DSPORT Issue #255
By Michael Ferrara // Photos By Michael Ferrara Original ZERO-R photos by Motive Video/James Greig
Back in 1991, HKS had a desire to offer a complete car that would showcase its technology. The Zero-R project was debuted and HKS built ten R32 GT-Rs to the Zero-R spec. Challenges with getting all of the certification completed kept those 10 vehicles from getting completed. However, in 2003 the Zero-R program was resurrected long enough to produce four Zero-R R32 GT-Rs. One of these four was purchased by the Sultan of Brunei and one was sold at auction in 2019 to a buyer in Australia. Today, the HKS Zero-R builds are among the rarest of rare R32 variants. While being rare often equates to being desirable, HKS’s plan of bringing back a new-generation version of the HKS Zero-R Skyline GT-R would produce the most advanced and arguably most desirable R32 GT-Rs of all time.
HKS USA, First and Second Wave
While HKS has never wavered from offering exceptional quality performance products, the company surrendered the spotlight years ago when it closed its US operation in 2011. The absence of HKS from the States opened the door for many smaller US tuners and manufacturers to capture that market. These specialized companies produced application specific turbo kits and intercooler systems that filled the void when HKS left . While HKS USA did reestablish a US presence in Arizona in 2018, it hasn’t really been making waves with new product releases or crazy demo car builds. Instead, HKS USA has simply been a US based location to support HKS performance part sales. Unfortunately, the absence of HKS in the spotlight resulted in the newest generation of performance enthusiasts having zero knowledge of HKS and its legendary history as a performance parts pioneer. While every import enthusiast over the age of 35 knows something about HKS, those younger o en have little, if any, knowledge of HKS’s accomplishments over the past 50 years.
The New-Gen Concept Zero-R
With HKS’s new president Mizuguchi-san in command, the company has been searching for a way to re-establish its leadership role in the aftermarket. Whether or not an actual Advanced Heritage Zero-R comes to fruition (we are going to lend as much support as possible to see that it does), the spinoffs from the project will result in some much- needed new products and attention for HKS.
Like the original Zero-R concept, the Advanced Heritage Zero-R concept would also culminate in a complete car built by HKS. Whereas the original Zero-R concept used new vehicles, the new-gen concept would acquire used vehicles that would be reconditioned, reconstructed and restored during the transformation process. However, instead of just restoring the vehicles and fitting some period-correct upgrades, the new-gen Zero-R project would be much different. While an RB engine would remain
the powerplant, the engine would be updated with technologies found in current production engines. The goal would be to use the new technologies to improve the efficiency of the engine to a degree never before realized. These projects are termed “Advanced Heritage” by HKS and the RB26 is the first engine to receive this focus.
Advanced Heritage RB26
Imagine an RB26 engine that could generate 600 horsepower, deliver 45MPG and current emission standards. Sound impossible? Well, the impossible will be the goal of the HKS’s Advanced Heritage program for Nissan’s RB26 engine. This program will adopt newer technologies to the RB26 engine while also relying upon some technologies rarely seen in production car engines.
HKS is no stranger to adopting new technologies to older engines. If you look at the engines in the HKS museum, most engines on display tell that story. An older engine fitted with a newer technology. In the case of the RB26, HKS has already been offering a product for the RB26 that brings newer technology to the older engine. The HKS VCAM system has been available for years and it brings adjustable cam timing control to the intake camshaft of the RB26. From a performance standpoint, this allows the intake cam timing to be varied to deliver additional low-end and mid-range performance. The end effect is making a 2.6L RB26 deliver performance like a 2.8L RB26. While the original VCAM system didn’t address the exhaust camshaft timing (as this would only provide limited performance gains), the new Advanced Heritage project for the RB26 is testing VCAM for the exhaust cam timing to improve engine efficiency and reduce emissions.
Advanced Heritage improvements for the RB engine can also be found in the company’s Stage-3, high-capacity rotating assemblies. Here, full billet stroker crankshafts feature increased power handling capabilities while delivering exceptional journal life thanks to ion-nitriding. The connecting rods and pistons have also been updated to much more modern designs that utilized leading-edge ring packages. The shorter-skirts and improved rings deliver exceptional ring seal while reducing horsepower loses to friction.
