Nissan Skyline R33 (1993–1998)

Where the R33 departs from the R32

German Wikipedia describes the R33 as larger, roomier and heavier than the R32. Japanese Wikipedia adds that the body grew enough for every R33 to move from the "compact" to the larger "3-number" registration class, and auto-data.net lists a 2,720 mm (107.1 in) wheelbase for the saloon, 105 mm (4.1 in) more than the R32.

The body choice stayed the same, a two-door coupé and a four-door saloon, but the saloon gained framed door windows in place of the sashless glass of the R32 hardtop. Customers who wanted an estate were pointed to the new Stagea of 1996, which German Wikipedia describes as a wagon on a similar platform.

Under the bonnet, the 2.5-litre RB25 replaced the 2.0-litre RB20 turbo as the main sporting engine. From launch in August 1993, the RB25DE and RB25DET used NVCS, Nissan's variable timing for the intake camshaft, which improved low-rev power and torque. The overview of every Skyline generation shows how the R33 sits between the R32 and the R34.

Kozo Watanabe's GT-R and its chassis

Japanese Wikipedia names Kozo Watanabe as development chief of the BCNR33 GT-R. Compared with the R32 GT-R, the car was 130 mm (5.1 in) longer, with a 105 mm (4.1 in) longer wheelbase and a wider, stiffened body. Brembo brake calipers became standard on every GT-R, where the R32 had reserved them for the V-spec.

The four-wheel-drive hardware evolved too. The standard car kept ATTESA E-TS and Super HICAS. The V-spec added ATTESA E-TS Pro, which pairs the all-wheel-drive system with a hydraulically controlled active limited-slip differential at the rear, together with lower suspension. The five-speed manual was carried over with stronger synchromesh.

Nissan claimed a lap of the Nürburgring Nordschleife in 7:59.887 with test driver Dirk Schoysman, described as the first sub-eight-minute lap by a production car. The Japanese magazine Best Motoring recorded 8:01.72 in its own 1995 test.

Engines from RB20E to RB26DETT

The table shows the main Japanese engines, with rated outputs in kW and the metric PS figure. Torque figures for the RB25DET differ noticeably between sources.

Automatic gearboxes had four or five speeds, depending on the engine; Japanese Wikipedia notes the five-speed automatic was later replaced by a four-speed. Manual cars had five speeds.

The GT-R's rated 280 PS reflected the Japanese makers' agreement on advertised power. German Wikipedia puts the real output at about 220 kW and gives the GT-R 0 to 100 km/h in 5.7 seconds. Wikipedia lists a base GT-R kerb weight of 1,540 kg (3,395 lb), with the V-spec 10 kg (22 lb) heavier.

R33 size in numbers

The table combines the saloon dimensions published by auto-data.net with the GT-R length and wheelbase derived from the R32 GT-R and the differences recorded on Japanese Wikipedia. The two wheelbase figures agree.

A GT-R width figure was not confirmed in the sources checked, so it is not given here.

Airbags and ABS: safety on the R33

Safety equipment improved during the R33's life. Japanese Wikipedia records a driver airbag as standard from January 1995, at the same time as the facelift that German Wikipedia dates to early 1995. A passenger airbag followed in January 1996, and ABS became standard in February 1997.

No Euro NCAP, IIHS or other independent crash-test rating for the R33 was found in the sources checked for this page, so no score is quoted. A late car is the better choice for anyone who wants both airbags and standard ABS.

Special GT-Rs and rare versions

The R33 produced more limited editions than the R32, many tied to racing.

• LM Limited (May 1996): a two-month run in Champion Blue; 188 made, split between the standard car and the V-spec. An R33-based GT-R LM finished 10th overall at Le Mans in 1995 and 15th in 1996.
• Nismo 400R (from 1995): a 2.8-litre RB-X GT2 engine of 2,771 cm³, rated at 294 or 298 kW (400 or 405 PS) depending on the source. Only 44 were sold.
• Autech 40th Anniversary (January 1998): a four-door GT-R saloon released for the Skyline's 40th anniversary; sources give 416 or 422 built.
• UK V-spec (1997): 97 cars imported officially into the United Kingdom.
• V-spec N1: a base car for endurance racing, with 87 built.

GT-R production figures differ slightly: Wikipedia gives 16,668 and German Wikipedia 16,435. German Wikipedia puts total R33 output at 217,133 cars.

Buying an R33 today

R33s are mainly found as used imports from Japan. In the United States, the 25-year import rule that opened the door to the R32 in 2014 applies to the R33 as each car reaches that age, which for the first GT-Rs meant 2020.

• GTS25t: the rear-wheel-drive turbo with up to 184 kW (250 PS) and NVCS valve timing.
• GTS-4: four-wheel drive with the naturally aspirated RB25DE.
• GT-R and GT-R V-spec: the V-spec has ATTESA E-TS Pro and the active rear differential.
• Post-1997 cars: standard driver and passenger airbags plus ABS.

The R33 competed with the Toyota Supra and the Mazda RX-7 among Japanese performance cars of the mid-1990s. In Nissan's own range it sat above the Silvia S14, and its GT-R line eventually led to the separate Nissan GT-R (R35). The Nissan catalogue lists the rest of the range.