TUNED R34 SKYLINE GT-T: PURPLE CRAZE

When James Hibbert swapped his R34 GT-R for its lesser-powered GT-T sibling, people thought he’d lost his mind. But there was definitely method in his madness as his tuned R34 Skyline GT-T will demonstrate.

From Fast Car. Words & photos: Dan Sherwood.

When it comes to cars, there’s a very definite hierarchy to manufacturers’ model line ups. At the bottom of the ladder is usually the smaller, lower-priced models, whose reduced costs are in line with their sparse levels of performance and specification. At the top are the luxury and high performance models, the halo cars that drip with power, technology and desirability. As petrolheads who see cars as more than just simple modes of transportation, and who value the experience and thrill of driving and ownership as much as the practical advantages, it’s only natural that we covet the models that sit at the highest echelons of those ladders. They provide not only the adrenaline kick of performance and the satisfaction of style, but also endow their owner with a certain unspoken status too – an element that can get lost on some people, but is crucial to a car nut. In fact, so important is this standing within automotive circles, that it goes way beyond the differences between the varying marques and models and can come down to just a handful of letters…

“For anyone into Japanese cars the GT-R badge is the stuff of legend,” says 30-year-old HGV driver James Hibbert. “For many of us, any Nissan Skyline model that features those three letters on its bootlid falls under the category of our dream car, with people gladly willing to give up various essential body parts to own one, myself included.”

Tuned R34 Skyline GT-T

So when James actually managed to make his dream a reality by purchasing an R34 Nissan Skyline GT-R – while keeping all his limbs intact, too – why did he soon sell it in order to buy the GT-R’s poor relative; the lower-powered, less revered R34 GT-T?

“People must’ve thought I was going crazy,” he laughs. “But as good as the GT-R was, I just started to miss the fun of rear-wheel drive, and drifting in particular.”

Since owning an EP3 Civic Type R many years ago, all of James’s cars have been rear-wheel drive, with various Nissan S15s, a Lexus GS300 and an NA Supra making up his enviable back catalogue and cementing his addiction to steering from the rear.

“The other issue was the value of the GT-R and the attention it caused,” James sighs. “It meant that I was always wary of driving it on the limit or where I was parking it, as I was constantly concerned about it getting damaged or stolen.”

Tuned R34 Skyline GT-T

And so, combined with his need to get his sideways-sliding fix, James had an epiphany of what his next move should be, and started looking for a rear-wheel drive R34 Skyline GT-T as a replacement.

The R34 GT-T is Nissan’s next rung down the ladder after the range-topping GT-R. Featuring a 276bhp 2.5-litre single turbo RB25DET NEO, rather than the legendary twin-turbo’d 2.6-litre RB26DETT of its bigger brother (claimed to produce 278bhp as per the Japanese manufacturer’s gentleman’s agreement at the time, but actually making nearer 330bhp), it’s certainly no slouch, but the lack of the iconic swollen arches and the legendary ATTESA E-TS four-wheel drive system housed within, plus the small matter of the GT-R’s racing pedigree, means the GT-T will never be as revered as its stablemate, but to James, that was part of the appeal.

“GT-T’s may not look as tough as the brawny GT-Rs and don’t have the same potential to be tuned, but aside from the fact they’re rear-wheel drive (which is actually a bonus in my book) they’re actually not that different really,” reckons James. “And when you consider that you can get a mint condition GT-T for less than a quarter of the price of a GT-R these days, that leaves you with plenty of cash to tune and modify one to your preferred specification, which was exactly what I had in mind…”

Tuned R34 Skyline GT-T

James began his search by putting up a post on social media to see if there were any GT-T owners who wanted to make the jump to GT-R ownership and were willing to work out a trade. Luckily, he didn’t have to wait long for a suitable candidate to arise.

“I was contacted by a guy with a GT-T with a full Tommykaira bodykit and accessories,” James remembers. “It had really low mileage and was immaculate!”

As well as the rare bodykit, the tuned R34 Skyline GT-T came with a host of other tasty additions including an HKS GTRS Pro turbo, a Z32 MAF, Sard injectors and fuel pressure regulator, a GReddy radiator and intercooler and an A’PEXi Power FC.

