Panzer Posted January 25, 2005 Posted January 25, 2005 HRE's- good choice for wheels Mr. Vette.. and I mentioned the 959 in my post too.. except I accidentally called it a 956 (pre-edit).. oops. And I love Bangle's designs. BMW has always been waay ahead of the pack and the new cars just solidify this point. NOTHING on the road looks like a 7, 6 or 5 series and coming in May the new 3 series sedan. In my eyes the 5 series is the perfect car. theres not one thing on that outside of the car that doesn't ooze "sex on wheels". it looks perfect to me. the headlights are badass, the taillights are badass, the wheels are badass. get used to "flame licked" panel lines on cars. square head and taillights and straight lines are on their way out folks. The look of cars in the late ninties and early 2000's = old 5 series (boxy, straight forward) The new look of cars for the next 5 - 10 years = new 5 series (wild, almost organic lines) The 7 series speaks for itself but I'm not a fan of the new 6. just doesn't look "fast" enough to me. apparently the new 3 series coupes will look like a small 6. But TEH HOTNESSSSS W0oT will be the new M5. There won't be a road in America you'll be able to strech its legs out on but hot damn, thats gonna be the ultimate ride..
Solscud007 Posted January 25, 2005 Posted January 25, 2005 Yeah steve keep flaunting that car haha. It is badassed!!!!! Now go get a Alt tracks or Ravage when it come out hehe. Careful out there. I know you might be able to afford it but I didnt. I was out at Willow Springs Streets of Willow. and came out of a turn. the straight went up and down then veered right. I thought it went straight and down. Well oversteered my civic tryign to commit to the veer. spun out and hit my driver side rear on a curb. my car hopped int he air. Spun int eh air (flat not roll) and landed in a ditch. So now I drive and will buy my dads van. I will wait til i get more money to make a real sports car and that i can afford to break haha http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v504/alu...04/DSC01090.jpg http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v504/alu...04/DSC01093.jpg http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v504/alu...04/DSC01086.jpg http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v504/alu...04/DSC01088.jpg the VFEX shall fly no more haha
yellowlightman Posted January 25, 2005 Posted January 25, 2005 Porsches? And no one's mentioned the 959? I did... Back on page 1 Damn, I was afraid of that! After 8 shots last night, I guess I overlooked the details. What does everyone think of the new Lotus Elise? I'm mixed on the looks, but I love the fundamental idea of it, a truly track-worthy street car. All reports I've heard is that it's insanely fun to drive. Got a friend who's thinking about buying one, so hopefully she will and I can snag a run or two with it.
Panzer Posted January 25, 2005 Posted January 25, 2005 (edited) "She"... that sums it up for me pretty good. I saw a few of the older ones that look pretty much like that in the UK a couple years ago but now that they're gonna sell them pretty cheaply over here I think its now going into the chick car status.. just kinda looks like it. i always loved the design but a small car that looks that crazy can only be driven by a 20 something chik that'll look "cute" in it. just like the Celica or MR2. i think thats gonna be the trend for these cars.. Edited January 25, 2005 by Panzer
yellowlightman Posted January 25, 2005 Posted January 25, 2005 just kinda looks like it. i always loved the design but a small car that looks that crazy can only be driven by a 20 something chik that'll look "cute" in it.just like the Celica or MR2. i think thats gonna be the trend for these cars.. I think the lack of ammenities will keep it out of the same girl-car realm as V6 Mustang convertibles and Celicas. The Elise is a very bare-bones car, the roof has to be folded back by hand and will leak under heavy raining conditions. Not to mention, I don't think they're making an automatic version. Looks aside, it is first a foremost a performance car made for people who like to track their cars. I think the price (around $50,000) will keep most non-enthusiasts away because at that price you could get a Porsche Boxter.
EXO Posted January 25, 2005 Posted January 25, 2005 Here's my other obsession besides Macross hey I know that car!!!
