Nissan trainees transformed this classic Skyline sedan into a silhouette racer.

      Nissan

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      Being a student at Nissan Gakuen, the company's technical college in Japan, must be quite enjoyable. In addition to acquiring skills that could lead them to a successful career in car manufacturing, they also engage in the creation of some truly unique automotive creations. You might already know about their Fairlady Z crossover and wagon (the latter of which utilized a Leaf's hatch), but Gakuen students also work on builds of classic vehicles. Three of these projects will be showcased at the upcoming Tokyo Auto Salon next month.

      Each of these projects, crafted by students from Nissan's Aichi and Kyoto campuses, is distinctly different. One features a last-generation Nissan Micra redesigned to resemble a Bluebird 312, incorporating some original Bluebird components. Another is a modified Skyline R30 sedan that imitates its two-door RS Silhouette Formula counterpart. My favorite, however, is an original Nissan Sunny, which has been modified to sport flared fenders, resembling a KPGC10 Nissan Skyline GT-R designed for drifting.

      Let’s start with the Micra/Bluebird hybrid. The students have dubbed this the March Eloura; “March” is what the Micra is known as in Japan, while “Eloura” is a fabricated term combining “era” and “luce,” the Italian word for “light.” While that’s quite a bit of conceptual background, the creation from the Gakuen team resembles a contemporary Pike car, featuring a retro grille, round headlights, and a stylish white roof and wheels.

      Nissan March Eloura. Nissan

      The Re30 Skyline Silhouette—denoting “Re” for “reborn,” “respect,” and “remake”—is designed to reflect the spirit of 1980s motorsports, according to a translated release from Nissan. The splitter is notably aggressive, leading to the Silhouette’s signature hood with deep vents and rails along the edges. The sharp rear wing positioned at the window’s base completes the design, and Work Equip 01 rims are a perfect match for an ’80s JDM creation. The students wisely retained the sedan's blue interior, which was undoubtedly the right choice.

      Nissan Re30 Skyline Silhouette. Nissan

      Lastly, we arrive at the Sunny. Similar to the Re30, it also seeks to evoke the excitement of classic cars, though this design draws inspiration from the 1970s. Shaping the exaggerated fenders reportedly involved a lot of trial and error, which is understandable; achieving that smooth curve likely took a significant amount of time. Under its hood, you'll find an SR20DE four-cylinder engine from an S15 Silvia, while the interior has been reupholstered and adorned with wood grain. It’s unfortunate that we don’t have any pictures of it, as it sounds quite appealing.

      Nissan Sunny Skyline. Nissan

      Our only disappointment at this point is that Nissan has released just one photo for each vehicle, so we'll have to wait until the Tokyo Auto Salon begins on January 9 to see these impressive builds in greater detail. In the meantime, congratulations to the involved students. Once again, they have exceeded expectations and have much to be proud of.

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