Gran Turismo’s creator, Kazunori Yamauchi, has taken his GT500 “Stealth” GT-inspired Nissan GT-R to a class victory at the 24 Hours of Nurburgring. Complete with his team comprised of Tobias Shulze, Michael Schulze and Yasuyoshi Yamamoto, the GT-R battled through a dramatic race full of mechanical issues to claim 36th overall, but first-in-class.

This is a great follow-up to Yamauchi’s class victory last year in a Lexus IS-F in the four-hour Nurburgring VLN race, but this year he didn’t have to settle for fourth place in his class. Despite having to spend time in the pits addressing their mechanical issues, the time was able to officially complete 134 laps in 24 hours, 2 minutes and 26.9 seconds with a fastest lap time of 9:17.707.

Now if only his team of developers could work that quickly on Gran Turismo 6. Check out a video of the GT-R in early Sunday morning action after the break.

[Source: GT Planet]

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Based out of Japan, Axell Auto looks to work on a variety of complete car tuning kits with a strong focus on Toyota-branded SUVs and vans. In fact, the Nissan GT-R is the only sports car that they even dabble in, and that’s probably because they know just how important the R35 GT-R is to Japanese enthusiasts. One thing is for sure though, every one of their aero kit offerings are as aggressive as can be, and their widebody GT-R is no different.

It may not be everybody’s cup of tea, but this GT-R sporting a matte black outside and a completely red interior is pretty menacing to look at. We actually dig the widebody and think it was constructed well, flowing with the natural body lines of the car without looking too extreme. The rear bumper offers a ton of contrast to the relatively tame front bumper. There’s vents and slits galore throughout the fenders, side skirts and bumpers, making the kit a little too busy overall. But much like the rear spoiler, a lot of this could have gone worse.

We’d like to have seen Axell Auto outfit their demo car with a much larger and more aggressive set of wheels though.

GALLERY: Axell Auto Widebody Nissan GT-R

[Source: GTR Blog]

The Romanian racing company Dacia famous for winter racing has joined Renaultsport, and a number of independent firms to build the Dacia Duster. The “No Limit” race car driven by Jean-Phillipe Dayraut was built for the Unlimited class at Pikes Peak.

In this class, there are essentially no restrictions placed on a car’s specifications. In this case, the Dacia Duster features a twin-turbo 3.8-liter V6 from a Nissan GT-R. The engine is tuned to 850-hp, and is mounted behind the cabin, connected to a 6-speed sequential gearbox.

The car will be raced at Pikes Peak on June 26,2011.

2004 Indy Racing League champion Tony Kanaan apparently can be seen cruising the streets of Miami in this wickedly clean, full Mine’s Nissan GT-R built by the team at CEC East. CEC took one of Japan’s best automobiles and outfitted it with one of Japan’s best aftermarket parts manufacturers. From bumper to bumper, this GT-R is completely decked out with goods from Mines.

On the outside, the GT-R is transformed with a whole collection of carbon fiber goodies including their Type 2 carbon front spoiler, carbon grill, hood scoops, mirror covers, side skirts, trunk, rear wing, rear diffuser, and diffuser tunnels. In the engine bay, performance has been enhanced thanks to Mine’s air filter and titanium intercooler piping. Their carbon fiber engine cover also upgrades the aesthetics in the engine bay. The exhaust has been completely revamped with a cat-delete and mid pipe from Mine’s that leads out to a Mine’s titanium exhaust system. All of it is nicely tuned thanks to a Mine’s ECU.

Handling is further enhanced thanks to a set of Esta II coilovers, which are backed up with a set of lightweight Yokohama AVS M7 wheels painted gloss black. Behind each wheel peeks Mine’s big rotor upgrade backed with their racing pads and stainless brake lines.

The interior is pretty trick too, with CEC East swapping the majority of it out for carbon fiber counterparts. CEC Edition carbon fiber interior trim is accented by Recaro’s CS seats in black leather. The rear however has a Password JDM carbon seat delete along with its carbon rear speaker shelf.

All in, it’s a pretty slick setup for someone that clearly knows what he wants in an automobile.

