Jump to content
SAU Community

Recommended Posts

A lot of people mention the extra weight of the R34 and R33 over the R32.

How much real world difference does extra kilos make to the performance of a car? Obviously less weight means more speed and better handling.

So considering the R33 GTS-T is 3.7% heavier than the R32 GTS-T, would this mean that the R32 is exactly 3.7% faster than an R33? (obviously comparing cars with exactly the same tyres, suspension etc etc).

If this is the case, then 3.7% isn't much difference IMO - I think driver skill would 'outweigh' this small percentage when it comes to any type of competition, be it track or drag events!

Here are the KERBweights I've found for each model:

R32 GTS-T - 1320kg

R33 GTS-T - 1370kg

R34 GT-T - 1410kg

R32 GTR - 1480kg

R33 GTR - 1530kg

R34 GTR - 1540kg

What do you think?

Edited by Primordial
Link to comment
https://www.sau.com.au/forums/topic/111689-skyline-weight-debate/
Share on other sites

slightly different wheelbase.. way the power is delivered to the ground due to the chasis design, weight balance, different gearbox ratios, engine toruqe, even aerodynamics, etc.

It's silly to say "R33 weighs <this>" as well, as s1 and s2 are usually different, etc, etc.. I know series1 R32 (89/90) is about 40kg lighter than series 2 (91-92)

Ok.. ill rephrase my initial question.. I just didnt want this to end up another series vs series thread!

How much difference does X amount of weight make in the REAL WORLD. People talk about the R33 as a 'boat' etc. But how much actual performance difference/benefit is there as a result - NOT including other factors of course.

Im not talking specific numbers, just your opinion of whether a small amount of weight makes a difference in the performance of a car

Edited by Primordial
A lot of people mention the extra weight of the R34 and R33 over the R32.

How much real world difference does extra kilos make to the performance of a car? Obviously less weight means more speed and better handling.

So considering the R33 GTS-T is 3.7% heavier than the R32 GTS-T, would this mean that the R32 is exactly 3.7% faster than an R33? (obviously comparing cars with exactly the same tyres, suspension etc etc).

If this is the case, then 3.7% isn't much difference IMO - I think driver skill would 'outweigh' this small percentage when it comes to any type of competition, be it track or drag events!

Here are the KERBweights I've found for each model:

R32 GTS-T - 1320kg

R33 GTS-T - 1370kg

R34 GT-T - 1410kg

R32 GTR - 1480kg

R33 GTR - 1530kg

R34 GTR - 1540kg

What do you think?

1989/90 R32GTST's weigh 1265 kgs, no sunroof, no ABS

For the same reasons 1989/90 R32GTR's weigh less than 1991/93 R32GTR's

Using engine power to weight is simplistic, you need to take into account the relative transmission losses.

Weight affects more than acceleration, there is also braking and cornering to be considered if you are looking at circuit work. There is also the effect of where the extra weight is. The extra ~200 kgs carried by a GTR is mostly on the front wheels, that has a big effect on how they handle.

Take a look at the success ballast applied to certain forms of racing, 40 kgs will take you from the front to the back of the grid.

:D cheers :D

Edited by Sydneykid

My 1989 r32 gtst 4door auto,with sunroof and a full tank of gas in full street trim weighed 1390kg, so im guessing it would weigh about 1320-1330kg dry, anyone else weighed there car??

yeah im with primordial, y do they say that 33 is too heavy wen in fact a stronger engine helps out balance the weight. why call 33 a boat? wen the 34 is heavier?

I think people say that because of the way they look, rather than how they go.

You've also gotta remember it's not all about the total weight it's about where it is. For example if anyone here has driven an old porsche 911 you will know what it's like with that huge amount of weight sitting behind the rear axle. It's like a pendulum and when the rear steps out it's very hard to catch. It also makes the front end very flighty and not seem as grounded. Compare that to a porsche boxer with agrubly the best place for an engine (midship) and you'll understand.

So if a car weighs more also think about where it carry's it's weight.

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now


  • Similar Content

  • Latest Posts

    • Hi, SteveL Thank you very much for your reply, you seem to be the only person on the net who has come up with a definitive answer for which I am grateful. The "Leak" was more by way of wet bubbles when the pedal was depressed hard by a buddy while trying to gey a decent pedal when bleeding the system having fitted the rebuilt BM50 back in the car, which now makes perfect sense. A bit of a shame having just rebuilt my BM50, I did not touch the proportioning valve side of things, the BM50 was leaking from the primary piston seal and fluid was running down the the Brake booster hence the need to rebuild, I had never noticed any fluid leaking from that hole previously it only started when I refitted it to the car. The brake lines in the photo are "Kunifer" which is a Copper/Nickel alloy brake pipe, but are only the ones I use to bench bleed Master cylinders, they are perfectly legal to use on vehicles here in the UK, however the lines on the car are PVF coated steel. Thanks again for clearing this up for me, a purchase of a new BMC appears to be on the cards, I have been looking at various options in case my BM50 was not repairable and have looked at the HFM BM57 which I understand is manufactured in Australia.  
    • Well the install is officially done. Filled with fluid and bled it today, but didn't get a chance to take it on a test drive. I'll throw some final pics of the lines and whatnot but you can definitely install a DMAX rack in an R33 with pretty minor mods. I think the only other thing I had to do that isn't documented here is grind a bit of the larger banjo fitting to get it to clear since the banjos are grouped much tighter on the DMAX rack. Also the dust boots from a R33 do not fit either fyi, so if you end up doing this install for whatever reason you'll need to grab those too. One caveat with buying the S15 dust boots however is that the clamps are too small to fit on the R33 inner tie rod since they're much thicker so keep the old clamps around. The boots also twist a bit when adjusting toe but it's not a big deal. No issues or leaks so far, steering feels good and it looks like there's a bit more lock now than I had before. Getting an alignment on Saturday so I'll see how it feels then but seems like it'll be good to go       
    • I don't get in here much anymore but I can help you with this.   The hole is a vent (air relief) for the brake proportioning valve, which is built into the master cylinder.    The bad news is that if brake fluid is leaking from that hole then it's getting past the proportioning valve seals.   The really bad news is that no spare parts are available for the proportioning valve either from Nissan or after market.     It's a bit of a PITA getting the proportioning valve out of the master cylinder body anyway but, fortunately, leaks from that area are rare in my experience. BTW, if those are copper (as such) brake lines you should get rid of them.    Bundy (steel) tube is a far better choice (and legal  in Australia - if that's where you are).
×
×
  • Create New...