Umbrella Auto Design Gtr

Umbrella Auto Design's F1 Interior Series for Nissan GT-R

October 29, 2010

Umbrella Auto Designs went all out on their 2010 Nissan GT-R after not really feeling the OEM interior finish. Instead they opted for a Black Ultrasuede material with silver stitching throughout including everything from the seats to the dashboard. Umbrella say they're ready to go on this for customers with around 3 weeks turnaround for a full interior job and can arrange transport to and from their workshop from anywhere in the US.

Included in the re-trim are:

Front seats re-trimmed (in this case Status Racing 1 piece seats are shown)
Repainted light grey interior plastics satin black
Steering wheel re-trimmed Black Ultrasuede with silver accent stitching
E-brake and boot re-trimmed Black Ultrasuede with silver accent stitching
Shift knob re-trimmed Black Ultrasuede with silver accent stitching
Complete dashboard re-trim with silver french stitch added, gauge pod has silver diamond stitch added
Door panels (Diamond upgrade) Grips with silver french stitch
Center console and all adjacent panels, silver french stitch added
Rear lower side panels, silver french stitch added for contrast. *available wrapped with no seam or stitching if requested
Rear upper side panels wrapped with no seam or stitching
Rear upper and lower seats, diamonds stitched in silver added, silver french on exterior added
Headliner
Visors
Rear package tray
Subwoofer cover, silver french stitch added
Rear armrest, silver french stitch added

It's one amazing looking result from a pretty exhaustive list of re-trimmed parts. I think there's no argument you will certainly wind up with one amazingly unique GT-R.

Head over to their website at the link below to contact them for more info.

Link: Umbrella Auto Designs Website

COBB Tuning Release TCM Tuning Support for AccessPORT

October 26, 2010

Big update from the guys at COBB Tuning today that is likely to bring a smile to a lot of GT-R owners faces. The tried and trusted AccessPORT just got even better with the official launch of transmission control module (TCM) support! Now with the one tool, owners can upload and change between maps for both the R35's ECM and TCM.

What exactly does this new AP-NIS-006 with TCM support get you? Here's some info from the official release:

Installing the AccessPORT on the TCM starts with downloading the OEM TCM ROM for safekeeping, so the TCM can be returned to its stock configuration at any time. Once the OEM TCM ROM is stored, the AccessPORT flashes a new Level 1 map onto the TCM that is based on the Nissan LC2 logic upgrade, but increases launch revs to 3,300RPM and includes more aggressive clutch engagement and throttle curves than stock LC2 logic. The result is a positive launch
that gets the GT-R off and running harder than the stock LC2 logic, but with smoother clutch engagement than the previous LC1 logic. Still not enough for you? A simple reflash of the TCM with the Level 2 map will have you experiencing the increased punch from raising the launch revs to 3,750RPM!

Adjustment of the GT-Rs sophisticated dual clutch system is now also available at the touch of a few buttons. Without reflashing, or visiting a dealer, the end user can now adjust clutch touch points on the fly.

Clutch relearn mode can also be activated using the AccessPORT just by following the simple step by step procedure. This should not only help keep your transmission in a healthy state it could lessen your time consuming trips to the dealership to have simple services performed.

The AP-NIS-006 also comes with all of the usual awesome AccessPORT features like off the shelf power up maps, ability to load custom maps from AccessTuner workshops, data logging, on the fly fast map switching, dash warning indicators and so on.

A new AP-NIS-006 will set you back $1,495 which makes it easily the biggest value modification you can get for the GT-R. Existing AP-NIS-005 owners can upgrade theirs for just $500.

For more information head over to the COBB Tuning website!

Link: COBB Tuning Website

Boost Logic Crank Dampener for Nissan GT-R

October 25, 2010

Parts news update time – something we haven't done enough of lately. In this installment we highlight the latest release from Boost Logic which is their Crank Dampener/Pulley for the VR38. The guys at Boost Logic had noticed a disturbing trend of irregular main bearing wear during engine teardowns in their workshop which they corroborated with other workshops around that were doing the same.

