Nissan Skyline GT-R R33 Buyers Guide

Author: Alisdair Suttie
Photography: Nissan

Is there such a thing as an undiscovered classic performance car? In the case of the Nissan Skyline GT-R R33, it’s about as close as it gets as this Japanese super coupé is ignored by many, leaving it out in the relative cold while other Skyline family members now enjoy the warmth of cult status. Why is this the case for a car that should be a hot pick for classic car buyers who grew up playing Gran Turismo in the 1990s?

The simplest explanation is the R33 generation of Skyline, which was first seen at the Tokyo Motor Show in late 1993 but had to wait to go on sale until 1995, is it didn’t make a huge leap on from its predecessor in terms of power. Hamstrung by the Japanese automotive manufacturers’ agreement to limit maximum power to 276bhp, the new R33 GT-R made exactly the same stock power as its predecessor. Even if it came with a little more torque, the Skyline was damned with faint praise.

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If the 2.6-litre RB26 twin-turbo straight-six engine didn’t offer a step up in power, it still managed to propel the R33 from 0-60mph more quickly than its immediate ancestor. From rest to 60mph took 5.6 seconds in a stock R33 compared to 5.8 seconds in an R32. The new model also pressed on to a claimed 156mph top speed, helped by improved aerodynamics.

Underneath, the R33 was a much bigger step on than many realised. The body was considerable stiffer thanks to a new rear bulkhead panel, stronger sills, and strut braces for the front and rear suspension towers. If it wasn’t much more rapid in a straight line, the R33 was notably faster in corners. To help deal with this, Nissan fitted larger Brembo brakes to the R33 along with wider wheels with lower profile tyres. Just as crucially, the R33 gained an updated and better four-wheel drive system, and Nissan also refined its Super HICAS four-wheel steering set-up.

Nissan offered the R33 in standard Skyline GT-R form, but also gave buyers the added choice of the V-Spec model right from the off. The V-Spec didn’t have any more power, but the had firmer, uprated springs and dampers, while an active limited slip differential gave it sensational grip and handling poise. An N1 model was sold in Japan for motorsport use, while the LM Limited model came in 1996 to mark Nissan’s 10th place finish at Le Mans in 1995, with a run of 188 cars.

In 1996, Nissan finally allowed the R33 its full head of steam with the Nismo 400R. Only 44 were produced and all came with a 395bhp version of the RB26 engine courtesy of a stronger engine block, forged crank and pistons, improved cylinder head and titanium exhaust, and new engine management. This R33 was good for 186mph and 0-60mph in four seconds to put it right up there with the best supercars of the era. And Nissan didn’t stop there as the Nismo further benefitted from a 30mm lower ride height, firmer Bilstein shocks and springs, widened track, forged alloy wheels and less weight thanks to a bonnet, rear wing and prop shaft made from carbon fibre.

The R33 also became the first Nissan Skyline to be officially imported and sold in the UK when St Helen dealer and former Nissan British Touring Car Championship driver Andy Middlehurst imported 100 V-Spec cars. Each was modified with a UK-specific 180mph speedo and put through Single Vehicle Approval to make it fully road legal. This inspired Nissan to offer the R34 Skyline as a fully fledged UK car, while the R33 slipped to the back of many drivers’ minds. Today, the R33 offers all of the Skyline thrills you could want, and many have been tuned to overcome any notion of it being underpowered, yet it’s much more affordable than the R34. Not so much undiscovered as under-appreciated.

What’s Nissan Skyline GT-R R33 like to drive?

Open the door to the Nissan Skyline GT-R R33 and you’d be forgiven for not expecting much in the way of driving thrills. It’s all rather bland at first glance, though the bolstered front and rear seats hint at its potential. Look a little closer and you’ll also spot a dial in the centre console that tells you how much torque is being sent to the front wheels when the car detects slip at the rear pair. You don’t get that in a Micra.

While the materials are on the dull side, there’s nothing wrong with the driving position of the R33. It puts you in the ideal spot to reach pedals, wheel and gear lever, and there’s excellent all-round vision thanks to the saloon-like profile of the car. Turn the ignition and the RB26 2.6-litre engine has a definite growl, though in standard form it’s not obnoxious and simply hints at what’s to come. The clutch is weighty but not excessively heavy, and it’s the same story with the gear shift through the five-speed manual transmission. It needs a little bit of muscle to work it where a Honda NSX has a delicate change, but it suits the GT-R’s nature.

Every R33 comes with a firm ride quality, so you will notice poorly surfaced roads in feel and noise, but that should not be confused with any lack of control. Far from it – the Skyline might tell you about almost every imperfection, but it doesn’t let them deflect the car from its intended path. Up the pace and the Nissan only gets better and more impressive. On a fast, flowing A-road, the GT-R is still one of the quickest ways to get from here to there, and it will do the same on puckered roads too.

