King of the Monsters
527 wheel-hp R34 Nissan Skyline GT-R V-Spec
by Joey Leh
photography by Darin John
When putting together this year's competition, we had to ask ourselves: could we even have an Ultimate Street Car Challenge without a Nissan Skyline GT-R? The all-conquering Japanese super-coupe has appeared numerous times in the history of the USCC, finally scoring an overall win in 2005.
The Skyline is an obvious fan favorite, its reputation no doubt fueled as much by Gran Turismo as by its racing success, and it's one of the most powerfully tunable cars on the aftermarket; 1000hp builds, time attack records and GT Championships are just a few doors that can be opened with a GT-R. Skyline owners are also a fiercely competitive bunch, willing to sacrifice hearth and home in the spiral of modifications necessary to take on the world's best. Ferrari, Chevrolet, Lamborghini, Porsche-no brand is safe from the crosshairs of a GT-R owner. Exactly what we want to hear.
Jacko Luong's 1999 R34 Skyline GT-R V-Spec has been built as the ultimate dual-purpose car, a yellow rocket he merely switches wheels and tires on before heading out to the track. The engine is the stout RB26DETT twin-turbocharged in-line six, kept stock internally. The head has been ported and polished, fitted with Tomei 270-degree Poncam camshafts and A'PEXi cam gears, and then reinstalled on top of a Tomei 1.2mm metal head gasket. Luong has retained a twin-turbo set-up, swapping the stock T28 units for dual HKS GT2530 turbochargers. Blowing out of Tomei pipes, the exhaust feeds into an HKS downpipe before an ultra-lightweight ARC titanium exhaust system.
The N1 engine blocks, monster single turbos, and generous fuel systems of past GT-R entrants are missing here, but Luong has a long list of careful modifications that add up to one attentive build. Besides tires, this Skyline also sports two different ECU tunes and two sets of spark plugs, depending on whether pump or race gas is used. Oil pan baffles, lifters, valve guides, rod bolts, crank damper and clutch have all been changed out or installed to eliminate the chance of any failure. Red Line fluids are used throughout.
A JUN oil pump, N1 water pump, Koyo aluminum radiator, and Setrab oil cooler kit are also on board to ensure this car makes it through every one of our demanding USCC tests. Using a pair of 300ZX MAFs and an A'PEXi Power FC standalone ECU, Luong's personal tuner coaxed out 527 wheel-hp and 371lb-ft of torque (with 100-octane gas) on the Mainline Dynolog four-wheel-drive dyno at Mavrik Motorsports in Buena Park, California.
This is plenty of power for a street car, enabling lightning-fast launches and good turbo spool, and Luong has managed to resist the drag power addiction that has plagued many other GT-R owners. This is sure to pay off during the road course test, but may not be enough to emerge victorious from the dyno and quarter-mile competitions.
The only thing working against the GT-R is its size and weight. An iron engine block and all-wheel drive system add up. Luong has chosen a set of Mine's/Ohlins adjustable Esta Pro coilovers to combat the GT-R's 3600 pounds on the road course. Set up to run with Nitto's sticky R-compound NT01 race tire, this Skyline has been aligned and corner-balanced with a 56/44 front-to-rear weight distribution and a near-perfect cross-weight.Because this is primarily a performance street car, the interior is stock (except for Takata safety harnesses) and is devoid of any subwoofers and TV screens. The in-dash display screen is stock R34 GT-R and is a common point of envy for other car owners. Luong is sure to score some points in the car show competition with his ultra-rare carbon fiber Garage Saurus body parts, shipped straight from Japan, and with his hard-to-find bright yellow factory paint job.
The key to winning the USCC is to build an all-round car; the intent of the contest is to enter an actual registered street car, not a cat-less racecar freak with two plates zip-tied to its bumpers. This R34 GT-R packs some serious power, a suspension with definite attention paid to it, some choice body mods, and a real daily driver reputation. Luong has even enlisted the aid of past USCC Skyline competitors, prodding the owner of last year's R32 for advice on how to conquer each competition. Luong knows how each contest works, his build is potent, and this GT-R has been tested and proven on a regular basis. Is it time for another R34 to be crowned the Ultimate Street Car?