GT-R R34 V-Spec.The R34 Skyline GTR and GTR V-spec models were released in January 1999. The R34 GTR was also made to be shorter (from front to rear), and the front wheels were made closer to the front. The RB26DETT used in the R34 GTR had changes made to the valvetrain system, with larger valves, and different cam profiles. The valve covers were also painted glossy red, rather than dull black.
A new feature on the R34 GTR is a 5.8" LCD multifunction display on the center of the dashboard, which shows seven different live readings of engine and vehicle statistics such as turbocharger pressure, oil and water temperature, among others. The GT-R V-spec model added two extra features to the display, the first being a measurement of lateral G-forces, and the second being a lap timer, to time laps on a track event.
Like the R33, the new R34 GTR Vspec models come equipped with the Attesa-ETS Pro system, while standard GTR models come with the non-Pro system. The Vspec model also had firmer suspension, and lower ground clearance. The Vspec model also included a plastic front air diffuser (covering the underside of the engine), and also a rear carbon fiber air diffuser, designed to keep air flowing smoothly under the car.
Another special model of the R34 GTR is the Mspec. It is similar to the Vspec, but has softer suspension, and a leather interior.
At the time of the R34's release, like the R32 and R33, Nissan released an R34 N1 model. The R34 GT-R N1 was equipped similar to the R32 and R33 N1 models. It was sold without ABS, air conditioning, audio equipment, rear wiper, or carpet in the trunk. The new R34 N1 was also given the new R34 N1 engine. Only 45 R34 N1 models were produced from the factory, 12 of which were used by Nismo for Super Taikyu racing. The rest were sold to various customers, mostly racing teams, and tuning garages.
In August 2000, Nissan released a newer VspecII GTR model. The VspecII has increased stiffness in the suspension (even stiffer than the original Vspec). It also comes equipped with a carbon fiber hood, which is lighter than the aluminum that all other GTR hoods are made from. Also different on the VspecII is the darker color of the center console in the interior. The seats were also made with black cloth, rather than the grey cloth used on other R34 GTR models. From this point, the standard trim level GT-R also received the new black seats.
In February 2002 Nissan released a final production model of the R34 GTR called the Nür. It was sold in 2 different models: the Skyline GTR VspecII Nür and the Skyline GTR Mspec Nür. The Nür was named after the famous German Nürburgring racetrack, where the Skyline was developed. The Nür model featured an improved RB26DETT based on the N1 racing engine, used by Nismo in Motorsports. The VspecII Nür is based on the regular VspecII model, and the Mspec Nür was based on the regular Mspec model. Other than the addition of the Nür engine, the Nür models also included a different color of stitching on the interior trim, as well as a speedometer reading up to 300kmh.
NISMO R34 Z-Tune
Nismo originally designed the concept of the Z-tune in 2002 when Nissan was putting an end to the R34 Skyline production. The first Z-tune was built in 2003, using a used 2002 Skyline GTR VspecII. It was built with a concept RB26DETT 'Z1' engine. The cylinder diameter was bored out, and the crankshaft was designed with a longer stroke. The engine was now a 2.8L, and produced about 500hp.
Nismo was then given the approval from Nissan to build 20 Z-tune models. For the 20 production models, the 2.8L engine was revised to allow it to reach 9000rpm. The turbochargers were supplied by IHI in Japan. The engine is advertised as making as much as 500hp. This second revision of the Z-tune engine is called the 'Z2'. The bodywork is designed with the same functional components used in Nismo's GT500 racing cars, such as enginebay vents on the hood and fenders, as well as wider fenders for wider wheels. The Z-tune is also improved with an aggressive suspension setup, and a specially designed Brembo brake setup.
The entire car is essentialy handmade, with the car being completely stripped and re-built from the chassis up. Engineers reinforced and stiffened the chassis in key areas, completrely redesigned the suspension, drivetrain, engine, gearbox and other componentry so as to work at maximum efficiency and reliability as is expected of a road-going vehicle. Only 20 units exist worldwide and is often regarded as the most expensive (prices for some have been known to exceed AU$500,000) street legal GT-R ever built.
N1 engines
The N1 engine was first developed by Nismo for Group A racing purposes. The standard RB26DETT, although known for its durability, proved to require too much maintenance for Group A racing conditions. The N1 engine is built from the standard N1 block. The water cooling channels in the block and cylinder head are enhanced for better flowing. The block, and internal components are also strengthened. The pistons, and connecting rods were made of forged steel, and the crankshaft is also forged, and balanced. The specifications of the camshafts were also improved for power. The N1 engine uses the same parallel twin turbocharger layout but with improved turbochargers. The N1 engine also received an improved oil pump and water pump, to improve the cooling and lubrication of the engine. The N1 engine is identified by its 24U number stamped on the block, as opposed to the 05U stamp on standard RB26DETT engines.
