USE PRO GOES AMAZING

amazing_main

“He told us not to send him any pictures of the car or get into too much detail with what we were doing,” says Tym Switzer, explaining the motivation behind the USE Pro PKG. “He just said he wanted to be amazed.”

To most builders, a customer who opens their checkbook and asks to be amazed is a dream client. To Tym Switzer, the head of Oberlin, Ohio-based Switzer Performance and one of the most sought-after builders of high-performance turbocharged engines in the country, however, “amazing” is a challenge.

“A few years ago, I think it would have been easier,” says Tym, as we talk about the build and the client’s unusual request. “We built the original Ultimate Street Edition to amaze people. It’s a 1000 HP GTR that runs 9 second passes all day long and that’s still truly street-able. Two or three years ago, we could’ve shipped out a USE and called it a day. We’ve come so far, though, someone who’s been paying attention to the market wants even more than that.”

It’s true. Even a few years ago, a car that could be driven to the track, lay down an 8 second 1/4 mile time, then be driven home was virtually unheard of. Today? Tym’s built several- and the cars are far from being highly-specialized, one-hit-wonders. In their most aggressive trims, these street-legal cars are capable of dicing with some of the most aggressive trackday cars in the world on their way to top speeds in excess of 250 MPH.

Tym knows those cars well, and so does his client. What, then, would be able to meet that challenge and be truly “amazing”?

“To really amaze me in 2015,” said Tym, thoughtfully “I’d need to get the same type of performance we’re getting out of the E1K-X cars. Not just in terms of horsepower and acceleration, but that same ability to carve up a canyon road and really shine on a racetrack. I’d have to get all of that, and still have the car be comfortable enough to be a daily driver without the suspension rattling my teeth or the exhaust waking up the neighbors. I’d want it to be all of the above, but still be a usable car, too. That would impress me.”

That was the thinking behind the “amazing” Switzer-built R35 Nissan GTR USE Pro you see here.

The USE Pro’s Switzer-built engine develops 1100 horsepower to the wheels on readily-available E85, which is delivered via a tightly monitored and precisely controlled standalone engine management system calibrated and co-developed by Tym Switzer, himself. A Switzer-modified transmission fitted with reinforced parts and additional cooling system is ready to stand up to whatever power demands are eventually placed on the drivetrain, while strengthened axles and reinforced diffs get that engine’s power to the ground. Helping all that power to effectively move the car forward is a set of Switzer ST12 wheels wrapped in super-sticky Michelin Pilot Cup Super Sport tires.

When the time comes for the USE Pro GTR to throw out the anchors, a set of Switzer-developed nano-carbon brake pads grip massive, 400 mm brake discs to haul the car down from speed. Stainless steel brake lines and a motorsports-grade, high temperature brake fluid work to ensure that brake feel and performance is consistent stop after stop, without fade.

That’s starting and stopping handled, but this is supposed to be a car that does it all.

To that end, Switzer’s team fitted the USE Pro GTR with an electronically-adjustable Bilstein suspension system to keep the car even more level than the “corners like it’s on rails” factory R35. Aiding the suspension in keeping the car settled is an aggressive aerodynamic bodykit from Top Racing that features a road course style front bumper, side skirts, and functional rear under spoiler. On the rear deck, a towering APR GTC500 wing generates the massive amounts of downforce necessary to keep the car stable at more than 200 MPH.

“It looks a lot like the Boulder Nissan car we built a few years back,” says Tym. “Maybe not quite as raw, but that extra bit of polish is totally appropriate for a street car, which is what this is.”

A similar theme of polished rawness carries through to the cockpit of Switzer’s creation. A bolt-in roll cage and 5-point harness system mounted to a set of HANS-equipped Sparco sport seats set the mood, but the car’s full interior, alcantara trim, and climate control and audio systems give it just enough luxe to make the space seem inviting enough for the drive-thru lane.

“This is one of those rare machines that can really do it all,” explains Tym. But is it enough to “amaze” the client? “I don’t want to speak for him,” laughs Tym. “All I can say is that I think this car would exceed a lot of people’s expectations of what’s possible from a GTR.”

You can learn more about the Ultimate Street Edition and USE Pro PKG Nissan GTRs from Switzer Performance by visiting their website, or visiting their sprawling manufacturing facility in Oberlin, Ohio.

 

PROFESSIONAL GRADE POWER


amazing_main
Switzer USE Pro PKG
Caption
Switzer USE Pro PKG GTR
Switzer USE Pro PKG
Caption
Switzer USE Pro PKG GTR
Switzer USE Pro PKG
Caption
1100 HP Switzer-built Engine
Switzer USE Pro PKG
Caption
Race-ready Interior
Switzer USE Pro PKG
Caption
Switzer Performance Wheels
Switzer USE Pro PKG GTR Rolling Home
Caption
Switzer USE Pro PKG GTR Rolling Home

 

Comments are closed.