Nissan Skyline 5th Generation C210
| 1977-1981 | |
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| Overview | |
| Also called | Skyline Japan Datsun 180K/240K/280K Datsun Skyline |
| Production | 1977–1981 539,727 units sold |
| Assembly | Musashimurayama, Japan |
| Designer | Shinichiro Sakurai |
| Body and chassis | |
| Body style | 4-door sedan 2-door coupé 5-door station wagon |
| Layout | FR layout |
| Related | Nissan Laurel |
| Powertrain | |
| Engine | 1,595 cc L16T I4 1,595 cc Z16S I4 1,770 cc L18T/L18E I4 1,770 cc Z18/Z18E I4 1,952 cc Z20E I4 1,998 cc L20E I6 1,998 cc L20ET turbo I6 2,393 cc L24/L24E I6 1,952 cc LD20 diesel I4 2,792 cc LD28 diesel I6 |
| Dimensions | |
| Wheelbase | 2,515 mm (99.0 in) (C210/211) 2,615 mm (103.0 in) (GC210/211) |
| Length | 4,315 mm (169.9 in) (Wagon) 4,400 mm (173.2 in) (C210/211) 4,600 mm (181.1 in) (GC210/211) |
| Width | 1,625 mm (64.0 in) |
| Height | 1,385–1,425 mm (54.5–56.1 in) |
The succeeding C210/211 and GC210/211 of 1977 continued to split the Skyline range into basic and six-cylinder models, the latter with a longer wheelbase and front end. This line continued through 1981. A rare variant would be the wagon version, which had a unique styling treatment behind the rear doors, of a much smaller window than usual between the C and D pillars. The Skyline received an internal and external facelift in late 1978,[which led to a change of the model code from 210 to 211. This was also when the Skyline first appeared in several European export markets, such as Germany.
The GT-EX replaced the discontinued GT-R with a turbocharged engine, the L20ET. As installed in the recently renewed Nissan Cedric/Gloria, this had been the first turbo engine to power a Japanese production vehicle. One notable aspect of the turbo versions was that they were not intercooled and there was no form of blowoff valve, only an emergency pressure release valve. As usual with Japanese cars of this period, there were four- or five-speed manuals and a three-speed automatic, with a column-shifted three-speed manual available on lower end cars and vans.
The "T" designation on the L16T and L18T does not signify a turbocharger was included; it denotes that those engines came with twin carburetors. The L-series engines were all switched to the cross-flow Z-series in late 1978. The larger 2.4 litre inline-six was never offered in the domestic Japanese market; having been reserved for export. Export engines were rated in DIN horsepower, so while a Japanese-spec L24 promised 130 ponies, European market cars with the same engine only claimed 113 PS (83 kW). On the other hand, European buyers could also get the fuel injected L24E with 127 or 130 PS (93 or 96 kW) DIN, about on par with what the turbocharged GT-EX offered. Originally marketed as the Datsun 240K-GT in Europe, the fuel injected version was sold as the Datsun Skyline in most markets where it was available. It has a claimed top speed of 186 km/h (116 mph).
In June 1980 the two-liter, fuel injected inline-four Z20E engine was added to the lineup, as was the 2.8 liter straight-six GT-Diesel with 91 PS (67 kW).
Models:
- 1600TI – 1.6 L Z16 I4, 95 PS (70 kW), 13.5 kg·m (132 N·m)
- 1800TI – 1.8 L Z18 I4, 105 PS (77 kW), 15.0 kg·m (147 N·m) - the similar L18 received a claimed 77 PS (57 kW) DIN in European export markets.
- 1800TI-EL – 1.8 L Z18E I4, 115 PS (85 kW), 15.5 kg·m (152 N·m)
- 2000GT-EL – 2.0 L L20E I6, 130 PS (96 kW), 17.0 kg·m (167 N·m)
- 2000GT-EX – 2.0 L L20ET turbo I6, 145 PS (107 kW), 21.0 kg·m (206 N·m)
- Datsun 240K-GT – 2.4 L L24 I6, 113 PS (83 kW) DIN, 18.0 kg·m (177 N·m), 180 km/h (110 mph), 0–100 km/h in 13.5 s.
