Nissan GTR Turbo Upgrade - Modified Magazine

Test Mule
2010 Nissan GTR

Engine 3.8L VR38DETT twin-turbo V6

Relevant Mods CBRD 700R turbo compressor wheel and actuator upgrade, front mount intercooler, downpipes/midpipe combo, 3-inch exhaust, intakes, Injector Dynamics 1300 injectors, Cobb AP with CBRD Speed Density Protune

Description

If you’ve had the pleasure of getting behind the wheel or sitting shotgun in a stock R35 GTR, you’ll know they are already extremely fast machines from the get-go. However, there are some of us out there who simply have a need for ridiculous speed. Thankfully, the great minds at Nissan have worked some very generous margins into the VR38DETT engine that allow shops like CBRD to boost power levels by very large margins through bolt-on parts and tuning.

Unlike other platforms, which often sacrifice driveability or dramatically shift powerbands to achieve serious horsepower bumps, the R35’s demeanor remains very factory-esque. The sacrifices made with an upgrade of this nature are few, and that’s what makes it so appealing.

CBRD is no stranger to the GTR market; in 2008 the company developed the first radiator cooling solution in the U.S. and one of the first set of midpipes for the car. AMS still uses the radiator solution, and many other large GTR companies utilize CBRD’s 3-inch or 4-inch Y-pipes.

It was only natural that CBRD wanted to develop a turnkey package in which GTR owners can achieve 550 to 700 whp 93/E85 using all CBRD-developed components.

The 700RB turbochargers utilize a stock housing with billet proprietary compressor wheel and an upgraded wastegate actuator exclusive to CBRD. The compressor flows roughly 20 percent more than stock, allowing it to retain stock-like spool with more peak power.

The downpipe/midpipe combo is a proprietary CBRD piece that incorporates V-band assemblies and high-temp flex bellows to alleviate stress and lessen the skills required for installation. The end result is a downpipe/midpipe that can be installed in less than an hour once the factory bits are removed. The lightweight, dual 3-inch piping flowing to a main 4-inch center pipe results in remarkably fast response and spool up while allowing for better boost control in the high-rpm range where smaller pipes (or OEM) cause boost to be sensitive and hard to manage.

To complete the kit, additional supporting mods are needed. Injector Dynamics 1300cc injectors provide ample fuel delivery while maintaining stock-like daily driveability. CBRD 3-inch intakes and a front mount intercooler are also necessary upgrades to handle more boost.

Without proper tuning, these parts would fail to deliver big gains, so CBRD relies on a Cobb Accessport and its own custom tune to maximize horsepower and torque output. Just how much does it make? Let’s find out.

Results

Using CBRD’s ’10 GTR test mule (we wish we had our own R35 to use), it was strapped onto the in-house Mustang dyno and managed to put down a very healthy 391 whp and 381 wtq in stock trim. The CBRD team then went to work tearing out the engine and swapping over all the necessary components needed for this upgrade.

If you think you’re going to perform this on your GTR, think again. When you’re playing with cars of this caliber, turbo upgrades are best left to the pros.

With the upgraded turbos installed and the rest of the car buttoned up, the GTR was strapped back onto the dyno. The last thing to consider was what gas to use. Luckily, CBRD can set up the GTR to run on different pump, race, and E85 fuels, so when you really want to get that extra kick in the ass, the tuning is already there. On 93-octane pump gas, the CBRD-equipped GTR put down a very stout 567 whp and 551 wtq. With E85, those numbers rise drastically to 637 whp and 572 wtq. That’s a tarmac-melting 246-whp and 191-wtq gain over stock.

If you thought a stock GTR is fast, then prepare for the after burners with this setup. It’s stupid quick, about as fast as a street car should ever be. Any more and it would just be plain silly.

As expected, wzhen you’re cruising around town, the R35 behaves like it would when it rolled off the factory assembly line. There are no serious trade-offs with this setup, making it that much more appealing. Even the exhaust note, which has more bark and growl, is not obnoxious or intrusive. You can roll around town without anyone suspecting there’s an extra 246 whp packed under the hood.

The entire package prices in around $14,250, depending on parts and whatnot, which when you consider the results and gains doesn’t seem that expensive at all. Remember, we aren’t dealing with Hondas and Nissans here—rather a six-figure automobile.

If you’re one of lucky individuals who owns Nissan’s premier supercar and are looking for even more insane performance out of it, then a CBRD upgrade package may be a go-fast solution.

Key Features

• Stock housing turbos with upgraded billet compressor wheels and wastegate actuators
• Flow 20 percent more than stock while retaining stock-like spool
• Full SS, Tig-welded and back-purged downpipe/midpipe combo increases spool up and enhances flow characteristics
• CBRD’s Cobb Tuning Pro Center enables custom tuning for each and every GTR turbo setup to optimize power delivery and driveability
• SCBRD stock housing billet compressor ball bearing turbochargers are rated for up to 1,000 hp

93-octane pump gas

Gains Made
+ 176 whp
+ 170 wtq
Before 391 whp and 381 wtq
After 567 whp and 551 wtq

E85 Gas

Gains Made
+ 246 whp
+ 191 wtq
Before 391 whp and 381 wtq
After 637 whp and 572 wtq