Nissan Motor Co., Ltd. unveiled a Skyline Coupe to be launched in Japan in the fall of this year at an event held on April 24, 2007 to commemorate the Skyline’s 50th anniversary. A right-hand drive version was first introduced at this event, while the left-hand drive version of this model was previously displayed as the “Infiniti G37 Coupe” at the New York Auto Show in April 2007 .
The Nissan Skyline yesterday celebrated its 50th anniversary in majestic style at an event held in Tokyo’s new Midtown development. The Skyline, a mid-size car, is available in a coupe or sedan body. Since 1957, the Skyline has been a legendary car in the Nissan lineup. It comes with a long heritage of performance and style that has wowed motorsport fans around the world.
Taking advantage of this opportunity, Nissan also showed off the new Skyline Coupe at the event, making its first appearance in Japan. The new Skyline Coupe is scheduled for launch in Japan this fall.
The chief engineers for product development for each generation of Skyline, including Shinichiro Sakurai, the chief development engineer for the first Skyline model, were present at the celebration. The event featured a cinematic presentation that reflected the evolution of Skyline’s design, performance and image in the different environments of each generation of Skyline.
In addition, a fashion show titled “Skyline GT Collection” was held in commemoration of the anniversary, featuring twelve of today’s hottest fashion models, including Yoko Horiuchi. Models dressed in specifically designed outfits inspired by each generation of the Skyline.
Celebrity guests include musician Joe Hisaishi, actor Ken Watanabe, while Major League Baseball player Ichiro sent his congratulations via video message. Each of these celebrities share a common trait with Skyline, namely that they were born in Japan, but have since gained worldwide fame and recognition. Hisaishi’s latest composition, I Will Be, written for the new Skyline TV commercial, was first performed by Mai Hisaishi, who also appears in the commercial.
The Skyline 50th Anniversary Exhibition, featuring each generation of Skyline models, is open to the public at Tokyo Midtown Garden through May 6. Additionally, the new Skyline Coupe and Skyline GT Collection fashion line will be on display at the Midtown Atrium from Wednesday, April 25 through Sunday, May 6 – Nissan.
The current Skyline, equipped with notable Nissan accessories and quality auto parts, is sold in North America, South Korea, Taiwan and the Middle East as the Infiniti G35. The company doesn’t give details, but the car, which is basically similar to the G37 Coupe, appears to be powered by a 3.7L “VQ37VHR” V6 engine that is equipped with a variable valve lift/timing mechanism.
The front view of the car shows that the emblem on the grille of the American version is Infiniti, while that of the domestic version is Nissan. The domestic version’s front fenders feature side marker lights, which are not found on the American version. The rear view flaunts that the domestic version has the Nissan emblem and the lettering below the emblem has been changed from Infiniti to Skyline. Also, the model name emblem for the American version is the G37, while that of the domestic version is the 370GT.