Solscud007 Posted January 26, 2005 Posted January 26, 2005 Elise isnt bad but its like a RWD CRX to me. the Elise weighs 1900 lbs. the CRX before weight lightening is 2100 lbs. Easily a 200 hp engine like a type r can go in. as for 4 wheel crotch rockets haha I prefer the older Lotus Caterham Super 7. 1200 lbs before weight lightening and can put out easily 240 hp. scarry machine haha
Agent ONE Posted January 26, 2005 Posted January 26, 2005 "She"... that sums it up for me pretty good. I saw a few of the older ones that look pretty much like that in the UK a couple years ago but now that they're gonna sell them pretty cheaply over here I think its now going into the chick car status.. just kinda looks like it. i always loved the design but a small car that looks that crazy can only be driven by a 20 something chik that'll look "cute" in it. just like the Celica or MR2. i think thats gonna be the trend for these cars.. I don't think thats a chick car. I see hard lines on the Lotus. Chick cars are roundy and vaginal. VW Beetles, Z3s, ... No car with hard lines can be called a chick car.
hirohawa Posted January 26, 2005 Posted January 26, 2005 Nick- Sorry about your car. Looking at those pictures hurt - but as long as you are okay. The elevation changes are the scariest part of any track, and willowsprings is definately a tough one from what I've heard. About the Elise - there was a Tuner at the LA show that was stuffing the Honda S2000 motor in the Elises. So instead of Toyota 4 banger with 190HP you have the super high revving Honda 4 banger with 240HP. Probably a really wild ride. I don't think the Elise is a chick car it is a serious sports car. BMW is "refreshing" the look of the 7 series in mid cycle because they are getting a lot of flack for the Bangles lines. Personally I like the Current M3, I think it is teh best looking car in their lineup.
yellowlightman Posted January 26, 2005 Posted January 26, 2005 Elise isnt bad but its like a RWD CRX to me. the Elise weighs 1900 lbs. the CRX before weight lightening is 2100 lbs. Easily a 200 hp engine like a type r can go in. The key here being that it's RWD, mid-engined and designed expressively as a track car. The CRX is a sporty grocery cart. Just because a CRX can have a similar power-to-weight ration, doesn't mean it's going to handle, drive or perform the same.
Panzer Posted January 26, 2005 Posted January 26, 2005 (edited) "vaginal lines" haha yeah I think the Elise is gonna be bad ass when it hits these streets. and they are pretty stripped down cars, I think the premium you pay on them is all in the design. but I can just see it now.. it'll be the "to die for" car for rich bitches in La Jolla where I'm from.. and the only thing they're changing on the 7 series is the trunk. its just a little update to keep people interested in the pricey sedan. Edited January 26, 2005 by Panzer
reddsun1 Posted January 26, 2005 Posted January 26, 2005 (edited) Er, and Chevrolet is not part of Ferrari. Chevrolet is part of GM, which owns a large part of FIAT, which in turn owns Ferrarii understood that i was just mentioning fewer car company names. I also apologise if i sounded defensive. Its just normal to get bashed on in a thread about cars when you mention american classics when said thread thus far has been dominated by foreign car subjects. Even i like foreign cars my favorite being the Austrailian made 1974 Ford Falcon. The name is american but the car is 100% Aussie. Its not mine but i will be getting one like it soon. Im also going to invest in the body kit to get it looking like that. Hey, you're going to be getting an Oz Falcon too? Well, congratulations from a fellow Falcon owner and fanatic ('74 XB Coupe). I thought of doing the BoB conversion too, but it grew on me in it's more sedate form--still draws attention like a Ferrari set on fire, though. You getting yours through Madmaxcars.com? Terry's great; he helped me get mine as well. Be prepared for lots of attention, although maybe not as much as here in the states (you're in merry old England, right? you won't be bombarded with dumbass "you're on the wrong side" comments). I agree with you in that the newer cars aren't as appealing as the old "muscle." But I'm no die-hard-one-make-only car fan. I think there's merit to be found in lots of different cars out there. I figure if somebody likes what they're driving and they want to spend their hard-earned money to make it perform better, then more power to 'em, be it a "rice-rocket" Honda, or a ground pounding V8 Charger, or a high spooling turbo Supra, etc. etc... True, there is that segment of the populace that seems obsessed with tacky bolt-ons, gaudy color schemes, and other baubles that are supposed to look "fast"--but usually just look plain bad. When I see stuff like that, I can't help but chuckle, shake my head and keep on going my own way. Good luck on your Interceptor project; like any old car, they can be tempermental (beware the Lucas electrics! can we say "prince of darkness?" ), but when they do run, them Aussie Coupes are like fuggin' tanks. Edited January 26, 2005 by reddsun1
Solscud007 Posted January 26, 2005 Posted January 26, 2005 Nick-Sorry about your car. Looking at those pictures hurt - but as long as you are okay. The elevation changes are the scariest part of any track, and willowsprings is definately a tough one from what I've heard. About the Elise - there was a Tuner at the LA show that was stuffing the Honda S2000 motor in the Elises. So instead of Toyota 4 banger with 190HP you have the super high revving Honda 4 banger with 240HP. Probably a really wild ride. I don't think the Elise is a chick car it is a serious sports car. BMW is "refreshing" the look of the 7 series in mid cycle because they are getting a lot of flack for the Bangles lines. Personally I like the Current M3, I think it is teh best looking car in their lineup. I dont think that is possible. S2000 motor in an Elise. The same concept was thought up for motor swaps for civics and integs. The reason the S2k motor doesnt work is that the motor literally turns backwards. The way the tranny mounts to it and how civic and integ motors are set up the revolutions of the crankshaft are opposite. Now Im nto sure how the Toyota celica motor spins but I have heard people putting Integra type R engines in the Euro Elises. If that is an indication then the S2K wont work
Panzer Posted January 26, 2005 Posted January 26, 2005 that and the fact civics and integras are poopy FWD and the S2000 is RWD. I always assumed that would be a problem. besides the crank rotation thing.
