Why the Skyline is not sold in America

[spyder1]

I hear that... I'm waiting for 2003 to see what's available, then I'm going from there. There should be a lot of cars out with some good power and 6-spd tranny's, so I'm already drooling ready to get one.

Otherwise, I'm saving my pennies and will be satisfied with the Accord... It's nice to dream though... real nice to dream...

Does anyone have any confirmation of the new Skyline GT-R coming to the US or not? I've heard that it will be an Infinity (yuk) and that it will be totally different from the R32 to R34 series... I hope I'm not up for a disappointment here...

Confirmed pics (or places where the pics are at) would be nice also.

[R35]

There are a few threads here at AF regarding the "new" (so-called) GT-R. (not even sure about the name).

Check out http://www.automotiveforums.com/vbulletin/t3224.html

So far (just a guess) it appears that the next GT-R will be a V-8, sold at Infinity under the name GT-R (not Skyline). The V35 (will continue to be called a Skyline in Japan) will come to the states as a possible Infinity "?V35?", but if you look at it and the new Altima. THEY ARE THE SAME FRICKEN CAR!! Since when did Nissan think it was ok to lower the Skyline to the level of an Altima!? (ya ya they are both based on the XVL concpet so they look alike) My arse, THEY ARE THE SAME!?!?!

So don't expect much out of the first GT-R to come to the states, but pray that Nissan gets it right.

I don't care if they sell it at a Hyundai dealer! If I could buy a R34 GT-R V spec II I'll just take the damn badges off:finger:

[gang$tarr]

Originally posted by BBD
first of all I would like to thank you all for loving this car old new future whatever

people might ask why its not sold in the US. 1st Americans are Ignorant people, they banned Skylines the REAL WRX Mitsubishi Evo's the good cars yes, WHY you might ask well here is the theory I like to go by.

Is those cars where released in the US Who would be the idiot to buy a Corvette, Viper, Mustange Camaro and all that V8 Junk America has to offer, Their sales would go threw the floor no one would even think about them anymore in 2 years time.

I would also like add the Skyline GTR 32, 33 and 34 are sold ONLY in California by a private dealer how on earth he got them here I have no idea they are still right hand drive. I heard some rumors that the Skyline GTR 33 can be converted to left hand drive by using the Nissan Blue Bird Dash board. the GTR34 well I hope I would be going back to Arabia soon and have the money to buy a new one and think about how the hell to convert it to left hand drive. it is gona be very tricky because I hear the turbos are located at the left hand side of the car and their is not much space to work with.

PS* New Chevy Impala in the US is inline 6 ,,,, the new Chevy Impala in Aussie land is a V8 WOOOT I LOVE YOU GUYS DOWN UNDER you truley know what cars to have

that was one of the dumbest things i ever read in my life
it's all emission regulations

[R35]

Really?!:huh:

I was too busy trying to figure out what he was trying to say to notice:finger:

[Morpheus XIII]

Many have said that the cause for limiting specific cars from being sold in the U.S. revolves around the sole restrictive emissions factor. Perhaps that is what automakers would like you to believe, but I am becoming more and more unconvinced.

Most of the huge foreign companies have the technology to carefully orchestrate the task of building cleaner burning vehicles at the cost of sacrificing little performance. As you know, these otherworldly machines already produce heavy-duty power AND utilize various ways of ensuring that a high percentage of the energy is retained all the way to the ground. Therefore, even a fair decrease in engine power would still allow such cars like the Skyline GT-R to be ranked among high performance vehicles. "Emissions" is DOable, but it's EXPENSIVE. They can, but should they?

You and I say 'yes'. But automakers have to make careful decisions, upon which they must take even more careful planning. They don't want to lose money. One would think that a U.S. Skyline would sell like hotcakes, but that's a passion left only to sports car enthusiasts. Did the later model Supras supply huge financial gains to Toyota in the U.S? We all remember how the story went: limited production, zero advertisement, trimline cuts, eventual model drop... and how many do you see on the road today? The Supra is quite possibly the Skyline's greatest GT adversary in Japan. If the genuine Skyline made it here, wouldn't history repeat itself?

Fixing emissions is COSTLY, and to make it worse, it's not the only problem. There is also the entire deal about the RB26DETT's limited engine bay space. The requirement of a left-hand steering column would require the entire mill to be reconstructed in 'mirror' form, which is also COSTLY. Perhaps this is why such heavy development is going into the already smog certified, already potent VQ motor. It's no RB, but its the least expensive, most effective way to recreate the heart of the next generation Nissan sports car.

To expand on this ideal, let us look at Subaru: Rally racing has never been popular in the U.S.--until just recently. With growing popularity in the SCCA and better cable television coverage, the consumers are gaining a much more colorful picture of what the rest of the world knows and we don't. Then suddenly Subaru leaks out a production Impreza WRX into our market. Up until now, Subarus have been considered as practical and useful cars for those living near shoddy terrain. Check out Colorado; there are fleets of them. Traditional Subaru owners would probably have NEVER even considered flying through narrow winding icy mountain paths with the aid of 200+hp. If the WRX had been introduced years ago, wouldn't average people just look at it funny and be confused? It doesn't look like a traditional sports car. It doesn't even look like a traditional sports sedan. Rally? What's that?

Now they know. Now Subaru is reassured and can market the WRX safely in the U.S. It was still a gamble, but an educated one. It worked and they ARE selling.