In their view, this is being caused by crankshaft resonance possibly seen once the GT-R in question is tuned and still running the OEM dampener designed for OEM power.

To solve this issue and the potential bearing problems it can cause over time they've released this dampener of their own which uses a larger, higher quality dampener ring than factory which is better suited to balance out the stronger resonance created by engines that produce more torque.

Features:

Reduces Torsional Vibration
SFI 18.1 Approved
360 Degree Lazer Engraved Timing Marks
OEM Crank Pulley Diameter

They're priced around the $999 mark and you can order one at one of Boost Logic's distributors.

Link: Boost Logic Crank Pulley / Dampener @ SpeedForSale.com
Link: Boost Logic Website

AMS Alpha GT-Rs In Record Breaking Territory Again: 9.1 @ 163 mph and More

October 22, 2010

Forget everything you read about Nissan GT-R quarter mile records because AMS just went and rewrote the book. They not only just smashed their own quarter mile ET record but they blew up the current Mph record as well.

With time to tweak the car since the first 9.33 second outing back in early October the guys took the car back to the track and managed a best time of 9.192 at 163.12 mph . Over two tenths quicker and a full 10 mph faster down the strip than their previous Alpha-10 best time. A serious improvement and seriously closer to 8 seconds.

Not content with just setting the outright quarter mile records all in one day they also went on to break the pump gas R35 quarter mile record in the Alpha-9 package GT-R. The Alpha-9 GT-R is the Nissan GT-R to dip into the 9's on pump gas with a 9.95 ET @ 141.01 mph.

One of the best things about the AMS's Alpha GT-Rs isn't related to how damn fast they are but how streetable they remain with all that grunt under the hood. After running 9's in the Alpha-9 the guys will begin an epic cross USA roadtrip beginning in Chicago, driving through Colorado and Nevada and ending up in SoCal. Over 2,000 miles of cross country driving with a full writeup expected. Check the video below for a taste of the Alpha-10's daily drivability…

AMS Nissan GT-R Alpha 10 Package

Acceleration that leaves you breathless. Speed like nothing you have experienced. A power package that will leave any Super Car in its wake.

Over Twice The Horsepower Of A Stock GT-R Yet Mild Mannered For Daily Driving

The AMS Alpha 10 package for the Nissan GT-R combines the stock like driveablity of the Nissan GT-R with 1100+ horsepower. Typically power like this comes at the cost of reliability and comfort. That is not the case with the Alpha 10 as every aspect of this package was fine tuned to allow for a true Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. Your GT-R will go from mild mannered and streetable one moment to white knuckled power the next.

…continued

Source: NAGTROC
Link: AMS Alpha GT-R Website

Nissan GT-R EGOIST is Here – Official Launch Day With Photos

October 18, 2010

Some scoffed when we broke the news that Nissan's luxury pinnacle model of the Nissan GT-R would bear the moniker "EGOIST". There it is though stuck firmly on the trunk of what was called the GT-R Spec-M through it's development lifecycle.

It's a nice looking badge ain't it? Take a closer look at the one on the inside now because each EGOIST steering wheel GT-R emblem is hand crafted Maki-e by Wajimi lacquerware artist Mr. Sakae Kubota in Japan. This basically means it's hand made lacquerware sprinkled with silver dust to bring out that silver coloring. The look of the badge will change as it ages which I'm told is one of it's desirable qualities.

The same principals that are shown with the small details like that are applied throughout the car and are described by Nissan as follows:

EGOIST is the first and only Nissan GT-R in the world exclusively created by Takumi, or "master with greatest skills." Each customer can choose a combination of interior colors among 20 choices. In addition, the BoseÂ® sound system is exclusively tuned according to the driving position of each driver to meet every customer's needs. This is the ultimate expression of the Nissan GT-R.

