Registration No: M596 XTM
Chassis No: BCNR33000466
MOT: March 2024

• Rare Nissan R33 GTR V-Spec with desirable manual gearbox
• In current family ownership for the last 8 years and in the UK the last 18
• Displays just 68,255 miles on the odometer

PLEASE NOTE: The estimate on this lot has been reduced to £24,000 - £28,000, and the vehicle is now offered with an MOT valid until 13 March 2024.

Perhaps underrated, but quietly influential compared to its forbears, the R33 incarnation of the GT-R is still a pure sports car experience, but now aided by some of the most revolutionary handling technology to influence modern performance driving. Launched in January of 1995, the new R33 Skyline GT-R was offered with a base GT-R and the V-Spec model. This V-Spec model offered an improved suspension set-up with lower ground clearance, as well as a much-improved all-wheel drive system which included an active limited-slip differential.

At the heart of the V-Spec was the ATTESA-ETS Pro Electronic Torque Split System which, at the time, made it arguably the most technologically advanced production car in the world. The system, conceived in the 1990s for the JTCC enabled some 600bhp to be fed through the wheels and onto the racetrack efficiently. ETS Pro satisfied the purists by offering all the advantages of rear-wheel drive until the conditions dictated otherwise. Not only this, but the aforementioned Limited-Slip Differential was adjustable from fully locked to totally free. Working along with ETS PRO was the SUPER HICAS rear-wheel steering. This used a series of sensors and software to predict the car's ideal turning characteristics; adjusting the angle of the rear wheels to reflect the driver's intentions. The result of this type of technology? Neutral steering and unrivalled cornering capabilities.

The engine in the R33 was nearly identical to the previous R32; using the same turbochargers and the same specification for the manual gearbox, although the synchros were made to be stronger and the braking system was designed by Brembo. Four-piston calipers were fitted on the front with two-piston calipers on the rear with diamond-shaped ventilation bores on the discs to aid heat dissipation. The increased body rigidity and improved handling potential, necessitated several specially designed cross members being incorporated into the monocoque and extra torsion bars were added to the multi-link suspension to further enhance stability. In addition, to equalise front/rear weight distribution, the bonnet and front wings were made of aluminium instead of steel. Inside the Skyline GT-R, form followed function. Mono-form bucket seats with integrated headrests, that are lightweight yet immensely tough, provided the ideal driving position and supported the body against the G-forces endured under hard acceleration and cornering. These advanced features, combined with its sleek and aggressive exterior design, make the Nissan Skyline R33 GTR an iconic vehicle that continues to captivate car enthusiasts and collectors worldwide.

One of the aforementioned V-Spec cars, ‘M596 XTM’ is an early example, first registered on 01 January 1995 and presented in the attractive White with contrasting Grey interior, featuring a desirable manual gearbox, climate control and more. Having spent the first ten years in Japan, this GT-R was brought to the UK in early 2005, being registered in April and shortly after, at just 45,000 miles, the timing belt was replaced. Over the next few years, the car would see regular maintenance from its owners including the engine being removed, a replacement oil pump and seal and the engine re-fitted in August 2009. ‘M596 XTM’ was purchased by the vendor’s late husband in November 2015. The car has seen very little in the way of modifications, including an additional battery in the boot, Momo steering wheel and gear knob and an Apexi AVCR Boost Controller fitted by himself. He fitted four replacement Yokohama tyres in 2017 shortly before the car’s last MOT. It has since then been stored in a dry garage, and was registered in the vendor’s name in November 2021. Worth noting is that the air conditioning was still running cold at the time of photography, and the car is scheduled for an MOT on 28th February.

Now showing just 68,255 miles on the odometer, this surely represents affordable ownership for a collector or enthusiast into an increasingly iconic motor vehicle. Included with the vehicle is a history file containing the DVLA Authorisation certificate, most tax discs from 2005 through to 2017, a number of receipts and invoices dating back to the car’s import in 2005 and the V5C document which displays 10 former keepers.

For more information, please contact:
Andreas Hicks
andreas.hicks@handh.co.uk
07943584762