flyboy Posted January 26, 2005 Posted January 26, 2005 Careful out there. I know you might be able to afford it but I didnt. I was out at Willow Springs Streets of Willow... spun out and hit my driver side rear on a curb. my car hopped int he air. Spun int eh air (flat not roll) and landed in a ditch. http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v504/alu...04/DSC01090.jpg http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v504/alu...04/DSC01093.jpg http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v504/alu...04/DSC01086.jpg http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v504/alu...04/DSC01088.jpg Hey Nick, sorry about your car. Streets is a fun - but technical - track, and you gotta be careful and pay attention to what's around the next corner. Hope you learned something from that that'll make you a better driver. BTW, that broken wheel looks familiar... Here's what happens when your driver get drowsy at speed during a stage rally... Not quite as bad as your situation, but the location made it a hell of a lot harder to get the car up onto a trailer! Made for a good excuse to upgrade to a better car, though!
bhop Posted January 26, 2005 Posted January 26, 2005 (edited) I dont think that is possible. S2000 motor in an Elise. The same concept was thought up for motor swaps for civics and integs. The reason the S2k motor doesnt work is that the motor literally turns backwards. The way the tranny mounts to it and how civic and integ motors are set up the revolutions of the crankshaft are opposite. Now Im nto sure how the Toyota celica motor spins but I have heard people putting Integra type R engines in the Euro Elises. If that is an indication then the S2K wont work Here's a tuner company that's doing it. http://www.prototyperacing.com/f20kit.htm Edited January 26, 2005 by bhop
yellowlightman Posted January 26, 2005 Posted January 26, 2005 but I can just see it now.. it'll be the "to die for" car for rich bitches in La Jolla where I'm from.. Hah, funny you mention that. I saw an orange Elise in La Jolla last weekend. I really don't see it becoming a "must have" car for the wealthy trophy wife sect. Too little standard equipment, too rough of a ride. For that money there's a lot of other options from the Porsche, BMW, Benz sect that I think people would be more interested in.
yellowlightman Posted January 26, 2005 Posted January 26, 2005 BTW, that broken wheel looks familiar...Here's what happens when your driver get drowsy at speed during a stage rally... Not quite as bad as your situation, but the location made it a hell of a lot harder to get the car up onto a trailer! Made for a good excuse to upgrade to a better car, though! Sweet car, is that a GTX? Shame about the SCCA ProRally program getting cancelled, but hopefully it'll create the opportunity for rallying to really take off in the States. I'd really like to get involved in soem sort of amateur rallying, but my area (Northern California) is pretty much devoid of any sort of activity short of the occasional rally-cross.
hirohawa Posted January 26, 2005 Posted January 26, 2005 IIRC the majority of the work on the refresh of the 7 series wil be in the front end - the lights and grill.
Panzer Posted January 26, 2005 Posted January 26, 2005 I read that its just gonna be the trunk. the front end is the most attractive ferature of that car. those headlights are amazing.