So artisanship and making the car your own are the big themes here. Mentioned is the color choices available, up to 20 different combinations in fact made up of 10 lower area colors (seats, passenger dash, doors, center console and so on) and 4 upper colors (roof lining, steering wheel, upper dash, carpet). You can see one such combination in the Nissan press photos of a Muelheim Brown lower and Muelheim Brown upper interior finished with brown stitching. The EGOIST's leather is not only colorful but it's hand selected and sewn by Seton Company in Germany by master craftsmen.

Other colors combinations EGOIST owners will have to choose from are:

Muelheim Brown lower with Muelheim Brown upper
Ruhr White lower with Ruhr White upper
Ruhr White lower with GT Black upper
Ruhr White lower with R-Red upper
GT Black lower with GT Black upper
GT Black lower with R-Red upper
R-Red lower with GT Black upper
R-Red lower with R-Red upper
Espresso Brown lower with GT Black upper
Espresso Brown lower with R-Red upper
Caramel Beige lower with GT Black upper
Caramel Beige lower with R-Red upper
Mimolette Orange (new) lower with GT Black upper
Mimolette Orange (new) lower with R-Red upper
Aqua Grey lower with GT Black upper
Aqua Grey lower with R-Red upper
Shadow Grey lower with GT Black upper
Shadow Grey lower with R-Red upper
Sakura lower with GT Black upper
Sakura lower with R-Red upper

In terms of performance changes, the EGOIST doesn't bring a whole lot to the table. Yes there are some crossover components taken directly from the SpecV including:

20″ Rays forged aluminium wheels in a new Blue Sword Chrome color
Titanium Exhaust system with those classic dual tips
Carbon Fibre rear spoiler manufactured by Challenge

Apart from these however there's very little to differentiate it from the Pure Edition GT-R, no carbon brakes, no mention of the SpecV turbochargers, fancy suspension, or even the special high-gear boost mode available on the SpecV.

There is a really special BOSE sound system to enjoy your favorite tracks on featuring carbon composite woofers and custom tweaking for every owner. If I had one though I can't help but think I would enjoy the titanium exhaust note a whole lot more than a set of BOSE speakers.

Where the Nissan GT-R EGOIST is priced at launch, which is fair and square in SpecV territory of 15,000,300 yen, I can't help think that they might have spent a little too much time improving on things that really weren't broken to begin with and too little on making the EGOIST as special as it needed to be to command the premium.

It's really a compliment to Nissan in that they've done such an amazing job on the basic Pure Edition at not much under half the EGOIST's pricetag.

I'll reserve final judgment until I see it in the flesh but since it won't launch outside Japan for quite some time I think I might be waiting a while.

Images: Nissan Japan

Update: Nissan GT-R EGOIST concept and construction video added.

Categories: GTR News, Nissan News, SpecM Tags: 2012 gtr, dba-r35, dbar35, egoist, gt-r, gtr, nissan, r35, spec-m, specm

Official Launch: MY11 (2012) Nissan GT-R – Nissan Opens Info Floodgates

October 17, 2010

October 18th is here already in Japan so Nissan have unleashed the full spread of details on the new DBA-R35 GT-R model including full performance details and photography. With the press release comes confirmation of much of what we'd been saying for months now and that is the DBA-R35 is a leap ahead of the previous GT-R in terms of performance.

The main bullet points of improvements across the board begins with improved power and torque, better handling, improved aero and updated look and feel are extremely welcome to GT-R fans. What is also great to see is that the model range continues to expand in size with the addition as predicted of the EGOIST to the existing SpecV, Club Track Edition, and standard models. With that news comes some dissapointment though as many territories where the GT-R is sold will miss out on the full lineup with the EGOIST and Club Track only being considered in Japan, Europe and the Middle East (EGOIST only).

Skip all the rest of the fluff (for now at least) though because what most of us want to know is the hard numbers and the GT-R is not dissapointing here in any way. 530ps (522hp) @ 6400 rpm is the official power figure with 612Nm (451 lb/ft) of torque available from 3200 rpm to 6000 rpm. Nissan say this horsepower bump comes from running more boost, tweaking the A/F ratio, valve timing and improving the air intake.

