To get more power and torque in the best possible rpm range, Mark decided to go to a 3.0-liter RB block-an RB30DET to be more precise. "It's a Aussie-only Nissan motor, available in the Holden Commodore. They're really common in Australia and almost exactly the same as an RB26, the only difference is a longer stroke and a different head. It's a straight head swap, so we installed an RB26 head." Prior to mating the RB26 head to the Aussie mystery block, Mark filled it with all sorts of go-fast goodies like custom crank girdles, Pauter connecting rods, CP pistons and ACL bearings. They topped the RB30 with an RB26 head sporting a full Tomei valvetrain and a pair of Garrett 2860 turbochargers mated to a custom ceramic exhaust manifold. Helping Mark keep the new Franken-motor under control is a Holinger 6-speed sequential gearbox, which transfers all 830 hp through carbon-fiber driveshafts to all four wheels. Clamping down on all the tire-smoking power is a monstrous set of Alcon billet monoblock Spec 6 calipers-six pistons up front and four pistons in the rear-cradling 378mm and 365mm rotors, respectively.
Mark, Hi Octane and Yokohama premiered the new R34 at the end of March at Oran Park Gran Prix circuit in Australia and posted a best time of 1:13.64, a full 2 seconds slower than the R32 did last year. Seems like a setback? Not really, the subpar pass was on a wet track, incorrect tires for the conditions, with no sway bars and a drivetrain program snafu only putting power to the rear wheels. Mark believes that he could shave a minimum of 3 seconds off his time and put the Nissan into the 1:10 range, which would put Mark mid-pack in a troop of V-8 supercars. Mark's goal was always to return to Japan and "beat them at their own game" (meaning time attack). Mark's got some pretty big giants to topple, but he's confident the GT-R can compete with the best and with the planned engine tweaks the RB30 should be in the 950-plus-horsepower range. Mark didn't make any assumptions about the car's future performance, but from the times it has shown, it will be a contender when it returns to Tsukuba in December of 2009. Regarding the car's overall future, Mark said, "It's never-ending until you build another one. It's got to be quicker every time."