Feature: Top Speed GTR

The Ultimate

Joey Feng of Top Speed Autosports 1999 Nissan Skyline R34 GT-R

Words: Raymond Wu
Photos: Antonio V. Garcia

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Automotive journalism is awash with gratuitous use of metaphors and analogies that try to give you, the reader, a sense of the exact sensations that you will experience in a car. Typical examples include the comparison of something like an Alfa Romeo 8C Competizione to a high-class Las Vegas call girl. Such a comparison will focus on how sleek, curvaceous and sensuous they both are. They ooze passion and excitement. They attract passionately hungry men incomparable to anything else. But neither are just rapturous fantasies that just solely satisfy your id. Push either one to the extremes, and both will bite you back.

It is this sort of automotive journalism that has been plaguing the magazines we read and the automotive shows we watch. It’s old and has been beaten to death with the ugly stick. Picking up any automotive magazine will expose you to the over-exaggerated, over-used comparisons between car and well…just about everything. And yes, comparisons include 370Zs and fast hens. But you know what? I don’t give a s**t. That’s because what follows is just another example. But it’s not just another example of gratuitous automotive journalism. What follows is an example of sheer ingenuity. It is an example of agility, strength, intelligence and passion. It is an example of a definition altering supercar. What follows is an example of a perfectly crafted Nissan Skyline GT-R.

The Nissan Skyline R34 GT-R was the last of the Skyline GT-Rs bred from the late 1980s when Nissan Motorsport wanted to create a dominating platform in which to achieve Group A victories. All of these Skyline GT-Rs were powered by a twin-turbo inline six. To those that actually give a damn, that particular engine is the Nissan RB26DETT – one of the most lauded engines available to general public. It is this heart that gives the strength in the GT-R’s soul. Straight out of the womb, this engine is a bodybuilder. 400-700HP to the wheels from this beastly mechanical heart is easy. And unlike a morbidly obese person’s heart, the RB26 will keep on pumping out oodles of power time and time again. Working in tandem with this powerful heart, the GT-R’s ATTESA system drives all four wheels with absolute control. Even though the GT-R is slightly on the heavier end, it is surely one of the most agile supercars around. Unlike other supercars that have skinny legs that help provide agility, the GT-R overcomes its heft with brainpower. The ATTESA AWD works with a front active differential along with active rear wheel steering to make the car rip through corners as if they are sexually deprived sorority girls. It is this basic pairing of strength and intelligence that is paramount to the soul of the GT-R. Couple both qualities with a comfortable environment for the inhabitants inside, and what you have is one of the most functional and fast supercars to have ever graced the world.

It is the GT-R’s combination of strength, agility, intelligence, passion and comfort that has drawn Top Speed owner Joey Feng to put it in his stable. Joey is no stranger to JDM speed, since he has owned the likes of a 400WHP Civic and a S15 Silvia in the past. For this particular supercar, simply going to the local showroom and ordering one isn’t an option. The car was originally imported into the US by Motorex in 2001. It made a quick trip to Seattle before Joey took delivery of the car, driving all the way back to Chicago in one of the few GT-Rs in the country during that time. From that point on, the GT-R would undertake another journey. A journey from awesome to epic.

This journey was necessary since in order to reflect the fact that Top Speed Autosport is a real tuning shop, no stock car is going to do – not even Godzilla itself. But improving on something close to perfection is no easy task, and the choices that were made took decisiveness and careful contemplation. This GT-R isn’t a show car that hibernates in the garage all day long. This particular GT-R is being taken through its paces on a daily basis. It’s not ludicrous to see this GT-R in front of a Dominick’s while Joey is picking up groceries. And when it’s time to show off his prize, Joey doesn’t bring the GT-R to shows in a trailer – it gets driven there. It’s not a show queen that spends its time staring at itself in the mirror. This GT-R is a daily driver and a car that needs to be able to follow the road wherever it leads. It is because of these facts that define how and why Joey trained and evolved the GT-R into the monster it is now.

