Suited Assassin | Kenji's Nissan GTR

Throughout my time photographing and documenting automobiles, I have been asked numerous times by friends and fans alike. They ask me why do I rarely feature R35 GTRs? Despite the undeniable popularity of the R35 GTR, it has came to a certain point where being in close proximity of an R35 GTR has became a frequent occurrence. It has came to a point where as a car blogger, I won't even look at an R35 twice. With all due respect, why would a person share something that can be seen everyday? This also brings me to another question, what kind of GTR would be considered special?

 
Luckily, there are GTRs that in my point of view can be considered special. After attending the Zerotohundred Time To Attack event back in October 2015, it came to my attention when it was announced that this street legal R35 GTR was able to clock 2 minutes and 17 seconds lap on the Sepang International Circuit. Compared to the record  held by a full fledged time attack car, the difference is only less than 5 seconds which is absolutely mental. It wasn't until some time later on when I had a chance to ride along in this R35 which really blew my mind. Despite the ridiculous lap record it holds, how the car rides on track strangely comfortable for a GTR. Is this even possible?

As a seasoned gearhead, Kenji has been driving on track for a good number of years now. When it comes to how his car is being set up, it is clear to see he is very particular when it comes to the car's overall balance. Previously before the GTR, he was already performing on track very well with his fully loaded S15 Silvia. In 2009, he decided to try out a new platform to take on track, so purchased an R35 GTR from a close friend to become his new track toy. At first, it was only tuned up around 600 horsepower. After 4 years of track usage, the GTR's transmission broke.

Due to the broken transmission, the GTR was brought to Garage R in Singapore to replace the transmission. So they replaced it with a more robust HKS built transmission for the GTR. That's when they decided to rip apart and rebuild the VR38 motor from the ground up. The recipe they chose was the HKS GT1000 kit for the VR38. It starts of with a bigger displacement of 4.1 liters on the bottom end. After that, they bolted on all the other remaining parts on the motor from the twin GT II 7867 turbines to the iconic HKS intake manifold that you will see on top of the motor.

 For a GTR, Kenji's GTR maintains a very subtle yet pleasing appearance. According to him, he stresses that despite the four figure power output, he wants to keep the GTR as streetable as possible. Up to the point where he can drive the GTR to work on a daily basis. Among one of the factors why he chose the R35 GTR as a tuning platform is because the GTR has the ability to be a dual personality car. Something similar to Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde. He can cruise in the city and have a civilized chat with his passenger but when he puts his foot down, the GTR's character changes to a whole different animal.

When it comes the time where the GTR has to be presentable, Kenji made sure that the trim and the exterior was up to his benchmark. Due to dashboard cracking, he sent the GTR to AutoDetailer Studio to refurbish the dashboard. The dashboard was refinished with alcantara whereas the steering wheel was rewrapped with nappa leather gives a better feel for the driver. Of course, Kenji never forgets to have the exterior detailed every now and then which explains why the GTR looks like a million bucks despite the subtle exterior.

After taking a much detailed look at this GTR and the amount of work that has been put into it, it is very clear to see that unlike the majority of R35 GTRs that are on the streets today, this GTR is a beautifully built and pampered machine. This is the kind of modified car that is worth the appreciation due to the amount of thought that was put in in order to build this GTR. It proves a point where a full on street car can perform just as well, if not better than a purpose built track car while maintaining its standard equipment luxuries that come with it from the factory. Although the R35 GTR has become a common sight on the streets today, this GTR is totally in a league of it's own.

TUNING MENU:
Owner: Ling Kenji
Model: 2008 Nissan GTR R35
Location: Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

ENGINE:
3.8L VR38DETT V6,
HKS VR41 4.1L Full Engine Kit,
HKS Step 2 Camshafts,
HKS Valve Springs,
HKS Full Metal Gasket,
HKS M45HL Spark Plugs,
HKS GT1000 Spec Intercooler,
HKS High Flow Intake Manifold,
HKS Racing Suction Kit,
HKS Race Spec Exhaust,
HKS GT1000 Turbo Kit (GT II 7867 Twin Turbos),
ARP Head Studs,
AMS Main Studs,
AMS Fuel Rail,
AMS Anti Surge Tank,
ATI Super Damper,
Cosworth Engine Bearings,
Forge Motorsports UK Radiator,
Forge Motorsport UK Pressure Reserve Tank,
HKS DCT and Differential Oil Cooler,
Billion Racing Coolant,
HKS Racing Oil,
Syvecs R35 GTR ECU,

DRIVETRAIN:
6 speed dual clutch automatic,
HKS GR6 Built Transmission,
HKS GR6 8-Plate Clutch,
Dodson Motorsports Sensors,
Gear Selector Shafts,
Transmission Pan Filter,
Willall Racing Transmission Bracket,

SUSPENSION, CHASSIS AND BRAKES:
HKS Hipermax 4 Coilovers,
Dodson Morotsports Upper Front Arms,
Dodson Motorsports Rear Lower Tow Arms,
Dodson Motorsports Rear Lower Camber Arms,
Megan Racing Adjustable Rear Traction Rods,
HKS Kansai Anti Roll Bars,
Dixcel Specom-A Brake Pads,
Dixcel Type FS Rotors,
Endless RF-650 Brake Fluids,
Girodisc Titanium Brake Pad Shims,
HKS Kansai Brake Cooling Ducts,

