1988 Nissan Skyline HR31 Passage GT review from Australia and New Zealand

Original electronic shocks were worn and the car was bouncy, but nothing unusual for its age.

Tensioner and idler bearing for the timing belt were noisy.

This car completely blew me away within the first hour or so driving it. Never have I seen such seamless integration of sportiness, comfort and practicality into one reliable package.

Pretty much the only thing that stretches back to the 80's is its design; everything else is modern by today's standards. Some of its features included:

- Tilt/slide sunroof

- In-cabin 3-way adjustable electronic shocks

- Automatic rain-sensing wipers

- Automatic headlights

- Climate control.

Apparently there were also options such as ABS, cruise control and card entry system available on some models.

Gadgets aside, the car handled like a dream. It had McPherson Struts up front and semi-trailing arm independent rear suspension, along with a limited-slip differential and speed-sensitive 4-wheel steering.

The turbocharged engine was never short on power too, and produced close to 200bhp at the flywheel from factory. Power delivery is not very linear though, so you have to be alert on your gear selection to ensure the engine is above 3000rpm to get positive pressure from the turbo.

It was very practical too, having four-doors and a fairly large boot. It had a unique "pillarless" design which incorporates frameless doors and does away with the B-pillars.

This car is probably the last "sports-comfort" oriented Skyline, before Nissan moved on to the hard-edged R32 models and beyond. Would I buy another Skyline? You bet!