As a Skyline GT-R owner it is extremely pleasing to see that interest in the now older generation of GT-Rs has no intention of subsiding. Quite the contrary actually. The R35 GT-R has no doubt pushed the performance and technological envelope far ahead, but the clinical, almost unemotional way in which it slashes its much more exotic competition is obviously not for everyone. The car you see here is the perfect example of a good, more satisfying alternative. Obviously the owner of this BCNR33 could have very well bought himself a brand new Nissan GT-R for the same money he sank into the custom preparation, but that would have been too easy. Personalization goes a long way with some and as you can probably gather by this first opening picture it was pretty obvious he had a very good idea of what he wanted to achieve.
Entrusting the services of Cockpit Wako it was decided to create a race car for the street and this not only included the mechanical modifications, but also the looks. Being a good friend of Italian Super GT driver Ronnie Quintarelli, the owner wanted to play homage to Ronnie’s 2009 GT500 Hasemi Motorsport GT-R, going for a similar red/black color scheme.
No cost was spared in making sure the engine would be tuned to pretty high specification. The fully rebuilt and stroked 2.8L RB26 is joined by a Trust T88-34D turbine which supplies the required boost to develop well over 700 HP. It’s the attention to detail that surprises most in the engine bay, with an evident effort having been made on presentation.
On the intake side of the RB an HKS V-Cam was fitted to guarantee a much more even spread of torque from low to mid rpm…
…which is also helped out by the use of a Nismo GT plenum. This item, developed and used in GT-racing, supplies a bigger and equal volume of air to each of the six cylinders, improving response and overall efficiency of the set up. This cast aluminium part was painted in the same metallic silver as the engine covers.
Ronnie Quintarelli has helped set-up the suspension of the R33 so you know it handles like it should, making the most out of the high grip…
…the 265/35R18 Bridgestone Potenza RE11S provide. Behind the Volk Racing TE37s a full AP Racing braking system was fitted, 6-pots at the front and 4-pots at the rear. The discs have been grooved in the same pattern as used on the Super GT GT-Rs.
The attention to detail and the use of some of the best parts out on the market continues inside. One glance at the stripped out interior reveals this is indeed a very serious build. In fact before any of the work began the car was stripped down to its bare frame, spot welded, reinforced and fitted with a custom-fabricated roll cage. The interior of the chassis is painted in a light metallic silver, the same hue that was used on the engine covers. A pair of lightweight and prohibitively expensive Recaro bucket seats barely clear the cage, which has been padded all around the door frame and dashboard area.
Anyone familiar with Skyline tuning will recognize that gear indicator, the digital display that comes with a Hollinger transmission! The mechanical sequential can easily cope with the abuse of the engine and of course provide instant gear changes.
The center console houses the HKS Circuit Attack Counter and EVC boost controller along with the HKS Kansai Service ET-S torque split controller.
Inside the glove box the F-Con V Pro piggyback ECU and V-Cam controller are hidden away, items that don’t need to be fiddled around with once set up properly!
This is a very curious car, it is one of the most extreme and well-executed projects I have come across but one that has had very little exposure in Japanese magazines. I’d like to thank the guys at Cockpit Wako and of course the owner for allowing me to grab these quick and very wet series of pictures!
Now the question to you, which would you prefer, a Skyline GT-R like this or an R35 GT-R?
-Dino Dalle Carbonare
OFFICIAL SPEEDHUNTERS SUPPLIERS
Dino, I'll split the difference and take an R34 Z-Tune!!
Crazy car....
Its too bad the R33 was always overshadowed by it's younger and older brothers.
this one looks ready to go hard! - it must really lift when spooled up..
@Dino:
This statement below is not true !
"(...) a Nismo GT plenum. This item, developed and used in GT-racing, supplies a bigger and equal volume of air to each of the six cylinders (...)"
Intake manifolds, not matter how well their are designed, do NOT provide an equal volume of air to each cylinder (no matter how many cylinders there are).
