OK time for some Skyline and GT-R coverage from TAS, and not wanting to make a separate post on Fairladys I've decided to add them in here to create a nice line up of Rs & Zs! I have a lot of respect for Toyota's decision on making their future cars more exciting, but I can't hide the fact that my heart lies with Nissan, more specifically with the GT-R. There were a ton of great examples this year at TAS like the old Abflug BCNR33 demo car above in the center of the Option RB26 20th Anniversary area...
...and this Gr.A replica of the BNR32 that Hasemi used to drive back in the day.
On top of their all-hybrid line-up Branew took the wraps off this full aero kit aimed at the new 370Z. It's unique to say the least!
The guys at Tomei had their Z33 demo car on display sitting in a very curious position...
...to show off the new Expreme Ti titanium exhaust system, which is one of the lightest on the market.
They even brought the upcoming 2010 line up of Arms turbochargers including a new one for the RB26 and two for the SR20, one good for 400 HP and the other for 450 HP. These are worth waiting for for all you drifters out there as they will be very competitively priced!
I had a few people asking me about the Blitz R35 GT-R and if it has changed much since last year. Well here it is, still looking mostly the same...
...with the Hollinger sequential transmission still in place. The MFD and stock instrumentation has been removed as well as the A/C and audio system but that is nothing new.
Under the hood there is a full Blitz piping kit and BOVs but there is still no word on what this car will be used for when completed. Nomuken's new D1 machine? I seriously hope so!
Malaysian tuner M7 has set up a shop here in Japan and this is their R35 demonstration vehicle. They have joined forces with JUN...
...and it looks like this car may be the first one to be fitted with the new 4.0L stroker kit from them.
GT-R up front, 4-door Skyline in the back! APM Factory did a great job of integrating the Nismo Z-tune front bumper and fenders on this sedan. At the rear the fenders were smoothly widened to match the R34 GT-R stance. I'm also liking the front carbon diffuser, might be a good replacement for the crappy Nissan item I have on the front of my car which seems to brake at the slightest scrape.
Engine was very clean too with powder coated engine covers, Nismo GT plenum as well as the oil catch tank. Lots of nice parts from ARC like the airbox, side-flow radiator and radiator shroud. I personally begin to drool at the sight of a Nismo titanium strut bar, a part I was unable to buy before it went out of production. If you are lucky enough to find one second-hand it goes for double what a new one did directly from Nismo!
Tamon Design goodness!
This is such a sweet body kit...
...I especially like the rear bumper with that massive air outlet that swoops round. TE37 G2s are a nice touch.
Every time I think if Tommy Kaira I remember the old ZZ II concept of almost a decade ago, a lightweight, mid-engine supercar powered by a tuned RB26. Fast forward to the present and their version of the R35 was developed in collaboration with Endless who supply the monobloc 6-pot front and 4-pot rear calipers as well as Zeal dampers. The Ebbrezza-R also gets a titanium exhaust system made by the same company that fabricates the SpecV and Nismo ones. This car is still fitted with the stock ECU so makes stock power and is still limited to 112 mph!
It's great to see that companies like HKS Kansai Service are still developing their old GT-R!
Really liked the black Yokohama RS-Ds!
Their R35 is adorned with tons of carbon parts from Seibon to keep weight down...
...while thanks to an HKS GT570 kit it pushes out 600 HP.
The ARK Design Aero Armor 370Z Roadster is quite an interesting car, going for a similar angular look as the Branew we saw at the top of this entry. Definitely not for everyone.
Glad to see that Hasemi Sport is still out there creating parts for GT-Rs. This was the first time I saw their new GT-R and quite liked the carbon canards...
...and rear diffuser fins. I'm guessing the louvered outlets on top of the exhaust are there to help to cool the rear end of the R35. The trunk and rear seats always get so hot in this car as the gearbox, diff and exhaust generate so much heat.
It's great that there are still companies out there developing parts for the Z33 like this aero kit from Vorschlag Design which I thought did a great job of injecting tons of presence into the front end.
Then there was Proratio with this mean, almost Veilside looking 350Z.
Check out the look from the back!
Original Runduce has teamed up with Varis to create a special wide-body R35 GT-R. With the project having started in November the car would have never been ready in time for TAS so they concentrated in creating some initial carbon goodies like a hood and front & rear spoilers. Top quality as ever from Varis, I'm a great fan of their products I'm just surprised they have never made anything for the R34!
And take a look at the Varis 370Z!
I was very impressed with the two ER34s from Final Konnexion, both great looking cars, one extreme the other a kind of sleeper! Top work guys!
And here is another ER34 this time from Cockpit Tatebayashi in Gunma-ken...
...who brought the car to show off their new original turbo upgrade kit good for close to 500 HP.
Black on black with carbon parts always works well but close to impossible to shoot in the dimly lit show floor of TAS!
Check out the wild GT wing on the MSY Garage BNR34 in the House of Kolor stand. Quite liked the G35 next to it too, you hardly see these cars at shows any more.
This widebody Cross Factory BNR32 didn't look so bad but the paint left something to be desired. It was very rough to the touch, but could have been a wanted effect. Most people were checking out and wondering how they managed to fit the 20-inch Work Gnosis GS3 wheels.
These are the kind of cars that define TAS! Under the hood of the Shonan Car Friend V35 Skyline was a 430 HP SR20...
...mated to an HKS GT2835R turbine. The massive engine bay where the VQ35 used to lie is so big the engine seems to sit very low, which must be good for weight distribution.
Stance was great too with the 19-inch Advan RSs sporting very aggressive offset.
I fell in love with this car back in Nagoya last year and I'm happy I got to see it again. It is of course the Garage Saurus DR30...
...which can develop a massive 780 HP from its low-mounted Trust T88-33D. The FJ20 has been stroked with an OS Giken 2.4L kit and the car is mainly used for drag. The power delivery must be savage!
Power House Amuse continues to come up with stunning cars like their new 370Z...
..which just looks sensational from every angle. Tanabe's legacy lives on!
While this Z32 from Abflug is a little on the wild side for my taste...
...it reminded me of just how stunning these twin-turbo Z's look. Sitting next to the Amuse Z34 it seemed so tiny!
Back at the RB26 Anniversary area I was in paradise checking out all of the tuned GT-R circling the stand. I have been in and driven a lot of these cars but I spotted some new ones like this white BNR34 from Pentroof built for wangan runs. The 2.8L engine runs an HKS Vcam and Trust T88 blower which allows it to go over 200 mph without much of a sweat.
The Reverse BNR32 and Autech Tsukada BNR34.
Kobayashi-san of MCR is one of the most respected GT-R tuners in Japan and his BNR34 is one that has participated countless times against the Mine's "Super Response Monster."
The engine is based around an HKS 2.8L kit and either GT2530 or GT2540 depending on the application.
The RB of the Auto Gallery Yokohama BNR32 is one of my favorite ever. So simple and those RB20 cam covers are just too sexy! This car can lap Fuji in 1'44" which makes it about 4-5 sec faster than any R35 GT-R out there (BTW HKS's low 1'47" lap with their R35 doesn't count as it was running slicks).
The Midori san-yon. Too bad Uchinaga-san doesn't take this car out so much any more.
And to finish off this entry I've selected the Z34 Roadster from Central 20 as I really like the looks of the rear bumper. We already saw this car a month back at the Nismo Festival.
Direct intakes for the VQ37HR to boost power to over 350 HP.
Wow that was a long post! Maybe some VIP style next?
-Dino Dalle Carbonare