flyboy Posted January 26, 2005 Posted January 26, 2005 Sweet car, is that a GTX?Shame about the SCCA ProRally program getting cancelled, but hopefully it'll create the opportunity for rallying to really take off in the States. I'd really like to get involved in soem sort of amateur rallying, but my area (Northern California) is pretty much devoid of any sort of activity short of the occasional rally-cross. Yup, that's a 323 GTX. Good to find someone who knows their obscure rally cars. This incident happened up at Oregon Trail a few years back. Basicaly wrote off the car since we couldn't source another Group A upright to replace the broken one, and it'd be too expensive to backdate the whole suspension to stock form. That's the problem with trying to run limited-production, limited-support rally cars. Yeah, trying to rally in Norcal kind of sucks. The bright side is that you're only 6-7 hours away from both Oregon and Socal events. (I don't suggest doing Socal events unless you feel like building a tank - roads here are ridiculously rough). Well, it seemed like the SCCA rally program in general had been running out of steam lately. It hit a peak when the WRX first came out, but these past two years, the popularity has been steadily declining. (At least from a competitor's point of view - much fewer spectators nowadays) We'll see if this whole Rally sprint concept they're working on survives. Great concept since it drastically reduces the cost and strain of running a full stage-rally. But they'll have to overcome the total lack of any established venues and events. Until then, the same regional events are still being sponsored by NASA (no, not the rocket people!) and Rally America. Felix
Panzer Posted January 26, 2005 Posted January 26, 2005 Rally with one of the famous Audi's with Quattro drive. they've won all kinds of rally races with those cars for decades now. doesn't need to be a jap car to be cool ya know..
areaseven Posted January 26, 2005 Author Posted January 26, 2005 Sorry to read about the VF-EX, Nick, especially after all the mods you've made over the past couple of years. So what do you plan to buy as a replacement?
areaseven Posted January 26, 2005 Author Posted January 26, 2005 Last night, SpikeTV aired AutoRox, the first-ever awards show for cars. Here are the results: Maximum "G" Sports Car of 2005 Lotus Elise Chevrolet Corvette C6 Porsche 911 Carrera S Ferrari F430 Dodge Viper SRT-10 Winner: Chevrolet Corvette C6 America's sportscar trounces the foreign competition. The Real Muscle of 2005 1967 Shelby Mustang GT500 Only one nominee? The Major Player of 2005 Enzo Ferrari Again, only one nominee? The Mad Real SUV of 2005 BMW X5 Cadillac Escalade Range Rover Porsche Cayenne Turbo Volkswagen Touareg Winner: Porsche Cayenne Turbo The most overrated in the category wins it. The "Livin' Large" Luxury Car of 2005 Audi A8 Maserati Quattroporte Maybach 62 Mercedes-Benz S-Class Rolls Royce Phantom Winner: Rolls Royce Phantom Bullsh*t! The Maybach is a much better ride. The Midlife-Crisis Car of 2005 1999 Lamborghini Diablo Roadster What, no other car in the category? The Take-It-Off Droptop of 2005 BMW M3 Convertible Chevrolet Corvette C6 Ferrari 360 Spyder Mercedes-Benz SL Porsche Boxster S Winner: Ferrari 360 Spyder The 360 goes out with a bang. The Chick Magnet of 2005 2004 Saleen S7 Okay, but just one car nominee? Tastiest Tuner of 2005 Acura RSX Type-S Honda Civic Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution VIII Scion xB Subaru Impreza WRX STi Winner: Acura RSX Type-S Double Bullsh*t! The WRX and EVO can waste that front-driver anywhere. Automotive Icon of 2005 Carroll Shelby The father of the Cobra receives major props for his contributions to the auto industry. The Steal-of-a-Deal of 2005 Dodge Neon SRT-4 Triple Bullsh*t!!! The Hottest Exotic of 2005 Enzo Ferrari Ford GT Lamborghini Gallardo Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren Porsche Carrera GT Winner: Lamborghini Gallardo What a surprise upset. The slowest of the bunch wins this one. Most Jammin' Truck of 2005 Chevrolet Silverado Dodge Ram Ford F-150 Nissan Titan Dodge Ram SRT-10 Winner: Dodge Ram SRT-10 Now that was a rather unfair advantage. The Ride of '05 Chevrolet Corvette Ford Mustang GT Lotus Elise Mercedes-Benz SLK55 Porsche 911 Carrera S Winner: Chevrolet Corvette C6 Damn...I wanted the Mustang to win. Nevertheless, the C6 is an awesome ride.
