The Nissan Skyline GT-R has been an iconic car for decades upon decades. However, it was the R32 model that really sparked the GT-R’s legendary status in the modern age. In fact, it was the 1990 Calsonic R32 GT-R that earned the car’s “Godzilla” nickname due to its dominance on the race track.

That being said, it is no wonder why the R33 GT-R was such a big deal when it was released in January 1995. GT-R fans waited with baited breath to know how the R33 would improve on the R32.

Though, at first glance it would seem that Nissan didn’t change much from the R32. The R33 GT-R had the same RB26DETT engine and the same “ATTESSA” all wheel drive system as the R32. So, it is easy to think that the only major change was the exterior design and dimensions.

The thing is, there are more differences than what meets the eye. We’re going to go over some of the major and minor differences between the R32 GT-R and the R33 GT-R. If you want to dive really deep we suggest checking out this R33GT-R.com blog post as it is what we used as one of our sources.

The R33 GT-R is more aerodynamic than the R32 GT-R

The GT-R is all about flexing its muscles at the track. That means it needs to be able to efficiently move air around its body to provide downforce where it needs it and reduce drag when it doesn’t. While the R32 GT-R looks great, one of the downsides of its design is that it tended to have a lot of front end lift. That means the faster the R32 would go on the straights, the less grip the front tires would have.

This lifting effect was due largely to the fact that air which was sucked in from the front to cool the engine, didn’t have anywhere to go once it was there. The R33’s larger openings and engine bay channels helped move air more efficiently through the front end, greatly reducing the lift problem.

The R33 GT-R is heavier than the R32 GT-R

This seems like a no brainer since the R33 GT-R is physically larger than the R32 GT-R. Where the R32 tipped the scales at 3,150lbs the R33 weighed in at 3,395lbs for a 245lbs increase. Though there is some nuance beyond the numbers. While the R33 GT-R is heavier, Nissan engineers took care to make sure the extra weight was as well balanced as possible.

In the R33, the battery is located in the truck rather than under the hood, the four-wheel steering system (Super HICAS) is electric rather than hydraulic, the fuel tank is smaller and made from plastic, the fuel tank was also moved under the rear seats, and both the rear stabilizer bar and side door beams are hollow.

Which Skyline Is The Fastest?

A quick primer before we explain this. During the 80s in Japan, auto manufacturers entered into a “gentleman’s agreement”. The agreement was that they would limit the engine power of their sports cars to 280ps (276hp). They did this because back then the Japanese government believed there was a link between fast cars, road deaths, and street gang crime. Though, this agreement was all for show as Japanese automakers would “officially” list a car as having 280ps but a dyno test would show that car as having significantly more power. The GT-R was notorious for this.

That being said, the R33 GT-R had a slight increase in turbo boost pressure over the R32. This resulted in more power, though there is no official number to cite for this as the R33 was officially listed as having the same 280ps as the R32. Though it should be said that the R33 was 20 seconds faster than the R32 around the Nürburgring despite being 245lbs heavier. Now, that can’t be completely attributed to a power increase but it was certainly a factor.

It should also be noted that the R33 GT-R had a more advanced engine computer than the R32. The R32’s ECU was an 8-bit computer versus the R33’s 16-bit ECU. Basically, the R32 was a Nintendo and the R33 was a Super Nintendo. Yeah, we went there…

The R33’s ATTESA’s all wheel drive system is more advanced

Speaking of computers, this would be a great time to talk about the all wheel drive system. The base model R33 has the same ATTESA all wheel drive system as the R32 but with one key difference. One of the flaws in the R32’s ATTESA system is that it would tend to understeer. Nissan techs looked into it and found that the understeering issue was a result of the R32’s LSD computer software not handling the torque-split correctly.

Engineers wrote new software for the R33’s LSD computer which allowed it to process more variables and information from sensors to more accurately control the torque-split. This ultimately improved the understeering issue.

Which is better R32 or R33?

As the saying goes: “if it ain’t broke don’t fix it”. The R32 was already an incredible car albeit with a few flaws. Nissan’s engineers were wise by being conservative with the R33 GT-R and mostly just improved on the weak points of the R32 rather than starting over from the ground up. The R33 became one of the most successful GT-R’s as a result. Now that you know some of the differences between the R32 and R33 GT-R, go impress some folks at the next meet with your new knowledge and thank us later!

Skyline R32 vs R33 GT-R: Which Is Better?