Nissan Skyline V36 (2006–2014)

What the V36 changed over the V35

The V36 kept the recipe of the V35, a front-engined, rear-wheel-drive saloon with a V6, but refined almost every part of it. Nissan's launch release describes a next-generation FR-L platform with a stiffer body that weighs no more than its predecessor's. Overall width grew by 20 mm and height fell by the same amount, and the seats were mounted 27 mm lower.

The engines were new HR versions of the VQ V6. The 3.5 could rev to 7,500 rpm, and both engines met Japan's SU-LEV standard, with NOx and hydrocarbon emissions cut by 75% against the 2005 limits. Nissan set a target of 1,000 saloons a month in Japan.

Design was credited to Hideo Komuro. For how the V36 fits into the 13-generation story, from the Prince ALSI to the turbo GT-Rs, see the complete Nissan Skyline history.

Saloon, coupé and Skyline Crossover

The V36 range covered three body styles in Japan. The saloon came first in November 2006. The coupé followed on 2 October 2007 as the 370GT, in Type P, Type S and Type SP grades, with a target of 200 cars a month.

The Skyline Crossover, a high-riding five-door, went on sale in Japan on 13 July 2009. It used the 3.7 V6 rated at 243 kW (330 PS) with a seven-speed automatic, and a 370GT FOUR grade was listed. Abroad the same car was the Infiniti EX, sold in Europe as the EX37 with all-wheel drive as standard.

In the US, the saloon arrived as the 2007 Infiniti G35, the coupé as the 2008 G37, and a G37 convertible followed in June 2009; the convertible was not part of the Japanese Skyline range. The coupé shares its VQ37VHR engine family with the Nissan 370Z, which makes the two natural alternatives for buyers who want a rear-drive Nissan V6.

The VQ V6 line-up and 4WAS steering

All V36 Skylines used a V6 petrol engine and drove the rear wheels as standard, with ATTESA E-TS all-wheel drive on some versions, sold in the US as the G35x and G37x.

The Japanese coupé figure is Nissan's quoted 333 PS; the European rating follows the ADAC catalogue. In the US the most powerful version was the 2011 Infiniti Performance Line coupé, with 260 kW (353 PS).

VVEL, which continuously varies intake-valve lift and timing, made its Infiniti debut with the VQ37VHR. Nissan said the engine delivered 90% of its peak torque between 2,400 and 7,000 rpm. Gearboxes started with a five-speed automatic with adaptive shift control and magnesium paddles, plus a close-ratio six-speed manual for the coupé; a seven-speed automatic replaced the five-speed across the US range for the 2009 model year.

4WAS, Nissan's four-wheel active steering, was optional on the saloon's sportier grades and standard on the coupé's Type S and Type SP. It varies the front steering ratio and adds a small rear-wheel steering angle; on the US cars the ratio ranged from 12.0:1 to 18.5:1, with up to one degree of rear steer.

Infiniti G37 in Europe: specification

Europe received the V36 only under the Infiniti name. The G37 saloon was shown at Geneva in March 2009, and ADAC lists European production of the saloon from October 2009 to April 2013, with coupé and convertible versions alongside. The table shows the G37 automatic saloon.

The car met Euro 5. ADAC gives a base price of 43,050 EUR for this version over its October 2009 to April 2013 build period. All-wheel-drive G37x versions joined the European range from February 2010. Standard safety equipment included front, side and curtain airbags, ESP, rear ISOFIX mounts and active head restraints.

US crash tests of the Infiniti G saloon (2007–2013)

No Euro NCAP result has been found for the V36 or the Infiniti G37. The fullest data comes from the US Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), whose ratings for the Infiniti G four-door cover the 2007 to 2013 model years.

The 2013 IIHS page lists no Top Safety Pick award for the G saloon. The small overlap test was introduced late in the car's life, so the Acceptable result applies only to its final years. These are US results for a left-hand-drive Infiniti; they are a guide to the Japanese Skyline's structure, not a rating of it.

Which V36 to look for

Each version suits a different buyer.

• Skyline 250GT saloon: the simplest V36, with the 2.5 V6; it stayed on sale in Japan for a while after the V37 hybrid arrived in 2014.
• Skyline 370GT coupé: the enthusiast's V36, with the VVEL engine and the option of a six-speed manual.
• Skyline Crossover: the most practical body, with the 3.7 and a seven-speed automatic.
• Infiniti G37 (Europe): sold new in Europe with the 235 kW (320 PS) engine and Euro 5 approval.

Find related models in the Nissan range or browse other Japanese cars. The V36's successor, the V37, became the Skyline version of the Infiniti Q50.