“It was making around 500bhp,” James says. “Which, along with a set of BC Racing coilovers, an uprated ORC twin-plate clutch and bigger R34 GT-R Brembo brakes, made it a real weapon on the road. In fact it felt much quicker than my stage one tuned GT-R that was running around 380bhp.”

Tuned R34 Skyline GT-T

So after some friendly negotiations the pair finally did the swap on Christmas Eve, 2015, with James receiving an extra £18k his way, which just goes to show the price difference that occurs by moving that third letter of the badge just two positions along the alphabet.

“It felt great to have the power going to the rear wheels again, so I was happy with the deal,” James beams. “But even so, I wasted no time in adding my own touches.”

For starters it was the bodywork that received James’s undivided attention, as, even though it was genuine, he wasn’t keen on the look of the Tommykaira kit, so he sought to replace it with body panels bought from Loughborough-based body-styling supremos EP Racing.

“I’ve known EP’s bossman Leon Chan for years and he’s always been a great help with my project cars,” says James. “So when I removed the Tommykaira parts and sold them on – including the gearknob which sold for £300 on its own! – I had a nice pot of cash to spend on the GT-T to get it looking how I wanted it.”

As anyone who’s really into their Skyline’s will likely tell you, the Z-Tune is the ultimate R34, but their rarity and astronomical price tag means few people are ever going to be able to own one, so James decided to do the next best thing and bought a replica bodykit, so at least his car could look like one.

“The kit was fitted by a friend of mine who owns a bodyshop in Chippenham called Desire Motor Factory,” says James. “He also tubbed the arches to allow more clearance for wider wheels, before respraying the car in a custom purple paint.”

With the body-styling sorted James swapped out the obscure 18in Sqobs wheels for a set of highly-concaved 7Twenty Style 46 split five-spokes and installed a HICAS lock-out bar and Kaaz two-way limited slip diff to ensure the rear wheels could be lit up on demand.

At this point in the build, James was happy to just kick back and enjoy his creation that combined the looks of his ultimate Skyline with the tail-happy handling attributes of his beloved S-bodies.

“It was great to get back into drifting again and the car looked great, but I can never stop tinkering with things,” he grins. “So it wasn’t long before I’d added a big Japspeed GT rear wing and changed the wheels to a set of 19in Weds Kranze Cerberus splits with a 6.5in rear dish.”

Such is James’s addiction to alteration, however, that both of these mods were relatively short-lived, with the spoiler being removed and the wheels swapped again for a set of 18in Work Emotion CR Kiwamis. But that wasn’t all…

“I like to run the car low, but it can make it impractical,” James concedes. “So I invested in a set of Stance Parts air cups. These trick bits of kit are like mini air-bags that sit on top of your coilovers and are fed by a small air tank that allows you to raise the car a few inches when you need extra clearance, yet still retain the handling characteristics of coilovers.”

As well as the air cups, James decided to give his interior a shot of racecar chic by stripping it out, fitting a pair of Corbeau Clubman bucket seats and harnesses and having a comprehensive custom rollcage installed by HDF Motorsport in Petersfield.

“I really love my music so the rollcage has been designed to fit around my audio system,” highlights James, pointing out the Hertz door speakers and 10in Vibe subwoofer in a custom enclosure behind the bucket seats. “It’s a great sounding setup and pretty loud too, which it needs to be, if it’s to be heard over the exhaust system!” he chuckles.

Uninspired by the car’s previous setup, James needed added aural excitement from the GT-T so decided to install an external wastegate with a bonnet-exit screamer pipe and a straight-through exhaust system with shotgun-style tailpipes.

“It’s certainly a lot louder now and sounds epic when you let off the throttle and it spits flames up the windscreen,” he smiles. “Unfortunately when I removed the downpipe to fit the wastegate, I noticed the turbo’s turbine blades were damaged.”

This was all the excuse James needed to get the turbo rebuilt by forced induction experts Midland Turbo, while at the same time improving the fuelling and ignition with larger Sard injectors, an high-flow fuel pump and Splitfire coilpacks.

