Kaizen is a Japanese term which translates to “continuous improvement.” While the R32 Nissan Skyline GTR was a fantastic car, it’s successor, the bulbous yet beautiful R33, was able to improve upon its Nurburgring lap time by a massive 20 seconds. Here’s why. To start, The R33’s body was completely redesigned, with new aero lowering the stance of the vehicle, eliminating the R32’s issues with front lift and unpredictable handling around corners. While some enthusiasts may not be a fan of the smoother, more contoured body lines of the R33 Skyline, the improvements in handling can’t be ignored. The second major issue that Nissan’s engineers addressed was the R32’s weight and weight distribution. The R33 had many weight saving measures implemented to help even out the 60/40 weight distribution of the R32 GTR. Some of the major changes involved replacing the metal fuel tank with a plastic one, relocating the battery from the engine bay to the trunk, changing the headlight housings from glass to plastic, and removing excess materials from door panels, and interior trim. This left Nissan engineers more room to add weight with the addition of stronger reinforced chassis bracing to help further improve handling and crush records on some of the world’s most famous road courses. Now, these R33’s are legal to import into the USA, and enthusiasts are going nuts. In 1995, if you walked into a Nissan dealership in Japan, you’d likely see something like this sitting in the showroom. A gorgeous white R33 GTR in top of the line V-Spec Trim. The V Spec got a few choice upgrades over the base GTR, the biggest being an Active Limited Slip Differential, stiffer suspension, and a retuned all wheel drive system. This GTR is a perfect example of a first year V-Spec. The exterior is finished in Nissan’s QM1 White paint. There appears to have been some paint work performed, albeit professionally. The car shows extremely well with no major paint defects. Unlike most Skylines of this era, the exterior has been largely unmodified, aside from a set of gorgeous 7 spoke Work Emotion wheels. Other notable factory options present on the exterior are the Nismo bumper vents, OEM rain guards, Nismo carbon fiber B pillar garnishes, and OEM rear bumper spats. The OEM rear tail lights have been replaced with a set of top quality LED units, which look fantastic driving down the road at night. All of this minor exterior modification accentuates the already gorgeous stock body of this R33, and we appreciate the previous owner’s commitment to keeping everything largely OEM. The interior is just as clean, if not cleaner than the exterior. After receiving numerous complaints about the R32’s interior, Nissan decided to completely overhaul the design of the R33’s cockpit, improving sound deadening and materials quality in the process. The large, sweeping dash is free of any cracks or holes, and the OEM blue-accented seats are in excellent shape with no major rips or tears. The unsightly OEM steering wheel has been replaced with a much more attractive MOMO Jet model, with carbon fiber accents, and a Greddy boost gauge has been affixed upon the A pillar. Other factory interior upgrades include a carbon fiber NISMO shift knob, NISMO gauge cluster, and GTR Magazine floormats. Unfortunately, the mileage was never adjusted on the cluster after install, so the 6,000 displayed kilometres are inaccurate. Other maintenance stickers on the vehicle suggest that this GTR should be in the 90k kilometer range, which puts it right around 55-60k US miles. All interior features work as expected, including the power folding mirrors, and automatic climate control. The heat blows hot and AC blows ice cold. The dated OEM radio has been replaced with a Panasonic double DIN with Navigation. Turn the key and the RB26DETT engine roars to life. This 2.6l twin turbo inline 6 is lightly modified, extremely healthy, and tackles street driving like a champ. The factory turbos spool quickly without hesitation and breathe well thanks to a set of twin HKS intakes. The exhaust has been upgraded to a Blitz NUR Spec, which sounds fantastic without being too obnoxious on the road. Gear changes are quick and direct, thanks to an upgraded short throw shifter. Take a corner at speed, and you immediately feel the Active LSD kick in. We were incredibly impressed at how this R33 handles, and a set of adjustable HKS coilovers further increases handling while giving the car a slight drop. This R33 is definitely meant to be driven, and we think the next owner will enjoy it as a weekend cruiser. If you’ve been eyeing R33’s on the market, but haven’t found that perfect near-stock example, this white V Spec may be the GTR you’ve been looking for.