Driving the Nissan Skyline GT-R Z-tune

[BMWDave]

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Nismo Builds the Ultimate Iteration of Nissan's Legendary Super Coupe
By: Pete Lyons

Date Posted 07-28-2005

A watershed year for the Japanese car industry: 1989. In the space of just 12 months, more than half a dozen hit products landed on showroom floors. These included the Lexus LS 400, Mazda MX-5, Nissan 300ZX and the Toyota MR2 coupe.

But one car, above all others, had worldwide performance enthusiasts buzzing with excitement. That car was the Nissan Skyline GT-R R32. It was such a high-tech tour de force it instantly became the production car standard for cornering potential and gained global cult status without ever leaving Japan.

That's right: The Nissan Skyline GTR was never officially exported, but interest was so high the right-hand-drive car was privately exported all over the world, including the U.S. Its twin-turbo 2.6-liter engine and state-of-the-art 4WD system had put it on the high-performance map, but the basic fact that Nissan had developed the chunky-looking coupe solely to win Japan's Touring Car Championships seemed to add to the GT-R's mystique.

While everyone who drove the road-going car raved about its superb chassis and unbeatable handling, few were satisfied with the grunt under the hood. As U.S. and European sports cars were pushing through 400 horsepower by the late '90s, the third-generation GT-R R34 (the second-gen R33 debuted in 1995) stayed at a self-regulated 280 hp.

Toys in the Attic
Now this is where the story gets interesting: Nearly two years after Nissan phased out the GT-R due to stricter emissions laws, Nismo, the company's motorsports arm, has brought back the R34 for one last encore performance. Only this time, it's standing ovation material.

Nismo chose "Z-tune" for its name. It's the last letter in the alphabet and the last word on the current-generation GT-Rs. This mind-boggling R34 is the GT-R that Nissan should have built in the first place. It is also the ideal model to whet the appetites of potential buyers for the next-generation GT-R, which will be revealed at the Tokyo auto show in 2007.

In the same way that the original 1989 model GT-R was solely conceived to win races, the Z-tune was built as a specialized track-session car, the ultimate GT-R capable of being mercilessly thrashed for 30 minutes on a racetrack.

The Nismo lads could not just go to a Nissan showroom and pick up new R34s for modification, so they had to find pre-owned GT-Rs. As Nismo team leader Kojun Iwata explained, "We checked out dozens of GT-Rs, looking for cars with no body damage and less than 20,000 miles on the clock. It wasn't easy." Once located, the cars were then stripped down to the body shell and transformed into road-going racers.

Talk About the Passion
Leaning on more than 15 years of racing experience in Japan's GT Championships, the Nismo team's inspiration for the Z-tunes came from the series-winning GT-R GT500 racecar. Launched in limited numbers in Japan several months ago, the GT-R Z-tune costs the equivalent of $160,000.

Its twin-turbo 2.6-liter straight-six has been bored out to 2.8 liters and is packed with race engine internals borrowed from the GT500, including a pair of heavy-duty race-spec IHI turbos. The R34 now cranks out a more respectable 500 hp at 6,800 rpm and 398 pound-feet at 5,200 rpm.

Iwata said that he could easily tweak the car to a maximum of around 630 hp, but then they'd have to worry about emissions regulations. Torque comes on strong from 2,000 rpm, explodes from 3,500-4,200 rpm and stays on tap all the way to 7,000 rpm. Its lightweight aero parts serve purely to maximize cooling efficiency to the engine and brakes.

The Drive
This is a true supercar experience. Drop the clutch at 5,500 rpm and you're battling nearly 1.5G as the Atessa-Pro four-wheel-drive system fights to retain grip. Jump on the perfectly balanced six-piston monoblock Brembo brakes, and you'd better be ready for nearly 2G of deceleration as the Bridgestone Potenza RE-01Rs chirp and struggle to absorb the forces. We pushed the car hard for an hour or so over the mountain roads south of Tokyo, and the Z-tune just took everything in its stride, constantly tempting us to use a heavier right boot.

The steering is ideally weighted and razor-sharp for such a car. The Z-tune's turn-in is absolutely progressive without the slightest hint that these Potenzas employ such beefy shoulders. Its Super Coppermix twin-plate clutch is almost as light as a stock clutch, providing smooth gear changes through the six-speed Getrag gearbox, while the beefier bottom-end torque makes low-speed city cruising a pleasure.

When it comes to cornering, your brain needs to recalibrate its understanding of the laws of physics. Nothing prepares you for the phenomenal traction this coupe generates. On public roads, you run out of guts before you run out of grip.

Along with its reinforced chassis, this GT-R also gets specially tuned, race-spec Sachs three-way adjustable dampers. At $20,000 a set, they deliver a ride quality unheard of in a car this hard-core.

Inside, the leather and Alcantara-covered seats are comfortable but need more side support considering the car's cornering ability. A specially fitted 200-mph speedo and titanium gearshift knob hint at where the Z-tune's true colors lie.

