There is much speculation about what engine will ultimately power the R35 GT-R. Some say a new I6. Some say a VH-series V8, or a new one unlike anything else out there. Others still insist it will be a VG30 or VQ30 with a huge single turbo. What I wanna know is, which motor should it be?
Yes, I know I'm instigating a war here, but I haven't heard many opinions expressed on this yet. Anybody who has read any of my few posts so far knows I am opinionated and have no trouble speaking my mind. So, here's my take on it.
A big-displacement V8. Not the most typical thing to see in Japanese motorsport. But there is a certain appeal to having a motor that makes the S2000 sound like a baby kitten. It's even more appealing to be able to finally shut up all the pushrod-pushers with a post-medieval eight cylinder. Oh, that'll be the day.
But what about our beloved inline 6? I mean, it allows for some decent displacement, Nissan has already proved it can make a high-revving I6 wih tons of power on tap, and let's not forget these things are highly stable because they effectively cancel their own vibrations without any need for dampening! That huge V8 is gonna need a balancer. It may not seem like a big deal, but we're robbing the engine of some of that power that we gained by moving up to a V8. Remember, this is a Skyline; it's gonna have to rev fairly high, so we're talking some serious vibrations. This has to be a consideration. I think the I6 has too many plusses to ignore.
Ah yes, the wonderful 3-liter (or maybe 3.5) V6. A staple for 3000+ lbs. Nissans. The idea of using a VG30DETT seems a little technologically backwards to me, but we do know what these can do. There are still 300ZXTTs upping the ante on horsepower. I don't know what the highest figures are, but I know of street cars with over 600 hp at the wheels! The VQ motors are also highly capable, and we have barely scratched the surface of what forced induction can do for them. These are viable options for the GT-R, but I don't really like them. The geek in me wants to see some spanking-new tech on this thing. But if you want to use a tried-and-true motor that you already know how to tune out the wazoo... can anybody say RBX-GT2? 400hp, redlines at 10k, what more do you want? And it's still streetable; torque peaks at 4400 RPM, just like the VQ35 in current Altima and Maxima, but 100 ft/lbs the richer!
And what about a 4 cylinder??? Just kidding. Although I am fully aware of what you can pull out of a Nissan 4-banger... it's a Skyline!
Ultimately, it will come down to what Renault decides is best. Sheesh, I really hate that. Since they seem to want every car Nissan makes to use a VQ, I won't be surprised if one shows up in the R35. But let's pretend none of that matters; what do YOU want it to be and why?