One of the most fascinating things about observing car culture and car modification is seeing the way different people can take the same car and end up doing completely different things with it. After all, if everyone built their cars the same way this would be a damn boring job.
But it’s even better when a single shop rolls out dramatically different versions of the same base car – and that’s very much the case with Bulletproof Automotive and the R35 GT-R. A couple weeks ago we took a look at Bulletproof’s R35 GT-R SPL – a carbon-laden demo car with no expense spared and a very high degree of refinement.
But that’s not the only high-end GT-R build the company has rolled out in recent months. Say hello to the Bulletproof GT1 GT-R project, a very different but equally ambitious take on Nissan’s performance flagship.
While the GT-R SPL focused on weight savings and creature comforts above all else, the customer-owned GT1 is a bit more of a traditional build – more power, more grip and some very trick body work to go with it.
But that’s not to say this was an easy or straightforward build. Far from it actually. When the owner approached the Bulletproof team about doing a build, he envisaged a car that had both the look and performance of Nissan’s GT1 GT-R race cars. He also wanted a car that could be used on the street without issues.
First and foremost the GT-R would need a significant power upgrade to meet the owner’s performance goals. Thanks to the thriving GT-R aftermarket, this would prove to be one of the simplest parts of the build. Switzer Performance out of Ohio was called upon to provide the R35 with one of its full engine packages.
The setup includes strengthened internals, upgraded turbochargers and wastegates along with all the necessary exhaust, intake and fueling modifications to match. With tuning done via one of COBB’s Accessport V3 management systems, the car put down 1,072 horsepower to the wheels with 826 pound feet of torque.
With those kind of power figures, it was also necessary that the transmission was upgraded using Switzer’s Stage 3 package with stronger axles and gears. With its powertrain modifications complete, the GT-R not only made race car levels of power, it did so on pump gas and with no compromises in drivability.
Go Wide
Suspension meanwhile, would be addressed with a set of track and street-proven Ohlins R&T dampers with a Skipper suspension lift system from Japan to ensure the wide and low machine can clear any obstacles.
And speaking of the wide, it was in the body department where the biggest challenge of the build came. From the beginning the owner wanted to capture the look of the GT1 race car, but to accomplish that on a street-going car was never going to be an easy task.
With no off-the-shelf package that would fit the bill, the Bulletproof team got in touch with a number of Japanese tuning companies to spec together a custom combination that would help create the desired look. But it wouldn’t just require installing the parts as is – each part would need to be customized to result in a wider, and most importantly, cohesive widebody appearance.
Typically it’s difficult to mix and match parts from different companies while maintaining a singular look, but I think Bulletproof has pulled it off here. Starting at the nose, the front bumper comes from the GT-R veterans at Phoenix’s Power in Japan’s Fukui Prefecture.
The front fenders are from Top Secret, but they’ve been modified by Bulletproof to better capture the look and feel of the GT1 car.
The dry carbon hood if from Top Racing, and it has just the right amount of exposed weave to further build upon the competition-inspired look.
The side skirts also come from Top Racing, but they’ve been modified to fit the custom-built Bulletproof Automotive side-exit exhaust system.
The wide body rear bumper was supplied by Varis, and let’s not forget Bulletproof’s widened carbon fiber rear quarter panels either.
All of that is set off by a giant Esprit 052-W dry carbon GT wing and a Varis carbon fiber rear diffuser to complete the GT car look.
With everything coated in Ferrari Rosso Corsa paint, it’s actually hard to tell the body parts were pieced together from several different companies, which means Bulletproof succeeded with their ambitious plans.
Race Car Meets Street Car
With the body figured out, the next step was to get a set of wheels to perfectly fit within the aggressive fenders. In the end ADV.1 5.0 Track Spec CS wheels were settled upon – their deep barrels nicely complimenting the GT-R’s widened profile.
The new bodywork also meant the car could run wheels and tires much wider than what you’d find on a stock-bodied GT-R. The fronts measure 20×11-inch with 295/30R20 Michelins, while the rears measure 20×13-inch with 345/30R20s.
Because the car was built for street use, interior modifications have been kept to a minimum. Like the GT-R SPL build, there were to be no sacrifices in terms of overall comfort on this project.
The only significant change in the cockpit is a set of Alcantara-finished Recaro RS-G full buckets with side mounts.
