Tim Burton – a.k.a. as the YouTuber Shmee150 – has always been into European supercars, even owning a number of them. But that doesn’t preclude him from greatly appreciating cars born in the United States and Japan. Just recently, a visit to a British showroom full of JDM cars opened the possibility of Shmee150 purchasing a Nissan GT-R legend in the near future.
Visiting A JDM Paradise Loaded With Skylines
European supercars and JDM cars are completely different worlds; nevertheless, both have great followings. Shmee150 admitted that he doesn’t have the same intricate knowledge of JDM cars, so he had Tom from @theshmuseum do the talking while they were at HJA (Harlow Jap Autos). This is one of the few times that Shmee150 didn’t talk about supercars.
This time, the subject has a reputation of being a supercar killer – the Nissan GT-R Godzilla.
HJA’s showroom is a JDM paradise, as per Shmee150. It shelters various JDM cars, including Nissan Skylines, Toyota Supras, Mitsubishi Evolutions, Mazda RX7s, Subaru Imprezas and more. While some European cars such as Ferraris and BMWs are in the house, the JDM models definitely characterize the atmosphere inside HJA’s showroom. It is a great thing for Shmee150 that Tom is deeply familiar with the JDM world.
Specialty Of The House: Nissan R33 NISMO 400R
The main highlight of HJA’s JDM showroom is a 1997 Nissan R33 NISMO 400R. A celebration of Nissan’s Le Mans racing car, the R33 400R boasts various radical improvements over the base Skyline GT-R R33. Underneath its dynamic aero package and carbon fiber hood is a heavily upgraded RB-X-GT2 unit. Originally meant for motorsport use, this mill can deliver 400 hp of max output and 346 lb-ft of torque.
NISMO only built 40 examples of the R33 400R. HJA’s example — nicknamed “Sully” — is the final R33 400R (#40/40) and the last BN6 Deep Marine Blue V-Spec (Series 3) produced. As a testament to Sully’s iconic status, NISMO featured this R33 400R on its stand at the Goodwood Festival Of Speed in 2016. Sully is worth around $2.2 million.
A Nissan Skyline GT-R As Newest Shmeemobile?
Shmee150 took the opportunity to create his very first proper experience of driving a Nissan Skyline and JDM. He took an R34 GT-R V-Spec in Bayside Blue for a quick spin on the road, not minding the bad weather at the time. Shmee150 is considering getting a GT-R for his collection, noting that the value of the Godzilla will probably double in the next three years.
Source: Shmee150 on YouTube