Forza 4: Triad enforcers

Triad enforcers

If your only antique was a PS2, you might remember a once cult classic video game called The Getaway and these cars, the Honda EJ7 Civic Coupe and the Nissan Skyline R33 GT-R, were the cars driven by Triads. Triads....hmmmm...yes they were gangsters from Asia just like Yakuzas in Japan but Triads were Chinese and they're based in Hong Kong and spreading through Chinese-speaking communities worldwide. Don't ask...

If you were once making a mess in London Chinatown and the Triads grabbed your attention, chances are that you'll be chased by those but what car is much more of a trouble when you're chased by the Triads? Let's figure that out with a power lap...

Let's begin with the Civic Coupe. What I have here is the EJ7 Civic Coupe, based on the sixth-generation Honda Civic that was produced from 1996 to 2000 and needless to say that the sixth-generation Civic range is a favorite among the most notorious boy racers everywhere. Civics are being notorious for being a JDM car that fits several modifications very nicely because they were cheap and they were easy to modify. They became the darling of the import tuner scene, street heroes, better looking than girls. Guess those crooks are spending their time smoking, drinking beer, getting high on energy drinks, shopping for some apparel at illest, anything that what makes a boy racer notorious and hunted by the law. Imagine someone driving this kind of Civic...he has a lot of money to spend by modifying his Civic Coupe into a law-breaking machine because that's what modified cars do best; TO BREAK THE LAW AND COMMIT A CRIME. He would say that I wanted to make my Civic Coupe so good, that it's scary on the roads by night. He got that memo and he made it meaner and hotter. 

Anyway, enough story telling and onto the car. In Japan, the EJ7 Civic Coupe was launched in 1996 and just like its previous incarnation, the Civic Coupe was an import from the USA. The JDM-spec EJ7 Civic Coupe though, listen to this, has a 1.6L 4-cylinder SOHC engine, codenamed as D16A, which develops a measly 120PS of power and 14.7kg-m of torque, while mated to a CVT which comes with three driving ranges such as D for normal driving, S  for spirited driving with higher engine speeds and L to provide maximum engine braking and peak power. Fuel economy is 17km/l and the only color available on the JDM-spec Civic Coupe EJ7 was Granada Black Pearl. Meanwhile in the USA, the Civic Coupe had offered a variety of grades, colors, and transmission types, especially a 5-speed manual.

I am driving the one with the 5-speed manual gearbox, which sounds proper and sporty unlike the JDM-spec EJ7 because of its continuously variable nonsense that seems inappropriate for a sports car from Honda until they got it right with the first ever Civic Type R hatch. What's more fun about it that this is the kind of car mostly driven by the Triads. It's a proper Asian sports car for the Chinese Triad boys! I once saw one of these cars on The Getaway and would you look at these Triad gangsters chasing me around London in their tuned Civic Coupes. I mean this stresses me a lot but let's see if the Triad gang car is a match at the Top Gear Track...

Start the clock!

The EJ7 Civic Coupe crosses the line in 1:33.063.

And now it's time for the R33 Skyline GT-R...

The best thing about Skylines is that they were once the king of the import tuner scene but not only it has a big reputation of breaking the speed limits and the traffic laws by speeding, this was been a car often smuggled by either Americans, Malaysians, Thai, Indonesians, Filipinos, or any other country that don't offer this car at their Nissan dealerships. I was talking to this R33 GT-R though because this is somewhat a quick car, it was once broke the eight-minute barrier at the fearsome Nurburgring, giving the slogan "Minus 21 second roman" on the Japanese TV ad that featured the song Speed King by Deep Purple. It's so quick, the Triads can easily ambush you in a chase and I believed that this is the better Triad enforcer car than the Civic Coupe EJ7 not only because it has a straight-six engine that no Japanese car has anymore these days and not only it has 4WD but this is a great car to make the most troubles out of it. Let's see if this Triad enforcer has more meat cleavers than the Civic.

Start the clock!



