A look at the history behind legendary Nissan Skyline Turbo RS-X DR30

You would have probably guessed that I'll be writing about the Nissan Skyline in one of these Motoring Icon series of articles, but this isn't another piece about the R32 'Godzilla', nor is it about the R34 that you got to know from 2 Fast 2 Furious, though I'll eventually get to them...

The car that I am going to do a deep dive on is the Nissan Skyline 2000 Turbo RS Intercooler, also known as the 'Iron Mask' due to its grille-less design. Unlike the famed GT-R models, the DR30 isn't powered by a six-cylinder engine, but there are still plenty of reasons why it is a car worthy of your time and desire.

Powertrain

Engine: FJ20ET 1,990cc in-line four Twin-Cam Turbocharged

Horsepower: 202bhp

Torque: 245Nm

Drivetrain layout: Front-engine, front-wheel drive

History of the R30 Skyline

Released in 1981, the R30 is the sixth generation within the Skyline family, and it is also one of the least appreciated Skylines - the third-generation CG10 Skyline (Hakosuka) and fourth-generation CG110 Skyline (Kenmeri) are the classic Skyline models that have a strong fanbase.

During its initial launch, the R30 was available in naturally aspirated form, with the all-new FJ20 engine. The FJ20 was the first four-cylinder engine from a Japanese manufacturer that had four valves per cylinder and with twin overhead camshafts.

Later on in 1983, the R30 was updated and gained an iconic nickname due to its redesigned grille-less front end - Iron Mask. The updated R30 was also offered with the turbocharged and intercooled FJ20ET, putting out 202bhp, resulting in the Skyline with the highest output to date. And, this top-of-the-line offering is the Skyline 2000 Turbo Intercooler RS-X (DR30).

Allure - the Skyline for everybody

The Skyline name is often synonymous with its high-performance GT-R models, so you'll probably be surprised to know that the R30 Skyline was offered in body types other than a coupe - it was also available in a four-door sedan, five-door liftback and four-door station wagon guise.

Throughout its production run, there were vastly contrasting engine options as well, ranging from the 2.0-litre and 2.8-litre diesel options, to naturally aspirated petrol engines, and the powerful turbocharged twin-cam 16-valve engine that you'll find in the RS Turbo models.

The range-topping DR30 RS-X was a handsome coupe with a boxy silhouette that was popular in the 80s. On the facelifted R30, the centre of the bonnet flows down to meet two rectangular slots on the front bumper, replacing the pre-facelift model's large louvred grille, and the pair of head lights are also reduced to a much slimmer and sleeker profile. This iconic front end gave it the 'Tekkamen' (Iron Mask) nickname.

While its design is boxy and generally consists of sharp creases and straight-lines (which can be viewed as boring), its low-slung, lengthy body, pencil-thin A-pillars, and the taillights with smoked lenses that encase the quad-round elements within, resulted in a distinct and charming sports coupe.

With a powerful turbocharged four-cylinder engine up front and power sent to the rear-wheels only, the DR30 skyline is rather lightweight at around 1,230kg (the R32 is 200kg heavier). Modifications and tunability of these cars are generally well supported, though they really don't require too much fettling with to look good. While Nissan made plenty of R30 Skylines, the sporty DR30 models are quite rare, which adds to their desirability today.

Cultural significance - from TV shows to movies, and motorsport

The DR30 Skyline isn't the most popular in mainstream car culture. However, avid JDM fans will likely know of its significance in pop culture and motorsports. A DR30 Turbo RS was the star of a Japanese TV drama series 'Seibu Keisatsu', which aired from 1979 to 1984.

R30 Skylines were also featured prominently in the notorious Japanese movie series Shuto Kosoku (Megalopolis Expressway Trial), which was about illegal time trials on the Shuto Expressway - the first movie was banned from Japanese theatres as it was perceived as a proponent of dangerous street racing.

Apart from pop culture, the R30 Skylines also seen a fair bit of motorsports use, especially in Australia. Nissan also built a Skyline Super Silhouette RS Turbo Group 5 (KDR30), which was a purpose-built race car that shared little with the production DR30. This radical race car was extremely successful in 1982 and 1983 with several wins under its belt.

While the Super Silhouette race car was an entirely different beast, it inspired owners of the R30 Skylines to modify the exteriors of their road-going cars to the same tune - it's rather common to see these cars modified with extreme aero kits to imitate the Group 5 race cars.

An excellent classic car for your consideration

Due to its age, the DR30 Skylines are eligible for Singapore's classic vehicle scheme, which means that you can legally register them and drive these gems on Singapore's roads. In fact there are already a handful of them here. 

While the DR30 did not get the GT-R treatment, and clearly isn't the most favoured model within the Skyline family, I'd argue that it is one of the most underrated hidden gems that is worth getting.

A quick search on the internet shows that a 1981 DR30 RS-X Turbo was sold in the UK for around SGD $30,000 - a reasonable price for a rather special JDM classic. If you are in the market for a classic car to enjoy, why not consider the DR30 and stand out from the rest?

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This article was first published in sgCarMart.