NISMO R33 GT-R LM (1995)

The NISMO R33 GT-R LM, unveiled in 1995, was a radical widebody evolution of the Skyline GT-R developed to compete in the 24 Hours of Le Mans. Built by Nissan Motorsport (NISMO) and based on the R33 Skyline GT-R chassis, the LM version was a true race-bred machine with extensive aerodynamic, mechanical, and weight-saving modifications. To comply with Le Mans GT1 class homologation rules, Nissan also created a single street-legal version — making the GT-R LM one of the rarest and most exclusive GT-Rs ever built.

History

After dominating the Japanese Touring Car Championship and Group A racing with the R32 GT-R (known as "Godzilla"), Nissan set its sights on international endurance racing — specifically, the prestigious 24 Hours of Le Mans. To enter the GT1 class, manufacturers had to produce a road-legal version of their race car.

Thus, in 1995, Nissan entered Le Mans with a heavily modified R33 Skyline under the LM (Le Mans) banner. The race car was built by NISMO with engineering support from Tom Walkinshaw Racing (TWR), and the street version was developed solely to meet homologation requirements — with just one example officially made and retained by Nissan.

Design Features

Visually, the R33 GT-R LM was dramatically different from the standard GT-R. It featured an ultra-wide body kit, flared arches, and an elongated front bumper with massive air intakes. The front and rear tracks were widened, and the overall stance of the car was low, wide, and unmistakably aggressive.

Aerodynamic enhancements included:

A vented carbon-fiber hood
Louvered fenders for airflow management
Wide rear wing mounted on sculpted deck extensions
Flat underbody and racing-style diffuser

The headlights on the race version were replaced with lightweight units, and Lexan windows were used to reduce mass. The road version retained stock lighting but shared much of the same visual architecture. Finished in a deep metallic blue, the LM stands out even among other GT-R variants.

Inside the race car, everything was stripped down to the essentials: a single seat, racing dash, and integrated roll cage. The road-going LM, however, was surprisingly refined, featuring a leather-trimmed interior, basic comfort features, and fully functional instrumentation — all wrapped in the silhouette of a Le Mans prototype.

Specs

The race version of the R33 GT-R LM was a full-blown endurance car, reworked from the ground up to compete at Le Mans. It retained the basic RB26DETT 2.6-liter twin-turbo inline-six, but with rear-wheel drive only (the ATTESA AWD system was removed for weight and simplicity) and significant internal upgrades.

Race car key specs:

Engine: 2.6L twin-turbocharged RB26DETT
Power: ~600–650 hp (race tune)
Drivetrain: Rear-wheel drive
Transmission: Sequential racing gearbox
Weight: ~1,150 kg
Chassis: Seam-welded, stripped for endurance duty

Road version (LM road car):

Engine: 2.6L RB26DETT, tuned to ~305–330 hp
Drivetrain: Retained AWD (ATTESA)
5-speed manual gearbox
Unique widebody chassis
VIN: BNR33-000445 (only one known to exist)

This one-off street version was fully functional, road-legal, and remains in Nissan’s Zama Heritage Collection. It differs from the standard R33 GT-R in bodywork, track width, and homologation details, and is considered the holy grail among GT-R collectors.

Production Status

Only one road-going NISMO R33 GT-R LM was ever made, and it was never sold to the public. The car was built exclusively to satisfy FIA GT1 homologation rules so Nissan could compete at Le Mans.

As for the race program, Nissan entered the 1995 and 1996 Le Mans with the GT-R LM but faced stiff competition from Porsche, McLaren, and others. The best finish was 10th in class, and by 1997 Nissan shifted to the R390 GT1 program, which followed the full prototype-homologation model.

The R33 GT-R LM remains a cult icon — not just because of its rarity, but because it represents a rare moment where Nissan fused Group A DNA, endurance racing ambition, and road car regulation into a single, mythical chassis.

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