Followers of the Japanese time attack scene will no doubt recognize the familiar front bumper of the Autech Tsukada GT-R. With a simple, functional exterior and blistering performance from both the engine and the aerodynamic package, the Autech cars perform well just about anywhere they go. In this video, the Autech – or ATTKD, for short – time attack machine puts down a series of blistering laps around the fast and demanding Fuji Speedway.
Fuji’s long straightaways reward cars with plenty of punch, and the ATTKD GT-R does not fall short in the propulsion department. With a stroked RB26 making somewhere around 650 whp, it’s not lacking any top-end grunt. However, it’s the way that this car delivers and maintains that thrust that makes it so effective in a variety of corners. By increasing displacement to 2.8 liters and utilizing a set of smaller turbos instead of a larger single, the car develops respectable levels of power low down in the rev range, which helps it launch out of corners. After all, if four wheel-drive is most effective at slower speeds, wouldn’t the wise tuner develop an engine to capitalize on this strength?
Remaining within the powerband is ensured thanks to a well-matched set of gears and a Holinger six-speed sequential transmission. The pump-action gearbox allows for extremely quick shifts, which increase the terminal speed at the end of Fuji’s long straights by a significant margin. Wherever time can be found, ATTKD have nabbed it.
Typical for a GT-R, the car appears easy to drive, despite the amount of torque on tap. However, the downforce and silky-smooth power delivery make it hyper-competent, and not once does the driver have to catch an unforeseen slide. Only in the middle of some longer corners does the car exhibit a bit of power-oversteer, but only enough to help rotate the heavyweight Skyline to trace a tighter line through the corner. Made to rule the racetrack, the GT-R’s strengths are only improved upon in this versatile racer.