Of course, there are some enthusiasts who will always want more – and when one of these enthusiasts contacted Switzer about pushing the P800 GTR to the limit, the crew at Switzer Performance got to work developing the car you see here.

“The P800 is already at the limit of what we feel comfortable for the stock GTR transmission,” explains Switzer. “So to go further we really needed to beef up the transmission. We contacted Dodson Motorsports in New Zealand and explained what our goals were with the car – 900 hp, more clutch area, ad smooth shifting at every speed. The new transmission is the product of several months’ co-development between Switzer and Dodson, and is exactly what we needed in order to start pushing the GTR forward beyond 800 hp.”

The next thing Switzer needed to address to keep “pushing the GTR forward” was fuel. “We didn’t want to just deliver a race-gas package that tethered the client to a fuel drum in his garage, but we wanted to be able to turn up the boost, also.” The solution? Readily-available E85.

“In a way, the solution was all around us,” offers Switzer, whose shop is located deep in Ohio’s farm country, surrounded – literally! – by cornfields. “E85 isn’t without its trade-offs. We had to modify the fuel system to handle the fuel and significantly increase the size of the injectors, also, but in the end we had a fuel that gave us everything we needed to crank up the boost on this car and deliver over 900 hp.” The E85 delivered other benefits as well: it is significantly “greener” than the pump-gas and race-gas versions of the GTR. “With most high-horsepower cars, you can barely breathe after just a few dyno runs. With the E85, we were able to run pull after pull to dial in the tune without feeling any effects of the usual emissions. It’s hardly scientific, but there was a noticeable improvement in the air quality in the shop compared to race gas.”

The final product – dubbed the E900 for “Ethanol fuel, 900 hp” – is a fast, capable package that offers linear power delivery and massive midrange torque with superior transient response compared to larger-turbo/race-fuel combinations, while maintaining a bit of environmental responsibility along with its blistering sub-6-second 60-130 mph acceleration.

This first P800 also sports an Amuse carbon fiber aero package, 3-way adjustable suspension, and 20″ BBS wheels that are an inch wider than stock at all four corners. Switzer’s new E85-fueled E900 PKG is available now. Contact Switzer Performance for more.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Despite setting the expectation bar high, the cars didn’t disappoint their new owners on the track – but as their comfort levels with the GTR grew, some of the GTR’s new owners started to realize something that Lotus buyers had known for years: on a racetrack, mass is the enemy.

Mass affects the way a car stops, turns, and accelerates. Less mass is good. Less mass means a driver can get more grip in the corners, more stopping power from the brakes, and – with a superior power/weight ratio – more miles per hour in the straights. More mass, however, is bad. More mass means the tires get overworked, the brakes fade early, and – with more pounds to motivate – fewer miles per hour in the straights. Even fuel economy suffers!

At a portly 3800 lbs., even the most die-hard Skyline fans admit that the R35 GTR has a lot of mass to carry around a track – which motivated one New England GTR owner to contact Ohio-based tuning firm Switzer Performance, and see what Tym Switzer and his crew could do to help Godzilla zig.

“The client had some pretty clear goals with this car.” explains Tym, “This GTR couldn’t be trackday special that would deafen you out on public roads. The client was looking for a car that he and his wife could drive out 2 or 3 hours to the track in reasonable comfort, fill it up with pump gas, set killer times lap after lap after lap, and drive to a nice dinner afterwards without issue. Basically, it’s a race car with climate and cruise controls, and that’s kind of a lot to ask!”

The Switzer crew set to work on the Super Silver 2010 GTR, starting with the company’s proven P800 kit, which replaces the car’s intercoolers, intakes, and turbochargers with Switzer components that bump the GTR-engine to 800 hp and almost 700 lb-ft of torque … but didn’t stop there. “Adding 300 more horsepower the car obviously helped its power-to-weight,” Tym adds, “but more importantly none of the components in our P800 package and our new cooling package, which this car also has, are any heavier than stock. When we built the kit originally we didn’t want to make the car any heavier than it already was, and with this car in particular we wanted to reduce the weight as much as we could, without sacrificing the ‘GT’ aspect of the GTR.”

