Ghosn promises successor to Nissan Skyline GT-R supercar on sale 2007

MAKUHARI, Japan, Oct 22 (AFP) - Nissan Motor president Carlos Ghosn said Wednesday the next incarnation of its iconic Skyline GT-R supercar would go on sale in Japan and around the world in 2007.

"The GT-R is very important. We are confirming we're coming with GT-R," Ghosn told reporters on the first press day of the Tokyo Motor Show which opens to the public on Saturday.

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"It means that I am taking the commitment that you will see at the Tokyo Motorshow in 2007 the real car, not the concept car, which means sales of GT-R will start in 2007."

Production of the last version of the rocket-like GT-R with its trademark twin set of round rear lights ended in August 2002 because the car did not conform to Japanese emission standards according to Nissan Motor Co.

But the company was not making money on the GT-R which cost from 4.5 million yen to 6.2 million yen (41,200 dollars to 56,900 dollars), and just 1, 700 were sold in 2002.

Ghosn has repeatedly said it would only make profitable models, raising fears the cult classic would be confined to the history books.

In January Ghosn gave the car a new lease of life, promising it would go back into production but without naming a date.

Since its launch in 1969, the Skyline GT-R has built up a passionate cult following both at home and abroad thanks to individually-shipped models. Numerous websites are dedicated to it.

Outside Japan, Nissan has only sold it directly in Britain and Australia where driving is on the left as in Japan, according to a Nissan official.

But Ghosn promised the new car would be a "global car" available anywhere as long as it was commercially viable.

"The former GT-R was a Japanese car, the future GT-R is going to be a global car, which means it's going to be available for all the markets, Europe, United States, Japan, everywhere, under the condition of profitability, obviously, but it will be available for all the markets," he said.

Touted as the fastest four-wheel-drive production car in the world, with an officially declared 280 brake horsepower under the bonnet, the GT-R can give far more expensive European supercars a run for their money from a standing start.

A roadtest conducted by Britain's 'Car' magazine found the R-34 GT-R went from 0-62 miles per hour (99.2 kilometres per hour) in 5.2 seconds. The top speed is limited to a breathtaking 155 mph.

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