Hot Nissan Aiming Sky

A new model is just over the horizon from Nissan - but there's no Skyline in sight. An exclusive image in this week's magazine reveals the Japanese firm's hot new GT-R performance flagship. And the big news is that when it's unveiled in the metal at the Tokyo Motor Show in 2007, it won't wear a Skyline badge.

Auto Express Car Reviews

By Chris Thorp

17th March 2005

Simply called the GT-R, the new Porsche 911 rival will be packed with technology. The idea is to give fans a fitting successor to the Skyline R-34 (image), last sold in the UK in 2002.

The car promises to be even more extreme, and once again provide the next step for Subaru Impreza and Mitsubishi Evo owners looking to upgrade to a supercoup΃©. The two-door's shape is loosely based on the GT-R concept first shown at the 2001 Tokyo event. The production version will have even more distinctive styling than the R-34, with bulging wheelarches and a squat, cab-forward stance. As expected, the nose features a huge air dam to feed power to the turbocharged engine. It's not yet known just what will be under the bonnet, but insiders have confirmed that the GT-R will deliver at least 400bhp through its all-wheel-drive system.

They have also hinted that, as Nissan's flagship, the car could combine a conventional powerplant with electric motors in the front wheelhubs. This will create the world's first hybrid supercar.

What is certain is that the new machine will be sold in the UK. Nissan CEO Carlos Ghosn had previously said: "The next GT-R will be global. That doesn't mean we're going to sell it everywhere, but it'll be able to be sold everywhere." European sales boss Brian Carolin later confirmed the newcomer would appear here. Expect to see it late in 2007.