“Once the engine upgrades were installed I had the ECU re-mapped by Tom Hudson at tuning gurus, Fensport in Chatteris,” James reveals. “As far as I know, the car didn’t make any more power as such, but the delivery was night and day. The turbo spooled quicker and the torque in the midrange was brutal. It’s a much quicker and more fun car to drive as a result, which is exactly why people shouldn’t get hung up on outright power figures.”

Now, for most people, this would be the end of the story, but not for James…

“I got a call from Leon at EP Racing who said he had just taken delivery of a new Sunline Racing style kit for the R34,” recalls James. “It’s a really aggressive looking kit with wide arches and was the first of its kind in Europe… I just couldn’t resist!”

James sent the kit, along with a JUN-style front bumper, to be painted before installing it himself on his driveway the day before he was due to attend the Player’s Classic show at Goodwood racecourse.

“‘It was a bit of a race against time to get it on, but it fitted really well in the end and I made the show the next day, where it’s safe to say, it got a big reaction!” he beams. “I was well chuffed with how it looked, but it’s even better now I’ve changed the rims to these 18in Work Emotion CR-2Ps.”

So surely this is end of the road for James’s fettling fetish? Well, not quite, as he has his sights set on a forged engine with top mount turbo and a tucked bay! But that’ll have to wait until another day. For now though, James can be content with what he has. It may not have an R at the end of its moniker, but by taking a step down in the Skyline hierarchy, he’s built a car that not only looks a million dollars, but puts a huge smile on his face every time he gets behind the wheel, and there’s nothing crazy about that!

Tech Spec: Tuned R34 Skyline GT-T

Engine:

2.5-litre, 6-cyl, 24v RB25DET NEO single turbo engine, HKS GT RS pro turbocharger, A’PEXi Power FC and hand controller, Blitz SUS air intake, Z32 MAF, TiAL external wastegate fitted to the exhaust housing of the turbo, Splitfire coilpacks, HKS oil filter, IHR high-capacity fuel pump, SARD bigger injectors, SARD fuel pressure regulator, large GReddy radiator, GReddy oil cooler, large GReddy intercooler, carbon coilpack cover, steel head gasket, blue and black silicone hoses, HKS downpipe, HKS elbow and custom unsilenced shotgun-style exhaust

Performance:

450bhp @ 1.4bar of boost

Transmission:

RWD with 5-speed manual gearbox with a short shifter, 80% solid gearbox mounts, Kaaz 2-way 4.1 limited slip differential, HICAS lockout bar, ORC twin-plate clutch with a lightened flywheel

Suspension:

BC Racing coilovers with adjustable dampers, Driftworks Stanceparts full air-cup kit with the air tank hidden in the boot, Japspeed tension arms, Japspeed track rod ends, Japspeed rear camber arms, front lower arms extended by 25mm

Brakes:

Skyline R34 GT-R Brembo brakes with EBC grooved and dimpled discs (front), standard discs and calipers (rear), Ferodo DS2500 pads all round, drift button on the stock handbrake, braided brake lines all round

Wheels & tyres:

9.5in18in ET 0 (front) and 10.5x18in ET 20 (rear) Work CR-2P wheels in GT Silver with polished lips and 225/35/18 (front) and 255/35/18 (rear) Achilles 123 tyres, 10mm spacers all round

Exterior:

Sunline Racing-style rear quarters, Sunline Racing-style side skirts, Sunline Racing-style front wings, Jun-style front bumper, Z-Tune-style bonnet, R34 GT-R rear bumper, rear lower diffuser, genuine Ganador mirrors, De-spoilered, rear wiper removed and blanked, R34 GT-R rear light covers, Nismo smoked side repeaters and front indicators, rear arches have been cut up and tubbed, rust proofed underside and inner wheel arches, resprayed in custom one-off purple, full undercar neons controlled via Bluetooth

Interior:

