-McClarenDesign's-
Very Serious SLS AMG Review of the Car of the Week N Stuff
"We're in Monaco. A kiss is only appropriate." -Rob Smedley
Week 18: 1967 Prince Skyline 2000GT-B
I must admit, taking a month off from work does wonders for the soul. Once you return, however, the damage is done once again. Because you've been gone so long, you now have a mountain of work to attend to, all of which must be completed before your employer has finished interviewing your replacement. Of course, when your employer takes a month off, he isn't likely to encounter the same difficulties, simply because he specifically delegated those tasks to you before he left.
It's good to be the king.
After returning to test an
ill-advertised Merc, and the subsequent assault charges that followed, both my employer and
the judge decided it was probably best to take another day off, and reflect upon the circumstances which brought us to that point. Although I've left my childhood far behind, it seems that today's legal system has it's own built-in "go to your room and think about what you've done" prescription, of which I've been directed to follow.
Based on recent events, I half expected to find our producer lurking in the shadows, ready to come at me for revenge from the unlikeliest places. Could he be in the cupboard? The refrigerator? Psychologically, over the course of one day, I'd pictured our producer going from John Denver to
Cato.
Instead, I found him at the garage, taking delivery of our next car, the 1967 Prince Skyline. Rather than homicidal anger, he was in a rather jovial mood, although I haven't the foggiest notion why. It wasn't as if we were testing some sort of hypercar made of science fiction unobtanium from
an asteroid.
Instead, we've been given the earliest example of the Nissan Skyline in our collection. Children of the Playstation generation will certainly know the name "Skyline", as they alone have elevated the car from a relatively unknown status to the second coming of Christ. While fads are nothing new, it is rather surprising how much demand has been generated simply from a video game. To put this into perspective, it'd be like discovering the works of Michael Jackson through Rock Band, or the benefits of hallucinogens through Grand Theft Auto.
Almost overnight, children in far off lands discovered the wonder of a single car, all from a video game, and that sparked enough desire to keep the model running today, albeit in a much different form. Years later, most of those same children can rattle off almost every statistic and factoid about the car, despite never having actually driven it in real life. So I guess in this case, it'd be almost like discovering Michael Jackson's songs through a video game, and using another person's ears.
According to Polyphony Digital via Translator-san:
Translator-san
Prince, who entered the first Japan GP held on the Suzuka Circuit with an almost stock Skyline Sports, had failed miserably.
"This will leave a blemish on the Prince name..." With that thought in mind, a project was initiated aiming for the GP of the following year. The result was a groundbreaking new machine, based on the lightweight, compact sedan, the Skyline 1500. With its wheel base and nose extended by 7.8 inches, and packed with a 6 cylinder 2L engine from the Gloria, the car was named the Skyline GT.
The Skyline GT was already a monster just with the combination of this chassis and engine, but the options were impressive as well. At the pinnacle of this was the three double choke Weber carburetors, 6 barrels, for 6 cylinders. The resulting power output was 123 HP, with a maximum speed of 112 mph. the 4 speed floor shift gearbox was given a 5th gear overdrive, and a limited slip differential and oil cooler was added, putting in everything required in a competition machine with no compromise. the later nicknamed "Ska-G" that appeared on the Suzuka wreaked havoc on the circuit, driven by the famous "7 Samurai" drivers of Prince. At one point, while being driven by Tetsu Ikuzawa it even miraculously overtook the Porsche 904 which is a pure racing car.
As if to commemorate this incredible run, a Skyline 2000GT with all the optional high performance features built in was released in February 1965. this was the GT-B. The standard spec model was then called the GT-A. and this was the first step in the history of aspirations, that lead up to the future GT-R.
There's always more to a story, especially when that story is told by some pimply-faced teenager that's never kissed a girl, let alone talked to one. For instance, the Skyline had both station wagon and pickup truck variants, neither of which we'll be testing. They also will point out the lineage between this car and the R35 "Skyline", which actually isn't a real Skyline, having become its own model separately. Now, the GT-R is its own model, and the Skyline an Infinity model.
