I have made arrangements with Canepa Design to have a private veiwing of the entire museum, the restoration shop, and possibly the very exclusive Canepa customer storage area.  This is truly going to be a trip that will be burned into the memories of all who attend.

We plan is to meet at the shop on Sat. the 24th of January at 9:00AM.  We will provide some form of breakfast deal (coffee, doughnuts, bagels etc.) followed by some time to check out the cars and talk GT-Rs.  The plan continues on with a nice drive through some senic roads (exact route TBD) down to Scotts Valley and finally arriving at Canepa Design around 1pm or so.

I could write for a couple more hours here trying to describe my last experience here but it is much better to come down and experience it for yourself.  For those of you who won’t be able to make it, I will have an entire event report hopefully the evening after the meet.

For more info on Canepa and photos of the museum click on the link below.  This place simply blows my mind.  For instance, last time I was there I counted more than seven Porsche 959s.  We were even enlisted to help push one more that arrived via semi during our tour.  The quality of vehicles at Canepa are almost unparalled in the US.  Simply amazing.  Didn’t I say I wasn’t going to talk about it?  Oh well.

We can make plans for what do after the museum tour as the event nears, or we can make none and all split off on our own separate ways.  Either way works for us.  If you have any other ideas feel free to email me through ZCG by sending it to Rob@zcargarage.com or by clicking on the link to a thread that has already been started on the North American GT-R Owners Club (NAGTROC.org) forum.  I’ve also started a list on the thread for those who plan on attending.  Thanks and we hope to see you soon.

More updates to come as they are formed and pictures of my last trip should be up tomorrow (sorry.)

Link: Canepa Design

Link: NAGTROC Meet Thread

Rumors and spy photos of a four-door, Infiniti-badged, GT-R sedan have been around even before the R35 was released to the public.  It seems that the rabid enthusiasm for the GT-R has breathed life back into the program which had been reportedly scrapped a few months back.  Good news for us!

The new model will be more than just a lengthened GT-R.  While the final design is still under lock and key, this artist’s renderings hint towards a slightly softer lined four door coupe.  The biggest difference from the current GT-R is going to be the engine change from the VR38DETT.  The engine of choice for the new 4 door coupe will most likely be the 5.0 liter V8 (VK50VE) out of the FX50.  The engine is supposed to put out somewhere north of 420bhp.

While that isn’t enough power to let it compete evenly with other super 4-doors (AMG S63, Bentley Continental Flying Spur) no one thought that the 4,000lb R35 GT-R would be able to stand up and fight either.  I wouldn’t under-estimate the performance potential of this vehicle just yet….

The rest of the drivetrain will remain the same as the R35 with the manu-automatic dual clutch trans axle.  Hopefully there will be a few internal changes made to handle the power this time around.

Whatever happens with this concept, I’m just happy that Nissan is still willing to create concepts of this caliber.   We’ll have to wait and see….

Some pictures and information was sourced from LEFTLANENEWS.com

With the release of the 370z just a couple of weeks away at the LA International Auto Show everyone is out to get the first hands on experience with the new Z.  Z Car Garage will have your fix on the 21st of November with the coming of Nissan’s official “Follow the Z” tour!

There will be TWO pre-production 370Zs on show at Z Car Garage on November 21st from 3-7pm.  Other attractions include gaming stations staring the newest installment of EA Games’ feature “Need For Speed: Undercover” which stars the 370z!  Sponsors will be supplying the show with a DJ, giveaways, free food, and other attractions.  There will also be a chance to win a trip to the next Tokyo Auto Salon!  Who wouldn’t love to be in Japan for that?

SPEED tv is also rumored to be following the tour across the country to make some sort of a show out of the whole deal.  There will also be celebrity appearances such as race car driver Tanner Foust to add to the entire driving experience.

Of the 15 stops on the tour, Z Car Garage is the only Z ONLY shop to be included!   We will be going all our to prepare the shop and all of our best cars for this very important event;  AND YOU BETTER BELIEVE THAT THE ZCG R35 GT-R WILL BE HERE!!

If you live near the shop make sure you take the time to check this event out.  It is going to be amazing!  More info to come as soon as I get it.

Check the link below for the official tour site.  I will be adding more links to sponsors as I receive the information.

Official site of the tour:    www.followthenissanz.com

With the GT-R on the new HREs we decided to try the fitment of the stock R35 wheels on the shop G35.  The wheels look killer on the car but they do not fit up front in stock form.  I needed to put some spacers on the front to clear the factory Brembos and to move it away from the king pin.  As you can see in the suspension picture the curb saver on the tire still contacts after the spacers were added.

I am determined to get this to work because the wheels do look so amazing.  They kind of remind me of a new school Panasport wheel.  I have seen pictures of a 350Z with these wheels on so if anyone has any info on how they made the fitment work please let me know.  All it may need is a tire change and a small spacer to gain the clearance needed.  Please, please forward me pictures or info on this wheel change if you can find any.  Thanks!!  GT-Rs rule.

First off let me say that there is an extensive list of parts that are on order right now to be installed on the car as soon as the car gets back from SEMA.  This GT-R is going to make one awesome transformation.

The build was finished at 11:30 on Friday night to everyone’s relief and is one the smoothest last minute builds that we have done and we are extremely happy with how well the car turned out.  The GT-R was loaded on the transporter on Sunday morning for it’s trip to SEMA in Las Vegas.  The ground was wet but the sky was clear which made for some pretty cool last minute photos.  As you can see the car is almost bottomed out on the Top Secret coil overs to make the wheel and tire combo look right, this took a few innovative solutions to getting it on and off the lifts in the shop.  We adapted and overcame as usual.

On a side note, the red Status seats pictured in the build are not the seats that were supposed to be delivered and installed.  The correct seats are going to be installed once the car gets to Las Vegas.  They are a carbon fiber backed with leather and Alcantara inserts.  I will have pictures of them once they get installed.

We can’t thank everyone enough who had a hand in this project.