Fully stripped interior, full HDF weld-in rollcage with crossbars, door bars and gussets, Corbeau Club seats with custom low mounts and Driftworks 4-point harnesses, dash trimmed around the rollcage, fabric carpet dash mat, Blitz gearknob, outlaw drift button, Nardi small steering wheel with NRG quick release boss, Defi water temp gauge, Defi oil temp gauge, Defi gauge controller, Blitz boost gauge, A’PEXi boost controller, fire extinguisher, 10in Vibe sub in custom rear enclosure, Vibe 6x9s, Hertz front speakers, Kenwood DVD headunit, Broadway rear-view mirror, interior painted metallic silver with added glitter

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2021 BTCC THIRD ROUND REVIEW: POWER MAXED RACING

This weekend saw the 2021 BTCC third round, which took place at Brands Hatch, usually home to the season opener. Power Maxed Racing gives us a breakdown of its weekend of racing.

Despite hopes that it would be the first round in almost 2 years to host a full allocation of almost 40,000 fans, it was not to be, and in the end just 4,000 were allowed in each day. Despite the limited numbers, the atmosphere we’ve become so accustomed to was most definitely back, with hardcore BTCC enthusiasts lining the stands and banking, hoping to catch a glimpse of the series’ infamous thrills and spills.

Saturday was, as you’d expect just after Summer Solstice, the perfect day. The sun was shining and there wasn’t a cloud in the sky-the perfect weather for touring car racing. Free Practice 1 was, as always, the first session of the day, and saw both Adrian Flux with Power Maxed Racing drivers making the most of the 40 minute session, scrubbing in tyres and trying different setups. In the end, Jason Plato would cross the line P10, with teammate Dan Lloyd just behind in P13.

Free Practice 2 would see much of the same, with both drivers looking to capitalise on experiences drawn by both themselves and the team about the Astras’ characteristics at Snetterton 2-weeks prior. With the circuit’s Indy layout being so short, it’s notoriously difficult to find space for a clean run, which is unfortunately what happened to Lloyd during his Qualifying simulation, ultimately crossing the line P19, although that put him just half a second behind the fastest time of the session. Plato would fayre slightly better, coming in P8 to retain his Top-10 position.

Mid-afternoon would see the 30 minute Qualifying session, in which all 29 cars would venture on to the circuit, attempting to secure that all important pole for the first race of the weekend. Luck would not be on our side, however, meaning Plato would come in P17 thanks to a power steering issue mid-session, with Lloyd P12. With less than 0.6 of a second separating the Top-20, times were seriously close.

2021 BTCC third round

2021 BTCC third round race review

Sunday would dawn slightly less summer-like than its predecessor, although thankfully any meaningful rain would hold off until the end of the day. It was foggy, it was (relatively, for June anyway) cold, but the fans came in their droves. It was great to have fans cheering their favourite drivers on again, with banners and flags waving around the circuit-the atmosphere that had been missing for so long was definitely back.

Race 1 started well, with Lloyd making up ground early in the session, before a multi-lap battle with the Cupra of Jack Goff saw him drop back slightly, meaning he narrowly missed out on a Top-10 place, finishing the race P11. Slightly further back, Plato would race well, bagging P13 and a handful of points, as well as a better spot on the grid for Race 2.

The second race of the day would take place in conditions much the same as the first-on a dry track, with damp, warm air. The session would see both drivers race fast and strong, with both making up a considerable amount of ground, with both drivers eventually claiming spots in the Top 10, with Lloyd P6 and Plato P8, leaving them perfectly placed in the Reverse Grid Draw window of P6-P12.

Alas, luck was again not on our side, with the Reverse Grid Draw yielding nothing but a quick shuffle of positions, meaning Plato would start Race 3 P5, with teammate Lloyd P7, with 21kgs and 33kgs of success ballast respectively. Both would drive well though, with Plato spending most of his race battling the rear-wheel-drive Infiniti of Moffat, after a double tap during the opening stages from the Scottish racer left him with an off centre steering wheel. In the end, Plato would have to settle for P4, missing out on his second podium of the year by just 0.012 of a second! Lloyd would also drive a great race, holding off the advances of the Civic of former PMR driver Senna Proctor to hold on to P7, bagging a strong points haul in the process.