Now that the owner has had a chance to get acquainted with his heavily modified GT-R, he’s actually asking for even more tweaks and upgrades, which will no doubt take the car to an even higher level of streetable performance.
When asked what exactly is in store for the car, all we are told is that it will be getting even wilder. The details might still under wraps, but even in its current form it seems that Bulletproof has accomplished their goal of building a GT1 car for the street.
So now that you’ve seen two of Bulletproof’s takes on the R35 , I’m curious to hear which of the two cars your prefer. Wide and powerful or light and exotic? Either way, it’s awesome to see companies like Bulletproof and their partners continuing to push the envelope of what’s possible with a street-going GT-R.
Mike Garrett
Instagram: speedhunters_mike
mike@speedhunters.com
Photos by Larry Chen
Instagram: larry_chen_foto
larry@speedhunters.com
OFFICIAL SPEEDHUNTERS SUPPLIERS
Almost 1100 whp on a piggyback ecu..... Impressive.
GT Wing on a street car... ... ... ... .. ... ...
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zzzzz
I dont think this is a GT1 for the street; just a wild street car. This car would be so much more meaningful with a cage, and some track abuse. IMO GT1 for the street would mean you take it to the track then drive it home... a dual purpose car.
look no rivets...XD
Something about these cars is just begging for a 6 speed and a clutch.
Maybe I'm just an old school guy with sportscars.
This is the Joan Rivers of GTRs.
Take the wing off and this'll be UBER FAT!!!!
wow loving the Phoenix Power front bumper, top racing hood plus side skirts and top secret front fenders but the varis rear bumper i don't know weather to like it as well. To me it looks out of place in my opinion. Plus 295/35R20 (front) 345/30R20 (rear) on 20 inch wheels holy crap.
kphillips9936 I think exactly the same thing about the SLS, it could be a real old school muscle car wit a proper six speed manual.
I'm not really a fan of the R35's looks, but that ass.
Gorgeous! Not.
KiwiMotoring I've run out of snakes.
Until I see a Longtail Version, I shall pass this off.
How are they able to get all that power with such a small exhaust system?
Maybe I'm missing something, and it IS dark in those factory cutouts in the bumper, but those side exhaust tips seem way too small to allow that much power.
Does the real exhaust dump out under the chassis or something?
Reading about the last few cars claiming high HP ratings on pump-gas makes me wonder. What is the octane of the gas they're using? Is it like in the UK when I lived there at 97 ron/mon, E85 out in North Dakota, or is like here in Seattle at 92 ron/mon with a ton of O2 stuffed in it?
@Nate Pump gas octane ratings in Europe and the US are measured using two different calculations and testing techniques. Even though the numbers are different the capability of the fuel is the same. Generally speaking 98 ron in Europe is equivalent to 93 octane in the US - or so I've read. There's a wiki page that will let you get down with your nerd-self if you want to read it: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Octane_rating
Is E85 available in Seattle?
mazdaspeeder86 You make it sound like they're using simple, old school chip burning tech. Cobb's Accessport isn't exactly a piggy back ECU. It's more of a convenient controller-interface that installs tables and maps onto the ECU. It can then read and display information from the ECU directly. But it's not piggy-backed onto the ECU like some old-school HKS/Apex'i programmer. The Accessport is probably the most widely-used programmer in the US (especially in the GTR scene) and the tuning software that is available with it is as advanced as anything that AEM or Haltech provide.
It is still a piggyback correct? An advance piggyback.
Thus I said impressive.
No sarcasm there.
I see you are just a hostile individual that comments everything.
@FunctionFirst
E85 is available in the neighboring counties. Emissions reasons I presume why it's not available, similar to California. My Mini loved the 97 LRP that used to be available in the UK, unique smell too.
mazdaspeeder86 I see no hostility in what he said.
If I liked lots of gills and slits and slats and cutouts this thing would be my wet dream. Unfortunately I do not like them very much.
I want to know how faster you can go around a track... say... I don' know... http://www.nuerburgring.de/ ?
As always, impressive engineering....but that is one ugly car
Trentworth kphillips9936 Both cars would be a lot slower with a conventional manual transmission.
I haven't driven an r35, but I've driven an SLS a few times and once you get used to a good twin clutch box there is no way an old school manual box can ever compare - they're just sooooooo slow.
