The side turn indicators and rear high-mount stop light
weresourcedfromthe300ZX,theJapanese-market‘S’bonnet
badge(forSkyline)madewayfora Nissanlogo,andtheGT-R
receiveda new‘bee-sting’antennamountedatthebackofthe
roof“becausetheJapanesecarhada glass-mountedantenna,
whichwasrubbish”.
TheAussiesalsowantedYokohamatyresbecauseNissan’s
local motorsport team was sponsored by them, but Japan
refused, seeing thatthe GT-R had been developed around
Bridgestones(PotenzaRE71s,tobeexact).
TheGT-R’smechanicalsremainedintact,withonenotable
exception.“Wehadtoadda transmissioncooler,becausethe
Japaneseengineers didtheoreticalprojections to showthat
thetransmissionwouldoverheatinoutbackAustraliaifyou
droveitat 180km/hfortwo hours!”Thethingwas,atthat
speedtheGT-Rwouldhaverunoutoffuelafteraboutanhour,
butasBerangerpointed out:“We didn’twantanydelaysto
theprogram,sowhena Japaneseengineertellsyouitneedsa
transmissioncooler,youjustgoalongwithit andinstallone.”
Theearlyracecarshada fewproblemswithcrackingblocks,
whichNismoinJapanfixedbyribbingthem,andtheJapanese
transmissionsweren’tupto thestresses of Australia’sfierce
GroupA competitioneither– necessitatinga switchtoa locally
d motorofficial f motor_mag^89