GALLERY: CEC East / Tony Kanaan’s Mine’s Nissan GT-R

[Source: Teamspeed]

After Nissan announced last Fall that it had shaved over two seconds a lap off its Nurburgring lap time, video of the run has now found its way onto the net.

The added power (530-hp in total), as well as numerous upgrades for the 2012 model allowed Nissan to shave 2.48 seconds off the previous time for a 7:24.22 lap.

As Nissan continues to upgrade the GT-R, however, rivals have stepped up their game as well, and the GT-R is still two seconds off the Viper ACR, and six seconds off the Porsche GT2 RS.

See the video after the jump:

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Given the recent events in Japan, it may not be entirely surprising that there are greater priorities than building fast supercars. As such, shipments of the 2012 Nissan GT-R to America have been delayed as the country struggles to rebuild after the devastating earthquake and tsunami.

Nissan North America reports that there is a “sufficient supply” of 2012 GT-Rs that have already been shipped to the US, but would not reveal precisely how many. The 2012 GT-R officially went on sale a few weeks ago.  The Tochigi Plant, where the GT-R is built, has reported some damage to the building and equipment, and has suspended operations until Friday.

Nissan issued a statement on Monday declaring that “some Infiniti models and Nissan GT-R and 370Z may experience delays in shipment to the U.S. and Canada, with full impact still being assessed,” but their plans for the New York Auto Show are still on schedule.

A shipment of 600 Nissan Leafs left Japan just before the earthquake, and are on their way to the US safely, just in time to help fulfill its massive demand.

[Source: Inside Line]

A report by insurance comparison website InsWeb suggests that the priciest car to ensure in America isn’t a Nissan GT-R or some other foreign exotic favoured by the young and reckless, but the strange looking Acura ZDX crossover.

According to the site, there is little data on the ZDX, as few people have bought one, and the vehicle is still fairly new to the market. But the ZDX is apparently involved in more than its share of accidents, something we can’t quite account for. Rounding out the list are obvious suspects, like the Cadillac Escalade, Chevrolet Corvette and Dodge Challenger.

At the opposite end of the spectrum were cars like the Kia Sedona, Mazda5 and Ford Escape, the three least expensive vehicles to ensure, and coincidentally, three of the least exciting.

[Source: Left Lane News]

Switzer Performance announced their Nissan GT-R R1K kit earlier last month, claiming 1,005-awhp through their custom package sporting a pair of Garrett watercooled turbochargers and C16 fuel. And it seems with AMS and SP Engineering all scooping around the 1,000-awhp range, we knew the competition would heat up once these cars hit the actual track proving what they’re really worth.

And the battle for the first 8-second Nissan GT-R is well underway. Switzer took their R1K GT-R out to the drag strip and clocked in a best e.t. of 9.38 and a best mph of 156.44mph, making it currently the fastest R35 GT-R, though not the quickest. AMS still holds the record with a 9.33, but clearly Switzer is close.

Switzer will clearly do more thorough testing in resolving some of their traction issues. Knowing that they have a good 3-mph more than AMS’s GT-R, it’s clear that once Switzer finds some traction their GT-R has a few more tenths to knock off that quarter mile time. How long until we see an 8-second pass?

Check out the two videos after the break.

[Source: GTR Blog]

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Oh how much we love Top Secret’s signature gold finish on their cars. We were actually disappointed in how long it has taken Top Secret to show off a Nissan GT-R doused in their gold, but boy was the wait worth it. But as you may be able to tell from the above photo, Top Secret has also finalized and released their new front bumper replacement.

We’re digging that Top Secret kept the styling on their front bumper quite subtle, incorporating a carbon fiber front diffuser while making it just slightly more aggressive than the OEM bumper. Best of all, it’s very functional, providing additional cooling for the oil cooler and the front grill giving direct additional cooling for the intercooler. The bumper is also slightly longer to give the car better aerodynamics.

It all comes at a hefty price though, with the front bumper and diffuser being offered at $4,350. But for those looking for something that not only enhances the performance of the vehicle but also changes the look, without being too drastic, it’s a great option. While you’re at it, you might as well toss yourself another $4,000 into the budget and get the car repainted Top Secret Gold. Yum.

