"What's with the zip ties?" I asked Nakai-san as I perilously scanned through the car. "Were you a one-time drifter?" Nakai-san responds with a laugh saying, " You know, this car goes through so many changes, it's a case of finishing up the vehicles final shakedown before I finalize the whole interior setup. It's important for me to have all gauges and electronics easily accessible when I'm on the track."
Just as the final words leave his lips, the photographer barked instructions to move the car to another location. With a quick sleight of hand, Nakai grips the Nardi steering wheel as he reaches out with the right hand to hit the ignition starter button located just bellow the P-Lap II timer. The engine roars to life with a staccato rumble as the RB26 beast comes to life. Notching the OS Giken cross transmission into first gear, Nakai depresses the clutch, engaging the OS Giken triple plate system, and the car begins to slowly creep towards its designated spot. With a quick blip of the throttle, the HKS boost gauge makes a quick sweeping motion as the NEKO AF700 air fuel meter gauge flashes a series of numbers; relaying to the driver that engine vitals are in perfect working condition.
Chassis flex, body roll and sloppy handling are a nightmare that no performance vehicle should ever possess. Nakai and his Canbell staff wasted no time in stripping the factory Skyline shell down to its skeletal remains in preparation to stitch weld the chassis from top to bottom. While the chassis was in the process of being strengthened, a custom chromoly cage was fabricated within the confines of the interior. Further adding to the rigidity of the vehicle are gussets that were placed throughout the cage. Once chassis modifications were complete, Nakai took to the drawing board for weeks on end to create a one-off body kit that would complement the aggressive features of the R33 Skyline.
"Since body modifications are not regulated in the series I currently campaign in, I wanted to create a kit that would make other Skyline owners envious while imposing fear on other drivers as they see me barreling down on them from their rear view mirror," said Nakai as he gleamed an evil smile. It was a painstaking process, but after months of shaping and designing, the final outcome was none other than breathtaking. Custom front and rear diffusers were implemented on the body kit as a unique dual wing delivers serious downforce on the rear end as the Skyline blasts though the Aida Ti circuit. The silky smooth exterior received its final homage with a coat of custom blue paint applied to the GT-R's skin.
With over 800 ponies hammering away under the hood, it was only a matter of time before this thoroughbreds stopping ability became a limiting factor. Luckily for the Canbell R33, years of experience on the track and testing numerous brake systems on previous race cars, helped Nakai-san come up with a serious brake combination that would cause even the most anal of road racers to shed a tear or two. Symbolic of its classic aqua blue hue, a set of Endless six-pot calipers clamp down on a pair of 380mm diameter rotors up front while an Alcon four-pot caliper and 330mm diameter rotor combination are enlisted on the rear. Enshrouding the new brake upgrades are a set of forged 18x10.5 Buddy Club P1 Racing QF series wheels with a custom +10 offset.
With the company logo emblazed on the vehicle, it was an issue of Iji (Japanese for pride) that fueled Nakai and the Canbell staff to push the envelope even further when it came to suspension modifications. Swift springs mounted on a set of fully-adjustable race-spec coilovers by Factor Racing handle the grueling punishment put forth when battling on the track. Unfortunately for Nakai, the use of a full-pillow-ball setup throughout the vehicle isn't the most comfortable of amenities, but sacrificing a cushy ride for performance makes things a little more bearable. Cusco anti-roll bars are paired off with a Cusco front strut tower bar, while a custom one-off rear brace ties the rear tower. Additional suspension tweaking was achieved with the help of custom Canbell lower and upper control arms fabricated and built in-house.
While this blue beast of the east doesn't set a new standard in horsepower records, its potent 800bhp repertoire and handling capability are a serious threat to all those who compete against it. Planning a full race season for 2006, Nakai-san currently has in the works a generation II replica with more features and, believe it or not, more horsepower. How sick is that?!