"The name: It's plural of mine. I thought 'Mine's' would be better than answering, 'Niikura'. I designed the logo myself. I like simple and cool designs. I like simple cool designs, that's why my cars aren't always decked out. "
You may or may not know the name Niikura Michizo, but you definitely know the name Mine's. Born in 1952 in Hayama, Japan, Michizo is the man responsible for the Japanese tuning house that has developed some of the fastest GT-Rs in the world. Niikura-san's long love of the GT-R began in his teens when his father gave him a hand-me-down Skyline—nice dad, huh? His first “new” car was a Celica GT-S.
While in high school he maintained a huge interest in motorbikes as well as cars. It was at Isho College that he'd further develop into a forward-thinking engineer and tuner. Almost right after college Michizo joined Bridgestone and there he remained for 12 years, moonlighting the last few years to start up Mine's. Rather than blowing the money on sake and women, he wisely invested his earnings at Bridgestone to buy the necessary equipment to make sure that his shop would be more than just a lift and an air compressor.
"The name: It's plural of mine. I thought 'Mine's' would be better than answering, 'Niikura'. I designed the logo myself. I like simple and cool designs. I like simple cool designs, that's why my cars aren't always decked out. "
You may or may not know the name Niikura Michizo, but you definitely know the name Mine's. Born in 1952 in Hayama, Japan, Michizo is the man responsible for the Japanese tuning house that has developed some of the fastest GT-Rs in the world. Niikura-san's long love of the GT-R began in his teens when his father gave him a hand-me-down Skyline—nice dad, huh? His first “new” car was a Celica GT-S.
While in high school he maintained a huge interest in motorbikes as well as cars. It was at Isho College that he'd further develop into a forward-thinking engineer and tuner. Almost right after college Michizo joined Bridgestone and there he remained for 12 years, moonlighting the last few years to start up Mine's. Rather than blowing the money on sake and women, he wisely invested his earnings at Bridgestone to buy the necessary equipment to make sure that his shop would be more than just a lift and an air compressor.
After Bridgestone you established Mine's. What concept did you have in mind?
Simple is best. A well-balanced car that stops, turns and can go fast. Another thing, I like to do things that my competitors don't and can't do. I like to do things fast. I like to build [my products and cars] quickly and be on time. I hate to be slower than anyone else. Tuning doesn't have regulations like motorsports, but my thing is to be faster than the cars that are fully decked out like motorsports cars. The parts I develop are for my customers, but they also have to function and be good for the car. I want to keep my parts as realistic attainable tuning parts for consumers. It's easy to build a bigger displacement engine, but how many people do that? Which leads to keeping it simple.
I learned a lot in my younger years. I had been involved with motorsports and worked with them when I was younger. I wanted to learn; the whole experience was a learning process. Teams are just there to win. I wanted to absorb what was available to me from motorsports. And I've put what I've learned in that experience into my tuning and products. From R32 to beginning of R34 I was prety much went to every race in the Super Taikyu series.
You must have become very familiar with the series, but also the development of racing and products. How do you use R&D to develop your products?
To develop my parts I would actually get into races and test my products. I do a lot of tenstive on-track testing privately. Testing, R&D you don't necessarily have to go full throttle for a race distance. That's not what's needed for R&D. What I've striving for is not the ultimate speed or quickness or time. It's actually drivability, or driving pleasure. It has to do with feeling comfortable while you're driving, what the driver feels. You Have to feel good, safe about the feel of the vehicle. That's a lot deeper than just speed or horsepower.
Tell us about the GT-R legacy and why you've chosen to continually developer the Skyline.
Long ago it was known as a very good car and the one to tune. And that's what I was attracted to. I was attracted to the potential of the GT-R and because it was difficult to tune. For the US, I'm really looking forward to releasing parts for the Z and the new 2008 Nissan GT-R. I want to open a shop in LA and have that be my US headquarters. Sometime next year.
What are your thoughts on the new VQ38 versus the older RB26?
They're completely diferent engines, of course, but they're both GT-R motors. They're great motors. Even if the new engine isn't an RB, I can tune it. I'm not worried. As a characterisics of the car, I don't think it's the type of car you just want to max out the horsepower on. The characteristic of the new GT-R won't be to boost the engine power, but to increase the total factor of the car a little higher. With the VQ it's an advancement of technology using an aluminum blocking, compact V- engine. I have no worries about the engine, because it's been developed by one of the best engineers at Nissan. I'm confident it's a good engine to start with.
And what about the old GT-R versus the new one?
