“Forbidden fruit,” might be a good way to describe this car. Sometimes it’s referred to as “Godzilla,” or “the Holy Grail.” No matter how you classify it, the R33 Nissan Skyline is one of import culture’s most iconic performance cars.
The Pick of the Day is a right-hand-drive 1997 Nissan Skyline GT-R listed for sale on ClassicCars.com by a private seller in Arlington, Texas. (Click the link to view the listing)
“Stunning and beautiful 1997 Nissan Skyline GT-R R33 VSPEC, professionally painted Bayside Blue by the previous owner in Japan,” the listing states. “121k kilometers, 75k miles, stock engine and transmission with some tasteful mods, lots of NISMO interior and exterior upgrades.”
The reason this model is so sought-after is because it was never offered for sale in the United States when new. The R33 was first shown in late 1993 and was available as a coupe or a sedan but only in overseas markets. Thanks to the 25-year rule, R33 models can now be legally imported to the states. Such is the same scenario for other Japanese Domestic Market (JDM) cars like those being sold by Duncan Imports in our recent story.
Power for this performance coupe comes from the formidable RB26DETT engine. This twin-turbocharged 2.6-liter inline-six is coupled with a five-speed manual transmission and delivers power to all four wheels. Not only does the GT-R have all-wheel drive, but it also has an all-wheel steering system called HICAS (High Capacity Actively Controlled Steering) along with Brembo brakes. Needless to say, this car accelerates, steers, grips, and brakes – all with commanding authority. Talk about fun.
The seller provides a bulleted list of upgrades including lots of goodies from NISMO (or Nissan Motorsports), which was Nissan’s in-house performance division. Among the upgrades are an HKS turbo timer, an HKS intercooler, an N1 muffler, NISMO aerodynamic body trim, an Eclipse navigation system, a MOMO steering wheel, a push-start ignition system, bronze colored TE37 wheels, and much more. Recent maintenance includes an oil change, a safety inspection, and replacement of the battery.
“Clean example of a true JDM,” the seller states. The asking price is $85,000 or best offer for this rare JDM-import performance car. That might sound like a strong chunk of change, but with its long list of upgrades, relatively low miles, and sorted mechanicals, it’s an exhilarating collector opportunity.
To view the listing on ClassicCars.com, see Pick of the Day.
