The 1995 Nissan Skyline GT-R R33 (also known as "Big Bird"[1]) was a minor car in The Fast and the Furious.[2]
History[]
The Fast and the Furious[]
The 1995 Nissan Skyline GT-R R33 is one of Leon's personal cars. He drove the 1995 Skyline to Toretto's Market & Cafe alongside Jesse, Letty Ortiz and Vince. Later, during the night, Leon monitored police activity from the inside of his 1995 Nissan Skyline.[2]
He kept a vigil on the streets while the rest of his group watched and participated in the quarter mile race for money and cars. When he overheard the police had discovered what they were doing, he alerted the others racers and retreated to 1327, Dominic and Mia Toretto's house.[2]
Specifications[]
The 1995 Nissan Skyline GT-R R33 featured a yellow paint job with Modern Image vinyl decals on it. It also had WORK wheels.[3]
Engine Specs[]
- Stock RB26dett
- Stock turbos (2530 had broke during One Lap of America)
- HKS air filters
- HKS fuel rail
- HKS fuel pressure regulator
- Bosch 044 fuel pump
- HKS Twin Power DLI
- HKS Intercooler
- HKS front pipe
- HKS Exhaust
Tires/Wheels/Brakes/Suspension[]
- Work VS-XX Wheels 18 x 10 inch
- Toyo T1S 255/40/18 (I think)
- Stock Brembo brakes, front and rear
- HKS Suspension
Interior[]
- Rollcage by UPRD – for Pikes Peak 1999
- HKS Boost gauge
Performance Stats[]
- 0-60 in 3.9 seconds
- ¼ mile 12.1@110 mph (1 bar of boost, at Carlsbad)
In Reality[]
Origins[]
The car belonged to Sean Morris, it was originally white, and he brought it to an audition for cars for The Fast and the Furious (then called Redline) held by Craig Lieberman who was the picture car coordinator for the original two films.
They originally wanted the car to be Brian's but were only able to get one car in and wouldn't be able to replicate it, it was eventually decided that as they could only get one car that it would be used for another character as a background car. The car was repainted yellow and given to Leon's character.
After production finished and Morris was given the car back, he ripped the graphics off the car.
Destruction[]
May 31, 2012, the state of Wisconsin ordered that the two models for the 1995 Nissan Skyline GT-R R33 were ordered to be destroyed, after a law in the state of Wisconsin in the USA prevented the ownership of a vehicle that doesn’t have a valid VIN (Vehicle Identification Number), especially for imported vehicles.[1][4][5]
The owner, Justin Beno, also had a second R33 that was crushed as well, due to the fact that he attempted to sell the cars to another person and told them he could get them titled in Florida, unaware the "buyer" was an undercover agent.[4][1][5] Although Beno asked if he could ship the cars to another country, his appeal was denied, and was told he'd be free of charges if he agreed to turn over his Skylines to be crushed and compacted.
Trivia[]
- The Skyline were owned Sean Morris, who owns Toprank Imports, who also provided other cars for the franchise such as the 2010 Bentley Continental GT, 1992 Mercedes S-Klasse and Sean specifically was the builder of the 1967 Ford Mustang Fastback.
- Leon’s GT-R was given the name “Big Bird,” a reference to the big yellow character on the TV show Sesame Street.
- The car served as a demo car for MotoRex. The car had done many race events including drag racing, One Lap of America and Pikes Peak Hill Climb event.
- The car was eventually sold and around 2012, it was seized and crushed by the Feds. It seems that MotoRex had never completed the certification on this car to make it Federally Legal and the new owner was forced to surrender the car.
Media[]
Videos[]
Gallery[]
Screenshots[]
Promotional[]
Notes[]
References[]