The front suspension uses unequal-length A-arms with push rods and rocker arms operating three-way adjustable, remote-reservoir coil-over dampers. Every bit of suspension design is as elegant as it is expensive. The rocker arms give the suspension a rising rate and allow packaging of the steering rack and tie-rods to eliminate bump steer. This necessitates an elaborate bell-crank and pushrod linkage to transfer motion from the forward-mounted steering rack to the rear-mounted tie rods. The rear suspension is also comprised of unequal-length A-arms with pushrod-activated dampers.
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The forged magnesium center-lock TE37 wheels hide the huge 15.4-inch rotors and six-piston
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The remote reservoirs on the Dynamic dampers allow room for shock shaft displacement and g
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Cartoon-like hand stickers point to where the ride height must be measured for chassis set
Huge brakes are required to slow the 2,535-pound car. The front rotors are 15.4 inches in diameter and are stopped by six-piston, liquid-cooled AP calipers. The rear brakes are 13.9 inches in diameter with similar calipers. Topping off the brakes, the GT-R sports fat 13x18-inch Volk TE37 wheels carrying 330/40-18 racing rubber.
Surprisingly, NISMO's engineers figured the GT-R was better off without its renowned but heavy all-wheel-drive system. This car and the current 350Z are rear-wheel drive. To improve weight distribution, the Skyline has its Hewland six-speed sequentially shifted transaxle mounted in the rear of the car.
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The rear wing is the largest allowed in the rulebook. It fastens securely to a heavily re
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In 2003, rule changes allowed the GT-R's profile to be reduced. Lowering the car's nose ma
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Strangely, the stock GT-R stalks are present to activate the windshield washers, wipers an
The Hewland transfers power to the rear axles via a locked differential at most tracks. The locked differential can be substituted for a conventional clutch-type limited slip depending on track configuration. The rear-mounted transaxle gives the car a rearward weight bias--unusual for a front-engine, rear-drive car. Power is transferred to the transaxle via an ultralow-inertia 5.5-inch, triple-plate carbon clutch.
The interior of the car reflects the NISMO team's excruciating attention to detail. There's a Pi dash in the steering wheel that controls data logging functions. The driver can control the front and rear anti-roll bar stiffness, brake proportioning, brake pedal height, engine calibration and anti-lag mapping from switches mounted on the all-carbon center control panel.
All this exquisite, expensive and outrageous hardware and design work translate into one of the most thoroughly developed, beautifully prepared and overwhelmingly dominant racecars in the world.