Panzer Posted January 26, 2005 Posted January 26, 2005 whatta joke. talk about some POS cars that were "winners" in that contest.. Corvette's are lame man, I'm sorry.. with so much better stuff to choose from for the price *cough M3 cough* they need to do away with that thing. there isn't a domestic car that can compete with the designs that have been coming out of europe for years and years now. you want halogen headlights, an A/C knob the size of a beer can and digital clock numbers the size of this type buy a domestic..
yellowlightman Posted January 26, 2005 Posted January 26, 2005 Yup, that's a 323 GTX. Good to find someone who knows their obscure rally cars. I'm a combination rally fan/Mazda geek so the GTX isn't hard to spot. I've got a posted of Rod Millen's 4WD RX-7 waiting to up on my wall. This incident happened up at Oregon Trail a few years back. Basicaly wrote off the car since we couldn't source another Group A upright to replace the broken one, and it'd be too expensive to backdate the whole suspension to stock form. That's the problem with trying to run limited-production, limited-support rally cars. That sucks. Seems to me that one of the biggest problem with getting into rallying (least in the States) is that there are so few decent options for affordable AWD rally cars, there's of course the whole WRX/LanEvo but those cost quite a bit. So what does that leave? Toyota Celica GT4 (bit overpriced, from what I hear), Mazda GTX (pretty rare), Audi Quattro (rare again), DSM (probably the most common, but with reliability I'd pass). A couple friends and I have been talking about putting together a 2WD rally project car, but that's more of a pipe dream right now. Yeah, trying to rally in Norcal kind of sucks. The bright side is that you're only 6-7 hours away from both Oregon and Socal events. (I don't suggest doing Socal events unless you feel like building a tank - roads here are ridiculously rough). A little ironic because we have some awesome roads up here. Just makes me wish we were in Europe where rallying is so much more widespread. Only type of racing that's really common around hear is drag racing and dirt oval racing, although the SCCA San Francisco region runs some strong auto-x and track events. Well, it seemed like the SCCA rally program in general had been running out of steam lately. It hit a peak when the WRX first came out, but these past two years, the popularity has been steadily declining. (At least from a competitor's point of view - much fewer spectators nowadays) We'll see if this whole Rally sprint concept they're working on survives. Great concept since it drastically reduces the cost and strain of running a full stage-rally. But they'll have to overcome the total lack of any established venues and events. Until then, the same regional events are still being sponsored by NASA (no, not the rocket people!) and Rally America. With the popularity of the WRX and LanEvo I was surprised rallying didn't take off more than it did. Might have something to do with American's getting confused driving on dirt when it's not on an oval track. Hopefully without the SCCA bureacracy rallying will have a second chance. Autocross and track events are readily available to me in my area, but rallying is what I really want to do and it's kind of a pain that it's so hard to get into.
yellowlightman Posted January 26, 2005 Posted January 26, 2005 whatta joke. talk about some POS cars that were "winners" in that contest..Corvette's are lame man, I'm sorry.. with so much better stuff to choose from for the price *cough M3 cough* they need to do away with that thing. there isn't a domestic car that can compete with the designs that have been coming out of europe for years and years now. you want halogen headlights, an A/C knob the size of a beer can and digital clock numbers the size of this type buy a domestic.. While I'm all for hating on sub-par American cars, the Corvette is most definately not in that category. All reports I've heard is that the new base model C6 is comporable to a C5 Z06 in terms of performance and handling, which means it's a fantastic car. Just because it doesn't come with pretentious European snobbery doesn't mean it isn't a great car. The C6 Z06 on ther other hand... is very literally a supercar. Actually, scratch that it isn't, because it's affordable. It will be the best performance car value for the money, and it will embaress a lot of exotics.
Agent ONE Posted January 26, 2005 Posted January 26, 2005 whatta joke. talk about some POS cars that were "winners" in that contest..Corvette's are lame man, I'm sorry.. with so much better stuff to choose from for the price *cough M3 cough* they need to do away with that thing. there isn't a domestic car that can compete with the designs that have been coming out of europe for years and years now. you want halogen headlights, an A/C knob the size of a beer can and digital clock numbers the size of this type buy a domestic.. Though I think the new vette looks good, I think you are right. My Dad has one (he has the patent on the steering pump on that car so its a pride thing) and even he admits it is completely inferior to my M3.
Agent ONE Posted January 26, 2005 Posted January 26, 2005 ... Just because it doesn't come with pretentious European snobbery doesn't mean it isn't a great car.... I see so many people who drive 318s and think they are really somethin, at the same time I look at the dash of a vette and I see gawdy swoopy plastic that actually moves if I grab ahold of it. None of that in the M series. As far as performance to the dollar, NOW the Vette may be superior, but it does have a takcy factor that will never be seen in Europe.
bsu legato Posted January 26, 2005 Posted January 26, 2005 I refuse to give any credence to an awards show that has categories such as "Mad Real SUV."
