HKS GT600 Kit for R35 GT-R - A Landmark on the Way to the "Speed Region of the Limit"

You might recall that HKS invited us to "the speed region of the limit", which we determined would be somewhere north of 800hp for the Nissan R35 GT-R via the HKS GT800 kit. We have accepted the invitation to this other worldly place and we are well on our way in our test R35. But, along the way to the GT800, we thought that we would stop off at a landmark - the GT600.

I thought about teasing you slowly with every detail of the modifications involved in the GT600 kit, but instead I will just hit you with the dyno sheets. Our standard R35 GT-R made 296 kW (397 hp) ATW in stock trim on our Dyno Dynamics 4WD dynamometer.

We started here...

Followed this map...

...and ended up here.

Fitted with the HKS GT600 kit, our R35 GT-R made 379 kW (508 hp) ATW. Keeping in mind that this power was measured at the wheels and accounting for transmission losses, HKS certainly delivers its promise of 600 hp at the engine. In fact, this is probably a little bit conservative and I would expect this combination to make slightly more than 600 hp at the engine. Nevertheless, the forces between rubber and road are what count. In this regard, we have made an improvement of 28%! Furthermore, the odd flat spot in the power curve has disappeared. For the record, the first (stock) power run was recorded in 4th gear; however,  we needed to record the second (GT600) power run in 3rd gear because the engine was hitting the rev limiter in 4th gear before it reached maximum power.

Where to next? How far can we go?

It will probably take me a few posts to explain everything that is included in the kit as well as compare the HKS parts to the stock Nissan ones. I can tell you this - most of the parts are shiny, but none of them are there just for looks. Stay tuned!

The R35 GT-R's Blue Suspension

You learn something new everyday or so the saying goes.

Well, here is something which you might not have known. The R35 GT-R's shock absorbers are blue.

OK, so it is not ground breaking news. Nonetheless, it caught me by surprise the other day when we had our R35 test mule up on the hoist to fit the HKS GT600 kit. I expected that the dampers would be matt black. I did not expect that a production car, particularly one of the GT-R's calibre would have shock absorbers that looked so "aftermarket". But really, it should not come as a surprise because the shocks are in fact "aftermarket", being Bilstein items, albeit fitted as standard from the factory.

I would not have thought that a coat of black paint would have been to much to ask though...

Stock R35 GT-R - Dyno Power Run

To put these numbers in perspective:

Model? Nissan R35 GT-R

Modifications? None

Fuel used? 98 RON pump fuel

Why the flat spot is the mid range? Not sure. That’s the way Nissan made it. The tune was massively rich; so, this would more than likely explain it. It was literally choking on fuel.

Is the boost really that low? Yes, it is.

Is the engine really still making power when the limiter cuts in or did you stop to avoid the 180km/h limiter? It closed the throttle on me (i.e. it hit the rev limiter).

This is just the beginning. The workshop is beginning to get overcrowded with R35 GT-R parts ready for testing, including the HKS GT600 and GT800 kits and a titanium exhaust system. Stay tuned!

R35 GT-R is invited to the speed region of the limit...

Do you know what that means? Apparently, it means 800ps in Japanese. At least, that is what HKS promises with its GT800 kit for the R35 GT-R.

Given HKS’ excellent reputation and proven record developing products, we have faith that 800ps (more or less 800 hp) is a realistic figure for the GT800 kit. HKS does a lot of testing before releasing its products. Nonetheless, we will be conducting testing of our own so that you can be confident in the results.

The GT800 kit employs the GT II Turbine with “Symmetry Twin Turbo Layout”, designed and manufactured in-house at HKS exclusively for this kit. A special, heat resistant exhaust manifold was also developed to prevent problems due to excessive heat.

The GT800 kit does not include some key upgraded parts – notably fuel pumps, injectors, boost controller, engine internals or engine management. Through our own in-house development, we will find a solution for each of these key components – possibly through the HKS catalogue, but just as likely from our other trusted suppliers such as ViPEC or some new Insight Motorsports parts.

We will be offering this kit for our customers. Furthermore, we will be testing it on our test R35 GT-R using our in-house dyno as well as at Sydney International Dragway. Obviously, this level of improvement will require some modifications. So, we will keep you informed. Whatever works for us will be made available to our customers!

According to HKS, the R35 GT-R “goes to the ultimate speed range” with this kit; I suppose that means that 800-odd horses under the bonnet of an R35 GT-R should be a lot of fun! We will see!

R35 GT-R - Built with a Tuner's Philosophy

The Nissan R35 GT-R boasts a virtual smorgasbord of specifications to drive car lovers wild. Comparisons of power figures, quarter mile times, lap times at the Nürburgring, wheel masses and other trivia could go on for days.

But have you ever considered the philosophy behind the much fabled R35 GT-R?

Image courtesy Nissan

The R35’s styling is strikingly Japanese, drawing on characteristics of Japan’s quirky culture; but if you look past its Japanese skin, you will see that there is aftermarket tuning in its DNA. The R35 is built much in the same way as aftermarket tuning houses (in Japan, Australia and elsewhere) built R32’s, R33’s and R34’s of yesteryear. Forged, lightweight, alloy wheels; upgraded Brembo brakes; higher output motor – the R35’s spec sheet reads more like a nicely upgraded car than a factory standard. In fact, those familiar with the infamous late night, top speed runs of Top Secret’s gold GT-R would not be at all surprised by the 300+km/h top speed of the R35.

A lot has been said about the difficulty of modifying the R35’s factory ECU. While it can be cracked, or worked around, this is not the crux of making improvements to the R35. The biggest challenge is that Nissan has already taken most if not all of the proverbial low hanging fruit and indeed some of the higher hanging fruit too. The R35 is a far cry from past performance Nissans where a simple exhaust, intercooler and boost upgrade yielded massive gains. Nissan’s engineers have spent a lot of time getting the most from every aspect of the R35 GT-R from chassis to engine. Therefore, any improvements will need to be equally well thought out.

So, how can we possibly get any more power from the new Godzilla? The simple answer lies in Nissan's marketing catchphrase of "the ultimate supercar for anyone, anywhere, anytime". No matter how good the GT-R is, it is still a compromise in different ways. Does a supercar need an 11 speaker Bose sound system? Does a luxury car need to run a sub 12 second quarter mile? Is it reasonable to expect the GT-R to dominate at the drag strip as well as the circuit? It all depends on your perspective.

Image courtesy Nissan

As a street legal, luxury supercar, Nissan have come close to perfection with the R35 GT-R. Nevertheless, there are areas where the R35 GT-R can improve if you set clear goals. For example, if you want to set a blistering sub 10 second quarter mile pass in your R35 GT-R, it is possible. In fact, the benchmark has already been set and will surely be improved upon. If you want to get better track times, then measures to reduce weight from the arguably chubby R35 would logically be the first place to look. Just want a streetable supercar? Then Nissan has probably got it right for you from the factory, but there is still room for improvement here and there.

With that in mind, we are going to try to get more performance from our new test R35 GT-R, focusing on making gains where the R35 can really shine – at the race track – while still maintaining its daily driveability. We will probably start with a titanium exhaust system and some simple weight saving measures. From there, an upgraded HKS 800ps turbo kit would be a good start, don’t you think?

Image courtesy Nissan

We will keep you posted with our progress towards improving our test R35 GT-R, including back-to-back comparisons. Best of all, any products we use on our test R35 GT-R will be available to you to use on your own R35 GT-R.

Stay tuned or feel free to contact us if you cannot wait to get your hands on an upgrade for your R35 GT-R