guess. No one really knows what powered the Eau Rouge even though it claims to possess over 500HP of power right until to the 2014 Geneva Motor Show where it was revealed that it was powered by the same VR38DETT engine from the Nissan R35 GT-R. Just what I thought, the Skyline just can't get even more Skyline-er.

 

The 3.8L V6 Twin Turbo engine on the "Skyline Eau Rouge" develops over 560HP of power and 442lb-ft of torque while connected to a seven-speed double clutch gearbox. It can do 0-60mph in less than four seconds and a top speed of almost 180mph. Plus, it comes with Infiniti's Intelligent AWD that takes great care of power and traction while adapting to the changing road conditions. It automatically sends up to 50% of the power to the front for better traction while the rear wheels gain most of the power for better road performance when four-wheel drive is not necessary.

The result of this Intelligent AWD complete with its signature Direct Adaptive Steering is a car that not only stands out in the corners, it licks it like ice cream, and even when you place this to the Top Gear Test Track, the Q50 bravely survives without warning.

 

The Nissan GT-R is once fabled as the car that can humiliate the best of the West but I reckoned that because the Q50 Eau Rouge is the V37 Skyline with the heart and soul of the Nissan GT-R, I have a theory that it will do the same against its Western opposition and I tried it. Not only the Eau Rouge can deliver a serious threat to the executive saloons but high-powered cars of it class can get smacked by it...well, some of it, really.



Time now for a real challenge and to find out just how good is the Eau Rouge is, it's time to pack some bags and move out from the Top Gear Track because the Q50 Eau Rouge takes on Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps, Belgium.



So, with the track featuring the namesake corner, can the Q50 Eau Rouge brave through the perils of Spa? I tried it round the track and my response is a big proud yes. The Q50 Eau Rouge is a brave saloon that braves through one of the toughest racetracks in Grand Prix history. Legend has it that there are some racing drivers that are not brave enough to survive Eau Rouge at the start but it's worth the thrill...



Spa-Francorchamps is a racetrack where ace drivers from all parts of the world gathered at this grand stage where they put all of their driving skills to the test. There are no affiliations or ranks that can hinder them as the only main rule in this racetrack is to survive.

Not only Formula One has their Belgian GP set here but also the WEC where racing drivers have to survive 24 hours racing endlessly on this track until the winner and the survivor is named. There are numerous motorsports held here but I can't tell what are those because of time constraints.

If you were looking for a racetrack that is surely the equivalent of The Round Table, sadly, this isn't it because there are so many expert-level racetracks that can suit their qualifications but since Spa-Francorchamps is so expert-level, you may consider this your Round Table for you and the other knights of the Round Table.



But still, the Q50 Eau Rouge found its own reason to battle on the track like this because the Q50 Eau Rouge was born to be more of a lethal weapon on the road and track if Nissan's Carlos Ghosn gives the green light for this.



So, conclusion time. The Q50 Eau Rouge really is a GT-R in a Skyline suit even though this is a V37 Skyline with the engine from the R35 GT-R but thanks to this engine as well as its F1-inspired aerodynamics and the Intelligent AWD, the Q50 Eau Rouge really triggers a serious threat to the Europeans. Sadly because this is a concept car, the Q50 Eau Rouge is not for sale and it's not street legal like most concept cars do...well, some of it.

Despite being a concept, the feedback is extremely high because if this GT-R-injected Skyline V37 approves for production, I would be longing to have one in my whole life.

Forza Motorsport 5: It's the V37 Skyline!*

*Well, sort of. It may look like the latest V37 Nissan Skyline sedan but when you open its hood, instead, you will be greeted by a 3.7L V6 VVEL engine carried from its previous model instead of...well, you know...so clearly that looks like a Nissan Skyline but doesn't feel like one because what this is is the export version of the V37 Skyline, the Infiniti Q50.



Despite the difference, this is the first I have ever got my shot to drive the latest premium midsize saloon from Nissan's Infiniti division now that it was recently added to the Forza 5 car list via this month's content update. It's been an honor to get behind the wheel of the V37 Skyline even though it has a completely different engine and made for export markets, especially North America.



So, what's all about the Q50? You know? The Americanized or globalized or localized, whatever you may call it, version of the V37 Nissan Skyline?

Revealed at the 2013 North American International Auto Show, the Q50 is the successor to the V36 Skyline-based G37 saloon and it's the first to incorporate Infiniti's new naming scheme where saloon models bear the Q letter while sport utilities bear the QX letters.

