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  • Garage Saurus one of the first to tune Nissan’s GT-R SpecV

    Garage Saurus one of the first to tune Nissan’s GT-R SpecV June 23rd, 2009 By Viknesh Vijayenthiran Viknesh Vijayenthiran, Author, June 23rd, 2009 Viknesh Vijayenthiran 1 Comment

    Garage Saurus one of the first to tune Nissan’s GT-R SpecV Like a fine piece of art or a perfectly cooked stake, the 2010 Nissan GT-R SpecV is one of those cars that shouldn’t be fiddled with and just accepted as one of the best examples of automotive engineering on sale today. With more than 478hp (356kW) and 430lb-ft (580Nm) on tap and a kerb weight sliding just under 1,600kg, few would deem the car lacking in the performance department.

    If you are one of the lucky few to get your hands on the rare SpecV GT-R and are crazy enough to modify it, Japanese tuner Garage Saurus will soon be able to offer a full assortment of upgrades for the car.

    Starting with only the basics, Garage Saurus... Like a fine piece of art or a perfectly cooked stake, the 2010 Nissan GT-R SpecV is one of those cars that shouldn’t be fiddled with and just accepted as one of the best examples of automotive engineering on sale today. With more than 478hp (356kW) and 430lb-ft (580Nm) on tap and a kerb weight sliding just under 1,600kg, few would deem the car lacking in the performance department. If you are one of the lucky few to get your hands on the rare SpecV GT-R and are crazy enough to modify it, Japanese tuner Garage Saurus will soon be able to offer a full assortment of upgrades for the car. Starting with only the basics, Garage Saurus have complied and installed a few choice upgrades from its range such as the Trust-GReddy full titanium exhaust kit, a custom high-flow intake, Blitz blow-off-valves, an uprated wastegate and a HKS ECU module. New 750cc Bosch fuel-injectors are being added to the car as you read this, along with more fine-tuning of the HKS ECU module. The car is still in the early development stage so no performance figures have been revealed as yet, but considering past Garage Saurus GT-Rs have developed in excess of 600hp (448kW) we should be seeing some big performance gains with the firm’s modified GT-R SpecV. Via: GTRBlog2010 Nissan GT-R SpecV2010 Nissan GT-R SpecV Live shots Read More

  • HKS releases more powerful GT600 upgrade for Nissan’s GT-R

    HKS releases more powerful GT600 upgrade for Nissan’s GT-R June 14th, 2009 ByJeremy Weber Jeremy Weber, Author, June 14th, 2009 Jeremy Weber 0 Comments

    HKS releases more powerful GT600 upgrade for Nissan’s GT-R HKS was one of the first major tuning houses to work on Nissan’s legendary GT-R supercar, developing performance kits and accessories as early as the 1989 R32 model right up to the latest R35 model. While many rival Japanese tuning firms specialise in simple off-the-shelf mods, the engineering that goes into every HKS product is based on experience garnered from more than 35 years of drag racing, road racing, rallying, and top speed trials. As a result, HKS has been synonymous with performance in the automotive aftermarket industry.

    The most recent package from company was the GT570 racing kit for the GT-R. Already on sale in the U.S.... HKS was one of the first major tuning houses to work on Nissan’s legendary GT-R supercar, developing performance kits and accessories as early as the 1989 R32 model right up to the latest R35 model. While many rival Japanese tuning firms specialise in simple off-the-shelf mods, the engineering that goes into every HKS product is based on experience garnered from more than 35 years of drag racing, road racing, rallying, and top speed trials. As a result, HKS has been synonymous with performance in the automotive aftermarket industry. The most recent package from company was the GT570 racing kit for the GT-R. Already on sale in the U.S. for $5,700 as a race-only conversion, the kit includes 75mm racing extension pipes, new intercooling piping, a reprogrammed ECU, a sequential blow-off valve kit, reinforced actuators, and new spark plugs. HKS has now released an updated GT600 package in either Racing or Sport lines. The new GT600 is kit is based on the previous GT570 package and essentially add a new induction kit with large diameter intakes, a fuel regulator and a fuel pump. The only difference between the Racing and Sport lines is the exhaust system, which for the street-legal Sport trim has been toned down to pass emission and noise regulations in Japan. According to HKS’ own dyno chart the addition of the GT600 package boosts power to 592hp (441kW). No word yet on any U.S. release dates or prices, but the kits are available now with a starting price of ¥882,000 (approximately $8,965). Via: GTRBlog Read More

  • Nissan GT-R SpecV turbochargers suggest room for more power

    Nissan GT-R SpecV turbochargers suggest room for more power June 5th, 2009 ByKenneth Hall Kenneth Hall, Author, June 5th, 2009 Kenneth Hall 1 Comment

    Nissan GT-R SpecV turbochargers suggest room for more power For a long time now, news of the Nissan GT-R SpecV has been making the rounds, with many expecting the new model to outdo even the mighty Chevrolet Corvette ZR1 when it finally takes to the Nurburgring for an official run. Part of these rumors was the assumption that the SpecV model would not be receiving any significant power upgrades over the standard GT-R, but would instead focus on improving driving dynamics through weight reduction and handling modifications - assumptions, it appears, that may have been incorrect judging from recent pictures taken by Japanese tuner Garage Saurus comparing a standard GT-R with the SpecV.

