Right off the bat, the current Nissan GT-R makes no pretensions regarding what it can do on the track. In fact it has proven itself to be one of the fastest production cars around any racetrack. This actually comes as no surprise for Nissan engineers loaded it with state of the art technology. With over four hundred plus horses from a twin turbo V-6 engine and a “Nurburgring-tuned” suspension, it’s no slouch. Why they loaded it to the hilt stems from Nissan’s mantra that they should do everything they can to make it extremely fast and handle exceptionally.

Just like previous GT-R models that have been modified by various Japanese high performance tuners, it didn’t take long for the current GT-R to enter the aftermarket-tuning scene. As we all know this is a realm where the possibilities, as they say are endless. As such, we have Dolf Santiago’s tuned GT-R from Emperor Motorsports. His shop needs no intro at all as it specializes in selling hardcore aftermarket performance parts and accessories from Japan. In addition, it also offers periodic maintenance services on high performance cars. But what makes it even greater now is the fact that it’s the authorized dealer of HKS parts and lubricants in the Philippines.

Going back to Dolf’s highly tuned GT-R, occupying the top spot on its list of mods is the HKS GT800 kit. Aside from its very hefty price tag, this advanced turbo kit is not a simple bolt-on kit. For starters, the whole engine must be removed to facilitate the mods. Before advancing to the GT800 kit, it needs the components found on the GT600 kit. It’s really so advanced that HKS does not offer any warranty as to what can happen to the engine. The said kit comes with a comprehensive list of equipment that includes, Special GTII Turbines, Heat Resistant Cast Exhaust Manifolds, GTII (50mm) Wastegates and aluminum piping’s. According to HKS, the GT800 Turbo Kit with “Symmetrical Twin Turbo Layout” combined with other HKS performance products has the potential to increase the R-35′s engine performance to 800+ horsepower”. Local tuning guru Tommy Teng of DTM/Autotechnika was responsible for pulling out the motor while Dolf flew in Lester Wong of HKS Singapore who dialed-in the HKS F-Con V-Pro ECU. Another notable and very audible mod is the HKS Superior R-Spec exhaust system. Being the high-end model of the HKS exhaust systems, it’s made of full titanium and very, very lightweight. Hearing it howl through the titanium tips during high rpm throttle bursts as the GT-R goes through the gears is nothing short of spectacular and addicting.

After more ECU tweaking on the DTM/Autotechnika Dynapack Dyno, Tommy Teng was able to extract over 700 plus horses at the wheel and 600+ lb-ft of torque. Despite not being able to reach the 800+ target, this is just due to the lack of internal mods such as forged pistons and heavy-duty con rods. Overall, this is certainly a considerable figure and feat, given that a stock GT-R is already rated at 480 horses. As compared to the explosive power burst of let’s say a tuned EVO or an STi, Dolf comments that the GT-R’s power delivery is more consistent whether in the low, mid or high rpm levels. While I can truly attest to that, but what really got my attention was the linear and neck-pulling acceleration of this beast that really pushes your back hard on the bucket seat. Despite its hefty weight, the addition of stiffer aftermarket lowering springs from Mine’s limits the amount of body roll together with wide Bridgestone rubber. With a well-designed silhouette, Dolf simply added slight exterior touches. A Zele front lip spoiler and a carbon fiber hood is all that’s needed to assert its performance factor. With all the mods done to it, Dolf’s R-35 certainly lives up to its predecessors in all aspects of tuning.

Engine: HKS GT800 kit (Special GTII Turbines, Heat Resistant Cast Exhaust Manifolds, GTII (50mm) Wastegates, Aluminum pipes, HKS racing suction air filter, HKS Superior Spec R Exhaust system, HKS F-Con V-Pro, HKS EVC Electronic Boost Controller
Suspension: Mine's lowering coil springs
Interior: Bride limited edition Cuga seats
Exterior: Zele front lip spoiler, Varis carbon fiber hood
Wheels: Prodrive GC05K 20-inch wheels, Bridgestone Potenza RE070R tires F- 255/40ZRF R-285/35ZRF20

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For most devoted fans of Japanese supercars, the Nissan Skyline GT-R is considered to be the most desirable of them all. The combination of its potent twin turbocharged engine, ATTESA all-wheel drive, and HICAS 4-wheel steering ensures immaculate performance whether in the straight line or through corners. The fact that it was never made in LHD just adds to the exclusivity and appeal. It is known by car enthusiasts simply as “Godzilla”.

