EMPIRE PERFORMANCE NISSAN GT-R

The Empire Performance Nissan GT-R is the basis for our R35 platform development here in Australia. We have teamed up with Perth’s premier Japanese performance garage Galvsport to deliver bolt-on packages that are not only meticulously researched but also tested in the real world.

The Empire Performance R35 started out life as a completely standard Australian-delivered car, which was tested thoroughly in its stock form as a base for future comparisons.

Completely standard, the car reeled off an impressive 416whp and shot down the ¼ mile in 11.7 seconds, crossing the line at 117mph (188km/h). Even without adjusting the tire pressures from daily-driven duties this resulted in a 0-100km/h time of 3.31 seconds.

Already a stout package from the factory, improving the R35 requires careful modification to ensure the performance, drivability and reliability are not compromised in any way.

Over 12 months, the development of the car has progressed in leaps and bounds, with each step carefully monitored and tested.

Once the baseline had been set, the Empire Performance Stage 1 upgrade package was installed. This cost-effective upgrade resulted in mind-boggling performance gains. With only the addition of the Empire Performance Stage 1 upgrade package, the car’s performance was boosted from 416whp to 488whp; a gain of 72whp!

Included in the Empire Performance Stage 1 package is the option to equip 2009 and 2010 Australian delivered R35’s with launch control; a feature previously unavailable to this model. Using the COBB AccessPort the transmission was upgraded to the latest R35 software (found on all 2011+ models), enabling a 4,500rpm launch control.

Utilising the new power and the launch control feature the car was once again tested down the ¼ mile, this time completing the 400m dash in just under 11.3 seconds at over 121mph (195km/h). Amazingly, the car managed a 2.98 seconds 0-100km/h time during this pass.

This package was tested multiple times on the local race circuit and performed reliably on every occasion.

As always, however, the hunt for additional horsepower led to the development of our Empire Performance Stage 2upgrade package. This package is designed to be incorporated onto a stock car as a complete package, or as an upgrade from our existing Stage 1 package.

Focusing on improving the airflow to and from the engine, combined with modifications to the fuel system, the Empire Performance Stage 2 upgrade package netted amazing results.

Still using 98RON pump fuel, the car put down a whopping 538whp of peak power and an incredible torque figure of 740Nm available from 3,000 - 4,800rpm. While hard to believe, this torque figure is capped to ensure the maximum longevity of the engine. 

The dyno graphs speak for themselves, but to summarise, the Stage 2 upgrade package delivers power and torque gains across the entire rev range while increasing peak power by 122whp, and peak torque by 185Nm.

What this relates to in the real world is a proven 10-second street-driven package, with our own R35 reeling off a blistering 10.94 second pass down the quarter mile, crossing the line at just over 124mph (200km/h). In the process, the car recorded a ridiculous 2.74 seconds 0-100km/h time. All of this was achieved using the standard run-flat tyres, using standard tyre pressures, ensuring that these results are repeatable by anyone at any time.

The Empire Performance Stage 2 upgrade package has been tested over a period of 6 months in various motorsport and road-use conditions without issue, demonstrating the reliability and dynamic nature of the car.

While initially based on a 2009 car, we have also seen impressive results from the DBA series of R35’s (2011+), with a number of our customers reporting similar increases in power from their standard output (which is significantly higher than the CBA 2009-2010 models to begin with).

Empire Performance has now retuned their R35 GT-R on United Petroleum E85 fuel, which resulted in an impressive increase in power across the entire rev range, with a peak horsepower figure of 570whp (or approximately 680hp at the engine!).

If you want your R35 to be able to keep up with today’s hypercars, contact us now for information about our complete Stage 2 R35 Package!