WHEELS AND TIRES:
Advan Racing GT Premium Wheels 20 x 12jj Offset  +20,
Pirelli P-Zero Trofeo R 305/30/20 (all round),

EXTERIOR:
Aeromotions Front Splitter,
C-West Wide Front Fenders,
Difflow Element 5 Rear Diffuser,
Espirit GT Wing 262,
AutoDetailer Studio Signature Detailing,

INTERIOR:
AutoDetailer Studio Alcantara Dashboard And Door Reupholstery,
AutoDetailer Studio Nappa Leather Steering Wheel Reupolstery,
Bride Stradia 2 Seats,
HKS EVC Boost Controller,

SPECIAL THANKS TO:
Garage R, Singapore,
AutoDetailer Studio, Petaling Jaya,
Exquisite Marques, Kuala Lumpur,

BONUS IMAGES

Race Use Only | Shawn's Track Ready EK9

For people who love cars, some would consider us as full grown kids. As ridiculous as it sounds, there is some truth to that fact. Despite being adults, we still break parts, bend rules and once in a while hoon around just for the sake of a good laugh. But at least it shows we have more fun than the average Joe of the same age. In most cases, the families closest to us still allow us tinkering and have fun with our cars but not many will directly push us like a coach. With that kind of support, who knows what will be the outcome since the possibility is endless.

Some time ago, I was invited by a custom bike builder known as Shawn to come over to his house on the north side of Kuala Lumpur. According to him, he has a Honda Civic Type R in his driveway that he and his dad uses to compete in the MSF Racing Series in Sepang. Previously known as the SNF series, it is a local racing league that mostly cater to privateers who wish to compete in a full on race environment on track. So due to the requirements, a competitor would have a light tuned, street chassis car that is equipped with a race cage.

Shawn first got into serious track racing when his dad first took him to the Malaysian Super Series race in Sepang. Then in 2009, his dad got him into serious racing which brought him to compete in the Yamaha SL Cup. It was from then on, Shawn continues to be nurtured and become the track racer he is today. However, Shawn is more known to be a home based custom bike builder under the name Shawn Seelan Creations. He started Shawn Seelan Creations back in 2014 which primarily revolves around restoring and customizing bikes from Vespas to Honda Cub bikes. It wasn't until the end of 2015, his dad suggested to use the name for their racing team to compete in the MSF series.

The platform chosen was a track ready Civic EK9 that they already started building since a few years back. The chassis they had was still equipped with a B16B motor that came with the car from factory. It took a good 5-6 years for them to source the right parts for the almost empty shell. This probably explains why the EK9 is using a meter cluster from an automatic transmission Civic. The toughest part of the build for them was perfecting the car's performance on track for the last two years so that the Civic is capable to adapt in any condition on track.

Under the skin, the B16B motor is running on a compression of 14.2 with 86 mm CP Racing pistons on the bottom end. The head has also been port and polished and runs on Toda 316 degree full race camshafts. Final drive has also been changed to 4.533. For the handling, the Civic is equipped with JIC Magic coilover suspension and full chassis braces. The chassis is also equipped with a 6 point roll cage and the glass windows have been replaced with lighter perspex. At the moment, this Civic currently holds a personal best track time of 2'37"40 on Sepang.

As of now, Shawn has placed a new target to clock a time under 2 minutes and 36 seconds on Sepang. So in order to hit that target, Shawn plans to get more seat time to improve his driving with the existing car they have. In a case of future plans for the car, there is not much left to do to it with the current setup. However, the team has planned to have the motor swapped for a Honda K-Series motor since they see the potential the car has with the extra power.

After my visit at their family home, it's nice to see a father son team to go together and share the same strong passion they have towards anything that runs on an engine. Not as dysfunctional as something you see on American Chopper but the rides they produce is definitely something they can and should be proud of. Even though custom bikes is what they are best known for, but with the joint know how they have, they can also build one serious race car.

TUNING MENU
Owner: Shawn Seelan
Model: 1999 Honda Civic Type R EK9
Location: Sentul, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

ENGINE:
1.6L B16B Inline-4,
86mm CP RAcing Pistons (14.2 compression),
Stage 3 Port And Polished Heads,
Toda Full Race 316 Camshafts,
Koyorad Radiator,
Custom Overflow Tank,
Works Fuel Regulator,
AEM Fuel Rail,
Bosch Dual Fuel Pumps,
Jasma 4-1 Exhaust Manifold,
Rimus Racing Rear Muffler,
Skunk2 Intake,
GReddy eManage Blue ECU,

DRIVETRAIN:
5 speed manual,
4.533 Final Drive,
Ogura Clutch,

SUSPENSION, CHASSIS AND BRAKES:
JIC Magic Coilovers,
Spot Welded Chassis,
Full Custom Bracing,
6-Point Roll Cage,
DC2 Front Brakes,
Stock Rear Brakes,

WHEELS AND TIRES:
Spoon Sports SW388 15 x 6.5jj Offset +42 (all round),
Silverstone FTZ T5 195/50/15 (all round),

EXTERIOR:
Perpex Windows,
Ganador Side Mirrors,

INTERIOR:
Bride Full Bucket Driver Seat,
Willians Harness,
Autometer Pro Comp Ultra Lite Tachometer,
Custom Switch Panel,

BONUS IMAGES