Conference terri::cars_uk

Just an addition to my last point, if anybody wants any information 
on the Skyline or wants to see pictures and QT videos they can try :-

www.topgear.com

but even better is:-

http://www.nissan.co.jp/NISSAN/GT-R/overdrive/pressrelease-e.html

its in english so don't panic those who can't read Japanese.

Cheers

Rick Barrett

P.s. Can't guess its my favourite car can you ??

    Apparently the MX5 is more responsive ;-)
    
    Chris

>> Anybody have any comments on the fastest production car ever to lap the 
>> Nurburgring race track in Germany ?
    
    Shouldn't this read "....the production car which has lapped the
    Nurburgring fastest...." ? I've seen the car on Top Gear, and although
    it impressed Jeremy, I have serious doubts about whether it really is a
    match for a Diablo... (in the fastest production car stakes, that is)
    
    Graham                                                               

Re.-1

Graham,

In a straight line it wont be as fast a Diablo, the standard Skyline has a 
0-62 time of 5.3 seconds and top speed is unknown since the version to be 
released in the UK is de-limited, the Japanese versions have limiters setting 
top speed to around 113mph for legal reasons. According to top gear, top speed 
is around the 165mph mark. 

The reason why its the fastest production car around a race track is that it 
will comfortably out corner a Diablo or just about anything else !!

I remember hearing that the japanese decided they couldn't build a car with 
the chassis finesse of the best europeans so they decided in true Japanese 
style to throw technology at it and came up with the most sophisticated drive 
mechanism available on a production car !!

Cheers

Rick Barrett

 > They will have 100 too sell at around �50,000 each.

Importing privately would be a much better option.  Especially as in Japan they
drive on the left, too (I think :^) ).

Karel.

"You can in a Nissan"

You can - but I'd rather not. I'd have a car with a bit more 
charisma and style.

    You've upset Rick now :-)

Re.-2

Water of a ducks back. The whole point to it is that it just looks 
menacing rather than like a sports car - in this country it would be 
a real 'Q' car since its a relative unknown.

Personally, I wonder what car anyone can suggest can seat four in 
comfort and produce the same kind of real world performance ( please 
dont say M3 because throughout the gears it's slower let alone the 
corners or actually getting traction ) it will be ultimately 
reliable, economical and have reasonable servicing costs. The only 
thing I can think of is the Lotus Carlton which is dead now and 
wouldn't be in the same league for driveability

A company in Japan called TRUST even produce a 800+bhp version which 
is road legal and quite tractable and reliable ??

Sounds like fun to me.

Rick

P.s. I'd still 'ave it in my MX5

    
    Are you sure about these acceleration & top speed figures ? If I was
    building a car which was only going to be sold in a country where top
    speed was restricted to 113mph, then I'd gear it accordingly. So the
    5.3 secs 0-60 is not unreasonable. However if I'm them allowed to
    extend the top end performance to something more realistic, the gears
    are likely to get taller and so acceleration will suffer. If it really
    is just restricted then 5th (and possibly 4th as well) must be near to
    useless in Japan.
    
    Graham (definitely not convinced it's got better handling than a
    Lambo!) 

Graham,

They limit top speed in Japan for a number of reasons - first is 
because they have to from the manufacturer, secondly it helps 
insurance and third it doesn't bring attention to the fact that the 
engine allegedly produces alot more power than 281bhp as standard 
which again is the legal maximum.

They don't change the gearing because young japanese people spend a 
lot on their cars and then go racing with them ( they actually have a 
name for these street racers in Japan but I can't remember it ) and 
it is a relatively simple job of chipping the car to remove the 
limiter. Once on the road these Japanese racers then spend alot of 
money on performance modifications - the Skyline is very easy to 
modify to produce 400bhp+ ( I think its a chip and exhaust change ).

The Marquis of Blandford had a 400bhp version in this country and he 
had it for 40,000 miles without any reliability problems at all.

The car was designed to take on the Australian touring car 
championship against the big V8 Holdens, Sierra Cosworths etc a few 
years back - it won all bar one race in the season and was banned at 
the end of the season. It recently won the world touring car 
championships ( driven by Andy Middlehurt from St Helens ) and is 
still the fastest prouction car round the Nurburgring ( faster than 
Lambo's, Porsches, Ferrari's etc ) I am not saying it handles better 
than a Lamborghini it will just corner faster.

Rick Barrett

For all you people that like facts and figures

Technical Details from the Skyline Brochure

VEHICLE
Engine layout 		Front
Drive			Active 4 Wheel drive
Passengers		4
Style 			Sports Coupe

ENGINE
			Straight 6 DOHC
			Twin Cam 24 Valve
			Twin Garret T3 Ceramic Turbos

Bore x Stroke		86.0 x 73.7 mm
Displacement		2,568 cc
Compression Ratio	8.5:1
Emissions Control	Electronic Fuel Injection
Power			280 PS (bhp metric) @ 6800 rpm
Torque			37.5 kgm @ 4400 rpm

DRIVETRAIN

Transmission		5 Speed
Type			ATTESA E-TS PRO 4WD (LSD)
Final-drive Ratio	4.111:1
Gear Ratios

First			3.214
Second			1.925
Third			1.302
Fourth			1.000
Fifth			0.752
Reverse			3.369

DIMENSIONS

Track Fr/Rr		1,480/1,490 mm
Length			4,675 mm
Width			1,780 mm
Height			1,360 mm
Weight			1,540 kg

STEERING

			Power Assisted Steering Rack
			Super HICAS 4-Wheel Steer
			Yaw Rate Feedback
			Electronic Controlled

BRAKES

Front and Rear		Brembo Systems
			4-Wheel ABS

WHEELS			9jj x 17 Alloy

TYRES			245/45R17

AIRBAGS			Driver & Passenger

REAR SPOILER		Adjustable

If Your interesed,  there is supposed to be a Skyline GT
at Evans Hailshaw NISSAN in Reading this weekend.
Opposite the new Safeways, just down from DEC park.

Graham_S