Autoblog

eBay Find of the Day: 1967 Nissan Prince Skyline 2000GT

Jonny Lieberman — Thu, 30 Jul 2009 10:30:00 EST

Filed under: Classics, Coupe, Performance, Auctions, Japan, Nissan, Australia

1967 Nissan Prince Skyline 2000GT - Click above for high-res image gallery

Long before Michael Jackson named two of his sons Prince, there was a Japanese manufacturer that went by that name. Actually, they were initially called Tachikawa Aircraft Company (builder of the Pearl Harbor-attacking Zeros) but then changed their name to Prince before changing it again to Fuji Precision Industries before finally switching it back to Prince in 1961, just in time to merge with Nissan in 1966. Stick with us, we're getting somewhere with all of this.

None of that would be important to non-WW2 buffs except for one Prince car - the Skyline. We were lucky enough to drive the latest and greatest Skyline (now known as the Nissan GT-R) the other day and noted how it reminded us of a Porsche 959. At that time, we were talking about the two cars' ground breaking technology and performance - but there's another similarity. Both supercars come from humble bloodlines. After all, the Porsche descended from a Volkswagen Beetle. Godzilla's ancestor is the Prince Skyline.

The second-generation S54 Nissan Prince Skyline is a particularly historic car, as it is the first time an inline-6 wound up under the hood. In fact, Nissan had to graft eight inches onto the front of the Skyline (all in front of the firewall) just to shoehorn in the 2.0-liter inline-six from the larger Gloria S40. The 1.5-liter inline-fours went into stumpier cars.

The car above is the S57 Skyline, slightly tweaked for 1967. Called the GT A200 in New Zealand - where this car hails from - the S57 is usually known as the 2000GT and came with three Weber carbs, a limited-slip diff and a five-speed manual transmission. Pretty sweet stuff for 1967... now you see where Godzilla gets it. The only drawback we can see is the 17-hour flight to Aukland.

Gallery: Nissan Prince Skyline 2000GT

[Source: eBay]

eBay Find of the Day: 1967 Nissan Prince Skyline 2000GT originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 30 Jul 2009 10:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Fast & Furious Skyline stolen from Hollywood garage

Noah Joseph — Sun, 17 May 2009 13:44:00 EST

Filed under: Etc., Nissan

It took two years to build it in reality, ten seconds of montage to put it together on screen, and about ten minutes to steal it. In a rare automotive example of life imitating art imitating life, the Nissan Skyline that Paul Walker drove in the latest Fast & Furious movie was stolen from its storage facility in Los Angeles.

Although dressed up to look like a full-on R34 GT-R for the movie, the car underneath was actually a lower-spec GT-S. Reports indicate that thieves, evidently knowing the car was inside, broke through a metal door and ripped off that specific car, leaving the rest but sideswiping a Studebaker and a Porsche Boxster on the way out. And to make matters worse, the car, valued at around $75,000, wasn't even insured. Considering the movie grossed $72.5 million in opening-weekend box office sales alone, we doubt the seventy-five grand will be terribly missed.

[Sources: Jalopnik and Inside Line]

Fast & Furious Skyline stolen from Hollywood garage originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 17 May 2009 13:44:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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CNET announces nominees for Tech Car of the Year

Chris Tutor — Fri, 12 Dec 2008 08:28:00 EST

Filed under: Gadgets, BMW, Cadillac, Dodge, Infiniti, Lincoln, Nissan

About this time last year, Cadillac's CTS added CNET's Tech Car of the Year to its increasingly crowded trophy case. Its entertainment system's recording capability was one of the things that impressed us, and, presumably, the voters. This year, CNET asks its readers to choose between three imports and two domestics, none of which are Cadillacs.

BMW's M3 Convertible DCT gets a spot on the ballot with its dual-clutch transmission. We wonder if the car's recent recall for transmission problems will affect its standing. The Nissan GT-R shows up again, as you might expect with its cabin full of g-whiz electronics, from the in-dash performance computer to the quick-loading navigation. Lincoln makes the list for its THX-equipped MKS and Infiniti's EX35 Journey gets recognized for its lane-departure warning system and park-assist cameras.

