Publication: Car Graphic
Format: Road Test
Date: October 1968
Author: “C/G Test Group” (uncredited)

Summary: A refined five-passenger sedan with markedly improved accommodation over the previous model. Exceptionally comfortable front seats, satisfying 4-speed floor shift, outstanding fuel economy. The disc/drum brakes deliver insufficient stopping power, though fade resistance is excellent.

Publication: Car Graphic
Format: Road Test
Date: January 1969
Author: “C/G Test Group” (uncredited)

Summary: A high-speed five-passenger sedan with four-wheel independent suspension and a six-cylinder engine. Flexible and tractable, though somewhat rough at higher engine speeds. Lower-geared than the previous model, excellent 4-speed gearbox, handling and ride comfort both at a high level, controls light in operation. Overall practicality greatly improved over previous model.

Publication: Motor Fan
Format: Road Test
Date: January 1969
Authors (Roundtable): Jiro Tanaka, Shinichiro Sakurai, Hiroshi Hoshijima, Kenji Higuchi, Masaichi Kondo, Nobuo Shibata, Yasuhei Oguchi, Kenichi Goto, Kenzaburo Ishikawa, Kazuo Kumabe, Yasunobu Tomizuka, Taizo Tateishi, Osamu Hirao, Akio Miyamoto, Minoru Onda, Toshihide Hirata, Motor Fan Editorial Staff (uncredited)

Aiming for a True “GT Car”

Magazine: To begin, could you tell us about the development process behind the new Skyline 2000GT?

Publication: Auto Sport
Format: Road Impression
Date: April 1969
Author: Seiichi Suzuki, Tatsuro Sasaki, Toshikazu Inoue

The hot-model “GT-R” version of the Skyline 2000GT has gone on sale. The driver Auto Sport called upon was Seiichi Suzuki, freshly back from Daytona. The GT-R charged through the rain on the Tomei Expressway, then shattered the early-morning silence of Suzuka Circuit with the shriek of its tires.

A Sound That Stirs Excitement

Publication: Car Graphic
Format: Road Test
Date: May 1969
Author: “C/G Test Group” (uncredited)

Summary: A hot sports sedan with a 160ps six-cylinder twin-cam 24-valve engine. The engine revs easily to 8000rpm, yet is relatively smooth even at low speeds, with consistently stable performance. Excellent 5-speed gearbox. Bucket seats provide good support. Suspension is hard, but ride quality is good. Handling greatly improved over the 2000GT. Controls somewhat heavy, making the car difficult to use around town.

Publication: Motor Fan
Format: Road Test
Date: June 1969
Authors (Roundtable): Jiro Tanaka, Kazuri Okamoto, Osamu Hirao, Atsushi Watari, Kenji Higuchi, Yuji Sakakibara, Jun Narue, Shinichiro Sakurai, Kunitaka Furutani, Hiroshi Hoshijima, Akio Miyamoto, Tadashi Terashima, Taizo Tateishi, Kazuo Kumabe, Kenichi Goto, Yasuhei Oguchi, Kenzaburo Ishikawa, Yoshio Akutsu, Mineo Yamamoto, Toshihide Hirata, Minoru Onda, Motor Fan Editorial Staff (uncredited)

World-Class Performance

Magazine: First of all, let’s begin by talking about the aims of this Skyline 2000GT-R.

Publication: Motor Fan
Format: Test Drive Report
Date: October 1969
Author: Hiroshi Okazaki

Equipped with the Laurel Engine

It could be said that the Skyline 1800 is a car that was bound to appear sooner or later. Its engine is the same unit used in the Laurel, but the Laurel engine itself was originally based on that of the Skyline 1500. At the planning stage, therefore, Nissan must naturally have anticipated market trends and foreseen eventually scaling it up to 1800cc for installation in the Skyline.

Publication: Motor Fan
Format: Road Test
Date: December 1969
Authors (Roundtable): Jiro Tanaka, Takashi Ushijima, Osamu Hirao, Kenichi Goto, Tadashi Terashima, Kunitaka Furutani, Hiroshi Okazaki, Kenji Higuchi, Shinichiro Sakurai, Taizo Tateishi, Masahide Sano, Akio Miyamoto, Zo Doi, Mineo Yamamoto, Kenzaburo Ishikawa, Minoru Onda, Motor Fan Editorial Staff (uncredited)

Responding to the Need for a Wider Model Range

Magazine: First, we’d like to ask Mr. Tanaka, how was this 1800cc model conceived and brought to market? Please tell us about it, starting from the planning stage.

Publication: Motor Fan
Format: “Bubble Index” Road Test
Date: February 1970
Authors: Yasuhei Oguchi, Masahide Sano, Atsuro Sasaki, Kazuhiko Sanbon, Atsuhiko Okubo

The first Skyline GT defined an era with its powerful performance, but its character transformed dramatically with the model change two years ago. Now, a minor change has been released with an additional 15ps, bringing total output to 120ps. Seizing this opportunity, our team immediately sprung into action.