It's the End of the World as We Know It (And I Feel Fine)
Thanks to the glorious eccentricity of the Japanese, the legendary GT-R has been revisited one last time, as if to show just how capable it was all along. It's a shame only 20 will be built. But don't fret. Picking up where the Z-tune left off, an all-new 2007 GT-R will surface packing a 480-plus-hp twin-turbo 3.2-liter V6. Delicious. And all that through the rear wheels, too. Sure, it's going to have an array of traction control systems to die for, but Nissan knows all too well that buyers of such cars prefer rear-wheel drive.

Watch out, Ferrari and Porsche. At around $80,000, the new GT-R should have the credentials to make your lives miserable.

[Raza]

80 grand?  Forget it.  They're like M3 price in Japan.  The regular ones, of course.

[FlatBlackCaddy]

There is something wrong with that article.

First off the guy takes a couple paragraphs to describe how great the car handles.

Then goes on in the end to state some interesting "facts" about what the next GT-R will be, even stating that its going to RWD only.

" And all that through the rear wheels, too. Sure, it's going to have an array of traction control systems to die for, but Nissan knows all too well that buyers of such cars prefer rear-wheel drive. "

Seems like he's just making stuff up for some filler.

I think one of the things that most people speculating about the GT-R agree on is the fact that it will continue to use AWD.

[Raza]

Yeah--I agree with you, FBC.  

The guy's a douchebag.  Is this Jeremy Clarkson's pen name?

[footoflead]

Yeah--I agree with you, FBC.  

The guy's a douchebag.  Is this Jeremy Clarkson's pen name?

 It could be <_<  

[Secret Chimp]

The guy also failed to note that the "gentlemen's agreement" amongst carmakers in Japan was pretty much just obeyed on-paper for awhile the end of it. Yeah, it has 280 horsepower... those track times must be problems with the test equipment, heh..

[Run Away]

I soo want one.
I have an SCC with a cover story on them, the carbon fibre and all the race bits you can see poking out here and there make it look absolutely amazing.
A rumoured 10.06 1/4 mile is nothing to laugh at either.
$80k is a bargain.

[oilfilter]

While on the topic of JDM nissans, I saw a couple of really sweet last gen JDM Silvias yesterday. One red and one black. The Red one was heavily modded, and the black one moderately. Both had tasteful body kits too...just a spoiler and some skirts, not something too garish with a thousand scoops.

I tell you, those coupes look super cool in real life. Clean, flowing,but distinct  lines give it a low, powerful, and elegant appearnce. I rank them up there with among the most beautiful coupes of all time.

Next to the red coupe was parked a butt ugly new gen 3 series. Beauty and the Beast literally lol....

I would love to have one of those silvias, if you didnt figure that out already....

[BMWDave]

While on the topic of JDM nissans, I saw a couple of really sweet last gen JDM Silvias yesterday. One red and one black. The Red one was heavily modded, and the black one moderately. Both had tasteful body kits too...just a spoiler and some skirts, not something too garish with a thousand scoops.

I tell you, those coupes look super cool in real life. Clean, flowing,but distinct  lines give it a low, powerful, and elegant appearnce. I rank them up there with among the most beautiful coupes of all time.

Next to the red coupe was parked a butt ugly new gen 3 series. Beauty and the Beast literally lol....

I would love to have one of those silvias, if you didnt figure that out already....

How dare you      

[oilfilter]

Seriously, compared to the lovely Silvia coupe, the BMW was like a deformed vehicle. Parked side by side, the contrast was stunning.:o

Have you seen the rear of the 3 series in real life? WTF were they thinking? Its like someone gave it a swift kick in the arse and drove the tailights in... :D  

I am NOT a fan of any of the new BMWs, except the M5 and the 7. The banglized 7 series was actually the best of the big luxobarges, particularly when viewed from the front. Now they went and redesigned that too, and made it worse... <_<  

[Run Away]

There are a few imported Silvias, MR2s, 300ZX and R32 Skylines locally here.
You're right, they look great. I particularily like the S15/ '97+ USDM S14 looks.

[FlatBlackCaddy]

Don't tell the BMW boys but turbo silvia could keep up with even the M3's of thier time.

Anyway was it one of these silvia's(model generation)







Another great car that we never got, in the end this car killed the Z car in japan. It had a 250hp Turbo 4 and sold for around 20K USD in japan. It had the straightline performance of a Z and was lighter, handled better, and was about 10K cheaper. Its no wonder the Z didn't last long once the S-15 took over.

[oilfilter]

Yup, it was one of the JDM silvias like the ones you have posted.  Awesome cars    

Much better looking than the post S-13 USDM 240SXes which seemed to have some sort of an identity crisis.

[Tom]

Don't tell the BMW boys but turbo silvia could keep up with even the M3's of thier time.

Anyway was it one of these silvia's(model generation)







Another great car that we never got, in the end this car killed the Z car in japan. It had a 250hp Turbo 4 and sold for around 20K USD in japan. It had the straightline performance of a Z and was lighter, handled better, and was about 10K cheaper. Its no wonder the Z didn't last long once the S-15 took over.

That's exactly what we need here.  Too bad we don't have it.

[Raza]

For cars with such a pretty name, they sure aren't pretty.

Are those S15s or S14s?

[R33 GT-R]

I've always thought they look like a skinny intrepid.