To that end, Switzer fitted featherweight carbon rotors from AP, which cut a significant amount of unsprung weight (the enemy of handling) and rotating mass (the enemy of acceleration) from each corner of the GTR, while improving fade resistance. Application-specific pads, high-temperature brake fluid (AP), and stainless steel braided brake lines round out the brake package with improved pedal feel and increase stopping power.

Weight was also cut with the addition of a lightweight (ceramic-coated) titanium exhaust system, dry-carbon decklid, and lightweight sports seats from Bride. “We chose these seats because of their adjustability. You can be comfortable, still get to the back seat, and it’s not an extreme one-piece seat that’s not comfortable on the highway. They fit the project goal perfectly.”

Up on the scales, this weekend warrior weighed in at a much-improved 3600 lbs, which is enough to make a significant impact on handling, braking, and straight-line speed.

Further enhancing handling is a fully-adjustable JRZ suspension system, complemented by stiffer adjustable swaybars, an underbody diffuser, and an active-aero wing from Aeromotions, which supplements braking and cornering by constantly varying the wing’s angle of attack.

“This car is really an amazing collaborative effort,” offers Tym. “Everyone involved really came through on this build, and the data we got from JRZ and the brake guys at Stillen who import the AP rotors helped us tie it all together into a coherent package that is at home on the track and in town, too. All we need to do now is get it on the track with the client behind the wheel, and dial it in to his driving style – that’s what’s really important here, that we get it right for him and deliver the ‘track animal’ he ordered. Once he’s comfortable in the car, we’ve got a list of GTR ‘track records’ that we’d like to beat. I think this is the car to do it.”

Switzer’s P800 and upgraded cooling packages are available through Switzer dealers. Contact Switzer Performance for more information.

The VTR rear diffuser and VTR front bumpe give your GTR a track car apperance and performance. The diffuser creates more downforce to help keep the car planted on the road and reduces pressure drag that exists with stock aerodynamics. The complete carbon fiber features aerodynamic diffuser fins with amazing attention to detail. The integrated lip spoiler creates more downforce to help reduce under / over steer and keep the car planted on the road.

Vorsteiner is a leader in premium carbon fiber aerodymanic performance. Vorsteiner carbon products offer the industry leading dry carbon vacuum technology that is commonly used for building lightweight & strong body panels within the Formula 1 and aircraft industry. Vorsteiner’s unique vacuum forming process allows the parts to be up to 60 percent lighter than your stock factory parts for maximum performance and balance.

Each and every Vorsteiner part is fully handcrafted with the utmost attention to detail and quality.

About Vorsteiner
Vorsteiner’s brand and root foundation is built upon building nothing but the absolute highest quality parts for the most discerning clientele. The brand is the embodiment of Vorteiner and its cars, reflecting the aesthetic beauty of technically advanced solutions and the very soul that comes from hands that create purely sensational parts.

Vorsteiner’s vision is quite simple. The company vision is to create the most advanced, innovative quality parts that each and every customer can be proud of. Each and every part must be tested and pass our highly detailed quality control before leaving the Vorsteiner factory.

For AVUS PERFORMANCE a Nissan GT-R Black Edition was the basis for a very ambitious project. Besides optical changes they also put the emphasis on more power. A new modified ECU and a special new exhaust pipe (2 cats and the middle silencer have been removed) help the GT-R up to an impressive 580bhp and 700 Nm of torque (stock 485bhp and 588Nm).

Visually you can only imagine the power the GT-R has. The matt black, the lowering via coilovers (stock adjustments for the dampers will be kept) and the black painted 20″ wheels combined with wheel spacers sum up the package. Individually painted parts like the front bumper, the rear diffusor, air vents, tinted windows can be seen when taking a close look.

- matt black foliation – 2.499 Euro

- coilovers – 1.299 Euro

- modified ECU – 1.899 Euro

- exhaust pipe – 998 Euro

- painted 20″ wheels – 999 Euro

- wheel spacers – 349 Euro

A full two inches bigger than the standard 19” wheels, the three-piece wheels make the Nissan look even more aggressive – especially with the optional black-painted forged stars. Cargraphic can, of course, paint the wheels any colour according to the customer’s needs. With its striking five double-spoke design, the “GT” shines in every version and comes with the presence and punch of a heavyweight boxer. But the Nissan still swings around bends on “light feet”, because Cargraphic focuses on lightweight construction in its in-house wheel manufacturing facility that comes with the stamp of quality that goes with “made in Germany”.

