The strongest and fastest Kurosawa Racing GT-R replica
Since its shocking debut, the Nissan “Skyline 2000GT-R,” the first generation equipped with the “S20” special engine, has taken the racing world by storm with its “glorious 50 wins” strength. Legendary drivers such as Motoharu Kurosawa and Kunimitsu Takahashi led the machine, which is still called “Hakosuka” and is still a legend, to racing glory. Concerning such legendary machines and racers, we asked the owner of a Hakoska GT-R racer replica to introduce his favorite car.
Hakosuka GT-R, 50 glorious victories
In August 1968, the Nissan “Skyline” was fully remodeled from the S57 model to the C10 model, and in February 1969, the “Skyline 2000GT-R” was added. The engine prepared for the newly born first-generation GT-R was the “S20” special engine, which was a descendant of the GR8 engine installed in the racing prototype R380. The R380 is widely known for defeating Porsche, which was unbeatable in races at the time.
The first generation GT-R was equipped with the same power unit as the R380, the S20 engine, which was an in-line 6-cylinder DOHC with 24 valves, the ultimate advanced mechanism at the time. With a bore of 82mm and stroke of 62.8mm, it displaced 1989cc, and combined with a Solex carburetor, it produced a high power output of 160ps. This was the start of the tradition that “It’s not a GT-R unless it has six cylinders.
The car made its racing debut on May 3, 1969. The first race was the JAF Grand Prix held at Fuji Speedway, where the works GT-R defeated the rival Toyota “1600GT” in a memorable debut win. This was the first step toward the “50 glorious victories.
Thereafter, in the history of the battle that began with the Japanese Grand Prix, modifications such as full injection specifications and works over fenders were added, and the glorious 50 victories were marked while continuing heated battles such as the Race de Nippon and Fuji International 200-mile races. The road to these 50 wins was a difficult one, but much of the glory was due to the achievements of legendary racers such as Motoharu Kurosawa, Kunimitsu Takahashi, and Masahiro Hasemi, all of whom we know very well.
Racer replica made from a real GT-R
Led by a racer who accomplished such a feat, Mr. Kanayama, who lives in Yamanashi Prefecture, built a GC racer from a rare KPGC10 Skyline GT-R. There are many Hakosuka cars out there that have been made as racer replicas, with nostalgic memories of those days. However, there are only a few that have been built as replicas of the real GT-R, and they are very rare and precious. Therefore, Mr. Kanayama’s perfectly finished machine strongly conveys his commitment to convey forever the era when the GT-R reigned as the absolute champion in racing.
GC race fans will recognize the livery of Kanayama’s beloved GT-R, which was built in respect of the famous driver Motoharu Kurosawa, who was always involved in the battle for the top positions on his way to 50 victories, and also engaged in fierce battles with Kunimitsu Takahashi of the same team. Although this is not well known, Mr. Kurosawa was once a development test driver for the Hakosuka GT-R. Although the world is generally known to Mr. Kunimitsu Takahashi, the commemorative driver who recorded his 50th victory, it is well known to those who know the race and the Hakoska GT-R well that the longest and deepest association with Mr. Kurosawa is with Mr. Motoharu Kurosawa.
The strongest and fastest street machine
Mr. Kanayama created his own Hakosuka GT-R out of respect for such a legendary man and machine. The red-and-white legendary machine, including the coloring, is built to public road specifications.
While the reproduction of the car as a replica is a wonderful accomplishment, Kanayama’s particular focus was not only on the appearance, but he also paid particular attention to the mechanism inside the car. The S20 engine, which is equipped with a Solex φ44mm carburetor, is a fully tuned unit with head tuning, port polishing, recess modification, and other mechanical tuning. The tacho is a one-off stainless steel unit, and of course, it is of equal length. The transmission was replaced with an R32 Type M transmission, and the drivetrain was reinforced with an OS metal clutch and mechanical LSD to ensure that the car can demonstrate its potential not only on the street but also on the race circuit.
Mr. Kanayama’s Hakosuka Racing GT-R has been tuned to be more than a serious race machine, and as the strongest and fastest street machine, this car has an extraordinary special aura about it.
translated by DeepL