I'm sure most car guys dreamed of sequential boxes after they became common in racecars - well a twin clutch box gives you that functionality but is also quiet, has a decent lifespan, and is totally streetable, plus faster to boot.
I love shifting gears myself, but in a properly fast modern car it seems crazy to hamstring it with old-slow outdated tech.
This one, without the huge rear wing!
NikkSquidBonnett Trentworth kphillips9936 See, that's the mistake that advocates of twin-clutch, sequential and automatic transmissions keep making - that the driving experience hinges on shift speed.
Yes, a twin-clutch transmission does shift faster than a manual, but you feel no more connected to the car or in charge of the drive than you would if you were driving a plain old slushbox.
It's like you're not really driving the car, you're just hanging on to the steering wheel, along for the ride.
NikkSquidBonnett Wow, you drove an SLS? You must tell me what that was like at speed; the closest I've got was my boss' 09 SL63. A good twin clutch auto is quick and the feeling of unrelenting, uninterrupted torque is astonishing and all that, but you have to admit there's a bit of fun missing from some of these modern cars because of their mandatory "stab and steer" driving dynamics.
I agree with Ice Age, it was only after I learned to drive stick last year that I realised i had just been hanging on to the steering wheel with all the cars I had driven, including my own car. I feel more connected to, and often have more fun with, my mum's 2.0L X-Trail than many other cars simply because its a manual (not the best by any means; the clutch travel is too long and the shift action too soft). That's what I guess we're saying these cars miss, the feeling of driver involvement, even if the cars themselves are .200th of a second slower.
Too many stickers.
zziro So you dont like the looks of GT cars?
Smiggins zziro Sometimes. Slots and slats can be attractive for sure, but none of them do anything for my on this R35.
zziro Smiggins I think its a trend to bash cars such as this over slots and slats. I always find it amusing.
1000hp with a less than ideal 3 point seat belts (roll eyes)...
mazdaspeeder86
It's not a piggyback at all. All the AP does is function as a bridge to connect to the ECU for flashing. The OEM ECU is still doing all the work.
As to my knowledge of what a piggy back is. It alters the factory ecu.
So that sounds like the ap is piggyback.
I'm not saying the ap is a bad system. I have it on my Wrx. But all the definition you guys are giving me sounds like a piggyback. Just a really good and effective one that's all.
mazdaspeeder86
A "piggyback" ECU is traditionally defined as a secondary computer that connects to (piggybacks on) the factory ECU. A piggyback ECU is the one that does the new calculations or altering of the car's functionality, by modifying signals to the sensors etc.
The Cobb AP just dumps a new program (flash) onto the factory ECU and its role is complete. The OEM ECU then does the actual computing.
This is another great example of a high-schooler's wet dream. I may not ever do a car this way, but dang it, it looks like a lot of fun to drive.
NikkSquidBonnett Trentworth kphillips9936 Yutaka Katayama (godfather of the z) said, "Whats key to driving pleasure is that a person have complete control".
RIP
This one... I like pretty hard!! I say tastefully done
both of them are awesome, but i liked the spl better (especially the exhaust)
too bad you wouldnt be able to drive a car like this in my country (austria)
either the rear wing would be illegal or the police will pull you to the side and check all not-original-parts of your car every time they see you
Seems to work in a Veyron
Smiggins They're needed for extra HP.
I. LIKE. IT. Great wide look with a minimum of exposed fasteners. Muscle and class. I might wish for a rollcage if I had a car like this, but still...
Approval
Oh look *another* GT-R feature...
clevernamehere Oh look, you're wasting your own time as well as mine! Double efficiency FTW!
mazdaspeeder86 I've been commenting on this site since comments were enabled so yeah, I do comment a lot. But nothing I wrote above was written in hostility.
@Revtil9k look at the relocation of the belt receivers. By installing those impressive recaros's, it puts the buckle much higher location so the lap portion of the 3 point never touches or tightens. Unsafe in any car really.
This build should have at least harnesses laced into proper harness bar setup.
I like it. I think it came out extremely well done for what the customer wanted. I may not exactly daily it, but overall I think its an awesome car.
Mr K's died
Great style. I Miss the times when bodykits where "extreme" like this one, but still fitting the car's Original lines. Today it seems like most companies just slap overfender kits on any car to make it look wild but the original lines often get totally lost and it just looks like there is something attached. This build however looks like it would be an extreme factory version and thats what i like. great bild, even if i would have choosen japanese wheels and stuff
D1RGE I myself would hope to be able to daily it, but that might just be a function of my pocketbook.
its still a gtr so ill let it slide...btw stop painting carbon isnt the point to shed weight?...
