The Pennzoil R33 was built in 1998 and was powered by a punched out 2.7-liter version of the RB26 with twin turbos breathing through restrictors. The engine put out about 550 hp and 500 lb/ft of torque. The engine put the power down through a six-speed sequential transmission. As you can see, aerodynamics in those days was pretty basic. A very small splitter, with an airdam (the splitter used is not on the car for some reason) and a small and very basic rear diffuser.
To round off the interesting parts of the display were some very old Nissans! First up from the left is a 1933 Datsun Type 12 sedan. It is powered by a 747cc flathead 12 hp I-4. Since the Japanese at that time lacked automotive engine technology, the engine was built by Nissan under license from Austin. The reason for the 747cc displacement was because at the time, no driver’s license was needed to operate the car if the engine’s size was under 750cc. 150 Type 12 sedans were produced. Next up in the middle is a 1934 Datsun Type 14 Pickup Truck. The truck is powered by a 722cc flathead I-4. Although the next generation Austin engine was smaller, it was improved for higher output making a smoking 15 hp! Next is a 1937 Datsun Type 16 powered by a 722cc Austin I-4 Flathead rocking an amazing 16 hp! The Type 16 had a three-speed transmission and could eventually reach 50 mph, probably off a cliff! These Nissans are all built at Nissan’s Yokohama Oppama plant. Yokohama is Nissan’s mother city and I actually worked at the Oppama plant one summer when I was at Nissan.
The rest of the displays were super boring various pedestrian sedans and vans of different sizes and I didn’t bother to take pictures of them. If you are hungry there is a decent looking cafe with a nice view of the Yokohama waterfront, a Starbucks and a Nissan gift shop where you can buy Nissan and Nismo clothes and souvenirs. The Nissan gallery is a fun place to kill an hour or so and it’s free, making it definitely a worthwhile stop, even if you are not a Nissan fan.
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We visit our family in Yokohama every year, and stop by the gallery every time. The display cars rotate frequently and I’ve been fortunate enough to visit the Heritage gallery where most of the display cars are housed. Highly recommend the Nissan engine museum as well for anyone visiting Yokohama. It’s also free and worth the trip. Thanks for sharing!