The biggest surprise, though, is the Dodge Ram 1500 Laramie. The pachyderm-sized pickup impressed the CNET judges with its UConnect multimedia system which includes a 30GB hard drive, Bluetooth hands-free system, SIRIUS TV and rear seat DVD player.

The winner will be announced the second week of January to coincide with the Consumer Electronics Show in Vegas.

[Source: CNET]

CNET announces nominees for Tech Car of the Year originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 12 Dec 2008 08:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Tokyo Motor Show: Live shots of the Nissan GT-R!

Justin Gardiner — Wed, 24 Oct 2007 02:00:00 EST

Filed under: Coupe, Tokyo Motor Show, Supercars, Nissan

Click the above image for more live shots of the Nissan GT-R

A press event has never been so well attended, or dangerously overcrowded. But we got to the front in time to watch in car footage of a GT-R lapping the Nurburgring in 7:38.5, then out came Carlos to claim that his new baby is the best that Nissan has ever produced - and we're inclined to agree. Unsurprisingly the show car is silver, and, well looks pretty much like it did in the spy shots, but the shock was that Mr. Ghosn committed to Nissan fielding GT-Rs in next year's Super GT Championship. Could this be the start of another R32-like Godzilla race track domination?

Deliveries start in next month, and to the rest of the world by the end of 2008. Check out the gallery, we'll have tech specs up soon.

Gallery: Nissan GT-R

Tokyo Motor Show: Live shots of the Nissan GT-R! originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 24 Oct 2007 02:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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eBay Find of the Day: Tommykaira R #357

Alex Nunez — Thu, 26 Jul 2007 16:58:00 EST

Filed under: Performance, Auctions, Nissan

The car above is indeed the same Tommykaira R that graced the pages of Sport Compact Car a couple of years back, and if you want it, it's yours for $93,000. The owner has listed Tommykaira R #357 on eBay. It's one of 400 total R33 Skyline GT-R-badged Tommykaira Rs, which were sold as complete vehicles through Tommykaira. This one doesn't sport the optional widebody kit that was available (and widely purchased, according to Sport Compact Car), making it even more of a rarity. It's fully federalized and recently laid down 401 AWHP at a dyno session. This Tommykaira Skyline is is the only one of its kind in the US, and it's a complete street banshee. There isn't one of us here at Autoblog who doesn't wish he had an extra $93K lying around. You can view the auction listing here, and if you'd like to read the original Sport Compact Car piece, click here. (The owner reprinted the SCC article in the eBay listing to use as a vehicle description). If we had this car, we'd never have to play Gran Turismo again.

Thanks to Johnnyichiban for the tip!

[Source: eBay]

eBay Find of the Day: Tommykaira R #357 originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 26 Jul 2007 16:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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VIDEO: Latest Nissan GT-R footage surfaces

Frank Filipponio — Sat, 21 Apr 2007 13:23:00 EST

Filed under: Performance, Videos, Nissan

Happy Saturday, kids. In lieu of your usual cartoons, we've got more GT-R video. This time, it's some extensive Nürburgring lapping and street footage. The car's coming along nicely, sounding strong and looking stable and agile at speed. Our appetites are sufficiently whetted. Fortunately, Nissan's bringing it out relatively soon. Still, the Tokyo Motor Show seems so far away. Tell ya what, just drop one at the AB HQ in the OC, ASAP.

Full Streetfire video after the jump.

[Sources: Brenda Priddy, Global Motor Spies, Streetfire]

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VIDEO: Latest Nissan GT-R footage surfaces originally appeared on Autoblog on Sat, 21 Apr 2007 13:23:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The barrage continues: GTR caught testing at Infineon/Sears Point

Frank Filipponio — Thu, 15 Feb 2007 14:03:00 EST

Filed under: Spy Photos, Nissan

Have we overdone the GT-R coverage yet? We didn't think so, either. This is a pretty hotly anticipated player in the sports/GT segment and we can't get enough of it. After discovering a new GT-R on California's freeways recently, the spy photogs decided to give chase and ended up driving all the way to Sonoma. The Nissan team was apparently headed to Infineon Raceway at Sear's Point to dial in the new super Skyline for final production tire and wheel specs. The Edmund's team reports that the turbo all-wheel-drive Nissan was unofficially clocked as running within tenths of a second of the 997 Turbo Porsche the group had brought along for comparison. Turbo performance at Carrera prices? Sounds good to us. Plenty of pics and even some video available by following the read link.