In Japan a lot of people say that the R33 isn't an exact successor to the first-generation GT-R, it's not an improvement, neither is the R34 to the R33. Neither is the R35 to the R34. They have all their own characterisitics. Some good and bad. Some people like the R32 better etc. So all four of them would have different characteristrics.
What is your philosophy on design and how does that factor into the looks of the new GT-R?
I think overall the design concept or deisgn character is similar to the R32 and R33. The R34 is a sportier looking car. And that's your first impression. Whereas the R32 and R33 and new GT-R is design more or less than grows on you. The GT-R and Ferrari are two different cars. The GT-R enthusiasts wouldn't accept the GT-R to be like the Ferrari and neither are the designers trying to imitate Ferrari—contrary to what some people may think. The debut of the R32 is very similar to the current vehicle. But even now the R32 is the most popular Skyline of all time.
Who do you see purchasing the new GT-R and what rivals does it have in Japan and in Europe?
I don't think, at this point, there are any rivals to the GT-R in Japan. If it's not limited to Japanese cars it'd be Porsche and BMW. I think the buyer would probably increase a little bit in terms of age, higher than before.
Moving onto a slightly different topic, you've been in just about every version of Sony'sGran Turismo. Is Mine's in the next GT?
350Z and the GT-R will be in the new Gran Turismo. When I get the new GT-R, I assume it'll be in the game, too. I'm looking forwad to getting involved with the game again. I work closely with Yamauchi-san, I know him very well and ensure that my vehicles feel like they should in the game. The production study of the game it's very intense, very precise. They use a lot of laser scanning devices to scan the whole car. I do give input of the sound of the car and all other parameters.
Monday, June 30, 2008
Secrets Revealed! Nissan Gt-r Acceleration Technique
Nissan GT-R – The Secret Revealed
The production version of the Nissan GT-R debuted at the 2007 Tokyo Motor Show and was launched in the Japanese market December 2007. The U.S. launch is scheduled for June 2008. Europe will be the third market for the GT-R, where it is expected to be launched late 2008. Production will be held to about 1,000 cars per month. Sony PlayStation's "Gran Turismo (series)"Gran Turismo creators "Polyphony Digital"Polyphony Digital were involved in the development of the Nissan GT-R by designing the performance car’s multifunction display. This powerful performance automobile was a legend even before production started, thanks in part to this popular car racing video game.
Underground car racing trials from Japan report that the 2009 Nissan GT-R boasts a 0-60 of 3.5 seconds with the aid of launch control, technological wizardry that Nissan has been keeping secret. It has an 11.7-second quarter mile with a 192 mph top speed; a true performance car. The price, less than $70,000 for the base and Black Edition, makes it a reachable dream for the upper middleclass car racing enthusiast. The larger-displacement 3.8-liter twin-turbo V6 produces approximately 450 horsepower; and makes for exciting car racing on videos.
Activation of the Nissan GT-R's launch control is a matter of configuring the transmission, dynamics control and damping adjustments properly. Then you pin the brake with your left foot and throttle with your right like the technique used to produce burnouts in those monster performance cars of byegone times. The results are somewhat different though. The GT-R‘s computer holds the engine at 4,500 rpm waiting for your foot to let off the brake pedal. When you do the GT-R accelerates faster than virtually any production performance car in the world. It is comparable to the Porsche 911 Turbo which hits 60 mph in 3.4 seconds and blasts through the quarter-mile in 11.6 at 118.5 mph.
Audi S4 Luxury and Performance
Spy photographers spotted the next Audi S4 out for underground testing. Based on the Audi A4 that debuted at the Frankfurt Motor Show, the new S4 promises even more performance than the previous model. While the front bumper remains unchanged a few subtle changes can be seen. Audi's signature chrome side mirrors found on Audi S models are also absent. Compared to the A4, the new S4 has bigger wheels and brakes, new side skirts and quad-exhaust. Powering the S4 will be a 354 horsepower V8. Mechanically, the S4 is expected to be identical to the S5.The 2008 S4 has a base price of $48,610 which keeps it affordable to the upper middleclass performance enthusiast and it is likely the new S4 will be in the same price range.
It has been reported that the new Audi S4 runs at 11.37 @ 122.43 MPH at the drag strip. Looking more like a luxury car than a racing car, the S4’s performance and power are hard to beat. The Audi S4 will use the S5’s 4.2-litre FSI V8 engine that delivers 354 Hp (compared to 340 Hp of the current S4’s 4.2L V8). Power will be transferred to all wheels via a six-speed manual or automatic gearbox. The new S4 is anticipated to get a slight power boost to keep its rivals including BMW at bay. In usual Audi fashion, the range-topping S-models are equipped with the Quattro four-wheel drive technology.