GALLERY: Top Secret Nissan GT-R

[Source: The Real JDM]

When it comes to finding gobs and gobs of horsepower, AMS Performance knows how to do it. Regardless of the application, whether it’s a Mitsubishi EVO or a Nissan GT-R, AMS has set records time and time again on and off the track. And now they’ve made it easy for all their customers to achieve the same type of success.

Dubbed their Alpha line, AMS Performance is offering premium Nissan GT-R Performance Packages. Their website is currently a complete tease with a coming soon page, but it looks like they’ll have four packages available soon: Alpha 6, Alpha 9, Alpha 10 and Alpha 12. We went ahead and did some digging through their current website and found some more information on their Alpha 6 and Alpha 9 packages.

The Alpha 6 package is offered at $6,499 and takes your GT-R to a respectable 600-hp and easy 10 second time slips at the quarter mile of your choice. The fastest time they’ve achieved on this package is a 10.6 @ 130 mph on 93 octane pump gas. The kit is is actually pretty mild with a majority of exhaust parts: 90mm catless downpipes, 90mm resonated midpipes and 90mm exhaust system. On the intake side is a set of HKS Super Hybrid air filters. And of course AMS will retune the car along with a Cobb AccessPORT to dial it all in. For those worried about emissions, catalytic converters are available on their downpipes as an option. And for those that are the complete opposite, non-resonated midpipes are available as a race version.

The Alpha 6 package can also be upgraded to an Alpha 9 package, but for those with the ability to dish out the cash up front, the Alpha 9 is available for $21,999.95. And as you can guess, Alpha 9 means 900-hp on race gas and 800-hp on pump gas. That equates to possible 9 second time slips on race gas. Along with everything in the Alpha 6 package, Alpha 9 also comes with upgraded turbochargers, turbo inlet pipes, front mount intercooler, intake piping and additional fuel upgrades to handle all the extra boost.

Check out the videos after the break of an Alpha 9 GT-R running 10.1 with pump gas, and their 9 second GT-R in case you missed it earlier.

[Source: GTR Blog]

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Godzilla ran roughshod over the competition in Malaysia this past weekend, the Nissan GT-Rs of Calsonic Impul and Motul Autech taking the top two spots on the SuperGT GT500 podium at the 5.5 km Sepang International Circuit.

With track temperatures of 110 degrees, the No. 12 Calsonic Impul GT-R of Tsugio Matsuda and Ronnie Quintarelli started from pole, but the race was not without its fair share of drama. With Quintarelli behind the wheel, the 2nd place No. 100 Honda HSV-010 made contact with the leading Calsonic Impul GT-R, putting the Nissan into a spin. This allowed the No. 23 Motul Autech GT-R piloted by Satoshi Motoyama and Benoit Treluyer to slip past and into the lead. But both the No. 100 Honda and the No. 23 GT-R were handed drive-through penalties, putting the Calsonic Impul No. 12 GT-R back in the lead for good.

According to Tsugio Matsuda of the winning Calsonic Impul No. 12 GT-R, “Having started from pole position, anything less than the win today would have been pretty miserable in my opinion. We were able to maintain a strong pace right from the opening stages, and I was relieved to take the car from Ronnie in the top spot. As for the win, it’s not only because of the drivers, but also due to the support of all the fans and the unflinching efforts of the team in the off-season, and everyone related to the car’s engine development, not to mention the leadership of Mr. Hoshino. It is something appreciated from the heart. As this is my first victory since 2008, it builds my self-confidence.”

Starting the race from 3rd place, the Motul Autech No. 23 GT-R fell back to 6th place during the early stages of the race, but with Benoit Treluyer behind the wheel and on a fresh set of tires moved up to 3rd. After a drive-through penalty for making contact with the No. 100 HSV-010 dropped the Motul Autech Nissan back to 5th, Treluyer put in a spectacular drive that moved him up to 2nd place on the second to last lap of the race, making for a well-deserved 1-2 finish for the Nissan GT-R.