    The image... For a long time now, news of the Nissan GT-R SpecV has been making the rounds, with many expecting the new model to outdo even the mighty Chevrolet Corvette ZR1 when it finally takes to the Nurburgring for an official run. Part of these rumors was the assumption that the SpecV model would not be receiving any significant power upgrades over the standard GT-R, but would instead focus on improving driving dynamics through weight reduction and handling modifications - assumptions, it appears, that may have been incorrect judging from recent pictures taken by Japanese tuner Garage Saurus comparing a standard GT-R with the SpecV. The image compares the exhaust wheels of the standard Series II GT-R and the new SpecV model, and while Nissan has never mentioned that the turbochargers were different in the new SpecV, it’s plain to see that the SpecV has a larger exhaust wheel with a flatter blade compared to the standard GT-R. The finding gives hope to tuners, who are hoping it’s an indication that the turbochargers in the SpecV will be able to churn out more power before they reach their limit. More importantly, it could mean that the SpecV model actually produces more power than the claimed 485hp (362kW). It wouldn't be the first time that Nissan has underrated the output of its GT-R models as the practice was common for variants of the previous R34 model due to Japan’s voluntary power limit of 276hp (206kW). Why Nissan failed to mention such a significant difference between the turbo units in the SpecV and the GT-R is anyone's guess, but it does go some way to explaining why individual component pricing for the SpecV shows the turbochargers listed as a separate part with a higher cost than the units on the regular GT-R. Via: GTRBlog2010 Nissan GT-R SpecV2010 Nissan GT-R SpecV Live shots Read More

  • Wald releases new photos of Nissan GT-R Black Bison

    Wald releases new photos of Nissan GT-R Black Bison April 27th, 2009 ByJeremy Weber Jeremy Weber, Author, April 27th, 2009 Jeremy Weber 8 Comments

    Wald releases new photos of Nissan GT-R Black Bison Japanese tuning house Wald International has a wide range of styling and performance kits for nearly every major luxury car brand on the market, but this time the company has focused its attention on a humble Nissan, albeit one of the fastest Nissans ever produced. The car is the Nissan GT-R, a vehicle whose lines and shape were dictated almost exclusively by the drive for optimal aerodynamics. New photos reveal the car in more detail than ever before, highlighting Wald's precision work.

    Improving on the original design would be a tough task for any tuner, and not surprisingly most of the aftermarket kits we’ve seen thus far, such as... Japanese tuning house Wald International has a wide range of styling and performance kits for nearly every major luxury car brand on the market, but this time the company has focused its attention on a humble Nissan, albeit one of the fastest Nissans ever produced. The car is the Nissan GT-R, a vehicle whose lines and shape were dictated almost exclusively by the drive for optimal aerodynamics. New photos reveal the car in more detail than ever before, highlighting Wald's precision work. Improving on the original design would be a tough task for any tuner, and not surprisingly most of the aftermarket kits we’ve seen thus far, such as the Zele and Arios, appear almost completely stock. Wald’s new Black Bison kit sets out to change all this by including a full bodykit, new wheels, and plenty of carbon-fiber accessories. Wald has given the GT-R a new look through a custom carbon-fiber front lip spoiler, a custom nose cover, a carbon-fiber engine cover, a new rear wing, and some low-drag duct covers also made out of lightweight composite. All of the accessories can be had in a choice of either wet or dry carbon fiber - wet being the glossy-look material most people are accustomed to, and dry carbon fiber being the dull grey material that wins races and goes into space. The price differential between the two is accordingly as huge as the appearance differential: including taxes, the full wet carbon kit is priced at ￥1,039,500 ($11,620), while the dry kit runs ￥2,362,500 ($26,410). Surprisingly, no power-adding modifications were revealed, though with the reported difficulty in tuning the GT-R's engine and the obvious benefits of an extensive carbon-fiber-replacement program, the Wald take on GT-R modification may be one of the most successful.Wald Nissan GT-R Read More

  • Nissan GT-R chief engineer confirms ”high-performance” model

    Nissan GT-R chief engineer confirms ”high-performance” model March 30th, 2009 ByJeremy Weber Jeremy Weber, Author, March 30th, 2009 Jeremy Weber 4 Comments

    Nissan GT-R chief engineer confirms ”high-performance” model While the GT-R SpecV is one of the fastest and best-handling cars currently in production, it’s safe to say that almost every car enthusiast on the planet was hoping Nissan would pull out something much more extreme for the special edition model. In the lead up to the car’s unveiling earlier this year, rumors of a 550hp (410kW) output and a 220lb (100kg) lighter kerb weight were building excitement everywhere.

