It shouldn’t be a surprise that car manufacturers are moving away from the internal-combustion engine. It seems only the most beloved by enthusiasts models will be spared from the EV craze, at least for now. That’s not to say there aren’t casualties on that front too, and it seems the Skyline nameplate will be the next to go under. Nissan Skyline has long been separated from the GT-R badge and over the last decade, its future has been dependent on Infiniti’s Q50. Both are the same vehicle in different markets. With Infiniti attempting to reimagine itself (again), its focus for the coming years will be on electrification while retaining an exciting design and iconic nameplates.
Good News For The Skyline Name
It’s clear that after the R34 Skyline GT-R was discontinued in 2002, the Skyline name was put on sporty crossovers, sedans, and coupe models that outside of Japan, were offered under the Infiniti brand. Back in 2021, Nissan’s executive vice president Asako Hoshino, assured us that the Skyline name will live on. Here’s when things are starting to get controversial. Hoshiro also said that development of all sedans for the Japanese market has ceased, according to Auto Economic Times. This includes models like the Nissan Fuga (Infiniti Q70), Nissan Cima (Infiniti Q70), and Nissan Skyline (Infiniti Q50).
Add to that the SUV/crossover craze and the fact the Skyline badge had already been put on a sporty crossover once (Infiniti EX and QX50), and we have a pretty good idea of what the next Skyline would be. Infiniti already introduced the QX55, which was derived from the Qx Concept. Given Nissan’s way of doing things, we have reason to believe the same crossover coupe would be sold as a Nissan Skyline in Japan.
The Infiniti Qs Inspiration Is How The Skyline Could Carry On
While 2023 is the last year to buy the current Infiniti Q50, 2025 is when we might see an EV successor. The Infiniti Qs Inspiration clearly involves the aesthetic of a sporty sedan, which is what became of the Nissan Skyline after the R34 was axed. We know Infiniti’s future involves electrification, and we also saw how the Qx Inspiration led to the Infiniti QX55 crossover coupe and the QX60 Monograph concept led to the production-version Infiniti QX60.
The Qs Inspiration will clearly lead to a sedan of some sort and while Infiniti’s variable-compression, turbocharged engines will play a role in the brand’s future (mostly in hybrid configurations), a fully-electric version will, likely, appear as well. Moreover, Nissan’s Tochigi factory, which is where Nissan’s sedan models were produced, was recently adapted to accommodate production of the new Ariya EV, which further reinforces the possibility of a fully-electric Nissan Skyline.
Multiple Flavors
Infiniti came up with a few concepts over the last few years, most of which led to production models. The Qs Inspiration was preceded by an even sleeker model – the Q Inspiration, four-door coupe. Coincidentally, this was the first model that hinted at another one of Infiniti’s transformations. The concept also promotes Nissan’s smartly-packaged, VC (variable-compression) turbo engines. It also means that whatever the next-generation Skyline turns out to be, there will be multiple body types, featuring the iconic nameplate.
At this point, it’s little more than hypothesis, but given Nissan and Infiniti's patterns when it comes to their model lineups, the writing is, pretty much, on the wall. Whatever the Q Inspiration and Qs Inspiration concepts lead to, will wear the Skyline badge for the Japanese market. As for the recently-introduced QX55 and QX60, those would likely be marketed on the Japanese market under the Skyline Crossover name.
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Reinforcing The Myth Of A Four-Door GT-R EV
Last year, we came upon a scoop from Japanese publication, Best Car Web, reporting on plans for a four-door Nissan GT-R EV. It’s a topic, the viability of which we have discussed thoroughly over the last year, and as much as hardcore fans of Godzilla would frown upon it, a fully-electric powertrain and a more practical body style could be in the GT-R’s foreseeable future. Moreover, the Japanese publication has proven itself as a fairly reliable source of information.
Nissan GT-R and Porsche 911 have had a bit of a trans-continental rivalry over the years. Given the success of the Porsche Taycan, it would make sense for Nissan to want to match the German manufacturer in the booming segment of performance EVs. Infiniti's current endeavors to reinvent itself could be a bridge that would lead to more of the company's models making the transition to electrification. For that to happen, Infiniti would have to stop playing it safe.
The Infiniti QX55 crossover coupe looks good, but is rather underwhelming when it comes to powertrain options. The VC turbo-four engine is good on paper, but it's lackluster and the CVT transmission certainly doesn't improve the driving experience. The real problem is that Infiniti is rehashing what other manfuacturers did a few years ago. Take an existing concept, but make it more "sustainable" by replacing the potent V-6 with an unremarkable, turbo-four and a dreary automatic.
The outgoing Q50 was bold as it wanted to give BMW a run for its money. In terms of dollar-per-horsepower ratio, it sort of managed, and it became a bit of a tuner's delight, especially when fitted with the VR30 DDTT engine. For a brief moment, the Skyline name became exciting again. For the next-generation Q50/Skyline to not fall in the same trap as the QX55, it would need to be even bolder than its predecessor. Unfortunately, a fully-electric powertrain could be the only way to salvage the iconic Skyline name.