The only way to provide an equal amount of air to each cylinder is to use ITB's.
Get your fact straight before typing stuff like that. You're embarrasing yourself ! I would suggest you taking some mechanical engineering classes. As a journalists aren't you suppose to have some basic understanding of engines?
I'll take this over an R35, looks great man! This is really called clean and nice. Only thing is was it rainy or soemthing? So many water droplets even in the interior!
Maybe it needs a wash to cool down as it's simply too hot!
r33 for sure.. Its a proper skyline, with a much easier to work on inline six engine.
Definitely rather have this GT-R.
In fact, as a daily driver, I wouldn't mind a stock R32/R33/R34 over an R35.
Hands down the raw-33 compared to the plush-35.
Really would appreciate a wallpaper of this car...
I'd prefer an Skyline like this. To me it has more character
I would take that r33 over a r35 any day.
The sixth pic makes full use of the 'sexy R33' angle. Not that 32 and 34 aggressive look just smooth and powerful. Just have to cheer the GT-R owners on. You guys drive cars of true legacy (Y)
Pre R35 GTR's > R35
This car represents very well. Its a great peice of the automotive superiority of the R series Skylines. I would love to have them all but if I were to choose one it would be the R32 or R33. There are so many ways to build them from unreasonable power of the JUN tuned cars down to the mild builds of 30 something year old Japanese guys racing on the freeway. (or any of their counter parts worldwide) I prefer having to build the car to compete rather than using a factory car to win with out having to do anyhting but have money. I like it when a car starts out with ok power and response, and bling into a rabid, stripped down, cold, loud, asphalt shredding lap attacking monster GTR.
Awesome car, much better than an R35!!!
I`d go for a Skyline GT-R!
Tuned Skylines have so much presence when executed correctly. The car in this article is absolutely fantastic. There are a few things I would have done differently, mostly aesthetic but its not my car so my opinion doesnt hold much value ultimately. But nicely done. Looks like a MAN'S car =D
amazing!!
DESKTOP PLEASE!!
I'd take this one over the R35 any day
Ths car without a doubt
love it with the classic colour sheme. what i actually like much more about the "old" skylines is the fact that they look just like a standard sedan or coupe. not too sporty. if young kids would'nt have a playstation they would'nt recognize the old bodies as a sportscar - and that's what i like about it
so here's my answer. - i'll take the 33 
I'd take this one
Not a fan of the gt-r and totally loving the r33 gt-r
and this build is even more awesome
I'll take an R34 tyvm
No matter how awesome this car is, I'd take a R35 over this any day
Love the old school livery.
why would you spray the whole car with water just for pictures...
INSIDE and out?
did someone leave the window open outside while it was raining?
Anything over the R35. The new GT-R is ugly as hell and there's no inline-6 under its bonnet.
I love this R33. Original idea.
to Alex: What does this say?
http://www.nismo.co.jp/en/products/competition/engine/rb26dett.html#ic
Alex, I like to read and have read a number of engineering books on intake and exhaust design, seeking a more functional one for my own project. One thing I garnished is nothing is perfect. ITBs do not guarantee equal volume of air, as port design etc plays a part too, as well as harmonics, blah blah.
That said a well designed Plenum does go along way to making sure they are more likely to get equal air. Ever think that maybe that's the purpose of the statement? Maybe your reading to much into it. Maybe Dino is not an EXPERT and is only reporting what has been told to him.......
Having written that I'm sure someone else will shoot me down, such is the net with its know it all keyboard warriors.
GTR Skylines do have ITB's Einstein....
Alex, I was really missing your valuable input as of late. Let me elaborate on your latest query.