    Though the SpecV wasn’t a complete letdown, its 485hp (362kW) output – the same as the standard Series II GT-R – and 132lb (60kg) weight reduction certainly was. According to the car’s chief... While the GT-R SpecV is one of the fastest and best-handling cars currently in production, it’s safe to say that almost every car enthusiast on the planet was hoping Nissan would pull out something much more extreme for the special edition model. In the lead up to the car’s unveiling earlier this year, rumors of a 550hp (410kW) output and a 220lb (100kg) lighter kerb weight were building excitement everywhere. Though the SpecV wasn’t a complete letdown, its 485hp (362kW) output – the same as the standard Series II GT-R – and 132lb (60kg) weight reduction certainly was. According to the car’s chief engineer, there was an important reason for this. Speaking with Edmunds, Nissan engineer Kazutoshi Mizuno revealed that the SpecV is “not the high-performance version of the GT-R” and that another model is in the pipeline. What Mizuno has in store is still anyone’s guess but one suggestion gaining credence is Nissan will build a road-going ‘homologated’ version of its FIA GT1 race car. The storied ‘LM’ badge (short for LeMans) is expected to be revived for the “high-performance” GT-R and output is rumored to be set as high as 592hp (442kW) and 506lb-ft (685Nm) of torque. Expect production of the car to be extremely limited as pricing will probably be set higher than even the SpecV, which at $161,800 in Japan, is already double the price of the standard GT-R. This isn’t the only new GT-R model rumored to be in development. Nissan is also expected to launch a ‘M-Spec’ model, a softer version of the car targeted at luxury buyers seeking a performance vehicle.2010 Nissan GT-R SpecV2010 Nissan GT-R SpecV Live shotsNissan GT-R SpecV official Nurburgring test video Read More

  • Live photos: 2010 Nissan GT-R SpecV

    Live photos: 2010 Nissan GT-R SpecV January 19th, 2009 By Viknesh Vijayenthiran Viknesh Vijayenthiran, Author, January 19th, 2009 Viknesh Vijayenthiran 9 Comments

    Live photos: 2010 Nissan GT-R SpecV Nissan earlier this month revealed details for its new limited-production GT-R SpecV model, which goes on sale in Japan early in February and is expected to arrive in the U.S. later this year. The SpecV is targeted specifically at enthusiast drivers who desire race car-level performance in a street-legal vehicle. Today we have live photos of the car taken at a dealership in Nagoya, Japan.

    Based on the new ‘Series II’ GT-R, the SpecV model includes unique body, interior and performance equipment and modifications, raising the already potent supercar’s performance to even higher levels.

    The SpecV's new exterior features... Nissan earlier this month revealed details for its new limited-production GT-R SpecV model, which goes on sale in Japan early in February and is expected to arrive in the U.S. later this year. The SpecV is targeted specifically at enthusiast drivers who desire race car-level performance in a street-legal vehicle. Today we have live photos of the car taken at a dealership in Nagoya, Japan. Based on the new ‘Series II’ GT-R, the SpecV model includes unique body, interior and performance equipment and modifications, raising the already potent supercar’s performance to even higher levels. The SpecV's new exterior features include a carbon-fiber rear spoiler, a carbon-fiber grille, and carbon-fiber brake ducts. The special edition is also available with an exclusive ‘Ultimate Black Opal’ paint scheme – a unique purplish black, found on the car in the live photos below. Inside, the car comes with only the two front seats, which themselves are special Recaro carbon-fiber buckets. More carbon-fiber is used for the rear center storage box, instrument panel and other trim areas. Performance is enhanced with a new high gear boost control device, which momentarily increases boost of the engine's twin turbochargers for greater torque in the intermediate-to-high speed ranges to provide a more powerful feeling of acceleration, while also allowing the engine to operate at a lower speed for improved fuel economy. Other modifications include a titanium-coated exhaust system and carbon-ceramic brakes that provide powerful stopping performance. Nissan is yet to reveal official power figures but output is expected to be similar to the 478hp (356kW) level offered in the standard Series II model. Instead, Nissan engineers have focused on handling performance, equipping the car with lightweight, racing-style forged aluminum wheels developed by Nismo. The lighter unsprung weight provided by the new wheels, together with the enhanced braking capability, an exclusive suspension and high-grip tires, combine to deliver improved race-track performance. The new SpecV officially made its world debut at the recent Tokyo Auto Salon. Pricing will start at ¥15,750,000 in Japan, which is roughly double the price of the standard model.2010 Nissan GT-R SpecV2010 Nissan GT-R SpecV Live shotsNissan GT-R SpecV official Nurburgring test video Read More

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