When the Nissan 350Z was first introduced in 2002, it quickly became an instant hit. The combination of its striking good looks, adequate 3.5 liter V6 engine, and very competent chassis drew praises from the automotive world. With the demise of the inline six engines due to emissions, tuners also found a new market with the V6 engine of the 350Z.

This particular 350Z is a special 35th Anniversary Edition that Nissan built to commemorate the 35th Anniversary of the debut of the Datsun 240Z. It has a slightly more powerful engine than normal Z’s, with other changes mostly with aesthetics.

The owner of this yellow example certainly wasted no time in upgrading an already potent car. On the engine side, a Blitz exhaust manifold is partnered with an Espelir JGT500 exhaust system to produce a sound that rumbles at idle, but screams up top. Additional modifications to the VQ35 engine include Skunk 2 high rise plenum spacer, HKS oil cooler, ARC Titanium Radiator Cooling Plate, as well as a custom titanium airbox built by the people at Autoplus Sportzentrium in Mandaluyong.

The 350Z already has very good handling as attested to by different publications. But to make this Z handle even better, a set of Tein Type Flex coilovers was added. Since the car already came with Brembo brakes, only a set of Project Mu brake pads were added to make stopping distances a little bit shorter.

With an already gorgeous car, some aesthetic modifications were added including Mine’s Carbon Fiber front lip, Mine’s carbon fiber air inlet, Nismo carbon fiber B pillar garnish, as well as a menacing Esprit carbon fiber rear wing.

With the Z’s already wide stock body and RWD platform, nothing less but the biggest and lightest wheels will do. In this regard, a set of staggered 19 inch Volk Racing TE37 wheels were used; they measure 8.5 inches up front and 9.5 at the back. These are paired with 265/35R19 Bridgestone Potenza S-03 Front Tires and 285/30R19 Bridgestone Potenza S-03 Rear Tires.

On the street, the car rides like a dream. The suspension is firm but very compliant even in rough roads. It is on the track that this machine really stands out. Body roll is kept to a minimum while the torque of the engine ensures adequate power going out of corners, even in low rpms.

Engine: Blitz Exhaust Manifold, Espelir JGT500 Exhuast System, Blitz Air Filter, Skunk2 High Rise Plenum Spacer, HKS Oil Cooler, ARC Titanium Radiator Cooling Plate, Autoplus Titanium Airbox
Suspension: TEIN Type Flex Coilovers, Brembo Brakes, Project Mu Brakepads
Interior: NISMO GT Shift Knob
Exterior: MINE's Carbon Fiber Front Lip, MINE's Carbon Fiber Air Inlet, Esprit Carbon Fiber Rear Wing, NISMO Carbon Fiber B Pillar Garnish
Wheels: 19 x8.5 Volk Racing TE-37 Front Wheels, 19 x9.5 Volk Racing TE-37 Rear Wheels, 265/35R19 Bridgestone Potenza S-03 Front Tires, 285/30R19 Bridgestone Potenza S-03 Rear Tires

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Once regarded as an executive’s car, the Nissan Cefiro was a popular car in the early nineties when it was released. But now, the car is seen in a different light or in drift terms as a different approach angle. The once reserved and serious car is now being used as a project car for drifting because of its long wheelbase and rear wheel drive configuration.

Also in a different light is Atoy Llave of A-toy Bodykits who is more often known for his wild bodykit creations and extreme aesthetic modifications who is now into the performance scene as well. Being bitten by the drifting bug recently after he joined one of the drift clinics organized by the DMF Drift School, Llave has built his own drift car from a Nissan Cefiro.

However, a plain looking Cefiro would not be enough for him, so a custom widebody FRP aerodynamic bodykit and ground effects were added to the car to put the A-toy trademark on the car, while carbon-fiber aero mirrors and a carbon-fiber rear wing adds some contrast. Custom graphics made by Winner Graphics were also added to further enhance the car’s drift car appeal. The look is finished off with white ROTA P45Rs wrapped with Avon ZZ3 tires.

Under the hood is an RB25DET engine transplanted from a Nissan Skyline R32 GT-S. The intercooler from the R32 was also used and custom intake and exhaust pipes were done by Fremuff. Some additional parts are an HKS Super Mega Flow filter, Blitz blow-off valve and an Apex-i AFC Neo for instrumentation and minor fuel delivery tuning.

