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Nissan's current GT-R had some legendary shoes to fill. The original variants of the Japanese-only Skyline GT-R dominated motorsports in the same profound manner that Michael Jordan dominated basketball.
The R32 chassis edition was unbeatable in the Japanese Touring Car Championship (a series that predates JGTC/Super GT), never losing a race in its first year of competition. Weight penalties did little to counteract the GT-R from seeing checkered flags, so after 29 straight victories the car was given its own series. Japanese tuning houses went wild as the Skyline parlayed its prowess to the street, and the car and its RB26DETT engine were embraced like few others before it.
The R35 dropped amid a global financial collapse, but the platform has proven popular and potent. Vivid Racing is one of the many shops to roll the GT-R dice. Irreverent tinkerers, the Vivid Racing crew soon identified where gains could be made and set off to stretch the Nissan's tuning envelope.
Their efforts focused on flow, both going in to and out of the stock rated 480-horsepower VR38DETT V6. Vivid unleashed a number of hot mods on the supercar, like the Meisterschaft titanium exhaust with stainless steel mid-pipes, which join Agency Power downpipes on the hot side.
The Agency Power high-flow downpipes were real hard-hitters in the power department, producing a peak increase of 23 all-wheel horsepower and 32 lbs-ft of torque. Further, the boost also held more solidly as it climbed to redline, unlike before where it dropped off at the top end. One can only imagine how much more improvement will be realized with a test pipe or high-flow cats.
Flow on the induction side was addressed with the addition of Agency Power intakes with new plumbing and upgraded blow-off valves. Three-inch Agency Power intercooler pipes also joined the lineup.
On the dyno, the Nissan delivered the goods. With ECU tuning via a COBB Accessport, the VR38 belted out 557awhp at the end of Vivid's intense tuning of the project in its final trim.
The GT-R was a dominant force on the Nurburgring for months leading up to its debut, so you know the Nissan has world-class reflexes. Vivid pushed the GT-R's adhesion threshold to new heights with Eibach Pro Kit lowering springs and Cobb Tuning front and rear anti-sway bars. The car's Brembo brake calipers were painted flat red and affixed with the Vivid logo to add more zeal.
Rolling stock has been enhanced with 20-inch three-piece Capital Forged Athens wheels with a red lip and black center time attack paint scheme. The wild wheels have been wrapped in Pirelli P-Zero Nero OEM fitment tires.
The Nissan's flat red paint really makes the car stand out, but its magic goes well beyond the hue change. It's a one-off body tuning scheme executed with a "Wald Style" angle. Vivid used a Rieger Ford Focus RS front bumper and fabbed it to mold into the stock front GT-R bumper. Side skirts made with Rieger BMW E60 parts were also molded to the factory bits for an OEM install. The side mirrors were painted to match and the rear spoiler was lifted two inches with custom wing risers for a more aggressive look.
Inside, custom OEM seats with red suede inserts, stitching, and red rails add visual pop. Vivid Racing and GT-R logos were stitched in place to give the cabin a decidedly Vivid aura. Status Racing FIA approved three-inch, four-point harness are on-call to secure driver and passenger as the g-forces climb. Door panels include red suede inserts, red stitching and carbon-fiber overlays. The center console and control panel surround were also converted to carbon fiber to tie the look together.
Vivid's GT-R is quite a screamer, put through its paces on the streets and highways around the shop's Gilbert, Ariz., facility. The crew has learned what makes the GT-R tick and how to intensify its inner workings to really make it kick.
www.vividracing.com
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