In an era of big-body saloons and fuel-guzzling sedans, it’s no surprise that a few VIP land barges slipped through the cracks of mainstream JDM car fandom. The Y32 Nissan Cima is the perfect example.
When you think of big-turbo, luxury sedan drifting, your mind will go straight to a 1JZ-powered Toyota JZX (Chaser, Mark II, and Cresta) or even the RB-powered Nissan Laurel. Today’s wildly inflated used JDM performance car market eludes to that train of thought.
Before this shoot, I’ll admit that I wasn’t very familiar with the Cima. Even here in Japan you rarely come across them, let alone in a modified state. But on a recent trip to N-Style Custom in Gunma, I knew that Hiroyuki-san’s car had to be featured.
Released soon after the Y32 Cedric/Gloria in 1991 and still during the R32 Skyline era, the luxury Y32 Cima – first offered with Nissan’s VH41DE 4.1L V8 and then its turbo V6 3.0L VG30DET – achieved limited sales in a collapsing VIP saloon market. More than 30 years on, that explains why so few are still on the road in Japan.
Hiroyuki-san’s Cima, however, is far from the factory specification and intention. With select modifications, he has reinvented the chassis as a street car, show car and drift car all in one.
How has Hiroyuki-san done that, you ask? Well, it all stems from what sits up front. Here, the Cima’s original engine has been replaced by a Trust-built RB26, now stroked up to 2.8L. Atop the straight-six block sits a NAPREC-processed DOHC 24-valve cylinder head hosting HKS 288-degree camshafts.
With such a strong foundation comes a single turbocharger to match, Hiroyuki-san sticking with an old-school KKK K27. Those familiar with this turbo will know it makes all the right noises; something amplified by an HKS GT wastegate for that quintessential RB howl.
And just in case he forgets, Hiroyuki-san has listed out the engine specs on the underside of the bonnet in some hand-brushed and colour-matched signwriting.
Outside, a full Sessions kit ties the look together. You don’t often see this type of body kit in the Kanto (Tokyo) region; VIP style is more common in southern Japan, particularly Kansai (Osaka). Matched to the kit, the fenders have been perfectly widened, even onto the rear doors. No tek-screwed flares here.
The car sits on a full set of Work Meister L1s, hiding a Sessions big brake kit up front and R32 GT-R discs and callipers at the rear.
Jumping inside, the contrasting luxuries of an early-’90s VIP car and a drift/show machine make Hiroyuki-san’s Y32 so interesting to shoot. A 6-point roll cage wraps the whole interior but keeps the rear seat functional. Up front, there’s a pair of Hardcore carbon bucket seats and a matching shift knob for the R33 GTS-25t 5-speed manual gearbox conversion.
The Y32 Cima is the sort of car you don’t know you want until you find out it exists – especially when they look and go like this one. That being said, Hiroyuki-san’s is far from an out-of-the-box purchase. And for that reason, the Y32 Cima will continue to be a silent underdog.
Alec Pender
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