What this means to the Nurburgring lap time you're wondering? Word is Nissan have slashed 6 seconds off their previous best of 7:26 for a mind boggling 7:2x flat spin around the Nordschleife. Update to this update: The Nurburgring laptime is not officially confirmed at this stage.

In terms of new colors, we had previously mistranslated this one it seems or maybe it was changed. Looks like Meteor Flake Black (pictured above) is the new black to go with the correctly predicted Aurora Flare Blue Pearl blue.

Coming up next will be some hi-res photos of the new Nissan GT-R EGOIST as well as the updated SpecV and Club Track Editions…

To read the full press release click the Read More link below…

Nissan Releases the 11MY Nissan GT-R
YOKOHAMA (October 18, 2010) – Nissan Motor Co., Ltd. today announced the launch of the 11MY Nissan GT-R, which goes on sale November 17th at Nissan dealers nationwide in Japan.

Nissan GT-R

For 11MY, GT-R features improved engine output and torque, greater fuel efficiency, revised handling, a refreshed exterior with improved aerodynamics, revised interior treatment and new wheels and tires. The large number of enhancements for the new model year is part of the continuous advancement of the GT-R design, technology and performance since its debut in December 2007. Nissan has also enhanced the level of after-sales support for GT-R owners, providing even greater value for customers.

The "World of GT-R" expands again this year with the addition of a racing circuit use-only "Club Track" edition and an ultra-exclusive "EGOIST" version that can be custom-ordered according to the precise desires of each individual customer. The complete 11MY Nissan GT-R model lineup now includes six versions – the "Pure edition," "Black edition," "Premium edition," "SpecV," "Club Track" and "EGOIST" – allowing customers to choose the exact level of dynamic performance and style to meet their various needs.

The 11MY Nissan GT-R will also be released in North America, Europe and other regions after February 2011. Nissan is considering introducing EGOIST in Europe and the Middle East, and the Club Track edition in Europe as well.

Switzer R1K GT-R Smashes Into the 9 Second Club With a Record Mph Pass

October 14, 2010

It's the season for it, record breaking R35 GT-R quarter mile times that is. Switzer have joined in the fun after some serious R&D to see how their latest R1K package will perform at the drag strip.

"Damn well" was the result as they reeled off a 9.38 best ET at 155.29 mph. Enough to bump heads with the Alpha-10 GT-R by AMS Performance. They had the track to themselves so kept at it and took home a record for the day's work for fastest mph for an R35 GT-R at 156.44 mph.

This Mph time is just a tad over 3 mph quicker than the AMS 9.33second ET recorded just the other day and shows the R1K certainly has the muscle to clock some faster times.

Massive effort to get this far from team Switzer so congratulations to them on the R1K's performance and hope to see it out again breaking more records and dipping ever closer to the 8 second mark.

Link: Switzer Performance Innovation Website
Source: NAGTROC Discussion Thread

Categories: Drag Racing, GTR News, Motor Racing, Parts / Manufacturers, Switzer Performance, Tuner News Tags: 9 sec, drag racing, gt-r, gtr, nissan, quarter mile, r1k, r35, switzer

Nissan Shows off New GT-R to Press at Nurburgring

October 12, 2010

Journos from around the world have been given the first hands on with the latest incarnation of the Nissan GT-R over the past couple of weeks. What better place to do it than the Nurburgring where lucky press members were able to take the DBA-R35 on the Nordschlieffe to feel for themselves just how much of an improvement the 2012 model will be.

First of the articles have popped up on sites like Edmunds and Autocar each with some tantalising new photos of the car including finally some good interior shots.

To add to this, Nissan has been gracefully letting a few select European GT-R owners out on hot laps around the 'ring with Nissan test drivers. What a ride, check out one of the YouTube videos below with Italian GT-R Club member Discoragno get's a ride along with "Lord of the Ring" Toshio Suzuki himself.

