The Frankenstein from Omori: When NISMO’s Engineers Built a Supercar to Terrify Porsche with a Warranty
-A heartfelt thanks to " Igor Polyakov <vaestro.max@gmail.com> " he rendered this breathtaking image — I honestly never knew a car could look so fierce and powerful. My friend, this machine has been given a soul… and that soul is black.-
You see, the Skyline GT-R R33 was never supposed to be the wild child. It was the calm, matured older sibling to the frantic R32. But then—NISMO happened. And not just any NISMO. The kind of NISMO that gets handsy with Le Mans parts catalogs and says, “Let’s give this thing titanium arteries.”
Enter the 400R. Developed by REINIK (that’s Racing & Rally Engineering Institute of Nissan Motors—not your local sushi chain), the RB26DETT was bored to 2771cc and fitted with a new steel crankshaft, forged pistons, and H-beam rods. They slapped on high-capacity twin ball-bearing turbos good for 1.2 bar of boost, and a massive front-mount intercooler to keep things chilly when things got spicy.
And here's the kicker: all this was factory. Not Option2 magazine, not some midnight touge crew, but a factory-sanctioned freakshow. NISMO’s engineers included upgraded fuel delivery, a stiffer multi-plate clutch, a custom Getrag 5-speed, and steel-bladed cooling fans. You got braided brake lines, improved brake master cylinder, and bespoke programming for the ATTESA E-TS Pro AWD and Super HICAS 4WS systems. It even had a rear mechanical LSD, beefier prop shafts, and reinforced diff housing.
For weight savings? A carbon-fiber bonnet, aluminum fenders, and thinner glass. And that aero kit? Not just a wind-tunnel fantasy—it actually added stability above 180 km/h. At full throttle, it sounded like a fax machine and a dragon had a child.
And if you're a tuner? The 400R is a legendary unicorn. Tuners revere the RB-X GT2 block, which later became a favorite swap into R32s and R34s aiming for four-digit horsepower. The head alone was designed for sustained circuit punishment, making it perfect for Time Attack builds or Wangan monsters.
Still not convinced it was special? NISMO offered a Racing Spec Pack for customers: complete blueprinted engine internals, telemetry integration, stiffer sway bars, and yes, bespoke LM GT1 18-inch wheels wrapped in sticky Bridgestone RE710s. Each car was individually dyno tested and road-tested by engineers—some of whom had worked on Group A Skylines.
Only 44 units were ever made. It wasn’t mass production. It was a gentleman’s track weapon, born in a secret lab in Omori, Tokyo, where NISMO's finest spent sleepless nights finessing bushings and recalibrating yaw sensors.
Thank you my friend: Igor Polyakov <vaestro.max@gmail.com>
“The 400R is not just a tuned Skyline. It is the final form. It’s the one they built when they weren’t trying to save money, appease emissions regulations, or convince your mum to buy one. It’s what you get when you let race engineers loose in a parts bin after three bottles of sake and a long conversation about downforce.”
Notes & highlights:
Let me know if you'd like further breakdowns—like modifications details, homologation quirks, or performance comparisons!
Today, it’s one of the most desirable Skylines ever made, often fetching over $2 million at auction, and occupying a mythical position just below the Z-Tune R34. To own a 400R is to own a piece of Nissan’s motorsport legacy—designed by engineers, not marketers.
And if you’re lucky enough to drive one? Don’t. Just put it in your living room, and let the oil drip slowly onto your Persian rug as a reminder that Japan once made a monster to scare Europe.
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本田宗一郎(Soichiro Honda)
Japanese engineer and founder of Honda Motor Co.
