√Video: 870kW Nissan Skyline race car goes viral after Bathurst blitz
In what could be mistaken as footage from a video game, a Nissan Skyline race car dominated its competitors in a straight line in a race at Bathurst, reportedly setting a new top speed record at Mount Panorama.
A Tasmanian-built Nissan Skyline race car has gone viral on social media platform Twitter after smashing the Mount Panorama Circuit top-speed record while leaving its competitors behind.
As a part of last weekend’s Bathurst 12 Hour motor race, the Combined Sedans support category was competing between qualifying sessions for the main event, with 55 cars from various national competitions racing on the famed Mount Panorama circuit.
In a video of the race start uploaded to Twitter by Mark Whitelegge, the red Nissan Skyline can be seen exiting the first corner in third place – but by the time it gets to the second turn, the following car is almost half the length of the straight behind.
Since the video was uploaded on Sunday evening, it has been viewed more than one million times and liked by approximately 12,000 Twitter users. But what do we actually know about the car?
Holy crap, that thing was GOOOOONE ???????? pic.twitter.com/Dnnjlsdlnu
— Mark Whitelegge (@Mark_Whitelegge) February 5, 2023
As detailed in the race broadcast, the Nissan Skyline is driven by Bradley Sherriff and was built by his Tasmanian speed shop, Racetech Performance.
Based on the R32-generation Nissan Skyline (built from 1989 to 1994), this example started life as the rear-wheel drive GTS-T variant – not the iconic all-wheel drive GT-R – but the connections to the road car all but end there.
In addition to a full roll cage, safety equipment and aerodynamic bodywork, the GTS-T’s 2.0-litre turbocharged six-cylinder engine has been replaced with a twin-turbo 2.6-litre six-cylinder, based on the design GT-R’s ‘RB26’ but made from billet rather than cast iron to withstand the additional power.
According to Racetech Performance, the Nissan Skyline delivers more than 870kW to the rear wheels – almost double the claimed 440kW outputs of the R32 GT-Rs which dominated the Bathurst 1000 in 1991 and 1992.
The Nissan Skyline’s power advantage against its competitors was highlighted in the Combined Sedans race, as it left the purpose-built MARC 2 – which is powered by a circa-450kW V8 engine – in its wake up the straight.
While Mr Sherriff and his Nissan Skyline led the opening laps of the Combined Sedans race, he later crashed into a concrete wall, resulting in a ‘did not finish’ (DNF) result.
However, before Mr Sherriff’s race-ending crash, the circuit’s official timing system recorded the Nissan Skyline achieving a speed of 327km/h down Mount Panorama’s second straight – believed to be a record at the track, according to motorsport publication Auto Action.
However, Mr Sherriff claims the speed of his Skyline has caught the attention of Motorsport Australia – the governing body for motorsport across the country.
In a post on Racetech Performance’s Facebook page, Mr Sherriff says believes the car’s power will be restricted in future events after being contacted by Motorsport Australia – a change which would result in the Tasmanian choosing not to race the Nissan Skyline.
“Thank you to everyone who has reached out and contacted me and taken the time to comment on the many posts regarding my car that I have seen or the guys have shown me over the weekend. I am truly shocked and humbled at the comments,” Mr Sherriff wrote on Racetech Performance’s Facebook page.
“It comes as no surprise to have just been contacted by someone from Motorsport Australia (MA) that I have much respect for with concerns in regard to our cars straight-line handling and its engine’s power output. I can assure you that this week’s priority at MA will mean that the car will be repaired and become a display piece in the shop.
“I understand the concerns with safety and complications with the speeds but when you are running a car based on a stock Nissan driven by a very ordinary driver trying to compete with space frame cars weighing much less against much more talented operators, it’s a game that becomes unattractive to me.”
In a statement, a Motorsport Australia spokesperson reportedly told Auto Action, “there have been no changes to Sports Sedans’ regulations regarding vehicle eligibility. Motorsport Australia may consider changes to ensure all vehicles can run safely at Australian circuits.”
The post Video: 870kW Nissan Skyline race car goes viral after Bathurst blitz appeared first on Drive.
Post a Comment for "√Video: 870kW Nissan Skyline race car goes viral after Bathurst blitz"