The production version of the Nissan GT-R debuted at the 2007 Tokyo Motor Show and was launched in the Japanese market December 2007. The U.S. launch is scheduled for June 2008. Europe will be the third market for the GT-R, where it is expected to be launched late 2008. Production will be held to about 1,000 cars per month. Sony PlayStation's "Gran Turismo (series)"Gran Turismo creators "Polyphony Digital"Polyphony Digital were involved in the development of the Nissan GT-R by designing the performance car’s multifunction display. This powerful performance automobile was a legend even before production started, thanks in part to this popular car racing video game.
Underground car racing trials from Japan report that the 2009 Nissan GT-R boasts a 0-60 of 3.5 seconds with the aid of launch control, technological wizardry that Nissan has been keeping secret. It has an 11.7-second quarter mile with a 192 mph top speed; a true performance car. The price, less than $70,000 for the base and Black Edition, makes it a reachable dream for the upper middleclass car racing enthusiast. The larger-displacement 3.8-liter twin-turbo V6 produces approximately 450 horsepower; and makes for exciting car racing on videos.
Activation of the Nissan GT-R's launch control is a matter of configuring the transmission, dynamics control and damping adjustments properly. Then you pin the brake with your left foot and throttle with your right like the technique used to produce burnouts in those monster performance cars of byegone times. The results are somewhat different though. The GT-R‘s computer holds the engine at 4,500 rpm waiting for your foot to let off the brake pedal. When you do the GT-R accelerates faster than virtually any production performance car in the world. It is comparable to the Porsche 911 Turbo which hits 60 mph in 3.4 seconds and blasts through the quarter-mile in 11.6 at 118.5 mph.
Audi S4 Luxury and Performance
Spy photographers spotted the next Audi S4 out for underground testing. Based on the Audi A4 that debuted at the Frankfurt Motor Show, the new S4 promises even more performance than the previous model. While the front bumper remains unchanged a few subtle changes can be seen. Audi's signature chrome side mirrors found on Audi S models are also absent. Compared to the A4, the new S4 has bigger wheels and brakes, new side skirts and quad-exhaust. Powering the S4 will be a 354 horsepower V8. Mechanically, the S4 is expected to be identical to the S5.The 2008 S4 has a base price of $48,610 which keeps it affordable to the upper middleclass performance enthusiast and it is likely the new S4 will be in the same price range.
It has been reported that the new Audi S4 runs at 11.37 @ 122.43 MPH at the drag strip. Looking more like a luxury car than a racing car, the S4’s performance and power are hard to beat. The Audi S4 will use the S5’s 4.2-litre FSI V8 engine that delivers 354 Hp (compared to 340 Hp of the current S4’s 4.2L V8). Power will be transferred to all wheels via a six-speed manual or automatic gearbox. The new S4 is anticipated to get a slight power boost to keep its rivals including BMW at bay. In usual Audi fashion, the range-topping S-models are equipped with the Quattro four-wheel drive technology.
How To Show Support The Sport Of Formula D Racing
If you are a fan of then this is for you. Even though just became famous recently it is a wide sport that is enjoyed by many. Some people are still like what is the answer is the best sport on the planet. Drifting still needs more people there are only a handful of pro drivers out there.
Sometimes these drifters over analyze everything they do and sometimes results in crashes. Other people think that it takes too much to get started. All you need to do to help out the sport is be a fan of it. That's all you have to do just love the sport. Even though fans are important to sports many times the fans want to become something better then just a fan of the sport they love to watch.
The best way to learn about and to get better at it is to watch the live events and watch NOPI too. All you need to have is the racing channels on your TV then your set. You are going to need G4TV to watch live events on TV. You just need to try and get as many channels on your TV that host these events so they will start to put more and more on the market. People need to hear about D events.
When it comes to TV and cable if nobody watch some channels they will take it off the air. That is why more and more people need to watch these channels or order them because the sport needs to grow. Before they can put more channels on more people need to buy and watch the ones that are already in the system. Higher ratings of a station or channel are the only ways that you can get more of the same channel that you want.
As you can sit at home and watch the events on TV more and more people are wanted to attend the events live so they can get more publicity. Perhaps the only problem about this little hitch is that the live events that people can attend only happen in certain places at certain times of the year. These places are usually California, Georgia, and a few others. If you happen to be in an area where one of these events is going down then you should go because it is a rarity. After getting into all the action and all that you will find out these events are very affordable for everyone except the people that are crashing the cars.
As you can already see there are a number of ways that you can get involved with so go out and get started. So if you are reading this and you are a fan chances are that you have or will attend events. Many people have already attended events live and many haven't so spread the word about .
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