The R30's FJ20 was the first Japanese four-cylinder with more than two valves per cylinder, and some grades let the driver adjust dampers on the move.
Lead trim: 1800 TI (Z18S, 105 PS) · up to 188 hp
Nissan Skyline1981–1985
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Nobody in Burbles has spotted a Nissan Skyline yet. See one on the street, point the app at it, and the first card is yours — with your @handle permanently credited on this page.
FactThe R30's FJ20 was the first Japanese four-cylinder with more than two valves per cylinder, and some grades let the driver adjust dampers on the move.
The sixth-generation Skyline, model code R30, was launched in August 1981 on the Nissan Laurel (C31) platform, and unlike its predecessors the four- and six-cylinder versions now shared a front end of the same length. It was available as a two-door hardtop coupé, a four-door sedan, a five-door liftback (offered only in the R30 generation) and a four-door station wagon, in all 26 variations, and 406,432 units were sold. The wagon had no turbo or six-cylinder versions. The all-new 16-valve DOHC FJ20 engine debuted in late 1981 and was the first four-cylinder engine from any Japanese manufacturer with more than two valves per cylinder; the FJ20-powered cars carried the chassis designation DR30. Some top-spec models featured suspension dampers adjustable while driving, another first for mass-produced Japanese cars. The range was facelifted in August 1983, when four-wheel disc brakes became standard and the Z18S four-cylinder engine was replaced by the CA18E; the Paul Newman Version was released that year. It was built in Japan and, from 1982 to 1987, in South Africa, and was also sold in Australia.
Collectors Spotted in the Nissan Skyline Lineage
No member has published a public street spot of the Nissan Skyline yet — the First · Worldwide stamp is wide open.
Trims & Figures
7 published trims in the catalogue. A blank is a figure not recorded, not zero.
| Trim | Years | Engine | Power | Torque | 0–60 | Drive | Gearbox | MSRP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1800 TI (CA18E, 115 PS) | 1983–1985 | 1.8 L Inline-4 | 113 hp | 119 lb-ft | — | RWD | — | — |
| 1800 TI (Z18S, 105 PS) | 1981–1983 | 1.8 L Inline-4 | 104 hp | 108 lb-ft | — | RWD | — | — |
| 2.4 export (L24, 120 PS) | 1981–1985 | 2.4 L Inline-6 | 118 hp | — | — | RWD | — | — |
| 2.8 export (L28, 139 PS) | 1982–1985 | 2.8 L Inline-6 | 137 hp | 163 lb-ft | — | RWD | — | — |
| 2000 GT Turbo (L20ET, 140 PS) | 1981–1985 | 2.0 L Inline-6 | 138 hp | 152 lb-ft | — | RWD | — | — |
| 2000 RS (FJ20E, 150 PS) | 1981–1985 | 2.0 L Inline-4 | 148 hp | 133 lb-ft | — | RWD | — | — |
| 2000 RS-Turbo (FJ20ET, 190 PS) | 1983–1985 | 2.0 L Inline-4 | 188 hp | 166 lb-ft | — | RWD | — | — |
Owning one
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Owners’ builds
Nobody has claimed one yet.
Photographs
Only 100 Skyline Nismo Limiteds exist, and each one's engine was hand-built by the same Takumi craftsmen who build the R35 GT-R's VR38 — their names are stamped right on it.
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The R31 holds a Skyline first — the only generation in the car's entire history to come as a four-door hardtop, badged "Passage GT."
The R30's FJ20 was the first Japanese four-cylinder with more than two valves per cylinder, and some grades let the driver adjust dampers on the move.
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The first Skyline's 1.5 L engine started life in the prototype Subaru 1500, a rare shared root between two rival badges.
Rivals
Same body, same money, other badges — tap any card to flip.
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Audi TTS Coupe · TTS Coupe (2016–2023) · 2016–2023.
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