Nissan SKYLINE GT-R (1997 - TO 2002)
MODELS COVERED: (2 dr coupe 2.6 petrol [R33, R34] )
BY ANDY ENRIGHT
Since the inception of the Skyline GT-R in 1969, the model has become something of a cult. Motoring enthusiasts refer to the Skyline in the kind of hushed reverential tones once reserved for Italian exotica. Tales of its performance capabilities are legion, yet to most the Skyline appears nothing more than a big, rather brash Japanese coupe. Finding an unmodified used Skyline is a tricky task, yet this is one of the few cars that can handle more power without catastrophic effect.
The models imported to the UK were the R33 GT-R and its replacement, the R34 GTR. The enthusiasts favourite, the earlier R32 GT-R, was never officially imported to these shores, although a fair number turn up as grey import models only. Whichever model you choose, a good used Skyline is one of the few cars that will embarrass pricier and more established supercars such as Porsches 911 Carrera. With Japanese imports arriving in ever increasing numbers to feed the demand for anything with a Skyline badge, theres a great choice available.
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The Skyline GT-R made many more exotic rivals look a bit silly. Here was a car that could
seat four in comfort, was blessed with a large boot and good reliability, yet could still lap the Nurburgring quicker than a
Lamborghini Diablo. Four-wheel drive and four-wheel steering are just part of the equation. The R33 and R34 GT-R V-Spec models imported to the UK were also equipped with ATTESSA-ETS-PRO, a system which switched drive to whichever of the four wheels most needed it, correcting the car if it skidded from its intended line.
The R33s interior is reasonably bland, but the seats grip superbly and the driving position signals the Skylines sporting intent. The R34 model is a good deal more dramatic, with a gimmicky, if strangely intriguing, display on the dash. This measures all manner of functions from exhaust temperature to g-forces. The fit and finish of the R34 is a lot classier, with brushed aluminium effect trim and, on UK cars at least, Connolly leather upholstery.
Theres also a six-speed Getrag close ratio gearbox and some great styling parts. The front and rear spoilers are huge, the eighteen inch wheels and Brembo brakes eyecatching, and the overall effect extrovert in extremis.
How much is a Skyline? How long is a piece of string? Standard specification UK cars start from about £20,000, which will buy a 1997 R-registered Skyline R33 GT-R. Top book value for an R33 is around £30,000 for the last of the 1999 T-plated models. The R34 GT-R is a far rarer proposition and UK cars are only now appearing on the market at around £40,000 for a 1999 car on V-plates. All UK cars are V-spec models.
Non V-spec cars will be imports and should be priced accordingly. With the R34, UK cars also gained an extra oil cooler and leather interior, but always demand paperwork to be sure of what youre looking at. Import models are available from as little as £5,000 for an early R32 GT-R, rising to £13,000 for a 1995 R33. Few of these cars will be in standard trim.
The power output of a standard Skyline is 280bhp, but
Nissan honoured warranties with cars boosted to 350bhp. The engine is a tough straight-six unit that is often tweaked to around 400bhp. Dont entertain sellers who want to recoup the costs of engine upgrades. Unless you genuinely know what you are doing, take the time, effort and expense to source an honest UK car.
It may well cost less in the long term. As befits the GT-Rs supercar performance, insurance for all models is Group 20. Be very careful when insuring your Skyline that your insurer knows about any non-standard parts which may affect your policy. There can be nothing worse than a loss adjuster pointing out that the insurance company werent going to pay out for your crumpled Skyline due to a non-standard engine management chip.
Whilst Nissans designation for the Skyline engine, RB26DETT, sounds a robot from Star Wars, its the heart of the Skyline. Its basically quite an old, heavy motor and in standard form is very reliable. Problems occur when Skylines are customised to produce power outputs in the region of 600bhp, or in some extreme cases, 1000bhp. This involves costly engine rebuilds and is not an undertaking to be entered into without significant readily disposable cash.
Best to stick with the standard car. If you feel its too slow, counselling may be cheaper than customisation. The Skylines oil coolers are located right behind the front spoiler, so even a light frontal tap can rupture these, rendering the cars engine susceptible to costly destruction unless its switched off quickly. Gearbox synchromeshes have been known to fail on R33 models, perhaps due to the enormous forces transmitted through them.
Tyre wear is an issue on cars which are used hard, and the low front spoiler of the R34 often comes in for some damage. Keep a look out for crash damage the Skyline encourages tail out heroics. Otherwise, despite their complexity, Skylines are amazingly reliable. Middlehurst Motors are the source of UK Skyline expertise, being sole importers for new cars and having an expert eye for used stock.
If a used Skyline has Middlehurst service records, its a good sign. If not, make sure that the cars specification corresponds to the age it purports to be. Import cars have often led a chequered history, and as we have seen, proper UK Skyline experts are rare.
(Estimated prices, based on an R33 GT-R) Heres the point where the car that wont bite back has a concerted nibble. Spares for the Skyline arent cheap, but when compared to a model with comparable performance, its perhaps understandable. An exhaust system costs in the region of £700, and a clutch assembly £300. Performance brake pads will cost around £150 for a front pair and the same for a rear set.
An alternator runs to about £300, which is about as much as youll need to pay to replace on of those big headlights.
The Skyline driving experience is a bit special. From the angry growl of that straight-six engine to the visceral, sickening acceleration its a car that demands respect. Nissans chassis engineers have succeeded where Mitsubishis conspicuously failed in making a large car with a high level of techno-involvement fun to drive. Power out of a tight corner and you can feel the GT-Rs electronics let the tail of the car drift wide before directing power to the front wheels, pulling the car back into a straight line.
The first couple of times it will feel odd, but before too long youll learn to exploit it, and youll be as sideways as a fiddler crab until you crash, are arrested or receive your first tyre bill. The steering is firm and meaty in feel, and although the Skyline never feels small around you, it is wieldy and nimble on its feet. Enthusiast drivers rave over the earlier R32 model, being smaller and lighter than its successors. The R33 is the model of most interest to UK used buyers however, and its hard to think of anything more capable for the money.
BMWs M5 is probably the closest thing the Skyline has to a rival, but even this car doesnt carry the urban kudos the GT-R exudes. An R33 GT-R will accelerate from rest to 60mph in around 5.0 seconds on the way to its 155mph electronically limited maximum speed. An R34 GT-R will sprint to 60mph in just 4.
6 seconds and has an identical maximum velocity.
A Skyline GT-R is a particularly brutal statement of intent. Here is a car that can do it all, yet is available to UK buyers from around £15,000. The problem is to find a good one. There are far too many half-finished projects, ill-sorted import cars and crash-repaired rogues to make Skyline buying a trouble free experience.
Despite an interest in maintaining independence, its an inescapable fact that a visit to Middlehurst Motors in St Helens is the best way to turn up an honest used example. As sole UK Skyline importers these are probably the only people who genuinely know what to look for. Get a good one and youll never want to drive anything else.
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