For video evidence of the Calsonic Impul GT-R taking pole position during qualifying, check out the video after the jump.

[Source: Nissan Motorsports]

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Nissan‘s GT-R might now be better-known for its grenading transmission than for its legendary performance. At least that’s true if your life revolves around an internet car forum.

Back in 2008, a member of NAGTROC posted that his local Nissan dealer wanted to charge him $20,000 to fix his GT-R’s busted transmission, which broke because he used the launch-control feature with the VDC (Vehicle Dynamics Control) off. The owner, a Mr. Torres, claimed that as the advertised 0-60 mph time of 3.4 seconds could only be achieved with the launch control and VDC off, he was within his rights and the part should be fixed by Nissan under warranty.

Nissan refused and even forced owners to sign a form saying that driving with VDC off could void their warranty, unless VDC was turned off in order to get out of mud or snow.

Not satisfied with his situation, Torres took Nissan to court in a class action lawsuit, which was settled in September of last year. The details of that settlement have now been made public.

In it, Nissan denies all fault, stating that, “Nissan denies all the allegations in the lawsuit. More specifically, Nissan denies that there was a design or manufacturing defect, denies misrepresenting the performance capabilities of the 2009 GT-R, and denies that it refused to honor customer warranties for resulting damage without disclosure.”

As a result of the settlement, Nissan is now offering 2009 GT-R owners an upgrade to their transmission software. Nissan will also not deny warranty coverage for those who used their GT-R with the VDC off prior to receiving notice from Nissan. Then, in the best slap-in-the-face you can get from a car company, Nissan tossed in a $75 coupon for owners who sign the paperwork to get the transmission upgrade.

As for Torres, he did manage to come out on top, with Nissan agreeing to pay him a total of $31,500, including $25,000 for the transmission.

Hit the link below to see the documents.

[Source: DragTimes]

There has been surprisingly little news about the Brass Monkey Nissan GT-R race team competing in the World Challenge series – party because other than their introduction, the cars haven’t generated much excitement themselves. Sure the GT-R is an amazing sports car, even holding a Nürburgring record at one point, but so far the two car effort has been relegated to the back of the pack in the lead GT class.

The GT Class is most certainly where the GT-R belongs, competing alongside Corvettes, Vipers and Porsches – as well as the awesomely capable Volvo S60s – but the development process is a slow one. This weekend the team ran both cars, with a best finish in the first race of a two race weekend being Tony Rivera in the No. 97 car in 10th. While in the second race Rivera managed 12th. Sadly neither finish was on the lead lap, but the potential is obvious with Rivera taking the Optima Batteries Best Standing Start award for moving up two positions on lap one in race one, while in race two he managed to gain five positions off the start.

We had a chance to get up close to the cars during the two-race weekend at Mosport International Raceway and were surprised to see differing levels of development with a carbon fiber trunk lid being used to save weight, while inside much of the factory dash remains intact. Fans of the GT-R and of motorsports will want to check out our gallery below.

GALLERY: Brass Monkey Racing Nissan GT-R

The World Time Attack Challenge, held at Australia’s Eastern Creek International Raceway near Sydney, has attracted a deep field of local and international competitors including top American teams Sierra Sierra Enterprises and their Mitsubishi Evo 8 and Factor X Motorsports Development and their awesome Acura NSX.

It may be an easier commute for the Japanese tuners, but it’s no less impressive that world-class Time Attack machines like the Sun Cyber Evo, Tomei/Cusco Subaru Impreza STI, and both the PanSpeed and R-Magic FD Mazda RX-7s will also be in attendance at Eastern Creek this weekend.

Hoping to put home field advantage to good use are top Australian teams Hi-Octane Racing and their stunning R34 Nissan GT-R, APC Racing’s Evo 8 MR, and Notaras and their lightweight 590-hp Mitsubishi Evo.

With an intriguing mix of the best Time Attack teams and drivers in the world, all vying for the title of World Time Attack Challenge champion, we’ll be following the action this weekend very closely and will report back on Monday with a full account of all the on-track action. In the meantime, wet your Time Attack whistle after the jump with a video of Mark Berry piloting Australian favorite Hi-Octane Racing’s GT-R around Eastern Creek in preparation for the WTAC.