Went on sale in America in the second half of 2013, the Q50 is available in 3.7L V6 petrol and 3.5L V6 hybrid powerplants. It comes with the world's firsts such as Direct Adaptive Steering which delivers precise handling and quickly communicates road surface feedback to the driver and the Predictive Forward Collision Warning that detects possible collisions ahead and triggers and alert to the driver with a visual warning and audible buzzer.

The Infiniti Q50 is sold in Japan as the Nissan Skyline V37 but Japan-spec models come with the 3.5L V6 hybrid and the Mercedes-Benz-derived 2.0L 4-cylinder turbo engine.



Having spent five minutes driving this premium midsize saloon, I can surely say that the world's first Direct Adaptive Steering on the Q50S really handles like it should unlike those power steering that you expect in most cars like the Lexus GS. It's as precise as locking-on the target and thanks to the Direct Adaptive Steering, this Q50S could be one of the best handling cars I have ever driven on FM5 and when I put this sports saloon on the Top Gear Track and faced in corners like Chicago, Hammerhead, Follow-Through, and Gambon, the Q50 precisely glides through the corners with clinical precision with some minor mistakes when not focused. It's okay though because this Q50 is so easy to drive even at the hands of a rookie.



I know that the 3.7L V6 engine may have 328HP of power for the Q50S but with such handling mojos rigged to it, the Q50 will keep me longing for days and not only that, you can drift one of these, which of course, why would you want to?



So, what can I say about this car? Well, it may not be the V37 Skyline I was hoped for but I am very humbled to drive the latest version and its strength lies to its handling capabilities thanks to its Direct Adaptive Steering. Luxury never felt so liberating...

Skyline 200GT-t - A Nissan Skyline with a Mercedes-Benz engine

2015 Nissan Skyline 200GT-t

Previewed from Geneva, now available to order in Japan, and coming soon worldwide as the Infiniti Q50, the Nissan Skyline (V37) now comes with the much-awaited 2.0L turbo engine sourced from Mercedes-Benz. This isn't a joke. This is the real deal, it's a Nissan Skyline with a Mercedes-Benz engine in it! Honest!

The Mercedes-Benz derived M274 engine that powers
this Nissan Skyline

Called the 200GT-t, this new Skyline variant is set to replace the old 2.5L V6 model of the outgoing V36 Skyline. The old V36 Skyline's 2.5L V6 engine produces 225PS of power output but for the M274 2.0L turbo 4-cylinder engine, it produces a lesser 211PS of power output. A Skyline with a Mercedes-Benz sourced turbo engine maybe have less power than the outgoing 2.5L V6 engine but because this is turbo, I believe that it can make up for its personal shortcomings. Remember what I told you about this?

The Skyline 200GT-t is equipped with a 7-speed automatic gearbox with manual mode operated via paddle shifters and as for fuel economy, the 200GT-t has 13.6km/L as calculated by Japan's JC08 mode standards. That's 2.2km/L more than the 2.5L V6 engine it replaces. When compared to its rival, the Lexus IS250, that's about 2km/L more! How did they do that?

Sales of the 200GT-t variant starts at the 5th of June, 2014, and it's priced at 3,834,000 Japanese Yen (around $39,000) up to 4,568,400 Japanese Yen (around $46,000) for the Type SP model.

URL: http://www.nissan.co.jp/SKYLINE/

Source: http://autoc-one.jp/news/1770243/

The Skyline Eau Rouge concept and the upcoming Skyline 2.0T

Two months ago at the 2014 North American International Auto Show, Nissan's luxury brand, Infiniti, showcased a bewildering concept saloon car based on last year's Q50 (better known to you and I as the V37 Skyline) and based on how it looks, this concept car maybe more of Japan's M3 killer, something to give high-performance European saloon a run for their money.

2014 Infiniti Q50 Eau Rouge Concept

The Eau Rouge Concept, named after a corner from Spa-Francorchamps, is the result of what happens when you give the Skyline the spirit of a Formula One racer and it comes with a bespoke carbon fiber aerodynamics, making it lower and wider. Infiniti's Johan de Nysschen said that if they made this car, he would expect that this hot Q50/Skyline to produce over 500HP of power and 600lb/ft of torque.

It showed up but no one knows what kind of engine that powers it until at the recent 2014 Geneva Motor Show, the Skyline Eau Rouge comes with an uprooted version of the 3.8L V6 engine sourced from the GT-R. Thanks to the GT-R engine, it develops over 560HP of power and 442lb-ft of torque while connected to a seven-speed double clutch gearbox.

I tell you what, if that hot Q50 or Skyline went into production in the near future, I bet that the Eau Rouge is definitely Japan's answer to the latest BMW M3 F80 saloon but because this is a concept, best to dream on.

