I chose to drive a sports car, and it was the GT-R.

The GT-R Magazine introduces Mr Tatsuhiko Sawa, who bought a 1995 R33 from CREWCH, a shop in Mie Prefecture that has recently been increasing its presence in the GT-R market.

R33s rarely compete with other owners

Before purchasing the GT-R he now calls his partner, Mr Sawa was driving a Toyota Crown Athlete. He was satisfied with it, but he didn’t enjoy driving it. He decided he wanted a sports car after all, so he went to CREWCH, a local acquaintance and long-time friend.

Having attended touring events organized by the company and having the opportunity to experience sports cars also encouraged him to buy a GT-R. Mr Sawa likes GT-Rs and initially thought about an R32, which he liked the style of, but was tempted and prepared by representative Yoshihiko Kuruuchi, who said, “There are fewer people driving R33s than R32s, so there’s less chance of confusion.” In 2016, he decided on the R33.

The exterior, which was completely stock, had the front lip and headlights replaced with late-model ones, which are standard among R33 owners, and a set of RAYS Volk Racing TE37SLs The 19-inch size has a presence that doesn’t lose out to the rather large body, and if you don’t specialise in driving, it’s a good choice.

Because the 19-inch brakes look smaller, Jura Tec brackets were installed on the stock calipers and larger diameter V36 Skyline rotors (Ø355 at the front and Ø350 at the rear) were installed. They are happy with the braking power, but eventually want to update to a Brembo brake kit for the R35 GT-R.

Not only the exterior, but also the engine has undergone a semi-overhaul (Naprec high response kit) + turbine replacement menu (+ Tomei Poncam / original ECU) suggested by CREWCH. The budget was significantly reduced as the HKS GT-SS turbine recommended by the company was originally assembled.

Mr Sawa had driven a friend’s R32, so he knew the high performance of the RB26DETT, but the finely tuned engine was something else. He was surprised at the smooth and powerful feel up to high revs.

The head cover, which was removed to overhaul the cylinder head, was painted with crystals, a dark grey color similar to the NISMO complete engine, which was ordered by Mr Sawa and is his favorite point.

Step by step, Sawa’s R33 is steadily approaching his ideal, and he plans to continue to refresh it by replacing the muffler, suspension, and other parts that have not yet been started. He says he will continue to work on his car with the idea of improving its condition rather than tuning it.

translated by DeepL