Nissan Laurel C33

Positioned as a comfortable executive sedan, the C33 Laurel's RWD layout and available turbocharged RB20DET quietly made it a favorite of Japanese drift and grip circle enthusiasts who wanted Skyline-adjacent performance with four-door practicality.

It found unexpected fame in drift culture as an affordable, roomy alternative to the Silvia, and it's recognized as one of the classic underdog picks among RWD Nissan sedans of the era.

• RWD layout with a turbocharged RB engine shares DNA with the Skyline
• Four-door practicality makes it a genuinely usable daily/project car combo
• Comparatively affordable versus coupe-bodied RWD Nissans of the era
• Solid, well-balanced chassis for grip and drift use

• Heavier than the Silvia, blunting outright performance
• Less aftermarket support than SR20DET or later RB26 platforms
• Never officially exported to most Western markets
• Interior and trim show their age more than sportier siblings

• Rust in the rear arches and floor pans on humid-climate examples
• Aging turbo and cooling components typical of RB20DET engines
• Worn suspension bushings on high-mileage cars
• Electrical gremlins from decades-old wiring

Solid — the RB20DET responds to the same tuning fundamentals as other RB-series engines, and some owners swap in RB25 or RB26 engines for a significant power boost.

Since it's JDM-only, confirm clean import paperwork, check for rust in typical problem areas, and verify whether the engine is original or a later RB swap, which affects both value and reliability.

A cult favorite in drift and grip communities as a practical, affordable alternative to more famous RWD Nissans, though far less known to the general public.

• It shares its RB20DET engine family with early Skyline models, giving it genuine motorsport-adjacent DNA
• Its four-door practicality has made it a favorite for grassroots drift events that want an unconventional car
• Later Laurel generations continued the RWD/turbo formula into the mid-2000s