...and the R33 crossed the line in a blistering 1: 27.534, making this a quick winner in this shootout so in terms of the scene where you were chased by Triads, the R33 Skyline GT-R is the car you'll be worrying about because this is fast enough to catch you up and ambushed by the Triads. This R33 Skyline GT-R makes it a perfect Triad enforcer for the Triads who are busy in their criminal activities.

Rumor: Next Nissan Skyline to have turbocharged engine?

Nissan Skyline Coupe (V36)

Recently, I've just picked up a rumor from a website that the next generation Nissan Skyline (Infiniti G) would have its engines downsized.

A website car-research.jp told that for this latest rumor, the 13th generation Skyline (due next year) would be downsized and have its 3.7L V6 engine be thrown away and be replaced by a turbocharged 3-litre engine. We don't know that but here's the full scoop:

V37スカイラインに搭載されるエンジン候補、ハイブリッド見送りの可能性

V37スカイラインに搭載されるエンジンをめぐって多くのタイプが候補に挙げられている。より上級なエンジンから見ていくと、まずフーガと共通のV6 3.5Lハイブリッドがある。ただ前述の通り、V37スカイラインはフーガと相当近いボディデザインになることが予測され、差別化のためスカイラインにはハイブリッドが設定されないという話もある。現時点では採用の可能性は50%といったところだろう。

次に考えられるのが、V6 3.0Lターボである。V37開発当初から重視されていたダウンサイジングターボエンジンで型式はVQ30VDT。現行V36スカイラインの3.5Lモデルに置き換わる燃費性能の高い新開発エンジンである。気がかりなのは、日産がベンツ（ダイムラー社）とV6エンジンについての業務提携を発表してから、このVQ30VDTエンジンの話題が少なくなっていることだ。日産の自社開発が中断している可能性も指摘されている。

そして、メイングレードとして考えられているのが、V6 3.0Lの新型エンジンである。これは日産開発のもので従来のVQ系エンジンと比較して大幅に燃費性能を向上させたエンジンになりそうだ。

さらに、エントリーグレードとして直4ターボモデルが後追い投入されるだろう。これはベンツとの共同開発エンジンで、先日のレポートでお伝えした次期シルビアへの搭載も想定されているものである。ただし、このエンジンは排気量がいくらになるのか明確な情報が出ていない。1.8～2.4L程度とされているが、小さな排気量が選ばれた場合、V37スカイラインへの搭載はミスマッチとなってしまい実現は難しいだろう。

Scoop: http://car-research.jp/nissan/v37.html

Is there a possibility for a turbocharged engine in the next Skyline? Hope our fingers crossed because if this come to fruition, it will sound like the good old days of the Skyline. As of now, we still have the 12th Generation Skyline. Launched in 2006 and it spent six years of its tenure right now.

The one-of-a-kind NISMO GT-R LM!

This R33 looks like it's been injected with enhancements

Hmmm...It does look like a R33 Skyline GT-R in beefed up wide body kit but what I'm looking here is a one-off Road Going Version of the NISMO GT-R LM, the one that was used to compete at the GT Class of the 1995 Le Mans 24 Hour Endurance race. 

There is only one example in its existence and this special was built and registered in Great Britain. Yep. Great Britain. Anyway, most R33 Skyline GT-Rs are 4WD but for this one-off special, the 4WD system from this R33 has been ditched and replaced it with a hairy-chested rear-wheel drive. I can't believe that this is a rear-wheel drive GT-R I have ever driven in Gran Turismo history.  Of course, that was a regulation in motorsports. The Impreza for example, when it participate the Super GT years ago, it had its 4WD thrown away and switch it to FR. It's a rule but stripping away the 4WD and replace it with FR can benefit weight loss. That's brilliant but on the downside, it takes a skilled driver to handle a car that was once 4WD converted to FR because even a slight mistake may cost you more.

Handsome looking racer, eh?

