Nissan Confirms A New Skyline Is Coming
Nissan is reportedly working on a new Skyline—although the badge never truly disappeared in Japan, it lost part of its identity when the GT-R was chunked into its own thing, and the Skyline badge became a semi-luxury sedan. In North America, we know the current JDM Skyline as the Infiniti Q50.
Key Points
- Nissan has confirmed plans to revive the Skyline name for 2027 as a rear-wheel-drive performance sedan, inspired by the design and proportions of classic Skylines from the late 1960s and early 1970s.
- The upcoming Skyline will sit between the Z and GT-R in Nissan’s performance lineup, aiming to blend everyday usability with driver-focused dynamics, and may feature a manual transmission.
- While the Skyline will remain a Japan-market model, its platform is expected to underpin a future Infiniti performance sedan for North America, effectively sharing the engineering without the historic name.
At the Japan Mobility Show, Nissan’s global design director, Alfonso Albaisa, confirmed to Auto Express that the next-generation Skyline will debut around 2027. He described it as a modern interpretation that will take notes from the late 1960s and early 1970s models without drinking too much nostalgia Kool-Aid. Think along the lines of the current Nissan Z.
“Think back to the car of 1968 or 1970. That expressive shape. Iconic,” Albaisa was quoted as saying. “Think big, wide, and blocky. Aggressive and not retro,” he continued. “The Nissan Z is on one side, the GT-R is on the other – Skyline will sit somewhere between.”
The Skyline itself will, unfortunately, remain a Japan-market model. North Americans will be able to enjoy the car's underlying platform when it arrives as a successor to the Infiniti Q50—the 2027 debut of the new Skyline sedan lines up perfectly with Infiniti's timeline for the reborn sedan confirmed earlier this month.
Tiago Castro, vice president of Infiniti Americas, hinted that for the Infiniti project to make sense, it would need to share underpinnings with a Nissan model. It's likely the sedan siblings will ride on a version of the FM platform that underpins the current Nissan Z, V37 Skyline, and the now-discontinued Q50. Even though the platform is tried and true, expect new sheet metal and a totally revamped interior.
It's likely the models will be built at Nissan's Tochigi Plant—again, where the current Nissan Z and Nissan Skyline sedan are built. As for powertrain, if it's sharing a platform with the Z, it's likely the coupe's twin-turbo 3.0-liter V6 is in play; it should output at least 400 horsepower.
Become an AutoGuide insider. Get the latest from the automotive world first by subscribing to our newsletter here.
An experienced automotive storyteller and accomplished photographer known for engaging and insightful content. Michael also brings a wealth of technical knowledge—he was part of the Ford GT program at Multimatic, oversaw a fleet of Audi TCR race cars, ziptied Lamborghini Super Trofeo cars back together, been over the wall during the Rolex 24, and worked in the intense world of IndyCar.
More by Michael Accardi
Comments
Join the conversation