Nissan Skyline R30 (1981–1985)

From C210 to R30: a new code and a twin-cam

The C210 had brought turbocharging to the Skyline in 1980 with the L20ET six. The R30 kept that engine but looked for a sharper image with a new four-cylinder flagship. It was built on the C31 Laurel platform, and its code was changed to R30 to align the Japanese and export names. English Wikipedia notes that the four- and six-cylinder versions now shared a front end of the same length.

Styling moved away from the "surf line" crease over the rear wheels that had marked earlier Skylines, although most versions kept the four round tail lights. German Wikipedia records that the 1981 range was the first Skyline with electronically adjustable dampers. There were 26 variations in total.

The R30 is one chapter in a much longer story; our Nissan Skyline overview follows all 13 generations.

Hardtop, saloon, liftback and estate

The two-door hardtop had no B-pillar, with roll-down rear quarter windows. The four-door saloon used framed windows, and the five-door liftback was offered only in this generation. The estate had different lamps, no turbo or six-cylinder engines, and, as English Wikipedia puts it, looked more like a Nissan Sunny than a Skyline; German Wikipedia says it stayed in production until 1990. Buyers interested in this kind of body can browse our station wagons.

The August 1983 facelift made four-wheel disc brakes standard, replaced the wing-mounted "hockey stick" mirrors with door mirrors and added new bumpers and smoked tail lights. In November 1983 Nissan added a 50th-anniversary model based on the RS-X Turbo coupé, in grey and red two-tone paint.

FJ20 and L-series engines

The table lists the main Japanese petrol engines. Turbo outputs are gross ratings, given in kW followed by PS.

The range also included a 2.0-litre L20E six without a turbo, a CA20E or Z20E four and two diesels, the LD20 four and the LD28 six. Sources differ on the diesel outputs, so they are not listed. Export markets received 2.4 and 2.8 sixes with twin Hitachi carburettors, rated at 88 kW (120 PS) and 102 kW (139 PS).

The RS, RS-X and the Tekkamen nose

English Wikipedia describes the FJ20 as the first four-cylinder engine from a Japanese maker with more than two valves per cylinder. It has a cast-iron block, an aluminium head and chain-driven twin camshafts, with a bore and stroke of 89 × 80 mm. Cars with this engine carry the chassis code DR30.

The 2000RS arrived on 2 October 1981 as a stripped, lightweight model weighing 1,130 kg (2,491 lb). The turbocharged 2000RS-Turbo followed in February 1983 with uprated front brakes. In August 1983 the RS-X added power steering, air conditioning, electric windows, fog lamps and anti-skid control, taking the weight to about 1,235 kg (2,723 lb). Its new nose, with slim headlamps and a bonnet sloping down to two narrow slits instead of a grille, earned it the name Tekkamen, or "iron mask".

From April 1984 the Turbo C added an air-to-air intercooler and a revised turbo housing, and compression rose from 8.0:1 to 8.5:1. This version also served as the basis for a Super Silhouette racing car sponsored by Tomica.

DR30 key figures

Sources checked for this page give no reliable overall length, width or wheelbase for the R30, so the table is limited to confirmed figures.

Group A in Australia

The DR30 made its Group A debut at the opening round of the 1986 Australian Touring Car Championship. George Fury won four rounds and lost the title by only five points to Robbie Francevic's Volvo 240T. Nissan did take the 1986 Australian Manufacturers' Championship ahead of BMW, and shared that title with BMW in 1987, when Fury finished third in the drivers' standings. Privateers kept racing DR30s, with about 254 kW (345 PS), until 1989.

R30s outside Japan

Australia received the imported R30 saloon in November 1981, with air conditioning and a radio cassette as standard and a choice of five-speed manual or three-speed automatic. The liftback followed in August 1982. In South Africa the car was assembled at Rosslyn from 1982, first as the Datsun Skyline and about a year later as a Nissan, with 2.8-litre sixes; the GTX hardtop was the only coupé there. The R31 replaced it in mid-1987.

Brakes and safety kit on the R30

Crash-test programmes in Europe and Australia started long after the R30 went out of production, and we found no crash-test result for it. The 1983 facelift brought four-wheel disc brakes as standard, and the RS-X added anti-skid control to its equipment list.

Which R30 to look for

English Wikipedia calls the FJ20-powered R30 a cult car that revived the Skyline name in the early 1980s, so the RS models attract most collector interest.

• 2000RS (1981): the original lightweight FJ20E car with 110 kW (150 PS).
• 2000RS-Turbo and RS-X (1983): FJ20ET with 140 kW (190 PS); the RS-X brought the Tekkamen nose and more equipment.
• RS-X Turbo C (1984): the intercooled 151 kW (205 PS) version and the fastest road R30.
• 2000GT Turbo and Paul Newman Version: L20ET six with 103 kW (140 PS); the Newman car was a GT-ES turbo with signature decals.
• Liftback: unique to the R30 and now unusual.

The FJ20 engine was also used in the Silvia of the period; later generations of that car include the Nissan Silvia S14. Other period models are listed under classic cars, and the wider Nissan catalogue covers the brand.