The first model of the N1 engine was the R32 N1 engine. It uses a pair of larger turbochargers compared to the standard R32 GT-R. The turbine wheels on the new turbochargers are made from steel, rather than the weaker ceramic used for all standard GT-R models. The R33 N1 engine was slightly revised. The turbochargers are now larger than the R32 N1 engine, supporting more power, if the engine is modified.
The R34 N1 engine had more changes made. The camshafts are slightly improved for power. The turbochargers are about the same size as the R32 N1 turbochargers, except now they use ball bearing technology. The turbochargers operate much quicker than any other model used.
The most improved N1 engine is the R34 Nur engine. It is based on the R34 N1 engine. The camshafts were further improved for power, and the crankshaft is further balanced for higher engine speed. There were 1000 Nur engines made by Nissan, all were used in the R34 VspecII Nur, and Mspec Nur models. They were advertised as making the same 280PS (276hp) as the standard model, but with the lighter engine parts, and more efficient turbochargers, the engine would make closer to 350hp.
Power-train
The RB26DETT found in R34 GT-RsThe GT-R of the 1990s included a 2.6 L straight six-cylinder twin-turbo motor producing 206 kW (276 hp). The turbo-chargers were of a hybrid steel/ceramic design allowing them to spool up faster due to the light nature of the ceramic exhaust wheel.
Power was delivered to all four wheels using an electronically-controlled all wheel drive system referred to by Nissan as the ATTESA-ETS system. The ATTESA-ETS system uses two G-Sensors mounted underneath the centre console, which feed lateral and longitudinal inputs to the ECU. The ECU would then control the feed of power by allowing a limited amount to be delivered to the front wheels via an electronic torque split converter. In 1995, the ATTESA-ETS Pro was introduced as an option for R33 GTR customers, and came as standard equipment in GTR V-spec models. It was later standard equipment in all GTR models for the R34 Skyline GTR. The ATTESA-ETS Pro added an Active Limited Slip Differential, which was controlled by the onboard ATTESA computer. This was only for the rear differential, as the front differential remained as a normal Limited Slip Differential. The ATTESA-ETS Pro was also advertised in brochures as adding an electroniclly controlled 4-channel ABS brake system. Although it is not related to the all wheel drive system, it uses much of the same sensors, and the same computer.
The car also had computer-controlled all wheel steering system referred to as HICAS. The HICAS system activated when the vehicle exceeded 80 km/h and controlled the steering of the rear wheels in the same direction as the front to improve turn in on entry to corners. It should be noted however that this feature is often seen as more of a hindrance then help in race applications. The system tends to favour less advanced drivers, and can make the rear suspension unstable during high speed cornering. For this reason many kits are available to override this system usually by looping it's hydraulic lines back on themselves. This is seen to make the car much more predictable when driving at the limit of grip.
While the published figures from Nissan were as quoted above, practical tests showed the car had a factory power output of closer to 330ps (325hp) at the flywheel. The lower published figure was Nissan's response to the need to abide by a gentleman's agreement between the Japanese auto manufacturers not to release a car to the public exceeding 280ps (276hp) of power output.
Modification
The Skyline GT-R is a popular target for modification due to the strength of the RB26DETT engine. This engine, common to all GT-Rs, is widely considered as one of the most durable engines when heavily modified. Many aftermarket suppliers have produced "bolt on" upgrade kits for the GT-R to boost power output well beyond the factory specification.
In relatively stock form with proper maintenance, the RB26DETT has been known to produce as much as 500 HP on stock internals (pistons, rods, crankshaft, etc.). Part of the reason why the RB26DETT responds well to modifications is simply because the block is made of iron. Many GT-R owners who choose to remain relatively stock have been able to get many years of service from this stout engine as many consider it near indestructible with stock output.
The ceramic turbochargers that are equipped from the factory on some GT-Rs are some of the biggest weak points of the car. They are set to make 7psi of boost pressure (0.5bar) and raising them past 11+ PSI can cause them to break off. Being ceramic, they are not as durable as a steel turbine would be under higher boost but the benefit is that they spool quicker. A common upgrade for the turbocharger is the N1 turbo, which is equipped on the RB26DETT-N1 version of the Skyline GT-R engine. Intended for racing, the N1 turbo provides more power without sacrificing response while keeping the cost relatively low for upgrades.