The heart that gives so much identity to the GT-R was the first to go under the scalpel. The RB26 is one of the most tune-able engines available. Joey’s selection of modifications perfectly embodies what he believes is a perfect daily driven GT-R. A full regiment of steroids and strengthening including JE low compression forged pistons and HKS cams ensures that the engine’s bottom end is absolutely solid. But the magic is in the turbo. The stock twin turbos were junked in order to make room for a new snail. The turbo that would find its home in this beast of an engine is none other than a single HKS T04Z. This hulking turbo coupled with the RB26 has been shown to make up to 700HP in other GT-Rs around the world, while spooling up relatively quickly. Supporting this turbo is a full catalog of HKS parts such as a downpipe, turbo manifold, and exhaust. In order to relieve the amount of massive pressure that the turbo can dish out, a Blitz blow-off valve and HKS wastegate have been tasked with preventing the engine from exploding. In case Joey ever decides to track the car or drive through Arizona at warp speed, a Koyo radiator and a Blitz front-mount intercooler keeps Godzilla’s heart cool. Since running full boost on Chicago streets on a daily basis will terrify the kids at the local playground, a Blitz boost controller can keep the boost down until Joey is far from kids and cops to let the GT-R stretch its legs. In order to keep this hungry heart pumping, a HKS fuel pump and fuel rail were installed. Power Enterprise 800cc fuel injectors then inject massive loads of fuel at a time into each of the 6 cylinders. An Aeromotive A1 fuel pressure regulator tops off the fueling system that can fuel this heart without a hiccup. The brain that controls how this heart should keep pumping is a standalone ECU from AEM. The AEM EMS lets the RB26 smoothly idle and more importantly, gives full control over the many parameters that can keep the engine working in a smooth and safe manner. The finishing pieces are a polished intake manifold and valve cover that dish out just the right amount of bling.

This immensely powerful heart gives out so much personality to the GT-R. But the other piece of the puzzle that defines what a GT-R embodies is its agility. The stock suspension is already very stiff and quite a few other GT-R owners just up the power and call it quits. After all, the GT-R was designed for racing. So why would anyone want to re-engineer how the GT-R handles? For Joey, the car was stiff and handled like a dream. But the problem was, it was a bit too stiff. In order to alleviate that issue, Joey turned to Tein, one of the most respected suspension components manufacturers from Japan. Just for the GT-R, Tein had more than 3 different coilover setups available, but the one that Joey picked is the Tein Comfort Sport. This particular coilover setup gives the best of both worlds: response without back breaking stiffness. Chicago roads aren’t the smoothest known to mankind. Therefore, it makes perfect sense to go with the softest setup available which doesn’t compromise the GT-Rs formidable handling. On top of the suspension setup from Tein, Joey reinforced the already stiff chassis with a Nismo titanium front strut bar and a Do-Luck rear floor bar.

Going 200 MPH isn’t an issue with Joey’s Godzilla. On the other hand, stopping it from 200 MPH is an issue. In order to mitigate that issue, Joey picked up a massive Brembo big brake kit. The front rotors are 15 inches in diameter, and the rear isn’t far behind. 6 pot calipers up front and 4 pot calipers in the back give a shockingly deep bite that can stop this car in a way that almost defies the laws of physics. Paired up with Goodridge stainless steel brake lines, this GT-R has no issues stopping on a dime, time after time again.

One of the things that some onlookers of Joey’s GT-R ask is why did he choose the rims that he has? After all, his car is chock-full of hardcore JDM sweets. We must be reminded that this is a daily driven car in Chicago. Smooth tarmac is a fantasy in this metropolis. Joey has had gold Volk CE-28Ns fitted on the GT-R in the past. But $4000 for a set of rims that is going to get dented and dinged from the Chicago roads didn’t seem like the best of ideas. So Joey picked up a set of 19×10 Tenzo R Type-M rims which costs far less than anything from Volk, yet still gives a very unique look to the car. Grippy Bridgestone Potenza RE-050 tires not only work in the dry – but also the wet, compounding the GT-R’s ability to go wherever the road leads.

