Nissan Skyline GT- R Composite Dreams

2003 Nissan Skyline Gtr Gt500 Rear And Side View

Domination comes in many forms. For the last two seasons in the JGTC's GT500 Class, it has come in the form of a Nissan. Specifically, the Skyline GT-R and 350Z. In 2003, Nissan won the JGTC GT500 Class with its Skyline GT-R and by the time you read this the NISMO Team will have completed the 2004 season with the same result and the same engine, this time wrapped in carbon-fiber 350Z bodywork.

When the JGTC visited the United States last December, SCC had the chance to spend a few hours with the winning car from the 2003 season. It uses a destroked version of the VQ30DE powerplant. However, short of the basic engine architecture and passenger compartment stampings, there's very little Skyline remaining.

The seven- to 10-degree upsweep at the trailing edge of the front splitter helps produce a low-pressure zone under the nose of the car, which improves grip at higher speeds.

The seven- to 10-degree upsweep at the trailing edge of the front splitter helps produce a

The rest of the car is purpose-built with one thing in mind--winning races. The floor of the unibody is cut out and replaced with a smooth flat-bottom carbon-fiber floor pan. A chrome-moly tube frame snakes through the remaining unibody, creating its own structure. The entire body except the roof skin and the inner quarter panels of the rear fenders are made of carbon fiber.

In short, this is one the most advanced racecars on the planet.

The engine is set back in the chassis behind the centerline of the front axle, giving the car a front-midengine layout for superior weight distribution. NISMO increased the bore to 93mm while destroking the crank to 73.3mm to reduce piston speed. This bore and stroke yields a displacement of 2987cc. Dry-sump lube ensures constant lubrication.

The turbocharged engine has an unusually high compression ratio of around 11:1. The heads are ported but valve and camshaft dimensions are kept secret. The VQ's intake manifold is replaced with a large-plenum, short-runner setup more appropriate for forced induction. There are two 330cc/min injectors per cylinder running in a staged configuration.

2003 Nissan Skyline Gtr Gt500 Engine View

The crowded engine compartment has the ductwork for all the heat exchangers in front and the VQ30DE. You can see the pushrod-activated coil-overs and the elaborate steering linkage. The yellow inner fender liners are Kevlar.

The crowded engine compartment has the ductwork for all the heat exchangers in front and t

Since JGTC cars are limited to about 500 hp, the twin turbos breathe via two rule-mandated 30.2mm restrictors. Exhaust gases exit through inconel headers that bolt to a pair of IHI ball-bearing turbos.