Thanks to MC and Chuck H for the links.

Images: Autocar UK
Images: Edmunds
Discussion Thread: NAGTROC

Categories: Autocar UK, Edmunds, GTR News, Magazines/DVD/Books, Meets Tags: 2012 gtr, autocar, dba-r35, edmuns, gt-r, gtr, nissan, nurburgring, r35

K&N Air Filters for the Nissan GT-R – High Flow, High Efficiency Air Filters

October 10, 2010

Whether your GT-R is an every day street car or a highly tuned beast you are more than likely still using the factory airboxes, they're just that good. You can choose to roll with those paper OEM filters but you may find that while they filter great they don't flow the same as a good K&N air filter set would.

The K&N Air Filters are a high flow, oiled filter element made from many interwoven layers of surgical cotton gauze. They're designed to last the life of the car and only require washing maintenance every 50,000 miles.

They drop right in with no modifications needed and retail around the $103.68 mark including free shipping! Head on over to the link below for more info…

Link: K&N Air Filters at Auto Parts Warehouse

Willall Racing Expands Nissan GT-R Tuning Catalog Further

October 9, 2010

Quite a few updates from the Willall Racing camp in terms of new tuning products in their Nissan GT-R lineup. Let's take a quick look at what we have since our last update.

First up we see Willall again update their cooling solutions. This time with their latest water misting addon for OEM or aftermarket oil coolers. The concept is that these WR35MS water misting blocks clip into the GT-R's front bar (or in front of any cooler core) and produce a fine mist of water in the air stream before the cooler core. The quickly evaporating water droplets remove heat from the core more efficiently than air alone. Designed for use with engine oil or transmission fluid coolers, OEM or aftermarket, they're priced at the $875 mark for the complete assembly.

Moving on to aero products and Willall Racing have launched their own polyethylene front splitter kit. This ingenious modular splitter bolts up to the OEM bolt holes with no cutting required. It's designed to improve the GT-R's stability and reduce understeer on the track.

Next is a range of camber adjustment suspension arms called the WR35FCA and the WR35RCA. We'll let Willall do the talking here:

Using the development technique of assessing the track requirement of the GTR through research from out own Tracked R35 then engineering the solution we have recently produced these replacement Chrome Moly Front and Rear Camber/Castor arms to allow total control and adjustment of wheel camber and toe. Precision tig welded with additional gussets, using quality rod end joints, and coming complete with the required Clevis and mounting pins, WR35FCA is a complete upper-arm replacement system. Bolting up directly into the R35 GTR in maximum trim WR35FCA delivers over 4 degrees negative camber, which can be spaced out with precision spaced 'shims' behind the main camber block quickly and easily to change camber settings….

This method of upper arm design is extremely strong, and effective for accurate camber control, particularly in the instance where a 4000lb car is applying maximum cornering G-Force loading through the suspension. The camber block itself is machined from high grade aluminum, and the moly arms are 'blackened' for a professional finish.

Both the rear camber and toe arms are designed to give a wide range of rear wheel adjustment for the keen racer, we run 2.5 degrees negative in the rear of our GTR, and are able to be adjusted in the car without having to remove the rear floor pans, which as all GTR owners know, can be a time-costly exercise. Mounts are once more high-end rod end joints, and precision machined flanges for maximum strength.

The WR35FCA front arms and the WR35RCA rear arms will be launched towards the end of October 2010. Willall are looking to make these an affordable option so look for the pricing soon.

For more information on these or to order, head over to the Willall Racing website linked below…

Link: Willall Racing Website – GT-R Performance

Categories: GTR News, Parts / Manufacturers, Tuner News, Willall Racing Tags: aero, cooling, gt-r, gtr, nissan, r35, willall racing, wr35

Umbrella Auto Design Gtr

Source: https://www.gtrblog.com/2010/10/

Umbrella Auto Design Gtr