NISSAN SKYLINE GTS-T R33

R33S ARE ENJOYING REVIVED INTEREST

Over the years we may have been a little cruel to the R33 Skyline, suggesting its extended wheelbase and bulbous shape lacked the concise appeal of an R32 or even the square-edged R34.

Times change though and R33s are enjoying revived interest in a market where demand for R32s and R34s exceeds available supply and the money that R33 owners can ask is increasing.

The third series of turbo-engined Skylines was launched into the Japanese market during 1993 but didn’t come to Australia. Instead, and once local production of the R31 Skyline ended, we were saddled with the very boring Maxima.

The Japanese market saw R33s sold with a range of mechanical variations, commencing with a basic 2.0-litre version and culminating (if you exclude the GTR) with a 184kW, single turbo GTS-T. Turbo sedans were built as well and came here in small numbers, but it was the R33 coupe that flooded Import yards and will today sell for significant money.

GTS-Ts all come with rear-wheel drive and the ability to peel strips of rubber off the back tyres with no efforts at all. An all-wheel steering system going by the acronym of HICAS operates at up to 120km/h and allegedly makes the car more responsive. Some owners love it, others have done a variety of things to defeat the system.

The standard transmission was five-speed manual with a four-speed automatic as an option. Turbo cars come with a viscous limited-slip differential and heavy-duty gear clusters.

Putter around town without venturing beyond 3500rpm and the GTS-T delivers pleasant performance without revealing its true character. Maximum torque arrives just beyond 4000rpm and from there right to the redline and cutout, acceleration is swift and seamless.

The four-speed GT-T can be driven like a conventional automatic or shifted manually to quickly access the power band and keep the car in that range.

Weight influenced standing start acceleration, with new car tests recording 7.2 seconds for 0-100km/h. A loosened example will be a tad quicker. That also makes no allowance for the effect of modifications made by previous owners.

Front seat accommodation is good and the bolstered seats provide decent support without crushing your ribcage. From there back, things get a mite squeezy; minimal rear-seat legroom and a tall but short boot providing less space than you’d expect from a car of this size.

Fuel consumption is, of course, heavily dependent on how the car will be driven but 13L/100km is achievable with careful punting. Go everywhere with the turbo howling though and 25L/100 will be the penalty.

When buying a Skyline, the more information you can gather the better, so try for a car that has been in Australia for most of its life and comes with service history.

Colour and options – especially uprated wheels, brakes and engine management – can add value but old tired body additions are worth removing prior to sale.