You’d be hard pressed to think that the R35 GT-R has been with us for close to a decade now, seven-and-a-half years to be exact. Since its debut in 2007 the GT-R has been poised to become a giant killer, a car meant to beat its western contemporaries on the street and track at a fraction of the cost. Supposedly succeeding a car that was affectionately called ‘Godzilla’ by its enthusiasts, the R35 GT-R definitely had huge shoes to fill.
And boy did it fill those shoes. Out of the box with roughly 500hp, 4WD, and a bunch of clever manufacturing tricks, the GT-R came out strong and meant business off the bat. All of this was good, but then Nissan had to make sure to tell everyone that the GT-R is an all-new car, and that nobody could tune it. Ever.
Since then people just took that rather ‘serious’ warning by Nissan with a grain of salt, and big aftermarket companies proceeded with R&D for the car anyway. It’s given that the Skyline GT-R became notorious amongst performance junkies in the 90’s due to the fact that their motors could take much more power than the 280bhp its brochures suggested. With power figures double that, this new GT-R could be made so much more potent with a touch of the aftermarket.
In a span of a couple years after the GT-R’s release, companies like HKS, Switzer Performance, and AMS have already come out with power packages in 600, 800, or even 1000hp increments. Nowadays a GT-R pushing past the 1000hp mark is not unheard of, yet with the pursuit for more power still in the books for some, others have decided that the aging R35 could also use a full refresh in the aesthetic department.
The recent surge in widebody enhancements courtesy of guys like Kei Miura and Wataru Kato have also reached the GT-R. While those aforementioned individuals have their own signature take on the girthy Nissan, other aero specialists from Japan ought to have their own spin on it as well.
Varis has established itself as one of the premier FRP and Carbon Fiber aero parts manufacturers to come out of Japan. With craftsmanship and quality worthy of many high end vehicles, their aero pieces are worth considering should you choose to make your car stand out. The rather aggressive kit you see on this Suzuka Grey R35 is one that they have dubbed the Kamikaze-R, a full widebody kit accompanied with front and rear bumpers that hark towards the GT-R’s racecar counterparts.
Upon its debut at Tokyo Auto Salon 2014, the Kamikaze-R has immediately become one of the more recognizable kits for the R35 next to names like Bensopra, Overtake, and Liberty Walk. This could mostly be attributed to the striking front fenders included in the kit, a wider piece that incorporates the factory vents with carbon fiber slats underneath to give the GT-R a more menacing profile. It’s nice to see wide fenders done another way other than having to rivet on a chunk of overfender on top of it!
Big power courtesy of an HKS GT600 kit, plus quite the hefty body to carry around means this GT-R ought to have traction to match. Filling the Varis fenders are a chunky set of Advan Racing GTs shod in Toyo R888s. Sized in 20×10.5 front and 20×12 rear, the Advan GTs are one of the popular go-to custom specced wheels for GT-R sizes.
Surely you wouldn’t think that this R35 drives around with that floor scraping height right? A full AirRex Digital Air Suspension kit takes care of setting the perfect height for the GT-R. Little by little the Air Suspension game is starting to become a fixture in our local scene, and it’s interesting to see well known performance-oriented platforms embracing what was once thought to be a ‘showboating’ modification.
With all the things the aftermarket has done with the R35 GT-R over the years, really Nissan? Is the GT-R still untouchable now?
2012 Nissan GT-R Black Edition Gallery
Engine and Driveline
HKS GT600 Kit
Amuse R1 Titan Full Exhaust
COBB Accessport
Brakes, Tires, and Suspension
Advan Racing GT 20×10.5 F, 20×12 R
Toyo R888
AirRex Digital Air Suspension
Exterior
Cromax Suzuka Grey paint by Alex Restoration
Varis Kamikaze-R Full Widebody
- Front Bumper
- Front Fenders
- Rear Bumper
- Rear Blister Fenders
- Side Skirt
- CF Hood
- CF Rear Spoiler
Interior
Bride Japan Full Bucket Seat
Photos By Jet Rabe