One-On-One
Yoshitaka Iijima, general manager, Nismo Race Engineering
SCC: Tell us a bit about your personal history.
YI: I've been a Nissan engineer since 1977. I designed the suspension on the S130 Fairlady Z, the Z32 and the R32 GT-R. I've worked on Group C racecars, the Le Mans program, the Group-A R32 and the WRC Pulsar GTI-R. In 2006, I came to Nismo and have become the team director of the Super GT race teams [Xanavi Nismo and Motul Autech].
SCC: What are your thoughts on racing the new GT-R?
YI: Racing is a good marketing tool. Its purpose is to increase the Nissan brand image. We've already begun to develop the new GT-R for Super GT use. It will be used next season instead of the Z and should debut next week at Suzuka Circuit for testing (see above). You should come out and see it. (This interview took place a week before Round 9 of the 2007 Super GT season. Unfortunately, we couldn't convince Iijima-san to give us a sneak peek.)
SCC: How much of the new GT-R will remain for Super GT?
YI: Production sports cars are built for emotion, while racing cars' only aim is to be as fast as possible. In a way, it's almost like a luxury car. The aerodynamics [of the GT-R] are good, but with regulations, many changes will take place. We've been using VK45 V8 engines and naturally aspirated is always superior to a turbo engine for the same power level. So many changes take place in a Super GT car. Only the roof and A-pillar will stay the same as factory. Almost everything else we will change per the rules. We started working on the new car about a year ago.
SCC: What other racing will the GT-R see?
YI: Personally, I like Formula One racing, but the GT-R needs to increase the brand awareness of Nissan. To do this, it will need to be in racing that is closer to the production car, to show its ability. Activities similar to the World Touring Car Championship, for example.
SCC: The US has many reputable touring car series. Will the first US GT-R be raced there?
YI: We've been talking to the people in Nashville about the best category for the new GT-R. We have to be very careful where we take the car and keep in mind our expected return on investment. Maybe Speed World Challenge, American Le Mans Series or Grand-Am.
(Following the interview these excerpts were taken from, Iijima-san took us on a tour of the Super GT race facility. There, crews were practicing pit stop tire changes and two Super GT Zs sat being serviced. Although we tried, we could not gain access to the Super GT GT500 GT-R, which is pictured above in full carbon testing form.)
One-On-One
Junpei Okamura, senior manager, Nismo Engine Development
SCC: What is Nismo's tuning philosophy?
JO: Nismo is in charge of Nissan's motorsport activities, so it's always racing first and then parts. But, as a component of Nissan, it's important to ensure that the quality of Nismo parts is higher than that of third-party tuners. We aim to deliver well-balanced, high-tech, quality parts.
SCC: Is it getting harder to make compliant parts?
JO: Yes, Japanese exhaust noise and emissions rules are getting stricter. In the past, Nismo used to sell aggressive engine tuning parts, but now it's stricter, less people drive tuned cars on the street. They go to the track. You can do anything at the track, so it's easy to make racing parts for them. But, still, making street parts is getting harder.
SCC: How has this affected the Japanese aftermarket?
JO: For example, with a muffler, you can't sell an exhaust without the proper approval. But, before you bring your product in for this approval, you need to carry out R&D as well. It all costs money. And while we at Nismo are big enough to do it, many smaller companies could die because of the cost.
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