[Source: Edmund's Straightline]

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The barrage continues: GTR caught testing at Infineon/Sears Point originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 15 Feb 2007 14:03:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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RR of the Day: 1990 R32 Skyline GT-R

Damon Lavrinc — Tue, 30 Jan 2007 10:07:00 EST

Filed under: Nissan, RR of the Day

What more really needs to be said about today's RR of the Day? Although not the first Skyline, the R32 Nissan Skyline GT-R was the pinnacle of Japanese performance in its day and, in certain circles, the most desirable of all the GT-Rs ever produced. The rigid, lightweight coupe, coupled with the legendary 2.6-liter twin turbo inline-six (RB26DETT) and mated to the ATTESA-ETS all-wheel-drive system, allowed Nissan to dominate Group A racing in Japan. It's the dream vehicle of countless enthusiasts, and Mike Hutch of Toronto, Ontario, Canada is the lucky owner of this exemplary 1990 model.

Make the jump for more information, a couple pics, a listing of the mods and instructions on how to submit your own vehicle to become our Reader Ride of the Day. And next week, our themed RR of the Day will be back and we're looking for beaters. If you've got a decrepit ride that still manages to get your from point A to point B, we want to see it. Rusted, busted or smoking, submit it by following the directions after the jump.

Continue reading RR of the Day: 1990 R32 Skyline GT-R

RR of the Day: 1990 R32 Skyline GT-R originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 30 Jan 2007 10:07:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Nissan unveils new GT-R...logo

Frank Filipponio — Tue, 12 Dec 2006 18:26:00 EST

Filed under: Nissan

Apparently there was more to what Carlos Ghosn had to say at the opening of the Atsugi complex yesterday than what we covered just a little while ago. Besides telling us about Nissan's desire for expanded capacity more than for additional companions, Ghosn also mentioned that their new GT-R will be built at the Tochigi assembly plant...and "its unique, highly specialized, high-performance engine will be built at our Yokohama engine plant."

He didn't elaborate on the engine details, but he did let assembled media have a sneak peek at the new GT-R. Well, the logo anyway. Like our pals at Jalopnik who tipped us off to this item, we can't wait for Tokyo when the car will be unveiled.

Sure we've seen the prototype and the spy shots and even the video tease, but we really want to see the real thing. After all, this will be the first GT-R to make it Stateside. At least officially.

[Source: NASIOC via Jalopnik]

Nissan unveils new GT-R...logo originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 12 Dec 2006 18:26:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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VIDEO: "It's so fast that even a dead man will scream"

Alex Nunez — Tue, 21 Nov 2006 13:32:00 EST

Filed under: Tuners, Performance, Videos, Nissan

That was one driver's summation after a run around the track in an R34 Skyline GT-R tuned by Mine's, and with good reason. The Mine's GT-R is a complete monster whose performance shocked even the two test drivers. They were positively giddy behind the wheel, in utter disbelief at the ferocious power their right feet unleashed. This one's an aural delight, too, as the techno-symphony emitted by the car is part banshee, part racing car, part jet plane, and all awesome.

Oh, we can't wait until the next GT-R finally washes up on US shores...

[Source: YouTube]

VIDEO: "It's so fast that even a dead man will scream" originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 21 Nov 2006 13:32:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Spy VIDEO!: 2009 Nissan GT-R

Damon Lavrinc — Fri, 13 Oct 2006 20:05:00 EST

Filed under: Performance, Videos, Nissan

During our last podcast, I expressed my disappointment to John that we hadn't received any video of the new GT-R lapping the 'Ring. Well, the spy shot Gods have blessed the offices of Inside Line with footage of the GT-R in motion and although we can't embed it in this post, you can click here for the full vid.

