[Teddy]

From AutoExpress, 7th of June

" Ever heard the motorsport catchphrase 'racing improves the breed'? It's clearly the one Nissan has adopted as it begins to prepare its forthcoming GT-R supercar, unveiled as a concept at the 2001 Tokyo Motor Show.

Engineers have taken the twin turbo V6 that's expected to power the roadgoing GT-R and, with the help of the firm's tuning arm Nismo, fitted it to a racing version of the current GT-R 34.

Our picture shows the car's track debut. Few manufacturers are prepared to carry out development work in public, but the move shows the confidence bosses have in the unit, which in race form is believed to develop at least 450bhp. The engine for the production car ? due in 2004 ? will develop 400bhp. Insiders hint that the powerplant will combine with electric motors in the front wheel hubs to create the world's first hybrid supercar."

 

[Draxx]

Dont you Just Love those Japanese engineers???
Best in the world...

 

[MySkyline]

Agreed

 

[gary]

ENGINEERS

Whilst I take my hat off to those Japanese engineers, I was informed that the new skyline was designed and prototype built in the UK AND YES IT SUPRISED ME AS WELL!
Gary
GT-ART

 

[Scott]

Best in the world?

I'm not sure they are the best in the world.
I think you would be surprised as to how many of us british engineers work in both Japan and Germany.

As Gary has said, you'd also be surprised what is built and engineered over here (UK) for the rest of the world.

Years ago I was working on the Corvette in Basildon (Essex).

British engineers are the 'Best in the World' I'm affraid.

Mind you I am some what biased.

 

[alex h]

I believe UK Lotus engineers have had a hand in 90% of all the car engines on European Roads

Not bad really...yey British engineering...though the japs make best use of it!!

 

[Blow Dog]

Does anyone know the potential of this new engine yet? Does it exist in other cars or is it a brand new unit?

Cem

 

[GU5I 80Y]

recardos is one of the biggest places for enggineering as far as ive been told from tanks to boats to fords to mercs they basicly bulid anything ther asked!
i meet a guy who did noise and harshness of gear boxes
who worked on the gearboxes of the audi le man cars or 2001 !
so english engineers are the best

 

[AshT_200]

You'll also find that Cosworth do much of the engine design for European Cars.

BMW, Mercedes, Vauxhall, Ford use Cosworth for some of their engine design.

 

[Scott]

I'm offten at Recardo. Unfortunatly you can't snoop around thourgh.

Cosworth, although based in the UK, are owned by Audi.

 

[DCD]

Bringing this thread back to its original topic...this is what a journo form apexJapan had to say about a recent "interesting" sighting of a potential GTR test-mule.

--------------
--------------

2002/06/12
So there we were, up in Hakone, the most popular car-testing spot near Tokyo. We've got a Skyline GT-R M-spec, a GT-R Nür V-spec II, and a Skyline 350 GT-8 sedan for some testing and photos (more on that otherwhere). Now, down off the mountain comes a new-style Nissan Stagea, lowered, low-profile rubber, tinted windows. That wouldn't elicit much attention, till we noticed his attempts to avoid us and our cameras while he was cooling off his abused brakes. A bit closer inspection showed Nissan factory plates on this "modified" Stagea. Ho, this is interesting? A test-mule for a planned Nismo Stagea? Not too outlandish of an idea, in fact, not really news - so why the avoidance techniques? Noticing the attention, he pulls away. Now, wait a minute! That's no automatic! That's a manual transmission! And what's that boost noise - that happened as soon as he hit the gas? No turbo's on this beast, it looks to have a supercharger?!
Now, into the depths of speculation we go! The Stagea traditionally has run exactly the same drivetrain as the GT-R, which gave birth to the previous generation Stagea RS260. That was a GT-R underneath a station wagon body, and is still rather popular on the used market. If Nissan was planning to do the same, then what better way to test the upcoming GT-R drivetrain than in a stealthy Stagea. And here is the kicker on that supercharger - according to one Japanese automotive magazine, they have very good info that Nissan is looking towards a 3.0-litre supercharged V6 for the upcoming GT-R. This is for emissions reasons, allegedly. So did we just get a glimpse of a GT-R drivetrain on the road?

 

[GU5I 80Y]

cool
you should have given chase!

 

[Bean]

Dino,

Holiday Auto is the mag with the article about the 3l V6 Supercharged engine.
It also has some fairly different CG pictures of the next GT-R.
Who knows what the truth is though ?

 

[S2kRob]

I don't buy the supercharged thing at all. Nissan's supercharged V6 engines offered in the US have not received much acclaim at all. The verdict is basically that they should have skipped the SC's and gone for a bigger displacement engine.

Also, why is NISMO campaigning a twin turbo VQ in an R34 GTR at the JTCC this year? I can assure you it isn't just for kicks.

 

[Bean]

I agree that the supercharged engine sounds a little unlikely, but it is just another of those rumours like the possible hybrid with electric motors at the front.
In the case of the next GT-R I'm in the camp of 'I'll believe it when I see it'.

Nismo are campaigning a VQ engine because there is no point in using an engine which is unavailable in a street car (not in the Japanese market anyway). It doesn't automatically follow that it is the next GT-R engine; although I hope it is :smokin:

 

[AshT_200]

I'm offten at Recardo. Unfortunatly you can't snoop around thourgh.

Cosworth, although based in the UK, are owned by Audi.

They were Vickers until Rolls Royce was sold to VW (Becoming Bentley)

 

[S2kRob]

I met someone from Nissan Canada a few months ago. He works in the marketing department. We were talking about the next GTR. He said it will be a monster performer, Nissan's flagship, price about $100k CDN (55k US). He definitely said it was coming over, and that it would be powered by a turbocharged V6. I asked about a V8, and he specifically said, no, not a V8, it will have a turbo V6. This was last Christmas, so info can change, but to his credit, everything he told me about the 350Z has proven to be true.