There is no doubt that the Nissan Skyline GT-R is a legend. Since its inception decades ago, the Skyline GT-R has captured the hearts and minds of racing fans and, later, video game fanatics. The car's reputation has swelled beyond anything originally foreseen by Nissan, forcing their hand in selling the latest version of the GT-R on American soil. Talk to the guy in the corner with the GT-R tattoo on his chest and you'd think the car was solid gold and ran on holy water. So, why has there been only one crowned as the Ultimate Street Car Challenge winner?
It's not for a lack of firepower. The GT-R's RB26DETT engine has been proven at making big power; stupidly large numbers sometimes in excess of 500 to 600 whp. Godzilla also comes packing an intricate all-wheel-drive system, big brakes, and the ability to fit big rubber.
But American tuners of R32, R33, and R34 GT-Rs have always been at a disadvantage. The older GT-Rs were never officially sold here and the tuning knowledge base is small. This isn't one of those "jump on the Internet, find out a few tricks, and then visit the local speed shop" sort of cars. It takes a lot of time and a lot of tinkering to get a GT-R right.
Joe Rigonan has taken three years of work to get his R32-chassis Skyline GT-R up to this level. As an employee of TEIN USA, Rigonan is often working or traveling, but in his free time he spends every available minute upgrading or wrenching on his GT-R.
"This was the first car I ever took a motor out of, put a clutch or transmission back in, changed cams, fuel system, and so on. You name it; I hadn't done it before, except for suspension work. You can tell that I have come across many roadblocks during the build. The Japanese parts manuals help, but it's too bad I can only understand pictures and numbers. The majority of the work was also done in my driveway-a slanted driveway, on top of a hill, fun," said Rigonan.
In the end, Rigonan will never be truly finished with his GT-R. But he's amassed the right hardware to do battle in the USCC. R34 Nur engine block, HKS turbos, Brembo brakes, 265-width Toyo R-comps, and (of course) a TEIN two-way adjustable suspension. This is the one area that you'd expect this car to get right.
The only issue with Rigonan's GT-R is setup time. This R32 has run a single weekend event at Willow Springs (which is actually more than some other USCC competitors have done in the past) and has been dyno-tuned in-house at HKS USA, but before that, it sat idle for three years collecting parts. The USCC's close competition has always punished those that don't have their setup completely dialed in, and you can just forget about doing any setup experimentation during the event. Will Rigonan's formula be strong enough to clinch victory for the GT-R in its maiden voyage? Only time will tell.
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