Agent ONE Posted January 26, 2005 Posted January 26, 2005 I refuse to give any credence to an awards show that has categories such as "Mad Real SUV." Its probably a show that markets to little wannabe gang member retards. They use terms like "Mad Real."
yellowlightman Posted January 26, 2005 Posted January 26, 2005 ... Just because it doesn't come with pretentious European snobbery doesn't mean it isn't a great car.... I see so many people who drive 318s and think they are really somethin, at the same time I look at the dash of a vette and I see gawdy swoopy plastic that actually moves if I grab ahold of it. None of that in the M series. As far as performance to the dollar, NOW the Vette may be superior, but it does have a takcy factor that will never be seen in Europe. I won't deny the Corvette doesn't have a lot of a plastic and some definately tacky design issues, but really in a car like that I'm a lot more concerned with the performance and driveability as a car. It's a car meant to be driven, not looked at on a show room. As for European quality, remember there are lots of shitty European cars that make even Pontiac look quality. Fiat? Skoda? Rover?
Panzer Posted January 26, 2005 Posted January 26, 2005 Vettes do pretty good in the races in europe, so theres no doubt they can perform. i just can't get past the looks.. only guys that belong behind the wheel of those are 50 year old farts. the new ones are kinda cool, but not much of an update from the last one it seems. if they could get all crazy again like the Stingrays and old old ones that'd be something to see. i'll just never buy another American car cause I've been spoiled on the European ones. as much as i'd like to support the USA's efforts in the automotive industry I think the only thing I'd drive right now if money wasn't an issue would be a H2 Hummer or the SS Silverado pickup. if I was old i'd consider a 300M (maaaybe) or a new vette. everything else just blows in my book. they gotta try harder..
yellowlightman Posted January 26, 2005 Posted January 26, 2005 I think the only thing I'd drive right now if money wasn't an issue would be a H2 Hummer or the SS Silverado pickup.
glane21 Posted January 27, 2005 Posted January 27, 2005 (From Car and Driver magazine): The Mother of all GT-RsCheck out the limited edition Nissan Skyline GT-R Z-tune set to debut at the Tokyo Auto Salon on January 14. BY PETER LYON January 2005 If you thought the mighty Nissan R-34 GT-R was dead and buried, think again. Nissan’s racing arm Nismo has resurrected the phased-out Skyline for one last blast. Only this time, they’re not stopping at half measures. Unveiled at the Tokyo Auto Salon this week, the 500hp GT-R Z-tune is not only the most powerful GT-R ever, but at $170,000, it’s also the most expensive. Why did they make it? Simple. To show what's possible. And when we hinted at any relation to the next generation GT-R due in 2007, Nismo staffers started sucking through their teeth and looking skywards. One thing is for sure. The 2007 GT-R's sticker price will be around half that of the Z-tune but pump out nearly as much power. Leaning heavily on 15 years of racing experience with the R-32, R-33 and R-34 GT-R’s, Nismo engineers have created the mother of all GT-R’s. Looking like a GT-R on steroids, the Z-tune has been fitted with CFRP lightweight aeroparts including the front bumper, hood, front fenders Nismo increased the stock twin turbo 2.6 liter bore to 2.8 liters by employing the block from a 2001 GT500-spec GT-R race car, and then further refined and reinforced just about every component inside. It gets race-spec forged pistons, conrods and camshaft, a large titanium exhaust and two oil coolers as well as the heavy duty IHI turbos fitted to the class-winning GT-R in last year’s Nurburging 24-hour race. And with an upgraded ECU, that gives the Z-tune a respectable 500hp and 540Nm of torque with a strong focus on low end response. To handle those extra herbs, Nismo employed a special heat-resistant Super Coppermix Twin clutch that was developed to cope with power up to 600hp. Incorporating a fully reinforced chassis, this GT-R also gets SACHS 3-way adjustable dampers, once again from the GT500 car, and huge mono-block 6-piston Brembo calipers with 365mm race rotors. Now depending on where you wish to drive your Z-tune, you can either have it delivered wearing stock Potenza high performance road tires or semi slicks, which are both shod on 18-inch LM GT4 GT500 rims made by Rays. Inside a specially fitted 320km/h speedo and titanium gear knob hint at what the Z-tune is capable of on the track. When you consider that Nismo are only making twenty Z-tunes, yep 20 only, you’d better get that cheque book out quick smart. Because they’re already taking orders. A Nismo staffer told us that one Brit and one American had already signed on the dotted line. Add freight from Japan and insurance, and you won't get much change from $200,000. I thought the Skyline was now the same car as the Infinity G35 sold here.
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