FC BNZ 0513 04/04/2013 16:23 Page 1
CARBON CIVIC NISMO PAST
B16A1 conversion & LSD ’box
History of Nismo examined
JAPANESE CARS
THE UK’S BEST-SELLING JAPANESE CAR TUNING
868bhp
Retro Toyotas
Road-legal R35: 12 injector setup, forged pistons, big turbos & switchable 4WD/RWD system
Starlet vs Corolla
Impreza STI 465bhp WRX Hawk Eye
Two of the UK’s finest GT-Rs in one issue! @banzaimag
MAY 2013 Issue 139 £4.50
820bhp SVM forged internals & Stage 2 turbos
KNIGHT
RACER
Carbon-clad demo R35 is the ultimate street weapon…
066-082 BNZ 0513 05/04/2013 15:49 Page 68
R35 NISSAN GT-R
WORDS: ANDY BASOO PHOTOS: PHIL STEINHARDT
t h g i n K k r a D R is es
066-082 BNZ 0513 05/04/2013 15:50 Page 69
THIS CARBON-CLAD R35 IS THE WORK OF STYLING SPECIALIST KNIGHT RACER. WITH 800BHP ON TAP THOUGH, THERE’S MORE TO THIS GT-R THAN YOU MIGHT THINK… WORDS: ANDY BASOO PHOTOS: PHIL STEINHARDT hortly after entering the aftermarket tuning industry back in 2003, Knight Racer very quickly established itself as one of the most respected carbon fibre specialists in the UK. Sure, the team has other products and services to offer, but it’s the lightweight woven material that most contact Knight Racer for. The majority of firms on the scene have found the best way to promote their offerings is on a fully-fledged demo vehicle. The guys at Knight Racer are no different. Over the years they’ve turned out numerous magazine featured show cars, some of which have appeared in this very publication. The majority have been Skylines, but perhaps the company’s most widely recognised build was that of a carbon-clad, Imola orange NSX. Choosing the right demo car in the first place can be a tricky affair though. For an outfit like Knight Racer the goal is to select a model that stands out and gets noticed. More
S
important though is choosing a vehicle that’s obtainable and popular within the scene, either right now or in the immediate future. “We’ve made a few wrong choices of the years,” director Albert concedes. “For example, this isn’t our first GT-R. We imported a silver one and had it registered in January 2009. They weren’t even on sale here in the UK until April 2009. It was a fantastic car. We threw loads of carbon at it and it went down a storm. It was magazine featured too. In truth though, it was probably too early to be doing an R35. Very few people owned one and even fewer modified them. It was cool to have one so early but almost pointless because the market just wasn’t there.” Thankfully, just three years later, Knight Racer has returned to the GT-R. In our eyes, it’s the perfect time to take on such a project. R35s are now changing hands from as little as £30,000. That’s an absolute steal when you consider the performance you’re getting for your money. It’s no wonder then that more and more big-power Supra and R34 owners
are starting to part with their long-term project cars in favour of much more modern GT-Rs. It’s not only the price and performance though that make owning one of these highend machines so appealing. The model is extremely well supported by the aftermarket now, with just about every conceivable tuning and styling product available. A glance through the tech spec of this particular rendition testifies to that. “We bought this one off a customer in April of last year,” Albert continues. “He was really into his track days so he’d already fitted the BC Racing coilovers and Whiteline anti-roll bars (front and rear). The wheels were on there too.” The wheels Albert speaks of are stunning 19” Vaarstoen Track 200 ES2.2.2s finished in matt black. They’re staggered, shod in meaty Yokohama Advan Sport tyres and are basically the perfect wheel choice. They’re aggressive, not blingy and are lightweight for ultimate performance. But, a well-sorted chassis setup wasn’t the only thing the R35 came with. It was also
066-082 BNZ 0513 05/04/2013 15:16 Page 70
R35 NISSAN GT-R
With it having about 800bhp… you can’t just plant your right foot. You’ve got to be a bit more careful. It’s brutal
blessed with 650R setup from Severn Valley Motorsport (SVM). That meant that, as the name suggests, Knight Racer’s latest demo car was already producing in the region of 650bhp. The extra 158bhp (492bhp as standard) is the result of both hardware and software additions. The new parts don’t include anything too dramatic, but instead are well judged. On the hardware side of things it’s simply a matter of improving airflow and fuelling. Uprated 76mm MAF intake pipes with MAF housings and K&N air filters take care of fresh inbound air. There are 76mm stainless turbo downpipes in place as well, while spent gases exit through one of the specialist’s stainless Y-pipes and exhaust systems.
70
New 1050cc motorsport injectors are added too and then it’s on to a AP Cobb Nis 06 software update, which runs through the stock ECU. The new map takes care of ignition, fuelling and even launch control. At £4950, the conversion’s well priced considering the additional reliable performance gains. “It was good to buy a car I knew and from someone I trusted,” Albert explains. “I’m not really a track day person, but I do absolutely love driving, so it was great having an adjustable chassis setup in place. I was able to tweak it more for road use. The 650R conversion was brilliant though. You could just plant your right foot and the power was easily controllable.”
