A Different Breed

Not your typical sema red carpet dweller

- Rodrez

During the whirlwind of display cars, new parts, far too many people, and an almost comical meeting itinerary during SEMA, we stumbled across a unique build nestled within the confines of the GReddy booth. And while a Skyline isn’t exactly unheard of at the annual mega event, finding one void of any massive fender flares or a complex vinyl wrap and almost non-existent suspension travel, certainly is. Not that there’s anything wrong with wild and crazy, but chat with Ben Schwartz, humble owner of this ’89 Skyline GTE for a few minutes, and you get the idea that he couldn’t possibly care any less about short-term shock value.

Get beyond the fact that it’s a Skyline, and on paper, this might not seem like the ideal build candidate. After all, a GTE sedan complete with a naturally aspirated RB20DE and an automatic transmission doesn’t scream “performance.” Ben states, “I’ve always liked sedans even before I had my two daughters, but on my trip to Japan in ’05, I fell in love with R32 sedans. I went to Ebisu for a two-week drift vacation and one of the instructors’ girlfriends was driving a black R32 that I will never forget. I told myself one day I would own a four-door R32.”