In the roadholding section, suspension is handled by a set of TEIN Type HA coilovers and a custom built rollcage. To further stiffen the chassis, it was also seam-welded by DMF. The brakes from the R32 were also transplanted to compensate for the engine’s extra power.

This is one mean car inside and out, and goes sideways. What more could you ask for?

Engine: RB20DET Engine, HKS Super Filter, Blitz Blow-off Valve, Front-mount Intercooler, FREMUFF Custom Exhaust System, APEX-i AFC Neo
Suspension: TEIN Type HA Coilovers, CUSCO Front Tower Bar, Nissan Skyline R32 GTS-T Brakes, DMF Custom Rollcage
Interior: Momo Drift Steering Wheel, Kazama Shift Knob, DEFI Black Face Boost Gauge, DEFI Black Face Water Temp Gauge, Cobra Bucket Seat, Drift-spec Handbrake Lever
Exterior: A-toy FRP aero hood, A-toy FRP front aero bumpers, A-toy FRP rear aero bumper, A-toy FRP aero front grill, A-toy Carbon Fiber Drift Wing, A-toy FRP Front Diffuser
Wheels: 17 x9.0 ROTA P-45R Wheels, 215/45R17 AVON ZZ3 Front Tires, 225/45R17 AVON ZZ3 Rear Tires

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The year was 1999, with the introduction of the all new R34 Nissan Skyline GTR road car, Nissan’s motorsports division Nismo, decides to use the all new chassis in the most popular and competitive racing series in Japan, the JGTC (Japanese Grand Touring Car Championship). With its potent twin turbo RB26DETT engine producing 500hp, the car clinches the championship in its maiden year. The next two years however would prove to be a dry spell for the GTR.

In 2003, Nismo decided to change the engine from the RB26DETT to a twin turbo 3.0 liter VQ30DETT unit. The change would prove to be for the better as the Xanavi Nismo team got back the championship. Nismo would be switching to the 350Z chassis in 2004 so the 2003 championship marked a grand going away party for the GTR.

2003 also marked the year that Motul, an international lubricants company, decided to sponsor the JGTC. Running the No. 22 Motul Pitwork GTR, the team would win the 2nd race of the season (Fuji-500) and get 4th overall in the championship standings with Masami Kageyama and Richard Lyons behind the wheel.

In March of 2007, four years after the GTR retired from the JGTC, Autoplus Sportzentrium, the Philippine distributor of Motul automotive lubricants, brought the No. 22 car for local fans to view and behold. Although this car shares the same name as the road going car, that’s about the only similarity they have. This is a pure race car with no expense spared in the pursuit of absolute performance.

The body is purely carbon fiber, with a steel roof to aid in chassis rigidity. The underside is also carbon fiber and completely flat to ensure that air travels at a fast velocity, creating low pressure and sucking the car down. Diffusers at the front and rear, aerodynamically tuned bumpers, and a massive rear wing all contribute to huge amounts of downforce. The suspension consists of horizontally mounted springs and shock absorbers with remote reservoirs. The engine is a 3.0 liter twin turbo unit, producing a restricted 500hp. Power is transferred to the ground via a quad plate carbon clutch, through the XTrac six speed sequential manual transmission, and finally down to the massive 13-inch wide rear wheels and Bridgestone Potenza slick tires (this race car is RWD unlike the AWD road going GTR). The inside is purely business with a carbon fiber dashboard, quick-detachable steering wheel with LCD monitor, as well as a multitude of switches to control brake bias (front-rear, left-right), engine mapping, and other vital parameters. A single racing seat holds the driver tight (an additional racing seat is installed at the passenger area for demo runs).

A curb weight of around 1000kg or approximately 600kg lighter than the road going GTR ensures a 0-100kph time of around 2.9secs. What about the results of the suspension and downforce modifications? Think 2.1Gs of cornering force (F1 cars manage 4-5Gs while road cars usually manage less than 1G) and being able to take a 90-degree corner at more than 100kph. The massive AP Racing brakes stop the car from 260-100kph within 100meters.

With the amount of R&D that has gone into the JGTC Skyline GTR, and the cost of the engines, parts, and other components, the cost for this vehicle adds up to around $1 million. Not that you could buy it though as Nissan reserved these units for demonstrations and shows all over the world.