In 1955, the Skyline was introduced by a company known as Prince Motor Company. Prince later merged with Nissan in 1966, one year before our test sample, with Nissan incorporating both the Skyline and Gloria models into their own lineup. The first GT-R Skyline appeared in 1969, only lasting 4 years until its reintroduction in 1989 with the R32 model. After the R34, Nissan decided the Skyline should be offered overseas, and informed Infiniti dealers that they'd soon have the halo car they'd been clamoring for, assuming the GT-R designation would also follow.
Instead, Nissan kept the GT-R nameplate for itself, sending thousands of dealers into fits of fury, and
deafening cries of "foul". Infiniti got their Skyline, named the G35 in the US, while Nissan unveiled the next generation hypercar that would be its halo car, not Infiniti's. Yet another fine example of "be careful what you wish for."
I've seen Skylines up close and personal. I've talked with actual owners, and had a chance to walk around the cars. Honestly, I'm not sure what all the big fuss is about, but hopefully this test in this car will begin to shed some light. Is the demand actually justified, or should I follow Public Enemy's advice, and "
don't believe the hype?"
Before we can get this party started, we first must meet the cast of characters that our producer has entrusted with this cultural phenomenon. Rather than rely on service from a man with a silly haircut,
as we did with our last Nissan, we've brought in actual mechanics from the factory... well, from Nissan at least, as Prince has since long left us.
Thankfully, Nissan has enough foresight to predict the inevitable language barrier that often comes with import cars, and has loaned us a team from their American offices. In charge is a rather large man by the name of Steve, whom I'm told is quite brilliant when it comes to the restoration of classic Nissans. According to the correspondence we've received from a Mr. Ghosen, Steve has the unique ability of assembling a 370Z from nothing but a parts bin, sans instructions.
As for our driver, our producer has hired yet another "qualified" individual from the local drag strip, named Frank. It seems Frank is a member of the local police department, and has been participating in the local drag races for over 5 years. When he's not flying down the strip in the fastest manner possible, he's doing the same on public streets as a member of the Highway Patrol.
Look, say what you want, but the only thing I really care about is the fact that he's more interested in the car than me. Considering our previous encounters with various forms of law enforcement, the faster this thing is over, the better.
Performance as Purchased: April 14, 2011, Caroline Red (
Red)
Displacement: 1,988 cc
Max. Power:
119 hp @ 5,500 rpm
Max. Torque:
119 ft-lbs. @ 4,500 rpm
Drivetrain: FR
Length: 4,235 mm Height: 1,405 mm Weight: 1095 kg
Tires: Comfort (Soft)
Performance Points:
342
Mileage: 0.0 mi.
Having practically a clean slate to work with, Steve gave our Skyline the once over, declaring the car fit for both road and track. He also pointed out that the interior retained the same smells as when it rolled off the assembly line, and marveled how a car could last so long. Our secret? Lots of plastic, and lots of duct tape. With only an oil change and a bath, Steve produced and extra
6 ft-lbs. of torque,
6 horses, and
6 Performance Points... which Steve insists aid the windshield wipers in deflecting insects as well as rain. I'm not exactly sure how that's of any use, but Steve seems adamant that they're very important.
For those keeping score at home, other notable data includes: Max. Power: 125 hp, Max. Torque: 125 ft-lb., Max. Performance Points: 348 PP
Once the car was sorted, we strapped Frank into the Skyline tighter than an infant with an overbearing mother. After he familiarized himself with the car's interior and controls, Frank pulled to the line and gave us the thumbs up, signaling his readiness to begin. Less than a minute later, Frank gave us a 0-60 mph time of
0:10.213, and a quarter mile in only
0:17.940.
