So serious for power was his engine build, that on our tech sheet, under engine dress-up, Lai merely listed "N/A." In fact, contrary to his own beliefs, there exists one piece of show-stopping power under the hood of Lai's GT-R. That would be the monstrous HKS T51R SPL turbocharger. Rated for 1,000PS of total output, the T51R turbo is the ticket that Lai punched to enter the world of 709 wheel hp. Fed by an HKS tubular exhaust manifold, the T51R explodes out of a Naoto SPL custom 4-inch downpipe and A'PEXi R95 titanium exhaust. Huge amounts of horsepower generating air molecules are sucked in through a Blitz intake and cooled through an A'PEXi front-mount intercooler before being shot into a Veilside intake manifold, that is, unless the Tial blow-off valve has its way.
A'PEXi spark plugs and an XS Engineering Power Pack ignition amplifier remain the only changes to a relatively untouched and stout ignition system. Fueling, on the other hand, was not skimped on in the slightest way. To ensure that the thirsty RB26 would never run out of gas, an A'PEXi N1 fuel pump was dropped in along with two external Bosch fuel pumps. Three fuel pumps may seem like overkill to the average person, but then again, they don't have six 1,000cc/min fuel injectors to feed. There's a lot of air flowing through this engine, and a lot of fuel has to match it, rising gas prices be damned. Lai tells us that his R33 let loose a 12.1 quarter-mile run at 117mph when it was completely bone stock. With 709 wheel hp now on tap, expect the car to be dipping into the 9's shortly.
Power and speed obviously go hand in hand, but you can't just slap an oversized turbo on a car and expect to drive it around safely. Transmissions could explode, clutches could fry, brake pads could overheat, and the last thing you want is to build a supercar and then be unable to drive around in it whenever you wanted to. Lai fit his transmission with a revised ratio OS Giken five-speed gearset, Ogura triple-plate clutch and Ogura lightweight flywheel. The all-wheel-drive system has been augmented with an ATS two-way front LSD, R-Section center differential and a V-Spec rear LSD, but the Moore Performance axles still have a tendency to spin the 275-width Hankook tires with ease. Big power will do that to ya.
Dropped neatly with a set of A'PEXi coilovers, the GT-R sits nicely atop 18x10.5 Volk Racing CE28 wheels. Sitting pretty behind those forged chunks of aluminum are the binders deemed up to the task of hauling down this heavy, powerful beast. Brembo fixed-caliper brakes rest at all four corners, with the front four-piston kit measuring 14 inches in rotor size, and the rear matching up with 13 inches of heat-absorbing metal.
As a testament to both the capability of the stock Nissan package, as well as the performance nature of this R33, the interior and exterior remain only lightly modified. Outside is a Nismo front chin spoiler, Seibon carbon-fiber hood and Drag SPL wing, along with a fresh coat of white paint by M.O.B. Works of Orange, Calif., and graphics by Euphoric Designs of Gardena, Calif. Inside rests a Recaro racing bucket for the driver, Design Craft Fabrication cage and a simple head unit upgrade. In fact, the only other electronics added to the car remain the A'PEXi 60mm water temperature, boost, fuelpressure, EGT, oil temperature and pressure gauges.
One of the most famous and legendary Japanese cars of the past few years, the Skyline GT-R has proven its reputation with the help of a few aftermarket wizards. With a factory turbocharged engine that begs for boost, a stout all-wheel drive system, and the development help from years of racing, the GT-R has the specs going for it. Lai's R33 has both style and comfort, and cruises easily with more than 709 wheel hp on tap. It's hard to call the legend of the GT-R a lie, especially when it's all true.