800HP Shark Attack - Nissan Skyline BNR-34 V-Spec
Mirroring the likes of the great white shark who has roamed the murky ocean depths for millions of years, the Skyline BNR 34 V-Spec, similar to its water-dwelling counterpart, continues to invoke fear among it's automotive competitors, devouring anything or anyone that boldly stands in its path.
If God created the devil and gave him jaws then it's safe to assume the engineers at Nissan created the Nissan Skyline GT-R V-Spec with one goal in mind: to tear its competitors flesh off the bones and dominate the racing community with one swift bite. The Skyline GT-R is a name synonymous with many high performance enthusiasts and tuners in Japan. Rich in race heritage, the Nissan Skyline GT-R has checkered over 200 race wins, five consecutive championship wins in the All Japanese Touring Car Championships (JTCC) and has previously recorded the unofficial lap record for a production car at the world-famous Nurbrgring series, which is deemed the most difficult track and race series in the world. It's had numerous designs and engineering upgrades throughout its glorious 11-year campaign, and the Skyline GT-R remains a truly race-bred vehicle from its aerodynamic styling to chassis structure, which has stood the test of time and evolved like the great white shark into one of the most feared creatures on earth.
In a quest to obtain the upper echelon of horsepower, Auto Select of Kadoma-shi, Osaka, Japan proceeded to gut the factory RB26DETT and its internals in favor of a multitude of high-performance aftermarket upgrades. The engine block was the first item to be addressed as a full lineup of OS Giken rods, pistons, rings and crankshaft components were used to strengthen the RB bottom end. Displacement has been punched out from the factory 2.6 liter to a stout 3.0 liter. With the bottom end block complete, headwork was next on the list for the R34. Auto Select performed their "original" modifications to the intake and exhaust runners to free up potential horsepower to the engine while a Trust (GReddy) plenum intake manifold enables the newly modified head to ingest a healthy dose of air. Utilizing a pair of HKS bumpsticks with matching HKS valve springs and HKS cam gears enables the R34 to sing at high rpm when performing battle against its competitors at numerous Time Attack venues. Transforming the subtle vehicle into the great Yellow Shark is a combination of the Trust T88 turbo mated to a tubular Trust manifold. The T88 33-D GReddy Turbine converts the twin turbo setup in favor of a more efficient and harder hitting single turbo application. To efficiently expel spent gases, the GT-R uses an Auto Select four-inch stainless down pipe in conjunction with their four-inch titanium exhaust system, while a Trust race-spec wastegate and Trust blowoff eliminate excess exhaust and intake pressures within the engine.
The factory fuel management and fuel pump are excellent components for the factory Skyline but when horsepower eclipses past the 400hp marker, the stock fuel system is deemed as a ticking time bomb ready to explode. Auto Select opted to eliminate the stock fuel tank in favor of a trunk-mounted ATL fuel cell unit complete with three Bosch fuel pumps running in parallel series. Regulating the 1000cc SARD injectors is a Nismo fuel pressure regulator combined with a Trust fuel rail. The nucleus within the car's engine management has been upgraded thanks to the expertise of the Auto Select crew. With numerous dyno sessions, the rollers have spun this well-bred machine to the tune of 800 whp.
Campaigning in numerous Time Attack and circuit racing events, suspension upgrading plays a critical role for the Yellow Shark. Tanabe Sustec Pro coilovers on all four corners enables the GT-R to swiftly knife through the apex without a hitch. To complement the already excellent handling characteristics of the Skyline, Tanabe front and rear sway bars, Auto Select oversized front and rear strut brace bars and upgraded Auto Select pillow mount bushings were added to improve the overall handling. Looking at the pictures you might notice a slew of rivets covering the inside fender under the hood. No, that isn't some mistake that was repaired by the Auto Select team of Japan. The rivets were drilled and pressed into the chassis to increase overall rigidity of the frame. Those familiar with circuit racing or endurance racing venues can vouch that brake responsiveness and pedal firmness becomes ineffective with every high-speed lap and constant braking into the turns. To address the braking dilemmas of racing, Auto Select enlisted Alcon six pot piston calipers up front and four pot rear calipers combined with full metallic R-Master brake pads in order to bring the R34 to a screeching halt.