A common swap for those GT-R owners in search of more horespower and torque is the RB30 shortblock. This shortblock was originally produced for Australian markets under Holden and several other brand names but due to its compatibility with the RB26 cylinder head it is gaining massive popularity with Skyline enthusiasts all over the world. The common swap is to merge the RB26DETT cylinder head with the RB30 shortblock to produce a hybrid 3.2L RB32DETT. The RB30 shortblock is essentially an RB26 with a longer stroke ratio, which in turn means more displacement and the addition of much needed torque. The stock RB30 requires a bit of modification to work with an RB26, or with the right resources OS Giken sells a fully prepped 1500 HP ready RB30 shortblock for $20,000 USD. A 3.2L RB series engine has been known to provide up to 1400+ WHP on a properly built motor.
Some tuning garages in Japan, UK, and Australia, have managed to harness the engine to produce levels in excess of 1000 hp. Veilside, in Japan, has modified an R34 Skyline GTR to 1200 whp. They have also modified an R32 Skyline GTR to accelerate to 300 km/h in 13 seconds.
Motorsport
The GT-R's success in motor racing was formidable, particularly in the annual 1,000 km race at the Mount Panorama circuit in Bathurst, Australia, where the champion in 1991 and 1992 was a GT-R (despite receiving additional 100 kg in weight penalties and a turbo pop off valve in 1992 due to its unbeatable performance), and in the Japanese GT series where it has remained dominant up to the present day.
No other race victories by the GT-R could escape without controversies. At the 1990 Macau Grand Prix Guia touring car race, the factory backed R32 driven by Masahiro Hasemi led the race from the start to the finishing line which caused a wave of protests by the European entrants. The following year, the car was forced to carry a weight penalty of 140 kg and was up against the more competitive DTM BMW M3 and Mercedes-Benz 190E 2.5-16 Evolution II. A disgruntled Hasemi was forced to settle for fourth place. For the following and final year the weight penalty was reduced and works backed Hasemi returned with another privateer R32 that crashed in the race, while Hasemi would retire with engine failure. The GT-R's success at Mount Panorama in 1991 and 1992, both by Jim Richards and Mark Skaife, led to a change in formula regulations, which came to exclude turbocharged and four-wheel-drive cars in subsequent years. It also led indirectly to a move to the Super Touring Car category in the JTCC and the creation of the JGTC grand touring car series in Japan, where GT-Rs can only compete in rear-wheel drive form.
In the UK, Andy Middlehurst took the Nissan Skyline GT-R (R32) to two consecutive championship wins in the National Saloon Car Cup. Other championship titles include the 1993 Spanish Touring Car Championship.
Akira Kameyama has taken the GT-R to the Pikes Peak International Hillclimb race on three occasion winning in each Open Class for production cars he entered, one in 1993 with the R32, another in 1996 with the R33 and again in 1998. For the following year, Rhys Millen took a R33 Skyline GT-R to win the High Performance Showroom Stock category.
In 1995 Nismo developed the Skyline GT-R for endurance racing with a pair of heavily modified R33s for the 24 Hours of Le Mans. In order to meet homologation regulations, a street legal version had to be built, although Nismo only required one example. This Skyline GT-R LM has been kept by Nissan of the UK since it's creation, and has never been sold as a true production vehicle. The two racing cars were able to achieve some success at Le Mans, with one car achieving 10th overall, and 5th in its GT1 class, being beaten only by the more developed McLaren F1 GTRs. For 1996, the Skyline GT-R LMs would return, this time carrying enlarged RB26DETTs, now displacing 2.8 litres. Again competing in GT1, they would finish 15th overall, and 10th in class. However, with the cars in GT1 exploiting more and more loopholes in the rules, Nissan was forced to abandon their production-based Skyline GT-R LMs and instead turn to the purpose-built Nissan R390 GT1 for 1997. In honor of the success of the Skyline at Le Mans, Nissan marketed a limited edition R33 refered to as "LM Limited", only available in a competition blue.
In 2006 Automotive Forums became the first ever to compete with a Nismo R34 Z-Tune in the United States, participating in the Speed World Challenge GT series. Team: Driver and President of Automotive Forums.com, Crew Chief Sean Morris, Team Manager Victor Reyes, Mechanic Josh Mitchell, and Engineer Merritt Johnson. Tentative plans are in place for the 2007 season.
Nowadays, the car is popular for import drag racing, Time Attack and events hosted by tuning magazines.
Popular Culture
The Skyline GT-R is also a popular car for street racing in Japan. It is featured as the car of choice for the Night Kids racing team leader Nakazato Takeshi in Shuichi Shigeno's manga Initial D and its anime adaptation. The GT-R is also featured in manga series Wangan Midnight and Over Rev!. It is also featured in many racing games such as the Gran Turismo and Need for Speed series, Forza Motorsport and Street Racing Syndicate.
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