The mid-nineteen nineties was a crazy period of time in Japan. All sorts of fantastic sports cars were available to purchase and aftermarket tuning houses were exploding in popularity. People were going to extraordinary lengths to create their own wondrous machines, and it wasn’t just in the styling department. Exhausts, suspension, engine management systems, aerodynamics and turbos were upgraded to provide additional performance across all facets. Manufacturers built cars specifically for tuners to unlock their full potential. The R33 Skyline featured in this post is, in my opinion, the best illustration of the tuner culture from that period. You might want to stick around for this one because there’s a lot to go through.
The first thing that takes your attention here is the wild “flip” paintwork that blends purple, orange, yellow and blue together. It looks like the end of a titanium exhaust… or just a full piece of titanium for that matter. Whether you think its gaudy or not, the amount of work required to get this result is quite extensive compared to a standard gloss finish. A lot of painters were experimenting with the “flip” effect in the nineties to wow unlookers and fellow tuners. Seeing the different hues appear and disappear is not the sort of thing a camera can properly capture. You really have to see the effect in action for yourself to appreciate the work.
Before the days of silly plastic bumpers, tuning houses would create functional aero parts that enhanced performance by harnessing the power of the air. The front end of this car has a functional splitter extension attached to a GT-R bumper with 2 rectangular holes above the intercooler inlet. The canards on the side are profiled to generate downforce too, giving the car more front-end stability. At the rear, you will see a wing that is wider with a more aggressive angle than standard and endplates to control the airflow under the wing. Very racecar. The little pieces on the edges of the rear bumper also change the aerodynamic profile of the car. So to the sideskirts. They’re the sort of modifications that make me happy, especially since I can do it in Gran Turismo.
The wheel choice is also a very nineties touch and yes, you can find them in Gran Turismo. They’re made by Rays and have been for a number of years because everyone loves a good old-fashioned five spoke. The interesting thing about this particular set of wheels is that the barrel is polished chrome whilst the spokes themselves are silver. In the engine bay, you will find a gold valve cover for the uprated RB26, a strut brace connecting the suspension towers and a reworked turbo system. You can also see stickers of various tuning houses such as Blitz, Otomei and Trust. Some serious work has been done here. It’s soo satisfying to see a build that pays tribute to original tuners who made JDM culture what it is.
Back in the nineties, this car would’ve been the ducks nuts. In 2026, it still is. In a world where “stance” has become common place, a properly modified car that’s been ripped straight out of OPTION Magazine makes you sit up and notice. It has all the right pieces and I’m pretty sure it has all the right moves on track. Who cares if it doesn’t have a front diff? I surely don’t and you won’t either because this car has it all.
DevMacCars 