The major player in developing the insane efficiency figures will ultimately come down to the effective implementation of the pre-chamber technology for the RB26 cylinder head. If the pre-chamber can function as desired, the entire combustion process can
be completed much sooner than in the conventional pentroof combustion chamber arrangement. A dry pre-chamber will surround the spark plug and when ignition occurs, jets emanating from the pre-chamber will quickly ignite all the air-fuel mixture in the cylinder. While this technology has been successfully implemented in Formula One, it has also been unsuccessfully deployed in production cars many years ago. However, engine control systems have never been more powerful so the chances of success are better than ever before.
Even if the pre-chamber doesn’t meet expectations, there are several other technologies with proven track records that will be deployed on the Advanced Heritage RB26. HKS has already developed and is now selling an improved cam and crank trigger system
for the RB26. This system eliminates the error in cam and crankshaft timing when the OEM CAS is used. The error is present due to the slack in the timing belt. This error is eliminated when individual sensors are used at the crank and camshaft . The Advanced Heritage RB26 will also feature a dual-plenum intake manifold along with twin injectors per cylinder. The manifold will improve cylinder to cylinder air distribution while twin injectors will improve fuel atomization under all load conditions. In general, larger fuel injectors do a poorer job at atomizing the fuel. By using two smaller injectors, fuel atomization can be significantly improved while still meeting overall fuel delivery demands.
On the hot side of the engine, HKS is currently working with “vertical turbocharger” technology. Whereas conventional bearing and oiling systems for turbochargers call for the turbo to be fixed on a horizontal plane, vertical turbochargers allow a greater deviation from this restriction. As a result, the turbocharger position can be optimized to reduce the runner lengths. Shorter runners reduce heat losses. Heat losses are also minimized thanks to some extensive heat management applied to the RB26 Advanced Heritage exhaust manifolds. Considering that the new Advanced Heritage turbochargers are also likely to have electronic wastegate and compressor bypass control systems, turbocharger efficiency can be optimized to ensure that the turbocharger is operating in the sweet spot of the compressor map.
Advanced Heritage Beyond Engine
While the original Zero-R GT-Rs used the R34 GT-R Getrag 6-speed transmission upgrades, the parts are no longer available as a Nismo upgrade package. Hence, HKS is still considering which transmission upgrade will accompany the new-gen Zero-R. While the Getrag 6-speed would be a great choice if available, we would give our vote for a Holinger sequential 6-speed. Our Holinger has proven to deliver exceptional performance and reliability over the past 20 years of use in our 1,000+hp GT-R.
HKS has in-house suspension manufacturing capabilities to make an ideal spring and coil-over damper setup but they are also considering the merits of employing active damper control too. The original Zero-R GT-Rs had a unique aero package. It would be great to see an updated aero package encompassing the practical and effective aero improvements that can be made. As for the repositioned fuel tank that was present on the original Zero-Rs, I think the compromise of losing the back seats for the sake of overall balance should be reconsidered. A er all, incorporating the GR6 transaxle at the rear as done by Top Secret would seem to be a better solution. However, a Skyline GT-R without a clutch pedal is no longer a Skyline GT-R in our book.
The Bottom Line
Unless you can afford a Singer Porsche build, you probably aren’t going to be able to afford an HKS Zero-R Advanced Heritage build when they become available. It’s not that HKS has said that these vehicles will cost that much, but to cover the cost
of the engineering and restoration of these vehicles it wouldn’t be surprising to see these vehicles selling for $350K or more. If they are any less than that, consider them a bargain. Personally, I’d love to see this project get some support and a handful of these vehicles get built. In a world being taken over by golf carts, real cars are going to have real values. As I’ve mentioned before, internal combustion engine technology has never been better. While the Green party people don’t want to accept an inconvenient truth for their political agenda, the reality is that the environment doesn’t need electric cars. Cleaner internal combustion engines and cleaner burning fuels can get us to where we need to be without use sacrificing our freedoms.