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The Nissan 200SX, or more popularly known as the Nissan Silvia, has gotten a bit of a surge in popularity over the past few years. The emergence of drifting, as well as the anime Initial D, has made the 200SX a legend. Here in the Philippines, 2nd hand units are commanding high prices despite the car being around 10 years old. Being a 2 door coupe and seeing as how Nissan Philippines only imported a limited number of units, making a Silvia stand out from the crowd should not be too difficult of a proposition.

The S14 Silvia you see here is the result of meticulous attention to detail. Starting life as a completely stock green unit, the car has transformed to a red hot coupe that is bound to turn heads. Since most units imported by Nissan were equipped with an Automatic Transmission, the first order of the day for this Silvia was a Manual Transmission conversion. With that taken care of, careful attention was paid to extracting the most power out of the already potent SR20DET. A Turbonetics T04E turbine is matched to a Greddy 24R Intercooler and Greddy E-manage to force feed the engine. A Sard fuel regulator and Sard 550cc high flow injectors take care of the fueling needs. Finally, a full 3-inch exhaust system with titanium Espelir muffler finishes off the engine work, yielding an astonishing 308 horsepower and 298 lb-ft of torque at the wheels.

Power is nothing without control, but in the case of the Silvia, people usually want to lose a bit of control by drifting. Tein Type HE Drift Spec Coilovers were installed on all four corners to better instigate oversteer. Tein, Nismo, and Greddy bars and braces add to the stiffness of the chassis. A Brembo brake system from a R34 Nissan Skyline GTR was installed at the front and coupled with Endless brake pads to ensure that if the going gets too tough, the brakes will always bite.

Arguably, the thing that sets this Silvia apart from most is the exterior. A full M Sports widebody kit including front and rear bumpers, front and rear oversized fenders contribute to the hulking stance of the car. M Sports carbon fiber front canards and diffuser adds to front downforce while a Sard carbon fiber GT Wing adds downforce to the rear. Finishing touches include M Sports carbon fiber hood and C-West GT style carbon fiber mirrors. A bright shade of red was painted over the car by the professionals from Alex Car Restoration. Finally, a set of rare and wide 18 x 9.5 Volk Racing CE28N wheels were mounted on the front while an even wider pair of 18 x 10.5 were mounted on the rear.

The interior is kept simple but all parts installed are of the highest quality. BRIDE ZETA II seats ensure that the driver and passenger are kept snuggly in place during wild oversteering maneuvers. A Nismo JTC Steering wheel and Nismo GT shift knob is utilized while Sard gauges ensure timely monitoring of engine vitals.

With a Silvia that looks and performs like this car, it’s no wonder that Nissan’s sports coupe is as popular as ever.

Engine: SR20DET, Turbonetics T04-E turbine, Blitz Exhaust Manifold, Espelir JGT500 Muffler with full 3-inch exhaust system, GReddy 24R Intercooler, GReddy E-Manage, GReddy Blow-off Valve, Tial Waste Gate, SARD Fuel regulator, SARD 550cc high flow injectors, GReddy Radiator Cap, GReddy Oil Cap, GReddy Oil Catch Tank, ARC Titanium Cooling Panel, 308whp, 298lb-ft dyno'd at Autoplus
Suspension: TEIN Type HE Drift Spec Coilovers, TEIN Tension Rod, NISMO Power Brace, GReddy Front Tower Bar, GReddy Rear Tower Bar, R34 GT-R Brembo Front Brakes with Endless Pads
Interior: Bride ZETA II Seats, NISMO JTC Steering Wheel, NISMO GT Shift Knob, 5Zigen Pedals, GReddy Turbo Timer, SARD Gauges (Boost, Oil Temp)
Exterior: M Sports Carbon Fiber Hood, M Sports Carbon Fiber Canards and Front Diffuser, M Sports Full Widebody Kit, SARD GT Rear Wing, C-West Carbon Fiber GT Mirror, HID Xenon Headlamps
Wheels: 18x9.5 RAYS Volk Racing CE28N front wheels, 18x10.5 RAYS Volk Racing CE28N rear wheels, Volk Racing Lugnuts, Dunlop SP9000 tires

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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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