The enthusiast world has been waiting for the next Nissan Skyline for some time now, particularly American enthusiasts, who are set to get their first factory-sanctioned taste of the performance legend when it makes it into US showrooms for the first time.
Looking very close to the sensational GTR-Proto concept shown back in 2005 at the Tokyo Motor Show, the 2008 Skyline appears to be in its final stages of development, as evidenced by these KGP Photography shots of the car caught testing at the Nürburgring.
While all previous Skylines were sedan-derived, the new model will reportedly gain its own two-door architecture, which bodes well for the car from a performance standpoint.
Prevailing rumors have the car taking on a 3.8-liter twin-turbo V-6, itself derived from the engine in the 350Z. Power bogeys put the mill in the range of 450 horsepower and 370 pound-feet of twist. In true Skyline fashion, the car will be all-wheel-drive, with a further evolution of the GT-R’s electronic ATTESA ET-S torque-sensing system, tied into a four-wheel steering system.
All of which should be good for a 0-60 miles-per-hour time of well under 4 seconds, and a top speed somewhere on the ambitious end of 180 mph.
Interested parties might want to start inquiring with their local Nissan dealers now.