[VQuick]

Paraphrased from the article "Mr Skyline GT-R" in the Feb. 2003 issue of car.

Ghosn visited the NISMO Festival in 2001, witnessed the fanatical devotion to the GT-R first hand, and liked what he saw. He believes there's no reason why such a car should not be as popular in America and Europe. But that means the end of the road for the straight six engine layout that has been part of the Skyline mystique since the 1960s.

About the RB, Nissan's product planner for the Skyline, Hiroshi Tamura, said "We cannot use the straight six engine, because it's too costly to build a left-hand-drive car with that engine; the air intake is on that side of the car, and we can't change it without doubling costs."

The GT-R concept car revealed at the 2001 Tokyo motor show was, Tamura insists, just that-a concept. The next car will be a new generation GT-R, Tamura insists. "Porsche 993 to 996 was a big step. Ferrari 355 to 360 was a big step. We must make an even bigger leap than that for the next generation GT-R. What we are saying to customers is, be patient, trust us, we will make it for you."