Over the past couple months Ryan@Forged, our Sales Manger here has slowly went through the process of returning his Black 2009 GT-R back to stock. His car was equipped with Volk G2's, JRZ Coilovers, and the HKS GT800 Turbo Kit with all supporting modifications. While this set-up was a brutally powerful stock block monster making nearly 700whp Ryan decided he wanted to start over fresh with a new car. The only car to even cross Ryan's mind was a new improved and updated version of the R35 GT-R.
While the 2009-2011 models remained almost identical there was a power increase and minor exterior changes for the 2012 model year. Front and rear bumpers were altered to improve aerodynamics and brake cooling efficiency. Carbon-composite braces are now included from Nissan to stiffen up the chassis and caster is increased from 5 to 6 degrees to make sure the car is stable at high speeds. Combine further OEM suspension alterations and the fact that there is 45 HP more than its previous sub-generation and you have a factory car that is capable of outperforming the most expensive super cars. All these things make the 2012 GT-R a pretty significant upgrade over the 2009-2011 models.
Despite this, instead of running to the local dealership and snatching up one of the remaining 2012 models, Ryan@Forged made the choice to pre-order a 2013 Black Edition GT-R from our friends at Boulder Nissan in Colorado. After a six month wait Ryan's new baby arrived here at the shop this past Saturday morning. I arrived within minutes of the car hitting Forged Performance property and Ryan was already sitting in the drivers seat with the biggest grin on his face reminiscent of a kid on Christmas morning! With an additional 15HP over the 2012 model this car leaves the dealership floor with 545HP on tap in contrast to the 480HP 09-11 model. The 2013 R35 also comes with a new cool blue gauge color for a striking difference over the amber motif of the 09-11 display. Ryan decided to upgrade to the Black Edition Model which now comes with an extremely nice and functional OEM carbon wing finished in matte clear which really sets the car apart from other GT-R's you see roaming the streets. The Black Edition also comes with special edition lightweight forged wheels that are manufactured by Ray's Engineering; the same company that makes the popular Volk wheel. Another upgrade is the interior which comes with a black headliner and tasteful red accents on the Recaro seats, door panels and shift knob. The exterior of Ryan's new ride is set off by the absolutely stunning Deep Blue Pearl OEM paint. While this might look like your average dark blue when the car is in the shade, once some proper light hits the car the pearl comes to life and leaves on-lookers in awe. Before even starting the car for the first time Ryan was already installing mod's!
Boulder Nissan adding some expertly applied window tint before the car left the dealership and within minutes of taking delivery, Ryan installed the front clear markers. After a quick walk around and a few photos of the very first retailed delivered 2013 Black Edition in Georgia, we decided that two things needed to happen. The car was in need of a bath, and Ryan was in need of driving it. I jumped in the passenger seat and we headed to the nearest parts store for a brand new supply of car wash goods.
After just 5 minutes in the car we came to the conclusion that the car shall not be driven again until some modifications were made. When we arrived back at the shop we were delighted to find one of our technicians, Dylan, had stopped in on a Saturday to work on his own car. Ryan quickly convinced him to install his CBRD Y-Pipe and Mines Exhaust for him. So with just over 20miles on the odometer and 45 total minutes of ownership, the car was racked as the modding process began. Ryan sure doesn't waste any time!
On Monday we were able to get the car on a lift once again for a few more parts including; Catless Downpipes, ID 1000cc Injectors, and Deatschwerks 300lph Fuel Pumps. Sharif quickly contacted Cobb tuning who was delighted that he had the first 2013 ROM in his possession. In short order, the guru's at Cobb Tuning prepared a new firmware and software allowing Sharif to field test the 2013 tuning platform. Soon after we had Ryan’s GT-R strapped securely to our Dyno Dynamics AWD Dyno and Sharif was in the drivers seat armed with his laptop! After a couple hours of break-in time it was time for Sharif to massage Nissan's OEM tune, and replace it with a Forged Performance Custom ECU Calibration. Already late for an offsite appointment, in four short pulls he manged to squeeze out 502whp and 515 ft/lb@18.5 psi with an additional 150whp and around 180wtq in the mid-range! All this through the factory airbox and intercooler.
Stay tuned as Ryan converts the car to E85, cranks the boost up and revisits the dyno in the coming weeks. Until then enjoy my most recent video feature of this 2013 Black Edition on the dyno:
Forged Performance: Ryan@Forged's 2013 Black Edition GT-R