SKRT SKRT Issue 1.

ISSUE 1.

JAN 2021

Skrt Skrt THE

MAGAZINE

ASTON MARTIN ONE-77

WE’VE BEEN EXPECTING YOU MR BOND

ROTARY MASTER The legend of the most unique sounding engine is back.

GODZILLAS Celebrate the 50th anniversary of the GT-R family.

THE CAROUSEL The most iconic banked corners on the track.

MAZDA EUNOS ROADSTER Capturing the imagination of the world as soon as it made its appearance in September 1989. We know it better as the Miata, and it revived the category of the lightweight convertable sports car, bringing the classic genre back into the limelight.

The legendary Skyline, first introduced in 1957, was originally built

by Japan’s Prince Motor Company.

Production of the Prince Skyline lasted from 1957 until 1967, when Prince and Nissan merged. With humble origins as a rather modest 4-door luxury car, the Skyline began to evolve into a performance-bred sportscar following the merger. Today the Skyline is recognized as the predecessor to the modern GT-R.

Fast-forward to 1988, when Nissan introduced a new RB26DETT engine with the R32 Skyline GT-R. This powerful 2.6-L twin-turbo was capable of producing 276 hp.

The R34 Skyline GT-R was introduced in 1998, and was available from 1998-2002. A technologically advanced display unit set the model apart, while it’s RB26DETT twin-turbo I6 engine produced an impressive horsepower. The shorter wheelbase and more streamlined body of the R34 helped it to achieve even higher performance than its predecessors.

In 2008, the GT-R finally, officially, landed on American roads. Nissan dropped the Skyline name and added a twin-turbo V6 that put out 473 horsepower, propelling the GT-R to performance levels that could not only compete with but outclass legendary American muscle cars and German and Italian supercars.

Overnight, the GT-R became a legend.

Its technologically advanced road-grabbing all-wheel drive provided exhilarating handling, and it was all wrapped up in a sleek, yet muscular, modern exterior design.

Things have continued to change.

Today, the GT-R’s engine pumps out nearly 600 horsepower – about 10X as much as the original Prince engine. To understand what the modern Nissan GT-R is all about, you just have to lift the hood. The engine you’ll see is not a gas-guzzling behemoth, but a remarkable piece of advanced technology generating power from a 3.8-litre twin-turbo V6.

“NOW THERE’S A NAME TO DIE FOR.” - Die Another Day (2002)

ASTON MARTIN ONE-77

T

he most exclusive Aston Martin of the ‘Gaydon era’, One77 was limited to 77 unique examples.

Tantalisingly, the first glimpse the world got of the One-77 hypercar was a maquette of the new car at the 2008 Paris Motor Show, three quarters covered by a grey pin-stripe fabric cover with only a glimpse of the front right side coyly peeping out. The full picture was revealed at the March 2009 Geneva Motor Show, where a metallic blue mockup and rolling chassis with its entire powertrain were on display. The finished car made its bow in late April 2009 at the Concorso d’Eleganza Ville d’Este on the shores of Lake Como, winning the design Award for Concept Cars and Prototypes. Fusing advanced technology with stunning design, the million-pound, 7.3 litre V12 One-77 was revealed as the fastest-ever Aston Martin, with a top speed of 220 mph. It represents what is possibly the world’s most desirable automotive art form, with

an immensely rigid lightweight carbon fibre monocoque clad in a seamless bodyshell handcrafted from aluminium at its heart. Production of One-77 was completed.

Limited to 77 units worldwide and sporting a carbon monocoque chassis, a 7.3-liter V-12 with at least 700 horsepower, and a handformed aluminum body, the neartwo-million-dollar One-77 is what happens when an automaker builds a car without ever saying “no” to its engineers. Despite its stylish, showcar body and exquisite detailing, the One-77 is a cutting-edge, racing-inspired sports car underneath.