[Source: World Time Attack Challenge]

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In a bid to keep pace with Porsche, Nissan is rumored to be working on a fresh round of upgrades for the 2012 GT-R. Updates are to include small modifications to the aerodynamics, suspension and brakes, but the biggest adjustment will come under the hood. There, the twin-turbo 3.8-liter V6 will get added boost to deliver over 500-hp and 450 ft-lbs of torque.

This new package, already being tested in Germany has (understandably) shaved time off the current GT-R’s already impressive 7:26 Nürburgring lap time. No doubt, Nissan engineers were working to take back the Nürburgring lap time record from the Viper ACR – which until recently clocked in the record lap at 7:22. That was, of course, until Porsche unveiled the GT2 RS and its 7:18 second time.

Can the GT-R beat that? We bet Nissan’s trying everything they can to find out.

[Source: Autoblog]

It didn’t take long for this Formula Drift season to stir up some controversy. As we mentioned in our Formula DRIFT Long Beach Recap, the Hankook Nissan GT-R was noticeably missing from competition. We knew for a fact there was no way they would let that slide for another event, considering sitting out one event already puts the championship far out-of-reach.

Adams Motorsports Park currently holds Night Drift events every Thursday night and recently the Hankook / Dynamic Autosport team had Robbie Nishida in from Japan to test the GT-R at one of these events out in Riverside, CA. The car looks complete and fully functioning, but how well it performed we’re not sure. We’ll know after this weekend though, once the GT-R makes its drifting debut.

Interestingly, rather than the stock GT-R powerplant, the Hankook/Dynamic Autosport car is VQ35 powered, which may or may not be surprising to some. To us it’s not surprising given the huge success the VQ35 has had on many different vehicles in Formula Drift. In fact, when Rhys Millen didn’t have the Lambda Genesis motor ready, he slugged himself a VQ35 into the Genesis early on last season. One thing’s for sure, this GT-R has one of the finest drivers in the entire series in Robbie Nishida. If anyone can drive the wheels off this car, it will be him. We’ll keep our eyes out on how well he’ll do this weekend!

[Source: Adamsdrift.tk]

GALLERY: Hankook Drift Nissan GT-R

What started out as a dominant performance by Aston Martin, crossing the finish line 1-2 during Round 2 of the FIA GT1 World Championship at Silverstone, unraveled after the race and promoted third place finisher Jamie Campbell-Walter and Warren Hughes in the Sumo Power Nissan GT-R to the top spot on the podium.

First came the news that the the #9 Hexis Racing DB9 of Frederic Makowiecki and Thomas Accary had covered more than three laps before serving a drive-through penalty, promoting Sumo Power to 2nd place. Then an hour later came the news that #7 Aston Martin of team Young Driver was being excluded for excessive plank wear. Post-race inspection showed that a few millimeters too much had been shaved off the #7 DB9′s belly plank from running too aggressively over the corner rumble strips. The Young Driver AMR team is appealing this ruling, but for now at least the official race victory belongs to Sumo Power‘s Campbell-Walter and Hughes.

This may not be the way Nissan or Sumo Power GT wanted to win their first race in the FIA GT1 World Championship, but it certainly does not take anything away from the impressive pace the Sumo Power GT-Rs displayed throughout the Silverstone weekend. Meanwhile, the Swiss Racing Team GT-Rs couldn’t quite match the pace of the Sumo Power Nissans, the #4 SRT GT-R finishing 9th and the #3 GT-R finishing 17th.

It will be interesting to see how the Aston Martin appeal unfolds in the days and weeks before Round 3 of the Championship, May 21-23 at Brno in the Czech Republic. For updates on the series and for live video feeds from each race, visit the official FIA GT1 website at http://www.gt1world.com

The complete Nissan press release from Silverstone and a collect of photos are available after the jump.