This particular example is one of the most extensively modified Nissan Skyline GT-Rs in the world. The base car is a R34 GTR VSPEC II Nür, which is a limited edition final run of the GT-R before Nissan decided to stop production. The car was sent to Skyline Motors in California which worked on the LHD conversion for almost one year. There are two reasons the GT-R is extremely difficult to convert to LHD. The first one is difficulty in finding the right dashboard. Since there was never any LHD GT-Rs, most choppy conversions used the dashboard from an Altima. This was simply unacceptable to the owner. Skyline motors fabricated an immaculate carbon fiber dashboard wrapped in leather. Looking at the interior, you would never believe that this car was converted. The second reason for the difficulty is Nissan purportedly placed the turbos in the space where the steering column would be should the car be converted. This was taken care of through a special order steering rack from Nismo and custom downpipe work from Skyline Motors.

After the conversion was done, the car was shipped to Croydon Racing Developments in Australia for the engine work. Croydon racing is responsible for building the third fastest GT-R in the world (fastest outside of Japan) and they have used their experience and capability to build this beast. A custom ordered Jun 2.7 liter engine and a pair of HKS turbos were utilized to build power. Other engine pieces include a custom ignition system, a custom ARC 4” exhaust system, and Motec M800 for engine management. An especially nice touch is the custom fueling system Croydon racing made with switches and a fuel cell in the trunk of the car. To enable the car to get the power to the ground properly and ensure good quarter mile times, a custom sequential transmission was ordered from Hollinger. An OS Giken Quad Plate clutch is responsible for hard first gear launches (the clutch isn’t needed except when taking off from first gear and reverse). A Jun modified drag coilver system is utilized at all four corners.

After 2 years of painstaking work, this GT-R arrived in Manila July of 2004. The car was immediately treated to aesthetic improvements such as a Nismo carbon fiber hood, Electra carbon fiber trunk, Mines carbon fiber side mirrors, Veilside side skirts, and a set of very exclusive 18-inch Nismo LM-GT4 wheels in Black JGTC centerlock style.

After strenuous sessions on the dyno, this GT-R was tuned to a ’safe’ 700whp for street use on local high octane pump fuel with 1.5 bar of boost. The potential of this car is much more and is estimate to produce about 1000whp with C-16 race fuel and a higher amount of boost. With this amount of power, a set of special ordered Project Mu front and rear brakes were called in for stopping duties.

This Skyline GT-R may very well be the most powerful car in the country today.

Engine: JUN fully prepped 2.7L RB26DETT Race Engine, Motec M800 w/ datalogger & adv. lambda, Blitz SBC ID2 Dual Boost Controller, HKS GT3240 Twin Turbo Kit, Trust BOV, HKS tubular stainless steel exhaust manifold, HKS racing wastegate, Custom ARC 4" Titanium Exhaust System, Apex-i Drag VMAX SPL Intercooler, JUN Oil Pump, CRD 9-litre sump
Suspension: JUN Drag suspension shock absorber and spring, JUN rear drag cross member, Nismo front and rear stabilizer bars, Nismo front strut bar
Interior: Nismo white face gauges, Nismo MFD2 upgrade, Custom CRD Shifter, Custom LHD Conversion, Leather wrapped custom carbon fiber dashboard
Exterior: Top Secret front bumper, Nismo carbon fiber hood, Electra rear carbon fiber trunk, Veilside side skirts, Nismo rear carbon fiber spoiler plane, Mine’s side mirrors
Wheels: 18 x 9.5 NISMO LM-GT4 Black Limited II (JGTC Center Lock Style), Bridgestone Potenza RE55S Intermediate tires

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