Sure, without the 4WD, the NISMO GT-R LM became a completely different animal, it appears that Godzilla's becoming a bit more...like it came from Jurassic Park. It can bite you and yes, it will keep biting your hands every time when you steer. Try respond to some brutal measures and you're gone. It feels like you've been swallowed by the dark matter by mistake. That G-Force it generates, it made the NISMO GT-R LM struggling to cling on every corner and no matter the driver, the cornering is a bit too harsh. You won't try to push the GT-R LM too hard because the G-Forces stopped you from doing so in such speeds.

This guy's went out for some Top Gun

There is a simple story about the NISMO GT-R LM. When it joined the 1995 24 Hours of Le Mans, the #22 GT-R LM  qualified in a 34th positioned, which is a very low position, but worked its way to 10th place, that's 5th place in the GT1 category. The #23 though, retired with a broken gearbox in 157 laps. With that #22 racer being in top 10, NISMO returned these two from Japan for some further tweaks and in the 1996 season, disaster. The #22 GT-R LM retired from damages after 209 while the #23 GT-R LM finished 15th overall and 10th in the GT1 class. Furthermore, the program was pulled after two years into the three-year program and it was replaced with the R390 GT1 race car years later. That whole story about the GT-R raced in Le Mans was quite impressive despite the results. I have to say that the Yokohama-based carmaker really did pulled some impressive measures to have their name recognized in the world of motorsport.

The one-off NISMO GT-R LM Road Going Version is a fine example of how did Godzilla became capable of in the world of motorsport, especially Le Mans. 

Welcome Back: 2008 Infiniti G37 Coupe Sport

The Infiniti IPL G Coupe...almost

The 2008 Infiniti G37 Coupe Sport (known by most Japanese as the V36 Nissan Skyline Coupe) returned on Forza Motorsport 4 but with an added surprise for the players. If they have this car and went to the "Aero and Appearance" section of the Upgrade Shop, what they see that they have the option to transform from this into something that resemble like the IPL (Infiniti Performance Line) G Coupe. Now all it needs is the IPL (Infiniti Performance Line) logo which takes some DIY at the "Create Vinyl Group" section under Paint. Now this is "Inspired Performance". This is the way of the Infiniti!

The many faces of Godzilla

Song played on my Personal BGM: Athena Main Theme by Lee Dong-jun

From the album: Athena -Goddess of War- OST Vol. 1 and Vol. 2

The reason why most car enthusiasts from across the globe called the Nissan GT-R or Skyline GT-R Godzilla is this; if Godzilla (known in Japan as Gojira) is the king of monsters, the Nissan GT-R is the king of Japanese sports cars because of the engine that roars like Godzilla. Those three letters are always the stuff of legend in the JDM world. In Gran Turismo 5, we are often getting to know more about the legendary king of JDM.

R32 GT-R in Tsukuba

Seen here is the third-generation Skyline GT-R, which the chassis code is R32, and it was produced from 1989-1994. Most notable for being armed with the 2.6L RB26DETT engine and equipped with the ATTESA E-TS, Nissan's All Wheel Drive system with electronic torque split. The design of the R32 was penned by Nanganori Ito. Variants of this model include the base model, V-Spec, and V-Spec II. 

My 100のヴィ学: It looks okay for the R32 GT-R. At least what I can say is that the way the R32 behaves is just more of an original beast. Common known fact that this was driven by Night Kids' Takeshi from Initial D and Reina Akikawa and Koichi Hiramoto from Wangan Midnight. The reason why I pick an N1 version of the R32 because it looks more similar to Reina's R32 GT-R.

TRIADS! No wait, Triads drive black R33 GT-R models

From 1995-1998, Nissan transformed the R32 into the R33 Skyline GT-R, adopting the slogan "Minus 21 second roman" because of the Nurburgring lap time of 7:59:000 meaning that's 21 seconds faster than the R32's lap time of 8:20:000. With the same RB26DETT engine, the R33 got an improved ATTESSA E-TS that was called ATTESA E-TS Pro all wheel drive system, which contains LSD. The R33 GT-R was designed by Kozo Watanabe.