The GT has hidden air pockets and a heat-treated, forged alloy star and it takes a full 90 minutes for the special machine to make each one. In addition to the rigid centre star the vehicle tuner counts on highly polished, high quality steel outer rims. These create an attractive contrast and are resistant to brake sparks and high speed impacts.

Manufacture: Three piece alloy-forged star, strengthened alloy inner- rim and high quality steel outside rim

Locking nuts: Fix drilled from 5×108 to 5x 130

Dimensions: Available from 7,0 x 19 inch to 12,0 x 22 inch

Load: 775 kg per wheel

Colour: Silver is standard, individual colours with a surcharge

Click here to view the embedded video.

Recently we had a client ask us to prepare their 2010 GTR and they asked us if we would be willing to see what our P800 package hardware would be able to achieve on a race gas calibration. Here are the results from the dyno tests.

This piece is made with Stainless Steal and is designed to fit the Nissan R35 GT-R. The standard version is the Sport and consists of dual mufflers. The Sport version is louder than stock and street versions.

Also Available in Street version. The street version is much quieter than the sport and consists of only 1 muffler.

Two ways to fix this condition are through the suspension, or increasing downforce via aerodynamics of the car at higher speeds. Increasing the aerodynamic downforce keeps the front end of the car planted and therefore improving front grip, reducing the “push” effect.

The STILLEN Urethane Lip Spoiler adds 2″ of length to the OEM fascia, and installs directly onto the vehicle over the factory piece. This lip spoiler is designed to hold additional air onto the nose, with flares on the side corners producing a canard effect for extra control.

Another major benefit of the front lip spoiler is the durability. Constructed out of high-quality polyurethane, this front spoiler is nearly indestructible and carries a limited lifetime warranty. This means it can stand up to the hazards of the race track or the drive around town with 100% driver/owner confidence.

STILLEN has developed new side skirts with a 2 inch ledge built in to apply more downforce to the car. This design comes from the testing performed on the legendary NISSAN 300ZX, campaigned in the IMSA sports car series at Le Mans, Daytona, and Sebring. Tested in the Lockheed Martin wind tunnel, the Nissan engineers found that by enhancing the side ledge on the rocker it applied a incremental amount of downforce at higher speeds thus keeping the car planted and more stable through high speed corners.

Another major benefit of the rockers is the greatly improved appearance. Offering a much more aggressive look and race proven engineering these rockers are sure to catch attention and compliments. Just like all STILLEN body work these are constructed out of durable polyurethane, ready for paint, and offer a limited lifetime warranty. Perfect for daily driving or track days and utilize the factory skirt mounting points to ensure a perfect fit and finish.

About Manufacturer: Stillen

For the last 20 years, STILLEN has been committed to selling and producing the finest Premium Quality performance products and accessories–period. If you are new to STILLEN and our line of performance & esthetic products, you will no doubt find that we have been, and are, the trendsetters and the benchmark of reference within the performance industry.

The STILLEN Premium Quality reviews don’t stop at our door however. Professional evaluation and testing of our products in real-world driving situations is paramount. Automotive journalists at Car & Driver, Road & Track, Motor Trend, Automobile, AutoWeek, Turbo, and Sport Compact Car Magazines, to list just a few, review and test many of our project vehicles with rave reviews. These are testimonials to our commitment to produce and offer enthusiasts like you, world-class service and products that have been thoroughly tested and evaluated.

The GTR exterior aerodynamic package consists of two components:

Front Fascia

Ventross has created a new replacement front fascia that incorporates enlarged carbon fiber air intakes for the radiators and includes additional side louver openings that feed air to the brakes through the front fender lining slats. The fascia is completed with an aggressive front spoiler that attaches to the factory under tray optimal fitment strength. The entire front fascia is constructed from dry carbon fiber using Vorsteiner’s proprietary dry carbon fiber vacuum technology which maximizes strength while significantly reducing overall weight.

Rear Diffuser

The GT-R rear diffuser has been redesigned to replace the factory plastic version with a more aggressive dry carbon fiber piece that houses 3 integrated diffuser fins with central heat extraction vents to aid in cooling the exhaust system. Like the Ventross GT-R front fascia, the rear diffuser is constructed using Vorsteiner’s proprietary dry carbon fiber vacuum technology.

