No matter how many times I go to Japan, there is one element of their car culture that never gets old. And that element is: seeing Skylines! Hell, I own a Skyline but I still never get bored of hearing the growl of an RB echoing off the buildings in the downtown Tokyo metropolis. Sometimes it is an old hooptie R32 with dents and stuffed animals hanging off the bumper, but every now and then it is an insanely modified R34 GT-R making me stare. The Japanese are also still very fixated with the R-chassis Skylines and the Tokyo Auto Salon is crammed with the 1990s Nissans even in 2010! One of the great aspects of owning a Skyline is that the aftermarket support is just incredible. You can add sequential gearboxes, active LSDs and even variable valve timing RB heads! When it comes to bodywork though, Final Konnexion has thrown down a serious aero package for the R34, one that made us literally stop in the aisle at TAS 2010 and not say anything while we took it all in. We walked around the vehicle and literally from every angle, our reaction was “whoa.”
The creation of Final Konnexion owner, Akihiro Isikawa this particular Skyline is not a GT-R. It is the rear wheel drive, 2.5L turbo version called the 25GT-t. While purists might complain that this isn’t the flagship, the Skyline is very similar to the Mustang trims here in North America. Sure the Mustang Shelby GT500 might be the flagship, but one trim level down is the Mustang Bullitt that is pretty damn solid too. Then there is the capable GT and lastly, the lowly V6. All Mustangs are not created equal and neither are Skylines, but they all have potential.
The defining aspect of this Final Konnexion kit is that it takes cues from the Nismo Z-Tune GT-R and dramatically exaggerates them. The massive flared Nismo-esque fenders with pressure relief vents bear similarities to the limited Z-Tune, which consists of only 30 units in the whole world. The prototype kit has been crafted to expand the front fenders by 3 inches and the rear fenders by an impressive 4 inches. The sideskirts are made of carbon fibre and feature lower side vents for air to exit. The rear of the car bears a custom rear spats and the front features a GT-R bumper with a carbon fiber lip.
The extra track on both front and rear wheels allow for a more substantial tire to be crammed in there. Up front is an AME Shallen wheel measuring 20 x 9.5-inches with a -9 offset and the rear boasts a 20 x 10-inch -17 offset wheel. With loads of dish, these ultra low offsets get ultra-aggressive with 20mm and 35mm spacers! The custom black and white AME rollers are wrapped with under-sized Toyo T1R tires to keep the fiery Nissan grounded. The correct stance is achieved with the Final Konnexion Stealth coilovers, rocking some custom-spec Swift Springs.
The Brian Crower stickers plastered on the hood definitely mean that the RB25 lurking underneath is far from stock. The entire engine was torn down and rebuilt using the Crower 2.85L stroker kit. The kit features Brian Crower (BC) 87.5mm pistons connected to BC rods and a BC forged crankshaft. The ported and polished head also received a load of BC gear including, upgraded springs, titanium retainers and Stage III cams. The RB25 also features a custom fuel system and breathes though an HPI intake. The spent gases are fed into a Fujisubo Super R header dumping into a Fujisubo Legalis exhaust. The end result is just shy of 700whp with 620lb-ft of torque to shred the rear tires when provoked.
We are not sure at this point if this prototype R34 kit will ever make it to market. With the ability to legally import R34s into Canada only three years away, this could make the inexpensive 25GT-t very attractive. One could argue that this Final Konnexion car trumps the look of a GT-R anyway. With this kind of horsepower on tap and enough space in the wheel wheels to perhaps fit a 315 mm tire, Ishikawa-san and I might just be talking in the future.
ESSENTIALS
Owner Akihiro Ishikawa
Location Tokyo, Japan
Vehicle 1999 Nissan Skyline 25GT-t
Power 690 hp (est.)
ENGINE
RB25DET 2.5L Inline-6 Turbo
ENGINE MODIFICATIONS
HPI Intake
Brian Crower 2.85L Stroker Kit
Brian Crower Forged 79mm Crankshaft
Brian Crower 87.5mm Pistons
Brian Crower 4.783” 625+ connecting rod
Brian Crower Valve Springs
Crian Crower Titanium Retainers
Brian Crower Stage 3 Camshaft
Legalis Super R Headers
Fujitsubo Exhaust System
WHEELS, TIRES, BRAKES
AME Shallen Wheels; 20-9.5-inch -9 (with 20mm spacer) (f), 20-10-inch -17 (with 35mm spacer) (r)
Toyo R1R Tires; 235/30R20 (f), 245/30R20 (r)
SUSPENSION
Final Konnexion “Stealth” Suspension
Swift Springs
EXTERIOR
Final Konnexion Wide Body Kit Prototype
4-inch Wider Rear Fenders
3-inch Wider Front Fenders
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