With the engine returning to K&N's Riverside, California, facility, preparations were made for final assembly and installation. A custom designed ATI Performance Products zero balance crank pulley and Unorthodox billet pulley set were attached to the front of the engine before it was dropped back into the G35. With the arrival of the XS Engineering T04 X2 turbocharger, the fabrication began for K&N's single snail setup.
Custom exhaust manifolds, up-pipes, and downpipes were made at K&N to hold the front-mounted turbocharger. Supported by a beautiful CNC machined billet bracket, the XS turbo blows into a XS Engineering intercooler core fit with custom K&N endtanks and piping. A Tial 44mm external wastegate regulates boost pressure, while a Tial blow-off valve releases pressurized air on the intake side. Although the VQ35 breathed through a custom Typhoon intake system at the time of our shoot, the G35 will hit the track with a custom carbon-fiber airbox that takes fresh breaths directly through the front bumper. The custom stainless-steel exhaust system with Tanabe Ultra Medallion titanium mufflers was also fabricated by K&N purely for show purposes; for track use, a simple side exit dump will be utilized.
Designed to push more than 650 wheel hp on Sunoco 104 octane fuel, the K&N G35 needs massive fuel flow. RC Engineering 750cc/min fuel injectors are used, fed by an Aeromotive Eliminator external fuel pump, Pro-Series Boost Reference EFI Regulator, Russell ProRace stainless-steel braided lines, and trunk mounted ATL Sports Cell fuel cell with surge tank and feeder pump. The ignition system remains stock, with NGK spark plugs as the only modification. But, if you're a G35 or 350Z owner, then you're wondering about the polished wonder sitting dead center in the engine bay. CAD designed and fabricated in-house, the one-off intake plenum was meticulously designed and re-designed by K&N numerous times in order to provide a mere 1cfm difference in airflow between all six cylinders.
Designed solely as a time attack machine, the K&N G35 is not able to sustain more than 3-4 hot laps at a time, and that's counting one warm-up and one cool down lap. Sandwiched v-mount style with the intercooler is a PWR radiator sourced from a Hayabusa sandrail application. The only unit that could fit into the space that K&N allowed, the PWR radiator combines with a HKS oil cooler to provide sufficient cooling--three laps at a time. The transmission remains stock internally, just fit with a B&M short shifter and Motul fluids. Tilton provided a custom 4.5-inch triple plate sintered metallic racing clutch to hold down more than 650hp to the wheels, and the lightweight flywheel is by Tilton/Performance Nissan. Farther down the powertrain, power meets asphalt through a Quaife limited-slip differential and Driveshaft Shop Level 5 axles. Even with this much torque available, turning power into forward acceleration is not a problem for K&N.
Compared to the golden powerplant, the bodywork upgrades remain relatively simple. Yim told us, "Everybody is doing a widebody. We wanted to follow the natural lines of the car." A Ken Style front bumper, Ings+1 front fenders, Ken Style side skirts, and a Ken Style rear bumper were fit to the G35. K&N then had the entire car painted in House of Kolor Sunset Pearl. Once returned from the body shop, the front bumper was fit with quick disconnect Dzus fasteners that fitted lightning fast removal of the Ken Style piece from the custom chromoly front end support beam. The Seibon hood and stock trunk were painted gloss black, and the hood was shipped off to Killerpaint airbrush studio. It was there that Mike Lavallee, the infamous airbrush artist, gave the G35 hood a K&N logo that appears to be flaming out of the depths of hell itself. With all the bodywork nearing completion, C-West side mirrors were mounted using custom K&N carbon fiber pieces, and a massive C-West GTII carbon-fiber wing was attached.
Without any extra fender flares or extreme rolling work, the K&N G35 is still able to swallow 18x8.5 front and 18x9.5 rear Volk Racing LE37 wheels covered in 245/40/18 front and 275/35/18 rear Toyo Proxes RA-1 racing rubber. Resting directly behind the forged spokes are front and rear 13-inch four-piston brakes by StopTech. Although engineered to provide the perfect front to rear bias rates, K&N fitted the StopTech brakes with twin Tilton 75 series master cylinders, one for the front and one for the rear. With an adjustment of the bias valve, the driver is able to tune the brake bias between front and rear, with greater accuracy and less heat buildup due to the use of two separate master cylinders.
Veteran time attack suspension manufacturer TEIN was contacted for the job of supporting this beast at all corners. A set of custom-valved Flex coilovers were built with 15kg/mm front and 12kg/mm rear springs. The front coilovers utilize a special inverted cup upper mount that gives enough space to attach an EDFC damping controller on top. The rear shock towers of the G35 were reinforced and tied in to the rollcage in order to prevent any potential damage from the switch to a full rear coilover system. Ditching the stock rear design of a separate spring and damper setup, the switch to custom TEIN rear coilovers was made so that K&N could select from the near limitless selection of universal 2.5-inch diameter coilover springs. Stillen adjustable swaybars help fine-tune the balance of the G35, while Stillen front upper control arms and rear camber adjusters allow the perfect alignment settings to be dialed in.
In time attack competition, only one lap counts--the fastest one. With the dedication, power, grip, brakes and driver already sorted, K&N's G35 looks like the car to beat. Thoroughly designed with some of the latest racecar engineering tools, this Infiniti has the entire field eating dust; on paper, that is. But since, as of this printing, K&N has not yet invaded Buttonwillow Raceway in anger, results are still a mystery. With just three laps to prove itself, can this G35 defeat all others to be the fastest in the West?