The Skyline GT-R R34 Z-Tune and the Skyline R35 GTR-R V-Spec were performance cars produced by Japan-based Nissan Motor Company. The cars derived from Nissan’s Gran Turismo Racers series produced from 1969 to 1973 and from 1989 to 2002. Nissan manufactured the R34 Z-Tune version in 2005 and the V-Spec, sometimes called the SpecV, starting in 2007.
The Skyline GT-R can trace its history to the S54 2000 GT-B performance cars that raced in the mid-1960s. The GT-R followed in 1969 and by the end of its first production run in 1973 featured a 160-horsepower in-line six-cylinder engine. Under the Nissan Motorsport performance division, better known as Nismo, Nissan produced numerous modifications and versions of the GT-R. The original R34 model debuted in 1998. The 2005 R34 GT-R Z-Tune was the final version of the R34 Skylines. The R35 V-Spec became available in 2007. The V-Spec traces its lineage to the original V-Spec models, named for “Victory Specification,” that began production in 1993.
Manufactured only for 2005, Nissan produced just 20 examples of the R34 Z-Tune. It was the most powerful GT-R produced by the Nismo team. Nismo used existing 1998 to 2002 generation R34s and technology from Nissan’s high-performance GT500 Racing GT-Rs to create a virtual super version of the original R34. Nismo replaced the standard 206-horsepower 2.6-liter in-line six-cylinder engine with a 500-horsepower 2.8-liter twin-turbo straight-six. The 2005 R34 Z-Tune also featured an electronic torque split all-wheel-drive system, called an ATTESA-ETS, that delivered power to all four wheels and improved oversteer by limiting the amount of power to the front wheels.
The Z-Tune borrowed its suspension system from the GT500 models tuned for high-speed driving. The brake system featured an all-wheel anti-lock braking system, or ABS, and Brembo brakes with a six-piston caliper for the front vented disc brakes. The rear also featured vented disc brakes. The Z-Tune sat on 265/35 R18 tires covering 18-inch rims. In addition to generating 500 horsepower, the water-cooled straight-six delivered 399 foot-pounds of torque. The engine had an 8.5-to-1 compression ratio and redlined at 8,000 rpm. The Z-Tune could achieve zero to 60 mph in 4 seconds with a top speed of 180 mph. Its curbside weight was 3,526 pounds.
The next-generation GT-R was the R35 V-Spec. Like the R34 Z-Tune, it had all-wheel drive, but unlike its predecessor it did not carry the “Skyline” badge. The R35 V-Spec featured a larger 3.8-liter in-line six engine with less horsepower, but more torque. It was quicker than the Z-Tune from a dead stop and edged the older version in overall speed contests. Nissan added a carbon fiber spoiler, and changed the brake ducts and grille.
The 3.8-liter six-cylinder engine featured a 9-to-1 compression ratio to help develop 473 horsepower and 434 foot-pounds of torque. It redlined at 7,000 rpm. The V-Spec reached zero to 60 mph in 3.5 seconds and had a top speed of 192 mph. Like the R34 Z-Tune, it featured ATTESA-ETS all-wheel drive, but it also featured a carbon-composite driveshaft and transfer case to reduce weight. The V-Spec rode on P255/40R-20 Dunlop SP Sport tires on 20-inch wheels. The Brembo brakes had six-piston calipers in the front and four-piston calipers in the rear. Its curbside weight was 3,836 pounds.
