The drums don’t roll as much at the mention of the JDM Skyline R33 as it does for the R32, and that’s simply due to the latter's unimaginable track victories. Undoubtedly, the R32 is a motorized god and deserves all the worship. But in truth, the R33 isn’t any less a performer, however, time worked against it; the thing is, when the world was finally equal to the Skyline battle, the R33 became the sacrificial lamb that took all the bullets for its warmongering retired elder brother, the R32.

Nonetheless, the Nissan Skyline R33 is a special automobile with several amazing attributes. Not only is it longer, taller, and wider than the R32, the R33 is also faster than its famed predecessor that popularized the "Godzilla" moniker. Fabricated both as a 4-door sedan and 2-door coupe, the R33 was manufactured from 1993 till 1998 when Nissan ceased the production with the nicely crafted Skyline 40th anniversary versions.

9 Improved Safety

r33 1-GT-R-via-Twitter
via twitter

Unlike its predecessors, the R33 featured a more robust safety setup. It was significantly safer than the R32 due to its airbag system and internal crash bars. Also, with a score of 3.8 from a total of 5.5, the R33 was considered the safest of the Skyline models.

r33 2 nissan-skyline-ix-r33-1993-pics-123963-via-Reddit
via reddit

During the R33 production period, safety had become a major criterion in car fabrication, hence, by 1996, driver and passenger airbags had become standard features on the R33. This led to the ban of pre-1996 models in some countries due to poor frontal impact standards.

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8 Nürburgring Record

r33 3 R332BNurburgring-vua-GTR-USA
via GTR USA

The Nissan Skyline loves the Nürburgring. The R32 had previously achieved a lap time of 8:22:38 around the iconic German circuit in 1989. The feat was achieved with Motoharu Kurosawa behind the wheel, making the R32 the fastest road-legal production vehicle of the time. But the Skyline track record didn’t end there.

r33 4 - youtube
via Youtube

Dirk Schoysman, with an R33 GT-R, lapped the Nürburgring in exactly 7 minutes and 59 seconds to make the R33 the first production car to break the 8 minutes level and the fastest Skyline around the iconic circuit.

7 Amazing Powertrains

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via Flickr

Like its predecessor, the R33 has some variations in its powerplant compositions, but all the models adopted six-cylinder engines. Some of the engines in the model include the 2.0-liter RB20E I6 adopted in the GTS, as well as the turbocharged 2.5-liter RB25DET in the GTS-25t.

r33 6 R33-GTR-Engine-via-Pinterest
via pinterest

Nonetheless, the most impressive engines in the model are the 2.6-liter RB26DETT twin-turbo in the GT-R and the 2.8-liter RBX-GT2 twin-turbo in the 400R.

6 Super HICAS

r33 7 -via-Mecum
via mecum

The HICAS feature wasn’t entirely new to the Skyline, but the R33 GT-R introduced in 1995 received an improved version of the feature called the Super HICAS. The standard HICAS entailed using hydraulics to steer the rear wheels, but in this upgraded version, electric actuators are used to steer the rear wheels instead of hydraulic.

Nissan Skyline GT-R R33, purple, rear quarter view
Via: Mecum

The system also uses a computer to control the setup as opposed to speed sensors, all to give the R33 improve maneuverability and handling.

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5 Active Limited Slip Differential

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via pinterest

Another feature that was improved in the R33 which considerably increased its desirability is the slip differential. Nissan made an active limited-slip differential available in the model as an alternative to the more conventional LSD.

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via mecum

The new system automatically locks the rear differential when traction loss is detected in one of the wheels. Notably, active LSD became a standard feature on all V-Spec and GT-R Skylines as well as some ECR33 GTS-25t models. The A-LSD and SLIP lights on the tachometer make them easily recognizable.

4 Updated Four-Wheel-Drive System

r33 11-via-FaceBook
via Facebook

Furthermore, the R33 features a more advanced four-wheel-drive system known as the ATTESA-ETS (Advanced Total Traction Engineering System for All-Terrain – Electronic Torque Split version). The ATTESA-ETS system is controlled by a 16-bit computer that senses traction loss by monitoring the vehicle’s movements 10 times per second, calculating each wheel speed with the aid of the ABS sensors.

r33 12 1995-nissan-skyline-r33-gt-r-114-1605016727-via-FaceBook
via facebook

The system through its computer can channel as much as 50% of the power to the front wheels when a slip is detected at the rear.

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3 NISMO 400R

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via flickr

In 1996, to celebrate the amazing race-track success of the NISMO GT-R LM, Nissan built 99 units of the NISMA 400R, proposed as the road-legal version of the Nissan GT-Skylines.

Yellow 1998 Nissan Skyline GT-R Nismo 400R R33 Parked Outside
via Pinterest

This trim is believed to be the most potent version of the Skyline models as it adopted the R33 GT-R V-Spec chassis and gets its power from the much improved RBX-GT2 engine with an output of 400 horsepower at 6,800 rpm. The generated power is transmitted to all four wheels through a 5-speed gearbox.

2 GT-R Autech Version

r33 15 GT-R-Autech-Version-via-Pinterest
via pinterest

The last of the R33 ever produced. The Skyline GT-R Autech Version was produced in 1998 to commemorate the 40th anniversary of the iconic nameplate. Tagged “sports sedan of highest performance for grown-ups” during its exhibition at the 32nd Tokyo Motor Show in 1997, the car adopted the 4-door Skyline R33 body.

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via pinterest

It is powered by the amazing RB26DETT engine with an output of 276 horsepower, has uniquely shaped bucket rear seats, and about 447 units were said to have been produced.

1 GT-R LM

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via pinterest

To compete at the 1995 Le Mans seasons, Nissan had to build just one road-going version the R33 LM, for homologation. This awesome one-off car is powered by the legendary RB26DETT straight-six that is detuned to 300bhp from its stock full 400bhp.

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via pinterest

The interior features compactly built check-board seats and an Alcantara Nismo racing steering wheel. While the two racing versions of the LM didn’t bring much anticipate glory to Nissan, the model’s iconic status isn’t disputable, and it has found a home at Nissan’s epic Zama DNA garage.

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