Jason Plato, Adrian Flux with Power Maxed Racing Car #11 – “Although the end result was ok, it’s been frustrating, as we’ve just been fighting our way back from a power steering issue in Qualifying. We should’ve been 6th on the grid really in Quail-it’s a completely different weekend really, and I genuinely think we would’ve been up on that podium a couple of time had that not happened. Once you get to the front there’s a good rhythm, and I’m fast when we get that rhythm, but when you’re in the mid pack it’s just bedlam. We’re making changes though, and finding our groove, and now we’re in the mix and fighting as we should be.”

Dan Lloyd, Adrian Flux with Power Maxed Racing Car #123 – “Overall it’s a really positive weekend for me. We’ve taken big steps forward with the car-it’s always a struggle testing throughout race weekends, and we’ve been making some massive changes, so credit to Martin [Broadhurst] and the team, because the changes they’ve made have helped massively. I feel like we had some good solid races today, although I’m not where I really want to be yet, but I feel like the upcoming test at Oulton is going to help us massively.”

Martin Broadhurst, Adrian Flux with Power Maxed Racing Team Manager – “Ultimately Qualifying was frustrating, and that put us on the back foot come race day. The majority of the grid are so close that unless you get a spot at the front, it’s really hard to move forward. The race pace of both Dan [Lloyd] and Jason [Plato] was as we’d expect it to be, thanks to some changes we’ve made with the car that have taken us in the right direction. We’ve got the tyre test coming up next week at Oulton Park, which will give us some time to try out what we think will work for the next round.”

Adam Weaver, Adrian Flux with Power Maxed Racing Team Principal – “Obviously it’s frustrating that we didn’t come away with more silverware, but the team worked really hard to make changes to the cars that have taken us in the right direction, and I think that showed during the racing on Sunday. I’m feeling positive about the year, as we’re only 1/3rd of the way in, and I think that if we can get the cars nailed for Qualifying we’ll be banging on the door of the title as we near our next visit to Brands Hatch at the end of the year.”

Team Standings:
Teams’ Championship – P6
Independent Team Championship – P4

Driver Standings:
Jason Plato – P8 (P8 in Independents)
Dan Lloyd – P14 (P7 in Independents)

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BMW i3 on its way out, no direct successor planned

BMW will cease production of its quirky i3 for the United States in July.

BMW Blog first reported the news a week ago, based on information from a dealer bulletin, and it’s since been confirmed by the automaker.

Production for other markets is expected to run into 2022, after which the compact electric hatch will be phased out without a direct successor.

2020 BMW i3

2020 BMW i3

In a 2019 interview with the Financial Times (subscription required), Pieter Nota, BMW’s sales and marketing chief, said there were no plans for an i3 successor as BMW was more focused on electrifying its core models.

As a result, the void of the i3 in BMW’s lineup will be filled by an electric version of the next-generation X1. Prototypes for the compact electric crossover, which will be called an iX1, are currently out testing. There’s also the possibility of BMW offering an electric version of the 1-Series compact hatchback sold overseas, the oft-rumored i1, to also fill in for the i3.

And while the i3 won’t spawn a direct successor, its nameplate may make a return on an electric version of the 3-Series currently testing.

Final BMW i8

Final BMW i8

The BMW i3 arrived on the market in 2013 as a 2014 model, alongside the i8 plug-in hybrid sports car which ceased production in 2020. The cars were launched at a time when electrification was still in its infancy for established brands. As a result, BMW designed the i3 and i8 so that the models would stand out from the rest of its lineup, though Tesla quickly proved that electric cars don’t need to look quirky to sell. Sales of the i3 in the U.S. last year reached just 1,508 units.

The current i3 features a 42.2-kilowatt-hour battery rated at 153 miles of range by the EPA. A model with a smaller battery and twin-cylinder range extender is available. Known as the i3 REx, this model is rated at 126 miles of range on electric power and a total 200 miles with the range extender doing duty.

Now BMW is ready to launch the next phase of its EV offensive. It will start with the launch of the iX and i4 in early 2022, after which BMW will start offering electric versions of most of the vehicles in its lineup.

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