Filed under: Aftermarket, Tuners, Japan, Supercars, Nissan
GT-R tuning update: HKS GT570 package

Click above for a gallery of the HKS Nissan GT-R GT570.
Serious Nissan GT-R tuners aren't coming out of the woodwork – yet – but one of Japan's largest aftermarket firms has thrown its hat into the ring, and to good effect. HKS will begin offering its GT570 kit to consumers in Japan later this year (no word on U.S. distribution) and as it's name implies, output is getting close to the 600 hp mark. The package includes new wastegate actuators for the stock turbos and an electronic boost controller, along with aluminum intercooler piping, silicon hose couplers and straight pipes that replace the stock catalytic converters, reducing back pressure, but negating the GT-R's road-legal status.
All of those tweaks add up to a total of – you guessed it – 570 PS, or 562 hp and 540 lb.-ft. of torque at the wheels. Check the gallery below to see the dyno charts and a few shots of the wastegate and plumbing mods.
Gallery: HKS R35 Nissan GT-R GT570
[Source: SSH and HKS via 2009GTR]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
aaron 3:12PM (9/04/2008)
What's scary that it's only the beginning...
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Todd 3:14PM (9/04/2008)
Godzilla sure does look good in all black!
Corvette owners, just turn in your Vette for a Prius now and save yourself the embarrassment out on the road.
:P
Reply
Yar 3:19PM (9/04/2008)
I really don't think you know what you're talking about. You don't want to open the "aftermarket" door when the General is in the room.
BigMcLargeHuge 3:27PM (9/04/2008)
Why did this have to turn into a flame war?
pmiddle5 3:41PM (9/04/2008)
Thank you for making import fans look like chimps.
BigMcLargeHuge 4:06PM (9/04/2008)
@ pmiddle,
he's nobody's spokesperson. don't overgeneralize.
LMBVette 4:03PM (9/04/2008)
Sure Todd...I'll trade in my Vette for a Prius as soon as you buy a GT-R. ;-)
Franz 4:11PM (9/04/2008)
Yeah, BigMcLargeHuge. I'm a certified import fan, but I'd hate to be grouped with people who make comments like that.
CarbonBlack 8:34PM (9/04/2008)
Todd, I am an import fan, but One can't deny the corvettes tuneability. It is really sad the GTR is taking this long to tune.
Jason 11:03PM (9/04/2008)
Taking this long?
You're joking right? This is NOTHING compared to the forced induction offerings for the 2006+ Miatas. We are just now seeing the first Cosworth kits shipping a couple weeks ago.
BigMcLargeHuge 9:38AM (9/05/2008)
Taken this long? The GT-R started selling in the US on July 7th.
By that time, Japanese aftermarket companies already had springs and exhausts for it. Here's a list of the companies:
Esprit
Powerhouse Amuse
Mines
Blitz
Sunline
HKS
Endless
Top Secret
Cobb released their ECU tuner on August 22nd.
Nismo released their (expensive) kit on August 29th.
HKS released this kit on September 4th, less than 2 months after the car could be purchased here.
You could have bought upgrades for any GT-R purchased in the US the exact same day on GT-RR.com
This thing has taken no time at all to tune in the US. What kind of rediculous time constraints are you expecting them to meet?
CarbonBlack 4:10PM (9/05/2008)
BigMcLargeHuge,
I suppose you are right.
I guess my frustration lies with Nissan, and the electronic nannies and features aimed at reducing tunability.
BigMcLargeHuge 1:59PM (9/06/2008)
CB,
I think that was just so Nissan would be the only one who knew the codes. That way they could charge a rediculous premium for their Nismo parts and there would be no alternatives.
Fortunately, Cobb among others were able to outsmart the computer geeks at Nissan. So now there is plenty of competition. :)
Carlos 3:27PM (9/04/2008)
Hey not cool I sent this tip in yesterday and I get no shout out. I'm insulted.
Reply
Torrent 3:34PM (9/04/2008)
Yeah well I'll thank you AB style....
Thanks to Carlos for the Tip!
Franz 3:37PM (9/04/2008)
Anyone else notice that torque curve? There's over 500 lb ft available from about 28k rpm to about 55k rpm. Nice meaty powerband. And to think that's just with your standard breathing mods. I love turbos...
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Franz 3:39PM (9/04/2008)
Typos on the rpms... can't be 28k & 55k... but you guys know what I mean. ;)
BigMcLargeHuge 4:07PM (9/04/2008)
562whp ~ 660bhp if you believe Nissan's 15% drivetrain loss.
And C&D claimed 420whp for 2 GT-Rs tested on the dyno.
So a solid Stage II will net you 140+ whp. Not bad.
gtrace 3:41PM (9/04/2008)
so looking at the one pic of the straight pipe replacements for the cats....why does it come from two Downpipes it one pipe then back to the exhaust then split back into two pipes after muffler for looks?
routing may be the reason this isn't possible but i would think twin pipes from the DP back to the tips would be beneficial for more power (better breathing)
Reply
xpolarx 5:27PM (9/04/2008)
A few reasons, one being weight-savings. Beyond that, most of the companies putting out GTR exhausts are using Ti. Merging to a single pipe keeps prices from getting too absurd (not that $6k is by any means reasonable...). Also, if you look at the exhaust channel in the underbody, there isn't a lot of extra room for a second pipe. And lastly, you'd have to modify the under tray to accommodate the additional plumbing.