Behind the impressive power figures at Switzer is a different sort of perspective as well, however. Tym Switzer, the man behind the Switzer name, wasn't happy with the way most tuners were going about adding power to the GT-R. "One thing I was not impressed with was the amount of "fluff" parts I was seeing being distributed for the cars or the banzai-crank-the-boost with race gas tuning tactics that I was seeing," Switzer said on the company's news site.
Instead, Switzer had a plan of his own. "I knew that it was important to take a look at what the car was actually capable of and what was really going on within the platform as we tried to push it beyond factory performance limits," he said.
So how did Switzer manage to get a dyno-verified 626hp and 583lb-ft of torque at the wheels on pump gas and a stock transmission? By replacing the turbochargers with new Garret GT ball-bearing units, and adding a new higher-capacity intercooler as well. The new system, complete with custom plumbing, drops only 0.05 PSI over the whole length - incredibly efficient. Charge temps rose only 1 degree Fahrenheit, says Switzer, despite multiple fourth gear pulls on the dyno.
With the new equipment strapped on, Switzer used Cobb Tuning's Pro Tuner software to tap into the GT-R's ECU and develop a set of maps that truly unlock the potential of the car. Even with 626hp to the ground - an estimate 700hp at the crank - Switzer says the P700 GT-R is just as reliable and streetable as a stock car.
More fine-tuning of the car's output is in the works, but if the initial showing is anything to judge by, the war between the Porsche 911 and Nissan GT-R just got a little hotter.
