autoevolution
 

1,600-HP GT-R Drag Races Lesser Siblings, It Doesn't All Go According to Plan

We're at a point in time when it's not uncommon to see a 1,000 horsepower Nissan GT-R R35. But it can be strange to see a completely stock one. What was once perceived as a tuner car with supercar gapping capabilities, has evolved into something else. Considering the price tag of a brand new R35, you could say it has already become a supercar itself. But still, if you ever get one, do consider some basic upgrades!
1,600-HP GT-R Drag Races Lesser Siblings, It Doesn't All Go According to Plan 14 photos
Photo: CarWow
1,600-HP GT-R Drag Races Lesser Siblings, It Doesn't All Go According to Plan1,600-HP GT-R Drag Races Lesser Siblings, It Doesn't All Go According to Plan1,600-HP GT-R Drag Races Lesser Siblings, It Doesn't All Go According to Plan1,600-HP GT-R Drag Races Lesser Siblings, It Doesn't All Go According to Plan1,600-HP GT-R Drag Races Lesser Siblings, It Doesn't All Go According to Plan1,600-HP GT-R Drag Races Lesser Siblings, It Doesn't All Go According to Plan1,600-HP GT-R Drag Races Lesser Siblings, It Doesn't All Go According to Plan1,600-HP GT-R Drag Races Lesser Siblings, It Doesn't All Go According to Plan1,600-HP GT-R Drag Races Lesser Siblings, It Doesn't All Go According to Plan1,600-HP GT-R Drag Races Lesser Siblings, It Doesn't All Go According to Plan1,600-HP GT-R Drag Races Lesser Siblings, It Doesn't All Go According to Plan1,600-HP GT-R Drag Races Lesser Siblings, It Doesn't All Go According to Plan1,600-HP GT-R Drag Races Lesser Siblings, It Doesn't All Go According to Plan
The GT-R moniker is well known and respected on a global level among enthusiasts. I've even heard a trap song recently called "GT-R," and several Godzillas were featured in the music video. But today we're here to see how tuning these cars, is going to affect their performance and also their reliability. I've recently noticed a sort of feud between those that use "stages" to describe the level of tuning on their cars and those who find that to be childish. I guess this is probably linked to the good old days of "Need for Speed Underground."

Either way, we all know that getting more power on an R35 GT-R can be relatively easy. Most owners will claim that hitting 700 hp is like a walk in the park. Adding one more digit to those numbers isn't impossible either. And even people who aren't necessarily rich can afford to aim for 2,000 horsepower. But you should always try to avoid getting ahead of yourself. You can't ignore the laws of physics, just as you can't ignore the grip level limit of your tires. The more extreme your car becomes, the more problems will start popping up.

Three GT-Rs have lined up for a drag race, and they're all tuned to different levels. The first one looks like it belongs on the drag strip, even though it seems to still have some creature comforts on the inside. The owner has spent about $135,000 on upgrades alone. The VR38DETT has been seriously tampered with, and it now has a displacement of 4.1-liters. If you're wondering about the list of upgrades, well then, "everything" might just be the right word to describe what's been done. And the outcome is mind-numbing, to say the least: 1,600 horsepower and 1,202 lb-ft (1,630 Nm) of torque.

1,600\-HP GT\-R Drag Races Lesser Siblings, It Doesn't All Go According to Plan
Photo: CarWow
The second GT-R that is lined up for the race features a more mild tune, only running on 1,000 horsepower and 848 lb-ft (1,150 Nm) of torque. The third car on the line has only received an ECU remap, an intake, and an exhaust. And just like that, it's now up to 650 horsepower and 619 lb-ft (840 Nm). With that being said, there's no question here as to which one of these cars will be the fastest. The question is, how big will the gap be? For the first run, the 1,600-hp GT-R proves it's in a different league while it makes the whole thing look like something you'd see at Cape Canaveral.

Strangely enough, the 1,000-HP GT-R has some catching up to do, as it gets left behind at first. But after a certain point, it's back in the game and claims 2nd place overall. After a second identical run, the results are in. The most powerful car here needed 9.2 seconds to complete the standing quarter-mile (402 meters). With 600 less horsepower, the second car finished the run in 10.3 seconds. The nearly-standard R35 needed 11.3 seconds to cross the line.

But the challenge stops here for the 9-second GT-R, as a mechanical malfunction means it has to be retired. But the other two cars go on with the rolling races, and the result is just what you'd expect: a 1,000-horsepower GT-R is a brilliant machine to drive.

If you liked the article, please follow us:  Google News icon Google News Youtube Instagram X (Twitter)
About the author: Dragos Chitulescu
Dragos Chitulescu profile photo

The things Dragos enjoys the most in life are, in no particular order: cars, motorcycles, diecast cars, and drifting. He's seen (and driven) many vehicles since he started his writing career back in 2009, but his garage currently houses a 1991 Mazda RX-7 FC3S Turbo II and a 1999 Suzuki SV650-S.
Full profile

 

Would you like AUTOEVOLUTION to send you notifications?

You will only receive our top stories