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The Nissan R35 GT-R is making a whole lot of news these days with aftermarket tuners really starting to make Porsche’s Nürburgring nemesis into something even more amazing. After conquering every twisted-track in the world, in true American fashion, different U.S.-tuners are turning the Japanese sports car into a straight line bullet. Late in March, AMS shattered the 9-second barrier with their GT-R, and much like everything else in drag racing, the record continues to fall as other tuners and builders come out of the woodwork with their projects.

Ever since GReddy/TRUST of Japan gave the world a scare by filing bankruptcy in late 2008, GReddy USA has been working diligently in ensuring the aftermarket that they’re here to stay and will be better than ever. They’ve stepped up all their research, design and development, ushering new parts to the market that prove to be better than the competition. Their latest result is a collaboration project with SP Engineering, one of many famed Southern California tuners. For close to 15 years, SP Engineering has been producing and building some of the world’s fastest and nicest cars from tuned Supras to Lamborghinis. Now they’re settling out for yet another record.

On April 13th, 2010, a pair of Nissan GT-Rs built and tuned by SP Engineering headed out to Arizona’s Speedworld Drag Strip. Battling blistering track temperatures of 120-degrees Fahrenheit, the pair of GT-Rs not only mustered 9-second passes, but set records. SP Engineering’s own GT-R stopped the clock at 9.62 @ 149.80 mph while one of their customer’s, Hing, wasn’t far behind with a 9.84 @ 148.40 mph. Both vehicles sport GReddy’s TD06SH 20G turbo kit upgrade that comes complete with a Type-2 intercooler kit and blow-off valve kit. The black GT-R setting the new quarter mile record has a built motor with CP Pistons and Carillo Rods and a collection of TiTek exhaust parts. Hing’s GT-R, in a contrasting white, sports GReddy’s new exhaust parts that are titanium and coming soon to the market. Both vehicles set their personal bests on C16 fuel.

Eugene over at SP Engineering has informed us that they plan on upgrading the GT-R monster motors with GReddy’s upcoming 4.0L “STROKE HER” kit along with some headwork. We’ll definitely be keeping an eye on these two GT-Rs along with the others that are certainly going to be stepping up to the plate. We might not be too far off from an 8-second pass from a completely streetable Nissan GT-R! Check out the video after the break.

[Source: NAGTROC]

GALLERY: SP Engineering Record Setting Nissan GT-Rs

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While AMS set the standing mile record for four-cylinders with its Evolution VIII at the Texas Mile, as well as a drag racing record earlier this year, the team at Boost Logic has been busy at work preparing their Nissan GT-R to set a standing mile record. Recently the team brought out its tuned GT-R to the twice-annual Texas Mile event to see just how fast it would go.

The Boost Logic GT-R entry tops the dyno at 823-whp @ 25 psi with Boost Logic’s twin turbo kit, intercooler with 3-inch piping upgrade, 4-inch midpipe and exhaust system, Jet Fighter exhaust tips and stage 1 fuel system. Safely relieving all the excess pressure are TiAL blow off valves. Tuning is taken care of courtesy Haltech’s engine management system while a Cobb Tune does the most important function – relieving the GT-R of its speed and rev limiters.

This combination was good enough to set the standing mile record for a GT-R at the Texas Mile held at the end of last month. Boost Logic’s GT-R was nailed going 203.6-mph at the mile marker and they feel that it’s just the starting point. Will we expect a little rivalry brewing with AMS and Boost Logic? We wouldn’t be surprised if AMS rolls out their GT-R for the next event to battle it out with Boost Logic. Should make things interesting!

The next dates for the Texas Mile are set for October 22-24.

See the video of Boost Logic’s wicked-fast GT-R after the jump:

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AMS Performance, based out of West Chicago, IL are no strangers to the track. They have dominated all facets of motorsports from road racing to drag racing. They’re known for building some of the strongest engines known to mankind, perfecting their techniques across several makes and models. While the Nissan GT-R, much like many Porsche bodies, weren’t made for drag racing, some owners take the opportunity to shoot down the quarter mile at blistering speeds. Yes, the GT-R was made to carry itself through the winding twists of any road course, and at ridiculous times, but why can’t the GT-R be built for straight line drag racing?