When it comes to tighter corners, the Nissan leaves all of its contemporaries in its wake. A BMW M3 or Porsche 911 simply won’t be able to keep up with the GT-R as the Nissan’s four-wheel drive and four-wheel steering give it seemingly unending grip and traction to exploit the full spread of power from the engine.

Ah yes, the engine with a ‘mere’ 276bhp. If you find a bone stock R33 that’s never been modified, it still feels like a rapid car. There’s no detectable lag from the twin turbos, which spool up cleanly and sharply to offer a broad spectrum of pull all the way from low revs to high. Most have been tuned to some extent, with around 350- to 400bhp the apparent sweet spot. In this form, the GT-R is more than quick enough to live with the latest performance cars, and the brakes are up to the job too. All of this and you can carry three passengers plus luggage with ease.

How much does a Nissan Skyline GT-R R33 cost?

Anyone looking at Nissan Skyline R34 prices is in for a very pleasant surprise with the R33. A budget of £28,000 will put you into an R33 that needs a bit of work to tidy up and make good, but it will be fundamentally sound and usable.

Smarter examples of the R33 will come in at around £45,000 for ones you’d be more than happy to show friends in the garage or park up at the local coffee meet on a Sunday morning. The very best cars will nudge £60,000, though this is still around half what an immaculate R34 will achieve.

A word is needed about modifications as the R33, like all Skylines, is hugely popular with tuners. We wouldn’t be put off a car that has been tuned so long as there is clear evidence of who has carried out the work and what has been done, even if it was back in the 1990s. As with all modified cars, it comes down to personal taste whether or not you can live with the changes, but certainly a clean, original and unmodified R33 GT-R will be the most sought after in the long-term.

What goes wrong and what should you look for when buying a Nissan Skyline GT-R R33?

We won’t concern ourselves with modifications here as there are simply too many to consider. If you are looking at a heavily tuned Nissan Skyline GT-R R33, it’s best to ask a specialist to carry out an inspection. The good news is the R33’s engine is incredibly strong as standard, so it will withstand considerable hikes in power.

Even better, if left as standard, the RB26 inline six-cylinder engine will happily accrue miles with nothing more than routine maintenance. Oil changes every 6000 miles are recommended and make sure the cart has been filled with good quality oil. Running a Skyline on a budget is a recipe for failure. With the engine cold, fire it up and listen for any knocking sounds. If the engine is quiet, let it warm up and then check for any oil vapour coming from the breather pipe between the cam covers – you need to remove the pipe to do this, so ask the seller’s permission. You also need to keep an ear open for any noises from the turbochargers that indicate wear in the bearings.

The gear shift has a heavy, mechanical feel, so don’t worry about this and you may hear some rumbles from the dual mass flywheel when the car is parked with the engine idling. So long as there are no noises when changing gears, all should be fine. Any crunching noises point to worn synchromesh in the gearbox.

While poking around the car’s mechanical parts, check the front suspension’s track rod ends for play, and listen for tell-tale knocks on the test drive. Steering racks can leak from the seals, but this should be obvious with a look at the underside of the car. You’re more likely to find problems with the rear-wheel steering from leaks, though many R33s have had a delete kit fitted to lock out the back wheels. The brakes and suspension all last well on the R33, so it’s wear and tear you’ll be looking for here, though some cars will have been modified with coilovers. Depending on the quality of the coilovers, this can be good or bad news. The wheels on Skylines are often swapped for aftermarket items, but the originals are worth having if they come with the car.

The bodywork of the R33 is not immune to rust, but it is much more resistant to this than many cars of the same era. You should look closely at the suspension turrets for any signs of corrosion or bulging as water becomes trapped between the layer of metal to rust from the inside out. Check the boot floor for damp as the water gets past the boot seals, while underneath you need to inspect for crushed jacking points. Elsewhere, the bonnet, boot lid, and rear wheelarches are the most likely spots to find corrosion taking hold on the exterior of the car.

As for the interior of the Skyline, make sure all of the trim is present and not been damaged by aftermarket gauges or stereo installs if you want to enjoy the car in original, standard form. Finding some trim items is now difficult, but most of the cabin’s plastics and fabrics are hard-wearing in typical Nissan fashion. V-Spec models came with leather upholstery as standard, but check any car with leather is a genuine V-Spec version. Lastly, satisfy yourself that all of the electrics work as the Skyline is just as susceptible to worn, damaged or age-brittled wiring as any other car.

Which is the right Nissan Skyline GT-R R33 for you?

In an ideal world, we’d have a Nissan Skyline GT-R Nismo 400R, but with only 44 ever made and prices now in the realms of serious collectors, this is more of a pipe dream. The same is true of the LM models, where Nissan built a modest 188 of them.

Back in the real world, the choice for R33 buyers boils down to the standard GT-R or the V-Spec version. Both offer the same performance, but the V-Spec gained leather seats, lower suspension, intelligent centre differential, and an active rear limited slip differential. Only 100 of this model were officially sold in the UK, though there are plenty more that have arrived as personal imports, and it’s the one we’d aim for as the best all-round package.