Due to the exceptionally intensive and high quality hand-made process and complexity of the pieces each set will be made to order per GT-R owner rather than mass produced. This is another step Ventross is taking to ensure optimal fitment and quality of work per piece.

The Nissan GT-R was chosen from an initial entry list of twenty-three (23) contenders nominated by fifty-nine (59) World Car jurors from twenty-five (25) countries throughout the world.

While the winner of the overall World Car of the Year award must excel in a broad range of attributes, there is a segment of the car-buying public for whom performance – in its broadest sense – overrides all other priorities. Vehicles appealing to that clientele may be too narrowly focused to appeal to the masses, but it is an important element in the overall automotive mix. It is for that reason that the World Performance Car award was created in 2005.

Candidates for the World Performance Car award must demonstrate a specific and overt Sports/Performance orientation. They must also satisfy the same availability criteria as for the overall World Car award and may be chosen from that list of eligible vehicles.

Additional entrants may include newly introduced variants that satisfy the same criteria, but are derived from existing rather than brand-new models. In all cases, they must have a minimum annual production rate of five-hundred (500) vehicles.

The jurors voted in January 2009 in order to establish a top ten shortlist. The 2009 World Performance Car was chosen from those finalists as tabulated by the international accounting firm KPMG.

WCOTY’s jurors observed that the “Nissan GT-R stole the headlines in the sports car world in 2008. This GT-R – the R35 – throws even former GT-Rs into the weeds via an all-new 3.6-liter bi-turbo V-8 providing 480 horsepower and 430 pound-feet of torque. The drive of the GT-R, especially on a track, reveals an incredibly flexible all-wheel-drive chassis that lays down the rubber whenever you request it. Acceleration to 60 mph from a stop takes just 3.5 seconds, or a tick behind fellow Performance finalist the Corvette ZR1. This is a complete effort put forth by the normally conservative Nissan and the pleasure is in doing laps of a favorite circuit and feeling the sheer capabilities of the car. For $77,000 it may be the world’s best enthusiast car.”

“On behalf of the global team of designers, engineers and others behind the development of the Nissan GT-R, Nissan proudly accepts the 2009 World Performance Car of the Year award. This recognition validates their unique vision in creating a true world supercar that can be enjoyed by anyone, anytime and anywhere. Beyond power, beyond performance, GT-R goes beyond expectations. Thank you, jurors, for this unexpected honor,” said Brian Carolin, Senior Vice President, Sales and Marketing, Nissan North America, Inc.

The top three contenders for the World Performance Car were the Nissan GT-R, the Corvette ZR1 and the Porsche 911 Carrera.

Mobil 1 announced its sponsorship of the World Performance Car award in November 2007. “Over the past several months, it has been our pleasure to see three Mobil 1 partners recognized for their automotive engineering excellence and vie for the world’s top performance car honor,” said Nancy Carlson, strategic global alliances – sales director, ExxonMobil Lubricants & Petroleum Specialties. “For more than 35 years, ExxonMobil research and engineering teams have collaborated with auto manufacturers around the globe to ensure that Mobil 1, the world’s leading synthetic motor oil brand, continues to deliver exceptional protection for all types of vehicles and evolving engine technologies. Consequently, we know first-hand how deserving all three finalists are for this recognition and congratulate everyone at Nissan and the team behind the Nissan GT-R for earning the title of 2009 World Performance Car.”

Previous World Performance Car winners were the Audi R8 in 2008, the Audi RS4 in 2007 and the Porsche Cayman S in 2006.

Now in their sixth year, the annual World Car awards have become one of the world’s most prestigious, credible and significant programs of its kind.

The awards were inaugurated in 2003, and officially launched in January 2004, to reflect the reality of the global marketplace, as well as to recognize and reward automotive excellence on an international scale. The awards are intended to complement, not compete, with existing national and regional Car of the Year programs.

The awards are administered by a non-profit association, under the guidance of a Steering Committee of pre-eminent automotive journalists from Asia, Europe, and North America. There is no affiliation with, nor are the awards in any way influenced by any publication, auto show, automaker, or other commercial enterprise.