2014 Nissan Skyline

Aside from the Skyline Eau Rouge concept getting a turbo engine, it looks like they did previewed an upcoming, entry-level version of the Infiniti Q50 or Skyline V37, only this time it comes with a 2.0L Turbo engine which, in theory, it could replace the outgoing model's 2.5 V6 engine. The old V36 Skyline's 2.5L V6 engine produces 222HP of power output but for this 2.0L turbo 4-cylinder engine coming to a Q50 or Skyline near you, it produces a lesser 208HP of power output. A Skyline with a Mercedes-Benz sourced turbo engine maybe have less power than the outgoing 2.5L V6 engine but because this is turbo, I believe that it can make up for its personal shortcomings. Some say, the 2.0L turbo variant of the Infiniti Q50 or Nissan Skyline V37 will be rolling out worldwide this fall.

As of now, the latest Nissan Skyline (launched in November 2013, on sale last February 2014) is powered by a 3.5L V6 engine connected to an electric motor and a Li-ion battery. In other words, it's a hybrid but it's connected to a 7-speed DCT gearbox that delivers maximum torque and a more sportier drive. The one thing I find it confusing is why the new Skyline wears Infiniti badges all over but still called it a Skyline for anonymous reasons. Don't ask but it's all Nissan's idea.

Nissan Skyline V37

2014 Nissan Skyline

Welcome everyone to the new Nissan Skyline and when I say new, I mean, it's REALLY new.

This is the 13th-generation of one of Nissan's legendary names and for almost six decades, the Skyline legend has been the pinnacle of the Nissan history. There has been numerous tales regarding one of the oldest Japanese car names in its existence but for the brand new, 13th-generation Skyline, the legend puts a new spin because why? On the front, it has an Infiniti emblem on it while on the back, there's no logo on it. Just the garnish that says SKYLINE spelled out on it. Quite a bizarre feat, isn't it?

So what's new in the 13th Skyline even though the front now has an Infiniti badge on it? It has a new Direct Adaptive Steering which delivers precise handling and quickly communicates road surface feedback to the driver. There's also the Active Lane Control which uses a camera to detect direction of the vehicle based on the lane markers to help fine-tune the tire angle and steering reaction force. Also, it comes with the world's first Predictive Forward Collision Warning that detects possible collisions ahead and triggers and alert to the driver with a visual warning and audible buzzer.

There's more because in the past, bigger engines usually meant to be more power but for today's trends; bigger isn't better so when the engineers created the new Skyline, the big twist is that the brand new Skyline is now a hybrid but not what you expected to be because the hybrid system was derived from the flagship Fuga and Cima. It's a 3.5L V6 engine connected to an electric motor and a lithium-ion battery, making the new V37 Skyline delivering 364PS of power, that's more than the old model's 3.7L V6 engine it replaces and then there's the 7-speed Intelligent Dual Clutch Control hybrid transmission that delivers maximum torque and a more sportier drive than the CVTs most hybrids commonly have.

2014 Nissan Skyline interior

2014 Nissan Skyline interior

Inside, the new Skyline features dual monitors mounted on the dashboard which makes a certain yuppie feel more of a techie. It also comes with a proper wood trim inspired by the traditional Urushi painting technique called "Fuki-urushi" and "Kacchu". The added craftsmanship to the new interior truly adds a nice touch to this luxury sports saloon and once more, it even has increased rear knee room which is 20mm more than the previous model.

2014 Nissan Skyline

On normal roads, the Skyline feels more luxurious and the ride feels more like its European rivals. However, most of the improvements do come with the price and the new Skyline costs from around 4,496,100 yen to 5,537,700 yen, including consumption tax, and it goes on sale late February 2014 at Nissan dealers throughout Japan, meaning you have to wait longer for this new model.

But still, the Nissan Skyline has long been a rival to the Lexus IS but since it's much more sportier and more responsive to drive than its rival, the Lexus IS 300h, I find this to be more enjoyable but there's a catch; with the 3.5L V6 hybrid powerplant and the 7-speed gearbox, fuel economy is 18.4km/L, that's less than what the IS 300h had but let's remember, the IS 300h is less powerful and less exciting than this. As a matter of fact, the new V37 Skyline always love to feel at home at a more crowded part of Japan. This car is a game changer in its own right. You can enjoy driving one at a winding road without leaving you all the drama that caused you the hassle.

Despite donning the Infiniti badge, the new model still retains the good Skyline name, even though the new model do really made a huge spin in the Skyline history.

Available colors: Hagane Blue, Premium Brown, Crystal White Pearl, Garnet Black, Brilliant Silver, Dark Metal Grey, Radiant Red, and Super Black.

Photo: Nissan Motor Company