It is super high-tech, beautifully finished everywhere, and boasts impressive performance figures. A devilish sound is emanating from somewhere behind me. The last number I remember seeing before peeling my eyes away and onto the road again is somewhere above 600, and while there’s more to give, this is enough to drag the horizon towards you at a rate usually reserved for bullet trains and things that fly.

Engine: 7312 cc V12, Alloy quad overhead camshaft, 48-valve Brakes: Front ventilated carbon ceramic discs, 398 mm diameter with six-piston calipers Rear ventilated carbon ceramic discs, 360 mm diameter with four-piston calipers Top Speed: 220+ mph Transmission: 6-speed manual with optional 5-speed automaticRear mid-mounted, six-speed automated manual gearbox with auto shift manual/select shift manual (ASM/ SSM) electric hydraulic control system Weight: 1630kg 0 – 60 mph: >3.7 sec

HURACAN GT3

DESCRIPTION The Huracán GT3 EVO was entirely developed at Sant’Agata Bolognese

by Squadra Corse. The design work took more than a year and there was a big focus on the aerodynamics, which were conceived in conjunction with Dallara. Ground-breaking solutions have substantially increased the aerodynamic load, thus further improving stability.

MAX SPEED

205 MPH

CARACCIOLA KARUSSELL

T

he concrete surface on the inner side of the famous “Carousel Corner” was originally used for drainage, but the famous driver Rudolf Caracciola used it as a part of his driving line. Since then, many drivers have followerd suit. The Nürburgring is a 150,000 person capacity motorsports complex located in the town of Nürburg, Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. It features a Grand Prix race track built in 1984, and a much longer Nordschleife “North loop” track which was built in the 1920s around the village and medieval castle of Nürburg in the Eifel mountains. The north loop is 20.8 km (12.9 mi) long and has more than 300 metres (1,000 feet) of elevation change from its lowest to highest points. Jackie Stewart nicknamed the old track “The Green Hell”. Since its opening in 1927, the track has been used by the public for the so-called Touristenfahrten.

Originally, the track featured four configurations: the 28.265 km (17.563 mi)-long Gesamtstrecke (“Whole Course”), which in turn consisted of the 22.810 km (14.173 mi) Nordschleife (“North Loop”), and the 7.747 km (4.814 mi) Südschleife (“South Loop”). There was also a 2.281 km (1.417 mi) warm-up loop called Zielschleife (“Finish Loop”) or Betonschleife (“Concrete Loop”), around the pit area. Between 1982 and 1983 the start/finish area was demolished to create a new GP-Strecke, and this is used for all major and international racing events. However, the shortened Nordschleife is still in use for racing, testing and public access.

Several touring car series still compete on the Nordschleife, using either only the simple 20.8 km (12.9 mi) version with its separate small pit lane, or a combined 24.4 km (15.2 mi)-long track that uses a part of the original modern F1 track.

MAX SPEED

209 MPH

VANTAGE GT3

DESCRIPTION The Vantage GT3 replaces Aston Martin’s most successful customer car, the V12 Vantage GT3, which is still winning races seven years after it was first introduced to the market – most recently in the Blancpain GT Series Endurance Cup and British GT series. One of the key reasons for the popularity of the Vantage GT3’s predecessor was the ease at which it allowed inexperienced racers to drive quickly while maintaining an optimum performance window for professional drivers to be competitive in. Powered by the 4.0-litre turbcharged V8, optimised by Aston Martin Racing.

MAX SPEED

190 MPH 911 RSR

DESCRIPTION A suspended rear wing, the extended rear diffuser and new side mirrors help the new 911 RSR to increase downforce with reduced drag. T he heart of the super sports car is the 4.0-litre naturally aspirated flat engine with direct fuel injection.

Shifted well forwards and installed in a rotated position for the first time, the new 6-speed claw shifted transmission complements the drive with shorter shifting times and minimises disruptive factors during gear changes.

ISSUE 1.

JAN 2021

Skrt Skrt THE

MAGAZINE