Albert’s problem was that he’d owned plenty of special Skylines in the past. In fact, he’s owned numerous GT-R examples from the R32 onwards, but wanted this latest project to be something exceptional. “Power doesn’t sell my products,” he confesses. “We’re predominantly a styling specialist after all. But, because the R35 has got so much grip, it’s relatively easy to drive. You need a lot of power to make it feel really special.” Knight Racer works closely with SVM, so Albert gave the guys a buzz to chat through a few options. His call seemed to be perfectly timed, because SVM had just got in a brandnew 2012 UK engine from Nissan. To improve the turnaround time, the team could build up the spare engine and then simply swap it into
066-082 BNZ 0513 05/04/2013 15:16 Page 71
Under the bonnet sits a new UK engine from Nissan but rebuilt by SVM with forged internals
Albert’s GT-R when the car came in. Doing so would mean the car would only be out of his hands for about two weeks. What’s more, the R35 already had most of the uprated ancillaries needed in place from the 650R conversion, so strengthening the VR38DETT itself was all that was needed, along with upgrading the turbos of course, before substantially more power could be gleaned through mapping. With an agreement reached, SVM began work on the engine. Specialising in the R35 since its launch has given the engineers there time and experience to develop the company’s own line of forged internals for the impressive V6. Its own brand of forged pistons and rods were therefore added. These, along with the crank, flywheel
066-082 BNZ 0513 05/04/2013 15:17 Page 72
R35 NISSAN GT-R
“We’ve fitted just about all the GT-R products Knight Racer currently offers”
066-082 BNZ 0513 05/04/2013 15:17 Page 73
ENGINE: New UK VR38DETT V6 twinturbo, SVM forged internal set, ARP 3.5 rod bolts, SVM Stage 2 turbos, HKS intercooler piping, billet aluminium actuators, motorsport 1050cc injectors, twin 400lph fuel pumps, GTC 76mm intakes and filters, GTC downpipes, GTC 102mm titanium exhaust system and Y-pipe, SVM signature bumper intake system, custom Cobb tune by Ben at GTC, SVM 14-plate clutch system, SVM 3 mechanical circlip upgrade, KR gearbox cooler CHASSIS: 19” Vaarstoen lightweight Track 200 ES2.2.2 wheels shod in 255/35 and 305/30 Yokohama Advan Sport tyres respectively, AP Racing brakes discs, Cosworth Streetmaster pads, BC Racing fully adjustable coilovers, Whiteline front and rear anti-roll bars EXTERIOR: KR carbon front splitter, KR carbon front grille, KR GT1 Full Hybrid carbon bonnet, KR carbon front wing vents, KR carbon front GT-R logo holders, KR carbon side skirts, KR CD Full Hybrid carbon rear spoiler, KR carbon rear diffuser INTERIOR: Full interior trim carbon wrap, Alcantara-trimmed steering wheel CONTACT: Knight Racer (www.knightracer.com or 01908 379118)
and pulleys were all ‘dynamically balanced’ by the firm for maximum efficiency. Ordinarily, SVM would replace bearings, gaskets (including the head gasket) and piston rings with new items from Nissan, but with this being a brand-new engine, these precautions weren’t necessary. ARP 3.5 rod bolts, HKS intercooler piping and twin 400lph fuel pumps were added to the mix though. SVM then selected a pair of its Stage 2 turbochargers. These feature ball bearing cores and CNCmachined turbine housing and would see Albert’s new running gear producing something in the region of 800bhp. The car was booked in and, as promised, he received a call just two weeks later saying the engine swap had gone smoothly and that his R35 was ready for collection. At this point, it’s probably worth noting that if you’re going to be gleaning an additional 300bhp or so from your GT-R (or any car for
that matter) it’s wise to consider your transmission. That obviously goes without saying as replacing gearboxes is an expensive affair. The R35’s rear-mounted six-speed dual clutch semi-automatics are superb, but Albert’s seen fit to add an SVM 14-plate clutch system and mechanical circlip kit, along with his very own Knight Racer gearbox cooler. The idea is to pre-empt any failures and keep the BorgWarner-designed unit operating crisply and reliably. Since getting the car back from SVM, Albert’s replaced a few other items, too, some out of necessity and others out of preference. For example, the previous owner’s love of track days meant the stock brakes didn’t have much bite left in them, so these were swapped for AP Racing discs and Cosworth Streetmaster pads. Needless to say, stopping power is dramatically improved, while still retaining an almost OEM pedal feel. The full
GTC 102mm titanium exhaust system on the other hand was a preference and looks superb with those carbon fibre tips. They also match perfectly with the exterior additions. As you’d expect, there’s carbon fibre and lots of it! “We’ve fitted just about all the GT-R products Knight Racer currently offers,” Albert smiles. “Obviously we do different bonnet and spoiler styles but you can’t have five bonnets on one car. Although we probably would if we could!” Starting at the front then, this R35 is fitted with the company’s front splitter, grille, GT1 Full Hybrid bonnet and GT-R logo holders. The flanks benefit from carbon front wing vents and side skirts, while the rear has been treated to a CD Full Hybrid rear spoiler and rear diffuser. Tying in perfectly with the carbon interior trim and matt black Vaarstoen wheels, the high-quality Knight Racer carbon exterior parts make this one of the best and most
73
066-082 BNZ 0513 05/04/2013 15:18 Page 74
R35 NISSAN GT-R
brutal looking GT-Rs in the country. It’s fit for purpose and perfectly demonstrates what Knight Racer is all about. What we particularly love about this car though is how Albert’s managed to combine the needs of his company (styling) with his own desire to build a monstrous street weapon. “I got really attached to some of my old Skylines, particularly my last R33 GT-R,” he lets on. “But, this is so much better, hands
74
down. It’s a real step forward in terms of quality, engineering, comfort and performance. With it having about 800bhp now though, you can’t just plant your right foot. You’ve got to be a bit more careful. It’s brutal.” Knight Racer’s example proves the R35 is ripe for tuning. There are a number of respected specialists such as SVM and GTC doing good things with Nissan’s flagship model right now, and building one doesn’t
have to be as expensive as you might think, especially if you keep below the 650bhp threshold to reduce the need for engine internal upgrades and bigger turbos. This isn’t the only road-legal GT-R putting out big numbers here in the UK though. There’s another over the page that may look similar externally, but is privately owned and built by a man with a Supra background. As such, it’s a different machine entirely…