My 100のヴィ学: I've seen this R33 as the Chinese Triads' gang car on The Getaway, driven by the R200 Club and Takayuki Kuroki from Wangan Midnight and occasionally, this was rarely appeared in Philippine dramas. For instance, in the second book of Kristine, Rafael Rosell, as Marco, drove a modified R33 GT-R, then a red R33 GT-R appeared on Momay and it was driven by Justin/Jay-Jay's rival, Gary, who is the son of Auntie Hillary. My perception about the R33 GT-R is that it has something that the R32 couldn't achieve such as being more faster, stronger, and badder than its predecessor. Variants include are the Base, V-Spec, special edition LM Limited, and the Nismo 400R, which is a Nismo-modified version of the R33 GT-R.

God Foot vs. Kuroki

This here is my favorite Skyline GT-R of them all, and this is surely a quick fire thing that made them called it Godzilla, the R34 GT-R. Produced in 1999-2002, this is its ultimate form and it was still designed by Kozo Watanabe, who is behind the R33 design. with the same ATTESSA-ETS Pro and the RB26DETT engine, I think this ultimate GT-R has something that the R33 left. Despite it was discontinued in 2002, the R34 is still popular with JDM fans.

My 100のヴィ学: Driven by "God Foot" Hoshino from Initial D 4th Stage, personal car from Yamamoto from Wangan Midnight, incidental car on 2 Fast 2 Furious, this Godzilla is widely popular in popular culture that's for true. The reason why I love the R34 GT-R, it made me more like God Foot because the R34 GT-R can be somewhat fun to tear down all corners. Trust me, I've experienced it all the time when I got approached to this menacing beast. Anyway, the variants consisting of the base, V-Spec, V-Spec II, M-Spec, V-Spec II Nur, and the M-Spec Nur. The Nur variants are the special final variants just before the R34 and the Skyline GT-R's demise in 2002.

Before the R35:

Future GT-R in Tokyo

Before the Nissan R35 GT-R debuted in 2007 Tokyo Motor Show, let's rewind six years ago at the 2001 Tokyo Motor Show, where Nissan, headed by Carlos Ghosn now and then, unveiled what would the 21st century GT-R would look like and this time the names Skyline and GT-R will be separate. Then it begins...

At the 2005 Tokyo Motor Show, Nissan redesigned the GT-R concept even further by introducing another concept that is "almost ready" to be on production form, which is called the GT-R Proto.

GT-R Proto in Bern Market Street

The design of the GT-R Proto is more feisty than the 2001 GT-R concept, but the process may take some time before its late 2007 premiere.

GT-R Spyshot? Indeed it was because of the Black Mask

Days after days, even when spyshots of this car occurred all the time, Nissan tries to perfect every angle this GT-R has. From the circuit-racing world, the Shutokou, and any other roads, this car tries to perfect its angle and now the awakening,

The R35 GT-R achieved its dream to battle
the Shutokou

At the 2007 Tokyo Motor Show, "THE LEGEND IS REAL" because Nissan unveiled the R35 Nissan GT-R to the public and the crowd loves its comeback. It received the all new VR38DETT 3.8L V6 BiTurbo engine plus more new features that gives Godzilla a legendary stage to rage through. As what the in-game description says, the launch not only take place at the 2007 Tokyo Motor Show but also simulcast online via Gran Turismo. It even gained a promotional role at GT5 Prologue as the main character car.

My 100のヴィ学: Fast fact that actor Richard Gutierrez drove one R35 GTR until this car was crashed and caused Richard Gutierrez to face some raps at the public because of his assistant's death. Anyway, forget about that and WHOA! This is how Godzilla became since its Tokyo debut in 2007! The power, the atrocity, the sound, I love it! What upsets me is the cornering because of its heavy body. I guess this is how GT-R accidents occur because of its heavy body.

R35 GT-R Spec V hanging out
at Shoren-in, Kyoto

In the winter of 2009, Nissan pushes Godzilla a little further with the introduction of the Spec V variant. The GT-R Spec V features the same, untouched, VR38DETT engine and a 6-speed semi-auto transmission, but it packs a high-geared boost, improved exhaust system for improved cooling and air flow, carbon brakes, redesigned Bilstein suspension, forged wheels, aero and cooling enhancements, and carbon bucket seats. The GT-R Spec V is 60kg lighter than the base GT-R because 1680kg is lesser than 1740kg, It's true that Godzilla's biggest enemy is Godzilla itself. In late 2009, it made an appearance at Gran Turismo PSP as a purchasable car.