Publication: Car Graphic
Format: Road Test
Date: January 1971
Author: “C/G Test Group” (Shotaro Kobayashi, uncredited)

Summary: A semi-racing hardtop with a six-cylinder twin-cam 24-valve engine. Runs without knocking even on regular fuel, relatively flexible, only slight effect on performance. Exceptionally good handling despite cross-ply tires, enjoyable on the circuit. Outstanding steering response, but lots of kickback. Rear-seat accommodation rivals that of the sedan. Controls are heavy, near the limit of practicality. Expensive.

Publication: Car Graphic
Format: Road Impressions
Date: June 1972
Author: “C/G Test Group” (uncredited)

Road testing the Skyline 2000GT-X Hardtop

The flagship of Nissan’s money-making Skyline range—aside from the GT-R, which has an altogether different character—is now the Hardtop 2000GT-X, introduced to the lineup in the autumn of 1971. More recently, a GT-X version of the 2000GT sedan has also been added to the lineup.

The GT-X uses a lightly tuned version of the 1998cc six-cylinder engine, retaining the same compression ratio but adding twin SU carburetors. It also comes standard with a car stereo and seats trimmed partly in tricot fabric. For the first time in the Skyline series, buyers can also specify a 5-speed gearbox with Porsche-type synchromesh (a 40,000 yen option). Tokyo prices are 993,000 yen for the Hardtop and 935,000 yen for the sedan—98,000 and 75,000 yen more, respectively, than the standard GT. A 3-speed automatic transmission is also available as a 55,000 yen option.

Publication: Motor Fan
Format: Test Drive Report
Date: November 1972
Author: Hiroshi Okazaki

A Well-Judged Balance of Sharpness and Comfort

“The engine is quiet and the ride is excellent. In particular, low-frequency vibrations are absorbed remarkably well, making travel on paved roads exceptionally comfortable. The suspension feels thoroughly well sorted."

Improved Refinement and Reduced Noise

The Skyline GT’s selection as Car of the Year for 1970 was, as I recall, due above all to its achievement of what was described as “a harmonious relationship between man and machine.”

Publication: Motor Fan
Format: Test Drive Report
Date: November 1972
Author: Jun Narue

A Trustworthy High-Speed Cruiser

“Even those older enthusiasts who used to frown and say, ‘It’s always the Skyline GT crowd blasting down the highway,’ may find themselves wanting to drive this one. The new car possesses a degree of refinement that was absent before."

An Interior Free of Unnecessary Gimmicks

Finished in silver-gray metallic, with its low hood and long nose, the new Skyline’s slightly larger body still fits comfortably inside a garage sized for the original GC10 Skyline GT. Its dimensions have not grown as much as one might expect.

Publication: Motor Fan
Format: “Bubble Index” Road Test
Date: December 1972
Authors: Osamu Mochizuki, Katsuzo Kageyama, Tadao Suzuki, Yasuhei Oguchi, Reiko Ikuuchi, Kensuke Ishizu

A True Wagon, Free of Its Van Origins

The fully redesigned Skyline series has been joined by a true station wagon. With luxurious equipment and distinctive styling, it has shed the commercial-van image of its predecessors. The question is how its utility measures up. We wasted no time in putting it through our comprehensive road test—and here is what our panel found…

Publication: Car Graphic
Format: Road Impressions
Date: January 1973
Author: “C/G Test Group” (uncredited)

Road testing the Skyline 2000GT-X Hardtop

Nissan’s flagship Skyline series underwent a full model change last September to arrive at its present form. This time, from among its many variations, we chose the Hardtop 2000GT-X with automatic transmission and tested it over approximately 600km. The so-called “Ska-G” is said to be a favorite among many affluent domestic-car buyers, and within the new series, the most popular seems to be the Hardtop 2000GT-X with 5-speed gearbox, the hottest version—at least on paper.

Publication: Auto Sport
Format: Road Impression
Date: March 1973
Author: Motoo Kitano, Masahiro Hasemi, Hiroshi Okazaki

The much-anticipated reborn Skyline GT-R has finally arrived. This model is based on the new Skyline GT hardtop body and is equipped with the legendary S20 power unit that has set numerous brilliant records in domestic races. We wasted no time in bringing this new GT-R to the Tsukuba Circuit. The test drivers were Nissan works’ Motoi Kitano and Masahiro Hasemi.

Publication: Car Graphic
Format: Road Test
Date: May 1973
Author: “C/G Test Group” (uncredited)

Summary: The “Ska G-R” returns with a completely redesigned body. It retains the semi-racing engine inherited from the previous model. Despite its enticing specifications, the stock car’s performance leaves much to be desired. The controls are heavy, and while its handling lacks subtlety, it nevertheless achieves a high standard of overall balance. The ride is solid and composed. The four-wheel servo-assisted disc brakes require heavy pedal effort, fuel economy is poor, the car is generally noisy, and it is high-priced, aimed at wealthy enthusiasts.

Publication: Auto Sport
Format: Group Test
Date: August 1973
Author: Auto Sport Editorial Staff (uncredited)

Now in its fourth installment, the editorial test drive series has finally escalated into the 2-liter class. At the enthusiastic request of the test team–apparently still unaware of how unrefined their driving skills actually are–the two cars selected this time are the Skyline GT-R and the Fairlady Z.