The stock RB26 inlet manifold has the problem of leaning out cylinder number six (more obvious on tuned engines) as it supplies slightly more air to it than say cylinder number one. To fix this and to achieve a better A/F ratio in all six cylinders on their race engines Nismo designed the GT plenum. If you look at its cross section shape you will notice that it is thinner towards the end (cylinder 4/5/6) than it is at the top (1/2/3) to help achieve better "distribution" of air. Overall volume was increased from 3.4L to 4.1L, so it's perfect for tuning applications (Nismo states optimal for 400-600PS but many tuners use them on engines producing far in excess of these output levels). So not only do you get a much better throttle response, but also an improvement on power, mid-range torque and even fuel economy would you believe.
As for your statement that it's impossible to provide an equal amount of air to each of the cylinders unless you have ITB let me pose this question to you. The RB26 has individual throttles for each of its six cylinders. The carefully designed intake runners that are inside the Nismo GT plenum act like velocity stacks would on an NA engine...so wouldn't your statement, or assumption to be more precise, be totally wrong? Maybe you are confusing an RB26 with a 2JZ that has a single, electrical may I add, throttle body on the entry to its intake plenum.
But don't take my word for it, check out Nismo's own explanation:
http://www.nismo.co.jp/en/products/competition/engine/rb26dett.html#ic
Until next time, have a nice day.
Dino
I'm sorry Dino, I got ahead of myself
http://www.nismo.co.jp/en/products/competition/engine/rb26dett.html#ic
@Alex
Do you just sit around and look for mistakes on Speedhunters just to bag on them? Get a life and if you have an issue with Speedhunters you should go to another blog..
FYI, Plenums are designed with bigger runners so there is less restriction in airflow thus creating a more equal intake volume + more air.
ITBs are typical honda hype boys stuff... oh guess thats what you are!
More then you can afford Alex, STFU
Alex dont take this the wrong way but Speedhunters as a whole does a pretty good job with facts and reporting, you should cut them some slack. They deal with more combinations of cars and engines than other automotive journalists even know exist. It was a minor "mistake" and Im not saying your wrong but its hard to be right all the time, but I own a rotary so what do I know.
Dino, that is one hot looking R33 GTR. Hopefully one will be parked in my garage one day soon.
Great car. Love how clean the engine bay is. Dino can you please also do a feature on the Admix R33 since its the 3rd of March
I've always found that the R33 was the "ugly" in the family, but when you see a masterpiece like this one, you can only love it. And for the choice between R33 Vs R35, I'll take the R35 because it's impossible to register the R33 in my country
Great execution, although I'm not the biggest fan of the color scheme.
@Alex: before you talk crap, you better learn your facts cause the RB26 does have ITBs and that Nismo plenum makes them work even better...
OOoooo treated!
this anyday.
Dino FTW!
@Alex
Since you are such a big fun of facts, here's one for you.
Fact: You don't know as much as you think you do.
Before you accuse anyone else of being ignorant, you should make sure you aren't first. As a great philosopher once wrote "Check yo' self before you wreck yo' self."
I love R33s.
Dino, fantastic article.
@Alex: Man, I would recommend you to stop writing, because EVERY time that you post something, you're embarrassing yourself and getting owned every single time. Its not what you write; is the way you write, showing no respect or politeness. Get a (real) life and learn some manners.
looks great, reminds me of Pennzoil r34 livery but with red =)
Wallpaper! Please!
We got kids on this site that like to play games, and like to post under the name of Alex.
@Dino and all other SPE:
A well tuned engine with ITB outflow ANY day a well tuned engine with an intake manifold. You know why? Because the intake manifold (regardless of how well it's designed) it has only one outlet, the single throttle body. Whereas ITB's, well, it's not necessary to explain.
Again, some of you should stop typing on the keyboard, and go play with Big Jim.
Nismo claims what? Why is it that the VQ45 found in the Skyline GT500 uses ITB's?
dino, thank you for giving me a warm fuzzy feeling inside. a beautiful car and great article, and i just love watching that alex kid get mopped over the speedhunters floor.
to you sir, i tip my hat.
O man what can I say but, deliver it to my house now... PLEASE?
R33, please
assssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssss
ricer