My 100のヴィ学: I've been toying around with the R35 for 4 years and still it satisfies me, even with this lighter Spec V variant.

And now, here's a little something I got, the Nissan GT-R Spec-V GT Academy Version!

For academic purposes only, not for
city slicking!

Same specs from the Spec-V, only this time, you'll see the exterior dressed in GT Academy livery. To get this GT Academy Version GT-R Spec V, finish all 10 Super License tests in Gold, that's it.

I guess Godzilla keeps on evolving and learning how to use them all in Gran Turismo 5 is all up to you.

Nissan Skyline Crossover (Infiniti EX)

When the Nissan Skyline is known to other markets as the Infiniti G, it consists of just the sedan and the coupe (and also the convertible variant). Now that kind of Nissan Skyline you've expect here is a crossover variant that was here last year in the world market (as the Infiniti EX) and its coming to Japan as the substitute for the axed Nissan Stagea (the station wagon version of the Skyline). This crossover is known as the Skyline Crossover.





The fusion of the sports car and the sports utility vehicle is the result of creating the premium Japanese crossover that has the essence of luxury and comfort at the same time. As what you've expect, this crossover has the theme of hospitality and it has something that no other crossovers would share. It's the crossover utility vehicle that ends all crossover utility vehicles (and the future visits from other car dealers, except Nissan or Infiniti because they made this).





Just notice the exterior; it's like a whole new fashion statement of elegance and creativity like the famous painters in Japan. The front side is somewhat related to the Nissan Skyline (Infiniti G), then the side is quite a baby "Infiniti FX", and the rear side is quite the Murano-ism because the rear is somewhat mistaken for the Nissan Murano (probably).





While not so morally wrong, you've got to hand it to them; the Skyline Crossover offers the V6 3.7 litre VQ VVEL engine with the estimated power output of 330ps at the fuel economy of 9.1 to 9.7km/L and the available 7-speed automatic transmission as well. With the SUV features from different crossovers seem so bland, the Skyline Crossover tops them all with the essence of performance, quality, handling, style, and the finesse only a Japan-built crossover should offer. Let's not forget the Intelligent All-Wheel Drive that is quite a balancing act for the Skyline Crossover. The Intelligent All-Wheel Drive provides handling control when driver is about to spin the wheels while driving, giving it a 50% of the power distributed to the front wheels to increase grip and handling at such rough conditions. (So that's how they call it a crossover because of the fusion between the sports car and the SUV at the same time!)





Is there too much information about the outside of this crossover? How about take a closer look at the interior, it's quite similar to the Infiniti FX, but it's quite the same as the Nissan Skyline (Infiniti G) for the namesake. To add fun of it, the Around View Monitor (found on the third generation Serena and the Nissan Elgrand) adds parking safety for the Skyline Crossover. It allows you to see the aerial view of your car while parking in reverse. Great when you're conscious about parking safety everywhere. For sound quality, the BOSE 11-speaker premium audio system is a top notch quality for music lovers everywhere. (Here's a little tip: Have your MP3 player connected to the USB port, select the music of your choice, and let the premium sound system creates a realistic effect from your music.) From the seating, the kimono-inspired perfectly crafted front seats add this crossover with the touch of class, while the rear seats can be foldable at all situations.

WHAT CAN I SAY?

Luxuriousness of the luxury car and the sportiness of the sports car, these elements will keep the Skyline Crossover sophisticated with the little charisma from the owners. Although the front seats were kimono styled, the designers for this car are taken too much Takumi-ism and the comfort is quite good as long as the businessman walks inside to this crossover and takes a large cup of coffee inside. For an added bonus, the Around View Monitor adds convenience for the Skyline Crossover as well. With these features, this is sure to be the grand crossover of all crossovers in the world.



Photo: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.