It’s no surprise anymore. The Nissan Skyline is not an uncommon sight to see on US roads. What was once considered unobtanium to the US market is now one of the more popular tuner cars on the road, with hordes of this legendary JDM sports car crossing over the ocean daily to help enthusiasts live out their JDM dreams. The R33 GTS25T is undoubtedly a fan favorite amongst Nissan enthusiasts. With a stout and powerful RB25DET turbocharged I6 and precise handling dynamics the R33 is one of the best driving classic JDM cars you can still get at a relatively affordable price. This 1996 model year example is the first of the “Series 2” R33’s and was optioned from the factory in desirable “Type M” trim with the factory 5 speed manual transmission. Series 2 R33’s featured subtle, more aggressive upgrades to the exterior to mitigate complaints about the bubbly exterior of the former model. With a fully revised front end, this R33 does the Skyline name justice and turns heads wherever it goes. The exterior is finished in a lovely coat of Nissan’s KH3 Black. While not original, the paintwork looks good and is clean throughout. The attached CarVX report shows evidence of minor rear collision repair, but the work appears to have been done professionally. Arguably one of the best colors on the R33 chassis, the black exterior looks great especially on the facelift bodywork. Nissan purists will be happy to see that the exterior has remained almost completely stock, with the only upgrade being a set of Ganador style side view mirrors (not genuine). The OEM 5 spoke wheels are still present and are wrapped in a good set of Bridgestone all season tires. Take one look at the interior of this R33 and you’ll instantly notice that the previous owner took great care of this vehicle. The patterned cloth upholstery on the OEM seats is in incredible shape, with absolutely no rips, tears or bolster wear that is usually present on R33 interiors. The dash plastics are in excellent shape as well and appear to have been reconditioned by the previous owner to combat age related wear that plagues most R33 Skylines and other classic Nissans. All buttons and switches work as expected and the A/C is functional. Records from Japan indicate that the instrument cluster was swapped out, therefore the displayed 16k km are unverified. Other records indicate the cluster swap happening around 37k kilometers, so we can estimate this Skyline likely has around 53,000 original km (32,000 miles!). The clunky OEM steering wheel was replaced with a smaller wooden ABA unit and feels quite comfortable in your hands as you pilot this skyline down the road. Turn the key and the RB25DET engine fires up without hesitation. Not much more was needed to improve performance on this engine other than an HKS intake and exhaust, which produce a symphony of turbocharged inline 6 goodness as you get on the throttle. Boost comes on strong and the vehicle pulls smoothy to redline with no hesitations or hiccups. The transmission engages all 5 gears smoothly without any grinds or pop outs. Blitz ZZR coilovers and a matching front strut tower bar improve handling significantly over the stock equipment and a Cusco master cylinder stopper keeps the brake pedal feeling firm and confident. We have always felt that the R33 is one of the more daily driveable skylines as overall driving dynamics are surprisingly smooth and refined. If you’re looking for an original, well-kept R33 sure to reliably tear up the highways for years to come, this R33 is a true gem worthy of a spot in any JDM enthusiast’s collection.