I wanted to wait on this for a while until we received our first set. Now we have pictures of the actual 1000RR turbo kit, as shown above and in this link:

http://gt-rr.com/gt-r/r35/south_side_performance/part/1000rr_turbo_upgrade/pid/474

Today is an exciting day to discuss the current potential and the future of the R35 GT-R. The above link will show more pictures of these turbos and also contains a description of what to (and what to not) expect with them.

Here is why I’m even more excited lately about the GT-R:

Development pace of GT-R tuning is at an all time high. Tuning shops world wide are rapidly developing solutions to extract greater potential out of the R35 GT-R. What was once a car unable to be cracked or modified has step by step been proven to be highly tunable. From the very first person who said that the ECU could not be cracked/modified and was proven wrong, to the guys who say that the transmission is the weakpoint and can’t be upgraded to handle more power…step by step the tuning world is showing that the GT-R has even more potential than people once thought. This same process is not unique to the GT-R, every few years there is a highly tuned factory car that comes out and early on skeptics of the aftermarket say that there is no way to tune it better or to make improvements. Time after time those skeptics are proven wrong. This is no different of an example this time around. Sure the stakes are higher, the cost of improving the vehicle is greater due to the higher spec starting point, and the technology more complicated than ever…but that is all just a natural evolution of tuning. People said the same thing about the Honda S2000 back in 1999 when it came with 120 HP per liter NA and everyone said it was maxed out from the factory. They were proven wrong.

Without a doubt many purists will feel concerned that the aftermarket is tinkering with a car that is by many is defined as perfect. Without a doubt, some people will stick to OEM quality parts and praise the SpecV in Japan while saying that it is unsafe or irresponsible to tune the car with any aftermarket company’s parts that are non-Nissan made. Is there a right or wrong perspective? No. Like any vehicle or any item in one’s possession, the right way to handle it is defined only by what is right to each individual owner’s tastes and needs. Regardless, I will say with warning that the GT-R is a very complicated car to improve upon and with the GT-R more than ever, professional and in depth consultation is recommended to ensure that the right parts are selected to reach every individual owner’s desired goals. This consultation is the main focus of my business, and above all, our reputation is judged based upon the quality and in depth consultation and advice we offer everyone who calls in to discuss their project. The GT-R requires great research and understanding of the aftermarket parts being selected. Without having the proper consulting or the proper individual research, naturally it is suggested to be safer when sticking with OEM parts like the SpecV method of tuning the base GT-R.

However, I will say this. The SpecV was just reported as posting a slower lap time at Tsukuba Circuit than the stock base model GT-R. The SpecV is without a doubt a great car, and Tsukuba is without a doubt not the most appropriate track to test it…but honestly can anyone say that the SpecV is extracting the full potential of the GT-R? I dont think so. Sticking to factory Nissan/Nismo tuning is indeed the safe and easy way, but in my opinion it is not the best way to reach the car’s full potential and to have the most enjoyment with the car.

So lets look briefly at the journey to modifying the GT-R at its current stage today. Already there are hundreds of performance modification products available, as evident on gt-rr.com right now. And GT-RR only sells the parts that I can personally vouch for (I approve every part on there), there are still even more parts out there which are not listed (we have access to everything, but we only list parts that we believe in and recommend).  Of the modifications out there, we have items as extreme now as these 1000hp capable turbos and as each day goes by, the offerings continue to grow and become even more well rounded. In the next month we expect to be releasing a series of transmission/drivetrain upgrades and even more turbo and fuel options. The next weak point will be the engine internals…what better timing to show the synergy of the US and Japanese tuning worlds than to show a picture of what our friends in Japan, Garage Saurus were working on earlier this week:

So whatever your beliefs, whether you’re one of those who are an early adopter and jump right in testing out new parts the second they get released or if you’re someone who likes to sit patiently and watch how it all sorts itself out, for everyone this is without a doubt an exciting time for the tuning world.

One last note to close out this longer than usual blog post. For those of you who deeply understand the Japanese tuning world and the US tuning world, there is one key difference. The Japanese like to build from the bottom up, meaning that they are conservative, they focus on building a solid foundation and advancing one step at a time. The US tuning shops often like to go for the big bang out of the gate, meaning that they create parts that are more extreme more quickly and then sort out the foundation later. This post emphasizes those two contrasts. We start off with a US produced turbo kit which is capable of producing more power (1000hp) than the engine internals can handle (perhaps 800hp, nobody knows for sure yet). Then we show a picture of Garage Saurus who is putting out 650hp with stock turbos and who will not upgrade their turbos until they examine the engine internals and build from the ground up. What is interesting is that the two styles are complimentary and when they intersect at the middle, that will be the fastest possible result for reliable and extreme power and tuning. For myself, I enjoy the fact that someone can slap 1000hp turbos onto their car now, know that it is a solution they can grow with, and then also know that there are more conservative and steady companies in Japan like Garage Saurus and others that are step by step working on solutions to fortify the foundation to utilize these extreme examples of tuning that the US is producing. That’s a fusion of tuning culture right there.

Just my personal opinion, take it for what you will.

All the best,

Ben