The Nissan Skyline has changed significantly since the first-generation model debuted in 1957. It grew in popularity in the late 1980s and early 1990s as a performance powerhouse with the revival of the GT-R name, propelling the model to legendary status when the R34 arrived just before the end of the Millennium.
Nissan offers the R34 in three body styles, with the look of a relatively subdued sedan. Don’t let the looks fool you, though, as That Racing Channel features a modified Skyline sedan that breathes flames from its large, round exhaust pipe.
The RB26’s engine underwent extensive upgrades; however, the specifications are not offered in the video. It had a head and block job, and got a new turbo. The 2.6-liter straight-six engine produces 800 horsepower, which is channeled through the stock transmission to the car’s factory all-wheel drive system. The car sounds true to the video, with guttural exhaust sounds and lots of turbocharger noise.
The car is made by International Drag, a South Florida store specializing in upgrading JDM products. The 800-hp Nissan Skyline R34 is deceptively modest compared to other shop creations that put out as much as 1,500 hp, but this Nissan still has a stock gearbox, which may not be ready to handle any additional power.
The future of the Skyline is uncertain at Nissan. A report from earlier this year suspected the Skyline would be an electric SUV, but it feels like little more than speculation without anything official from the company. The Skyline exists today as the rebranded Infiniti Q50, which has been since the thirteenth generation model went into production in 2014.
The GT-R lives on as a separate model in the US, which the automaker is updating for 2024. Nissan has hinted that the model will become fully electric one day. But it’s unclear when, as automakers are concerned about the technology’s feasibility in high-performance applications. It’s a concern other automakers have expressed as they navigate the transition to battery power. More horsepower means less range, and that’s a difficult scale to balance with today’s technology.
Until then, we can expect Nissan’s 3.8-liter V6 to keep powering the GT-R. The company is working to offer more electric vehicles, with bold plans to sell 19 fully electric models by the end of the decade. The company will augment that by offering 27 new hybrids as well, and somewhere in those plans are the future Skyline and GT-R.
