Uniqueness and individuality have always been the major attractions of Japanese imports. Take a drive on any Friday night or weekend, though, and you'll soon realise that Japanese imports are now as common as Commodores. Nissan Skylines, in particular, are almost everywhere you look.
Everyone, it seems, wants to be individual - and everyone goes about it in exactly the same way!
Not Brendan Wise, though...
Take a look at his imported R33 GTS25T and you could almost be forgiven for thinking it's something built in Europe - certainly, this car has a classy look that we've never before seen in a '33. Forget those look-at-me towering rear spoilers, this puppy attracts attention because it looks so s-m-o-o-t-h.
So how has this fresh new approach to R33 styling been achieved? Well, the modified Nismo 400R front 'bar and accompanying skirts help create a 'ground effects' look without adding visual weight to the R33's already slab-sidedness. The piece de résistance, though, are those 18-inch TGF rims that - as Paul Brell from BD4s says - you'd reckon were ugly if you saw sitting on a shelf. Bolted to this R33, though, they add real strength and sophistication - they look very similar to something manufactured by AMG. Oh, and the silver paint might also hint that this is something from the Mercedes Benz stable. A silver window tint completes the look.
Above all, note that there's no mountain of fibreglass bolted to the boot lid!
The factory 186kW serving of power is pretty generous to begin with but, given how well the RB25DET motor responds to easy power-up measures, it's rare for anyone to leave their GTS25T stock for very long. Brendan's car was purchased with an aftermarket front-mount air-to-air intercooler already installed but, on the dyno, its performance was obviously not up to standard. The first move, you see, was to upsize the turbocharger, get rid of the factory management system and plug in an A'PEXi Power FC programmable unit. With the 500hp custom turbo and Power FC being tuned on the dyno, Paul says the existing aftermarket 'cooler almost started to glow red...
To get any consistency in power output, Brendan's car was trundled off to Plazmaman where it was treated to a gigantic front-mount replacement along with the associated mandrel plumbing - polished, of course.
Interestingly, the Plazmaman IC fitment meant relocating the throttle body to the leading end of the intake plenum (instead of in the middle of the plenum facing the opposite side of the engine bay). This, we are told, helped reduce the effect of underbonnet heat soak and - as a bonus - increased the internal volume of the plenum. The (standard) throttle body now bolts to a short length of aluminium pipe that was carefully welded to the top section of the manifold. There has been plenty of time spent ensuring good airflow through the new plenum entry.
The air intake to the compressor mouth comprises a nice fat pipe leading into the inner guard area where there's a large K&N pod filter. Note that the airflow meter is larger than standard after the switch to a Nissan 300ZX item and there's a TurboSmart recirculating blow-off valve mounted nearby.
The exhaust system is equally free-flowing - the front of the pipework begins with a HKS dump, a large high-flow cat and a HKS SuperDrager 3-inch system to the tip. Noise is kept relatively subdued thanks to a centre resonator and an effective rear muffler.
Aside from the fitment of a large capacity Plazmaman catch can the only other mod is an HKS EVC boost controller, which pushes the custom turbo to a maximum of 1.2 Bar. At this setting, Paul says the car is good for nearly 270kW at the flywheel - a very handy 45 percent gain over standard.
At this power level, the clutch has needed replacement - a Daikin/Niva brass button job - but the rest of the 5-speed manual driveline is managing fine.
Having driven the car over a short distance we can tell you it has just the right amount of go to efficiently tromp the average GTS25T, but it isn't out of control - well, not completely out of control... When the hammer's down in first or second the rear end skews sidewards, but not enough to cause any real concern - it's sort of a rear-wheel-steering sensation (which probably makes sense given the R33 comes standard with HICAS 'passive' rear steer). Paul says he'd like to put in a hi-lo boost switch to keep boost down in first gear; this will make fast get-aways less of a tyre-frying exercise.
A firm ride and minimal body roll is delivered by a set of Tein adjustable struts, together with a FET front tower bar and a GT-R rear tower bar. BD4s also corner-weighted the car for the right handing balance.
Braking is, for now, standard with the exception of quality Japanese pads.
Inside, the standard R33 GTS25 interior remains largely in place. The only recent changes are to a Bride race seat to complement the A-pillar mounted boost gauge, aluminium pedals and the EVC on the steering column. A Pioneer audio system has also been added to the R33 GTS25T's standard equipment list - power windows, mirrors, climate control and all the other usual mod cons.
Classy styling, everyday comfort, stable power and reliability - yep, this is a car the individualists should be following!
Contact:
BD4s Service Centre
+61 2 9879 3322
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