The team at AMS thought the same and brought their brilliant minds together to set a landmark – build the first 9-second Nissan GT-R in the world. There have been several GT-R’s trying to this task with some getting in the mid to low 10-second range, but AMS has finally entered the 9-second range at the recent TX2K10 event. Their best ET of the day was a 9.89 @ 145-mph, though they did achieve a higher-mph pass with 146.96. Just by looking at the time slip there’s clearly more to the car given its less than perfect 0-60 foot time.

This 9-second GT-R is equipped with AMS’ SR850 upgrade package which will be available to the general public shortly. The tuning package includes upgraded bolt-on turbos, upgraded actuators, HKS blow-off valves, Cobb AccessPORT for tuning (with a custom AMS race map) and a collection of AMS goods: 90mm downpipes, resonated midpipe, exhaust, front mount intercooler with 3-inch intercooler piping; large MAF intake pipes and fuel system upgrade.

We’ll be keeping our eyes out for the video of this record setting pass and will be sure to update this post as soon as it hits the Web.

[Source: GTRblog.com]

GALLERY: AMG GT-R

Nissan displayed the Stillen GT-R at its exhibit at the 2010 Canadian International Auto Show.

Built in 2009 by Steve Millen and the rest of the Stillen team, the one-off GT-R competed at the Targa Newfoundland race.

The Stillen GT-R was clocked a 0-60 run in 2.9 seconds, quicker than the stock version’s 3.5 seconds. The Stillen GT-R ran an 11.0 second quarter mile, registering a speed of 127.9 mph, (compared to the stock version’s 11.7 seconds and 120.4 mph) and reached a speed of 130 mph in 11.4 seconds (compared to the stock version’s 14.0 seconds.

Millen and his crew will next enter the GT-R at Targa Canada West, May 24 in British Columbia.

Gallery: Stillen GT-R

Nissan Canada announced it will present the Stillen GT-R at the 2010 Toronto Auto Show.

Race car driver Steve Millen and the Stillen team built their version of the GT-R “Godzilla” in 2009 for the Targa Newfoundland race. The Stillen crew lightened the GT-R by 172 lbs. and tweaked throttle response and suspension.

The result: a 0-60 run of 2.9 seconds and an 11.0-second quarter-mile run at 127.9 mph. Living up to the name “Godzilla”, the Stillen GT-R’s roar registered 101 dBA, compared to the stock GT-R’s 891 dBA.

Nissan and Infiniti will also display their latest models including the new 2011 Infiniti M, the Infiniti Essence Concept and the “Krom” edition Nissan Cube at the 2010 Toronto Auto Show. Check back for AutoGuide.com’s coverage of the Canadian International Auto Show on Feb. 11.

Gallery: Stillen GT-R

Official release after the jump:

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It’s certainly not a household name, but Japanese tuner Varis is making headway modifying not only Japanese cars, but European models as well. The company does complete transformations, with everything from aesthetics to performance, with designs that are extreme, but not quite over-the-top.

On display at the Varis booth at the 2010 Tokyo Auto Salon were Japanese-market favorites like the Subaru Impreza WRX STI, Mitsubishi EVO X and Nissan GT-R. Varis also showed off more subtle looks for the E92 BMW M3 and Mercedes-Benz C63 AMG with penty of carbon fiber add-ons.

Take a look through the gallery of Japanese and European Varis-tuned cars below:

GALLERY: Varis Display at the Tokyo Auto Salon

Over the years Wald International has solidified itself as one of the premiere tuners of luxury vehicles in Japan. Recently the company has expanded its line of styling products to include European vehicles, most noticeably those from Mercedes-Benz and BMW. A trio of Lexus vehicles, a Nissan GT-R, a pair of Mercedes and a BMW 5-Series made for one of the more prominent booths at the 2010 Tokyo Auto Salon.

Known for more outlandish designs, WALD has had success in North America with Mercedes products, due to the more urban style of the parts, which are also high quality and significantly less expensive than parts from German competitors.

We’re used to seeing WALD parts on luxury sedans like the 5 Series and Lexus LS, but we were really taken aback by the wild kit WALD offers for the Lexus RX crossover.

GALLERY: WALD International at the Tokyo Auto Salon