I wonder why Switzer's power package over AMS' power package? Hmmmm...
Ice Age Yes there are dumps under the car. It's actually a quad exit, 2 under and 2 side.
Hurray!
@misfitrps13 Your points sound legit. Can a fix be done quickly and cheaply?
@Frozenstar Or maybe paint the wing in the same Rosso Corsa... Hmmm!
modell3000 Objective! Not.
UWerqxTeam_MJ Does a LeMans GT-R even exist? And doesn't this mean you don't like very many consumer-grade cars?
airforce1 I think if I were behind this wheel, I wouldn't worry too much about laughing.
totophi You mean that creating a good looking car wasn't the objective? Or are you saying that finding something good looking is subjective? Either way, I agree.
This is Spinal Tap levels of "look at me!".
Nothing drives me crazier than people installing seats like this and still using the stock belts. It has holes for a 5 point harness for a reason. Even lap belt holes in the sides. Fuck.
modell3000 Fortunately, the owner does not need to bend to your personal tastes, and neither does this website.
xrockonx With enough complaints from SpeedHunters, maybe proper harness equipment will be installed down the road, or maybe the stock seats returned...
I never thought i'd reach a point in my life where a 1000hp GTR would do nothing for me...but, meh. Love the seats I suppose.
@turbo BEAMS ae86 Almost no fasteners! That's partly why I like the look so much...
totophi Smiggins >.<
Chris 'Haffy' Hafner At the higher speeds of which this car is capable, wouldn't you want greater traction from higher downforce?
I wouldn't ask the same question of a Civic, you know.
totophi Do you speak for either? I didn't suggest either has to bend to anything, I just gave my opinion, even if it does differ from yours.
modell3000 You commented concisely, and I commented in like manner. You chose to draw things out.
Paint weighs far less than the differential between carbon and oem piece. Plus exposed carbon seems very 2004 by this point in time
I see your point about the female portion...it should be connected through the lap belt portion. No pics to show how the male portion is routed, would be curious
More than a few cars are optioned with fixed bucket seats and 3 point belts, because a harness everyday is cumbersome, it requires a rollbar or at a minimum a harness bar. Porsche offers this configuration from the factory on GT3's - but like misfitsrps13 pointed out, on those cars it's routed correctly.
Awesome photos! I normally don't comment because I hate reading some of the silly and blatantly disrespectful comments people make but this feature is worthy
Top quality images!
This is another great example of a high-schooler's wet dream.
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I have the super street issue with this and another gtr as the cover cars i dont understand why in hot @!$☆ would u wanna add 1000hp to an already perfect machine i mean with tuning and all motor rebuild on these pups ive seem 750hp granted its an unavoidable thing but some garages need to really learn to say " no" or " HELL NO " sometimes
hmfatlace I think it's partly a matter of the customer too. But don't worrry, I think that as soon as the car ends up wrapped around a telephone pole, the owner will realize his folly.
Bro ur wrong everyone knows that build a supercar ur probably gonna drive once in traffic and switch to your realistic daily nissan versa automaticlly gain 12 years of track excpirence
And his lack of a rollcage and 4 point harness proves that hes possible a legendary driver
hmfatlace What does that have to do with the shops, which you said had to learn some restraint? If the owner is a legendary driver, he won't be worried about excess horses.
Naw bro ibwas being sarcastic lol at least 80% of the time its a gear head hopped up on big numbers that have yet to see and apex in thier lives
How is a side-exit exhaust legal on a street car?
BT180 Is it different from a Viper side exhaust? Or maybe there's a driver-controlled gate (like in the Mitsubishi 3000 GT?)
totophi BT180 No idea. Coming from Australia, there's no way that would be legal here. Must be different rules in the states.
Bulletproof never ceases to amaze and put out amazing work!!
BT180 totophi I know the US is a bit more relaxed on car mods than Australia, and also the old school Shelby cobras have the pipe running all the way down the side. After watching Mighty Car Mods it sucks how strict they are for you guys!!
hmfatlace because you can
hmfatlace because if you build it, they will come...
zzz
Then he's not good with his woman
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