Basically, I feel that it is primarily MONEY which dictates which cars should be sent where. But in the end we, the consumers, win. They make cars depending on what's cheapest, and then in turn, we get cheaper cars. A brand new U.S. legal Motorex R34 Skyline GT-R costs $90,000. Motorex did what it took to bring a GT-R here. Why would it be any different for Nissan? Would you really like it if Nissan decided to bring over their R34 Skyline GT-R valued at around $50,000 and charge us $90,000 apiece?

[Jay!]

Originally posted by morpheusxiii
To expand on this ideal, let us look at Subaru: Rally racing has never been popular in the U.S.--until just recently. With growing popularity in the SCCA and better cable television coverage, the consumers are gaining a much more colorful picture of what the rest of the world knows and we don't.

...And PlayStation/Computer games. I wouldn't care less unless I had been hooked on Gran Turismo 2. Now I watch all the rally recaps on Speedvision.

[meggala]

One of the other reasons the skyline doesn't come to the US is the quality of fuel commonly available I believe you can only get 93 octane over there at least here in oz we can get 98 and in japan they have 105. nissan don't like to risk the reputation of the skyline as well the car is worshipped in japan like a god they have a whole huge museum full of every model made and any model that acheived anything. they don't want the embarassment of it possibly flopping in the US especially with nissans fragile finace situation.

I drive an r32 gts and it wont take anything less than 95 octane
the quality of the car is wonderful and I don't reget buying it comming from fords. The handeling in nimble and precise and I've seen 210kph (130 mph). I ve looked inside all the gtrs and they are great dream cars for some of us. I wont own one unless I win the lottery.Cause I couldn't justify the cost.

Anyway a nice forum I'm always happy to speak about skylines
and to think for the 10 yrs b4 I got my skyline I quit the car habit.
cheers
meggala


have a look at my site

http://www.meggala.com

skyline info and drifting stuff

[Morpheus XIII]

Seriously, the games have done a lot for the U.S.

I keep hearing that the first SEGA Rally Championship was the first rally arcade game in the U.S. and that is how many of them were introduced to rally racing.

But have any of you ever heard of the old '93 (I think) arcade game called World Rally by Atari? Now, THAT game was fun. It put you in charge of a Celica All-trac/GT4 to run in various sessions differing by day, night, gravel, snow, ice, dirt, and tarmac. Your navigator was merely an on-screen, heads-up display style road indicator, and you had but two speeds and one pedal. Instead of the traditional in-car view, the screen presented a side angled bird's-eye view that changed depending on the direction of travel. The physics were terrible, but to me the game was really addictive most likely because of the fun when it came to drifting. Instead of braking, steering, countersteering, and accelerating, you just yanked and twirled the free spinning steering wheel into one or the other direction.

I was so amused to play a game that was so different from all the other stuff that was out there (especially not knowing what rally racing was), and now I am happy to know that the popularity is spreading home.

[Morpheus XIII]

A screen-shot:

[R35]

Buwahahahaha

Games that teach!!!

And all we hear is how bad games are. I also heard that a local Exotic car dealership is using GT3 to demo cars to people that come into buy. I have to admit the game is really good and realistically even tho I have had the chance to drive many US legal exotic cars and the Sklyine's and Evo's when I was in Japan I have never had a chance to really open up those cars on a track before so playing GT3 is a good way to "see" what a car can really do.

My friend has come over to play the game to see how adding a super charger would change his NSX. He already has about 308hp at the wheels, but most people don't think about how adding more hp to a car can also change the way it handles. GT3 gives us at least an idea of what will have to be done to accomadate that added hp.

Gotta love it

[gang$tarr]

i love the free spinning wheel just like on off-road

[Morpheus XIII]

Originally posted by R35
I also heard that a local Exotic car dealership is using GT3 to demo cars to people that come into buy.

Now THAT'S awesome. I once read in a gamer's rag that SCEI first needed to approach the automakers featured in their Gran Turismo games, and instead of being looked upon with skepticism, the companies willfully wanted their machines on that source of medium, so that it would increase publicity. Of course, there are still automakers who don't want their cars put into games that allow them to become competetive with other cars of the world... Ha ha ha, what are they afraid of?

[Doughnutdemon]

Hello all, first post on AF, but have been around on SDU (as Carlito). I have a Skyline R32 GTS-t.

I don't necessarily agree that nobody in the US knows about Skylines - lots of people play GT/GT2/GT3 and know of them. Problem is 1) most probably think it's a mythical beast 2) most probably don't make enough to buy one!

But I hope you get your wish and Nissan brings in the GTR and the new Skyline. Even the non-GTR Skyline models rock- my 2 litre turbocharged 4-door will blow the doors off most cars, handles like a go-kart and gets lots of appreciative looks at the gas station (where I spend lots of time as it also has a drinking problem 220 turbocharged horses need to drink!)

[Chris]

Welcome to AF! Good to have anothe Skyline owner!

[Morpheus XIII]

Welcome to the forum.

Before Gran Turismo came out, only a handful of the people I knew, really knew what a Skyline was. We were all of the same drastic image: geeky looking guys banded together searching for more of their kind, who owned stacks of $9 a piece Options magazines and alike (which we couldn't read), hunting down the specialty imports like WRX RA STis and 400Rs at the car shows, virtually speaking in a language quite foreign to most gearheads--all for the support of what we can't have.....Things sure have come a long way, and I feel something like a breath of fresh air, as I can talk to just about anyone on the road now about Skylines now, and hold up a decent conversation. Well it's only getting better. I guess we owe Polyphony Digital and SCEI something, hmm?