Just on that article, I read it myself on Sunday. They referred to the vehicle as 'a high powered Nissan Skyline' and the victim's friend quoted "an 18 year old driving a souped up Nissan." Regardless of power, I don't think these statements are basist and only serve to create generalisations to the public about who drives Skylines.
In another article on Sunday in the same Herald, (talking about a group of gang rapists who have been found guilty), it mentions that the rapists drove a black Nissan Skyline.
If the car in both stories was any other car, like a Ford Laser, I wonder if it would have been included for publication?