Not to say that the GT-R isn’t already a looker, but accentuating the clean lines of the body is never a minus. On that end, Joey turned to Do-Luck for a full body kit, including the front and rear bumpers and side skirts. Lightening the car is also the easiest by swapping out parts of the exterior for carbon alternatives. Do-Luck carbon Kevlar front fenders and a Seibon dry carbon hood reduce the front overhang weight and help push the center of gravity down and back closer to the center of the car. Seeing as the car can go over 200MPH, a Do-Luck carbon fiber rear spoiler can generate more than enough downforce to keep the GT-R’s ass planted at all speeds. In addition to making the GT-R absolutely scream for attention from everyone’s eyes, these exterior modifications provide some degree of usefulness: decreasing the coefficient of drag slightly and creating a far more downforce to keep the car united with the road when speeds reach stratospheric amounts.

So what is the end result out of all these extensive modifications and parts? Everyone is entitled to their own opinion but mine says: “The Ultimate”. It is the ultimate car for driving in and around the Chicago metropolis at hyper speeds, day in and day out. Keep the revs under 3000, and you have a well behaved sports coupe. It can handle the many bumps in the road without too much drama and can comfortably seat 4 people. The air conditioning actually works and there’s even an Eclipse double din head unit to keep everyone awake during the long hauls. However, get Godzilla’s heart really pumping at 4000 revs and the 3 passengers are going to find themselves buried in their seats, flushed with adrenaline and screaming for mercy. The GT-R roars its masculine tune while blasting all the way to 7000 revs before a gear shift is necessary, reaching triple digit speeds in less than 10 seconds from a standstill. Stopping from those speeds will also cause some more stress on the passengers as they will find they bodies trying to fly from the seats that they were just buried in. After doing this a few times throughout the day, some more fuel is needed to keep that heart pumping. A quick dash to the local gas station where 93 octane gas is pumped in and the car is ready to go again. No race gas or E85 necessary. It is because of these qualities that make Joey’s GT-R the ultimate supercar.

But Joey has introduced a little bit of competition in the purchase of a R35 GTR. His stable now includes two sisters of different age, vying for his attention and care. As of now, the R34 GT-R has the advantage, being quicker and more comfortably accommodating than the R35. However, the R35’s advanced ATTESA PRO with active differentials and intelligent adjustable suspension makes it corner even more ferociously than the R34. Despite being down on power, the flappy-paddle gearbox changes gears quicker than any human can on the R34. It is these technological differences that make the stable mates of Joey’s garage very equal. The R34 might have the ante upped in the future with some more suspension re-working, this time possible with track-spec coilovers and other components in order to keep up with the R35 in the corners.

But for now the R34 has Joey’s heart. Whether or not the R35 can replace the R34 is yet to be seen.

-JDM Chicago
Modification List

Exterior
Full Do-Luck Body Kit
Do-Luck Carbon Kevlar Front Fenders
Do-Luck Carbon Spoiler
Seibon Carbon Fiber Radiator Panel
Seibon Carbon Fiber Hood

Suspension
Tein CS Coilovers
Nismo Titanium Front Strut Bar
Do-Luck Rear Floor Bar

Engine
JE Low Compression Forged Pistons
HKS Downpipe
HKS T04Z Single Turbo Upgrade
HKS Tubular Turbo Manifold
HKS Wastegate
HKS Fuel Rail
HKS Fuel Pump
HKS Camshafts
HKS Valve Springs & Retainers
HKS Camshafts
HKS Cam Gears
HKS Intake Filter
HKS Hi-Power Exhaust
HKS Spark Plugs
Power Enterprise 800cc fuel injectors
Plasma Ignition Coils
Polished Intake Manifold
Polished Valve Cover
Blitz Boost Controller
Blitz Blow Off Valve
Blitz Front Mount Intercooler
Koyo Radiator
Samco Sport Couplers
Apex-i Grounding Kit
Apex-i Turbo Timer
AEM Engine Management System Stand-Alone
Exedy Triple Plate Clutch
Greddy Oil Catch Can
Aeromotive A1 Fuel Pressure Regulator
AEM Wideband
Nismo Oil Cap
Nismo Radiator Cap
Nismo Gauge Cluster MPH Conversion