Two interesting tid bits are brought up in the video and accompanying text: First, the new Turbo 911 playing chase car is a clear indicator of what class of vehicle the GT-R hopes to compete and second, the shots of the GT-R accelerating from a standstill reveals that this current mule is equipped with some form of automatic tranny.

Click on for the full sensory GT-R experience!

[Source: Inside Line]

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Spy VIDEO!: 2009 Nissan GT-R originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 13 Oct 2006 20:05:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Spy Shots: 2008 Nissan Skyline GT-R!

John Neff — Mon, 09 Oct 2006 17:50:00 EST

Filed under: Spy Photos, Coupe, Performance, Nissan

Lo and behold when I checked my inbox did I find word of spy shots of the upcoming and highly anticipated 2008 Nissan Skyline. Here they are courtesy of KGP Photography and the pocketbook of Winding Road. We've been waiting anxiously for more news on the Skyline ever since we saw the GTR-Proto concept that was debuted back in 2005 at the Tokyo Motor Show.

These shots afford us a look at a Skyline that appears to be very close to production spec with minimal shrouding over the front clip and rear. Despite the coverings, we see a two-door coupe that doesn't stray far from the GTR-Proto in appearance and, quite frankly, looks drop-dead sexy. Look at how the roofline just falls from the top of the A-pillar into a sharply kinked C-pillar. Lovely.

Unlike previous iterations of the Skyline, this coupe is not based on a sedan, but rather is bestowed its own two-door architecture that will likely pay dividends in the car's performance. We don't have much word on the Skyline's mechanicals, but Winding Road's Chris Paukert surmises a twin-turbo 3.8-liter V6 derived from the 350Z's powerplant putting out somewhere in teh range of 450 horsepower and 370 ft-lbs. of torque. All-wheel drive from the previous GT-R's electronic ATTESA ET-S torque-sensing system is onboard and four-wheel steering is also a possibility. Check out more photos by following the read link.

[Source: Winding Road]

Spy Shots: 2008 Nissan Skyline GT-R! originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 09 Oct 2006 17:50:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Nissan forgets to take out trash and fuels speculation

John Neff — Thu, 14 Sep 2006 16:36:00 EST

Filed under: Coupe, Sedan, Performance, Japan, Infiniti, Nissan

In its haste to leave Southern California, Nissan apparently forgot to check with the local salvage yard and make sure its spent prototypes were destroyed while it was moving its operations to Tennessee. Unfortunately for Nissan, some anonymous Nissan Performance Mag staffers found a banged up 2007 Infiniti G35 (we assume sedan, although it's not specifically stated) hiding out under a cover in an auto salvage yard. Normally this wouldn't be noteworthy, as the major auto mags have already reported on the production version of the 2007 Infiniti G35, and in one case already pitted it against a BMW 3-Series. However, none of the major auto mags went into great detail about the new VQ35HR motor that will be powering the G35 and, presumably, the 2008 Nissan 350Z.

John Smalberys from Nissan Performance Mag has taken information brought back by his staffers before they were accosted by a junk yard dog and written a great piece dissecting Nissan's flagship V6 from top to bottom end. We'll spare you the intricate details here, but Smalberys theorizes that because the engine is so much beefier than the VQ35DE it replaces, that Nissan is planning to turbocharge it in some application. One might expect such an engine to appear in the 2008 Z-car, either as standard equipment or as part of a high performance package. Smalberys also notes that the upcoming Skyline GT-R is expected to receive a punched-out, twin-turbo 3.7-liter variant of the G35's new 3.5-liter, and that this new engine platform could possibly be enlarged all the way up to 4.5-liters in the future. Check out Smalberys' in-depth piece at Nissan Performance Mag if you really want to know more about the nuts and bolts of Nissan's new VQ V6.

Top tip, David!

[Source: Nissan Performance Mag]

Nissan forgets to take out trash and fuels speculation originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 14 Sep 2006 16:36:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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