Finally, a driver that can deliver. For once we actually have a skilled driver behind the wheel, and one that practices his talents on a daily basis. Why can't we just hire him permanently?
Producer
You can pay him directly from your salary
As I was saying, absolutely useless driver! I've seen more inspiring drives from
Jeremy Mayfield on the way to the pharmacy!
For those keeping score at home, other notable data includes: 0-1 mi.: 0:44.776, 0-100 mph: 0:29.462, Max. G-Force: 0.47G, Top Speed: 122.2 mph
Despite our tight logistical schedule, I was able to fit in a few laps with the car at the famous Suzuka Circuit in Japan. Given its racing lineage, the track only seemed appropriate, and although I wasn't able to compete in the car, my time was certainly enjoyable... but I haven't exactly figured out why, and that bothers me.
As a critic I'm supposed to educate you, the reader, as to the pros and cons of every vehicle I test. Not to give our producer any ideas, but if I can't do that one simple task, I've failed. Instead, I think the problem is with the car... or rather, that it isn't.
I know this is getting very confusing, which is exactly why I'm having such problems with it, but follow my train of thought and you should be able to understand why.
During cornering, the car has a lean that looks and feels a bit bothersome and slow. It should tip over, or at the very least tiptoe to the edge, then right off of the track and into a wall. It should. But it doesn't. It's freakishly tall headroom should be an off-putting design flaw, thanks to the metric tons of wasted space and awkward styling. But it, too, doesn't. The squishy tires should give out faster than your grandmother's hip, but they don't.
I could go on and on and on about how wrong this car is... except it isn't. Not even in the slightest!
You don't have to be rich to appreciate the way this car works. You have to be cool to be seen behind the wheel, but as I mentioned about the roof line, it couldn't hurt. There's no particular sign, rhyme or reason why it works, but it does, beautifully. I just want your extra time, and your...
waitaminute...
What enables all of these things to happen isn't black magic, nor is it something that can be engineered into a car. The Skyline has character, which puts it miles ahead of much faster cars, most of which are from Germany. No Audi or Mercedes is going to bring a smile to your face by not working or looking right. When the Germans get something wrong, it typically looks and feels as if it has no soul at all... but then again they also have that feel when they work as well. No little red corvette is going to provide as much fun, either, because they'll be stuck on the shoulder of the road with a police officer.
If you don't believe in the magic of this car, then perhaps you should ask my wife. Or my ex-wife... or whatever. One sight of me in this Skyline, and within minutes we'd made plans for dinner, and hopefully a chance to reconcile.
I think I finally get it now.
Week 1: 2001 Alfa Romeo Spider 3.0i V6 24V
Week 2: 1966 Alfa Romeo Spider 1600 Duetto
Week 3: 2000 Toyota Sprinter Trueno GT-APEX (S. Shigeno Ver.)
Week 4: 2007 Audi TT Coupe 3.2 Quattro
Week 5: 1983 Nissan Silvia 240RS (S110) and 1985 Nissan 240RS Rally Car
Week 6: 1973 BMW 2002 Turbo
Week 7: 2004 DMC DeLorean S2
Week 8: 1971 Nissan Fairlady 240ZG (HS30) and 1971 Nissan 240ZG (HS30)
Week 9: 1985 Lancia Delta S4 Rally Car
Week 10: 1991 Mercedes-Benz 190 E 2.5- 16 Evolution II and 1992 AMG Mercedes-Benz 190 E 2.5- 16 Evolution II Touring Car
Week 11: 1999 Lotus Motor Sport Elise and 1996 Lotus Elise and 1998 Lotus Elise Sport 190
Week 12: 2001 Audi RS4
Week 13: 1968 Isuzu 117 Coupe
Week 14: 1969 Camaro Z28 and 1969 Camaro Z28 RM and 1969 Camaro SS
Week 15: The Shelby Cars
Week 16: 1979 Honda Civic 1500 3door CX
Week 17: 1967 Mercury Cougar XR-7
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