This Soon To Be GT3 Killer Is Everything A New Z Owner Should Be Excited About!
 

In the same way that Hattori Hanzo only makes his samurai swords with pride and without compromise, Shinichi Kobayashi of Matchless Crowd Racing (MCR) only builds cars, both for himself and customers, until he is completely satisfied. The master tuner's philosophy is that his work must bring excitement, movement and dreams to his end users. Anything else is useless. I've seen him limping out of a car arriving to an event. I later heard that he wrecked the night before during a high speed "test". He himself must experience the limit to truly know the car he's building. Kobayashi is stoic to himself and equally strict to his staff. If he sees a mechanic cutting corners he won't hesitate to smack him on the head. It's possibly something that wouldn't fly this side of the Pacific, but only with that type of attitude and atmosphere does the blistering fast crimson red MCR cars are born.


MCR was founded in 1994 by Kobayashi. Since the beginning, Nissan cars and speed has been his focus. Since speed cannot be compromised, Kobayashi never even dabbled with drifting. Actually he dislikes drifting because he believes it's a show and not a clear competition.

A couple years ago, a red MCR R34 GT-R was crowned the Touge Monster by Keiichi Tsuchiya, in a Hot Version DVD, and put Kobayashi and team on the map as one of the top Nissan tuners in Japan. So when the Nissan 370Z was launched in 2008, it was time to prove once again that MCR was on the forefront of Nissan tuning. When they got their hands on their Z34, Kobayashi drove it extensively to test the car. The first thing he noticed (like many of the Z owners) was that the cooling mechanism of the new Z could use some modifications. The VQ37VHR engine's rev limiter starts kicking in at 5900rpm when the oil temp rises over 275F. With the engine oil temp hitting the roof every time he pushed the car, it was preventing MCR from developing other areas of the car. Kobayashi first called up his partners at ARC for a new aluminum oil cooler. He also flushed the factory engine oil for NISMO competition 0W-30 oil. Not only the engine but the rear differentials needed extra cooling as well, so an ARC differential oil cooler was called in along with Omega 75W-140 oil. Finally, for improved traction, a NISMO GT-Pro LSD was installed.

With the cooling issue aside, Kobayashi was finally able to start working on the engine. But with limited time in tuning a 370Z, most of the mechanical fabrications were made to make noticeable strides in performance. The MCR SWAT ROM Version 3, which rids limiters, optimizes the electronic throttle mapping, variable valve timing and ignition/fuel timing. Kobayashi says, "air cleaners and exhausts tend to be the first thing to do to increase power but on NA cars, I like starting from the ECU to get instant drive feel results. The low- to mid-range torque increase is where the driver can really feel the response difference compared to the stock settings." On the charts, horsepower is now rated at 299.7ps whereas the torque picked up to 35.5kgm. ECU and exhaust tuning also come hand-in-hand for MCR, so they added their own center pipe, Crimson muffler and a catalyzer from Sunline Racing to create a smoother flow contributing to the upped power.


Another MCR partner, ZEAL, provided a set of coilovers to Kobayashi, which is set up with custom-valved MCR Function-A shocks. Many hours were put into building the bottom half of the car so he sweats confidence when explaining the suspension set up. Tires and wheels must not be forgotten when speaking of overall drive setup. Enkei and Yokohama have been a part of MCR's repertoire for quite some time now; the Enkei wheels are hyper-silver 19-inch GTC01s and are designed to clear the oversized Endless rotors and calipers.


The aggressive looks of the MCR Z34 is made up mostly by NISMO aero components; the front half spoiler, side steps and rear spoiler are all from the factory Nissan motorsports division. The black canards are the only original exterior part besides the MCR F1 marker harness kit for the back fog light. The headlights are Bellof Optimals that gives a silkier white than the stock lights. Also the position lights and license plate lights are Bellof Super Wide LED bulbs for the extra touch with brighter glow. Not that he needs any added attention to the license plate as he zips around the express highways of Tokyo. We're sad to say the inside is mostly stock except for the Bride Euro II seats that keep him from flying out of his seat on the Shutoko highway and the Nardi Classic steering wheel.


Next on the plate for this Z is definitely going to be engine development and MCR has taken apart the motor several times already so they can begin developing original parts. Ultimately the goal is to beat the Porsche GT3 on the track with this car, a battle we'd like to see someday if he can actually make it happen. So we won't be seeing Kobayashi retiring and hiding in Okinawa behind a sushi bar like Hattori Hanzo did. No, you'll find him right in his shop working away under the hood until the GT3 killer comes to life.

Tuning Menu
2009 Nissan 370Z CBA-Z34 Owner matchless crowd racing (MCR)
Hometown saitama, japan
Occupation nissan tuning specialist

Engine 3.7L VQ37VHR; MCR center pipe and Crimson exhaust muffler; Sunline Racing GT-spec EX Sports catalytic converter

Driveline NISMO GT-Pro LSD

Engine Management MCR SWAT ROM version 3 ECU

Power 299.7ps at 7,358rpm; 35.5kgm at 4,351 rpm

Footwork & Chassis ZEAL front 14kg X-coilovers with MCR Function A shock absorbers; ZEAL rear X-coilovers 18kg with MCR Function A shock absorbers

Brakes Endless 6-piston Monocoque front calipers with 370mm rotors and rear pads

Wheels & Tires +42 19x9.5 and +22 19x10 Enkei GTC01 wheels; ADVAN Neova AD08 255/35R19 and 295/30R19 tires

Exterior MCR carbon canards, F1 marker harness kit and rear fog lamp; NISMO front half spoiler, side skirts and rear spoiler; Bellof Optimal headlights and Super White LED bulbs

Interior Nardi Classic steering wheel; Bride Euro II seats

WWW endlessusa.com (Endless/ZEAL), enkei.com, mcr-ltd.com, more-japan.com (Bride)


How Do I Get There? For anyone visiting Japan, we know how tough it can be getting around when a car isn't the best option. It's even more difficult when you have to take a train, can't read the signs or don't have a native Japanese person with you to show you the ropes. So we did the next best thing: we asked our native Japanese expert (who just happened to go to high school in the States and now lives in Southern California) to help you with the process. Of course if you do have the luxury of having someone show you around, we highly recommend it, but for those of you who are making shop visits into your trip, you might want to keep these notes handy.

MCR Japan (directions from JR Akihabara Station to M.C.R):
• Take the "Tsukuba Express" towards Tsukuba and get off at YASHIO Station.
• Find the elevated Shutoko No 6 highway going parallel to the train you just got off.
• Take a left and walk underneath on Kendo #116 going back towards Akihabara.
• Keep on going until you arrive to Yashio Minami Ramp Crossing lights and take a right.
• Take a right on the first narrow street right before the "Avail Casual & Shoe" store.
• Take your first left and you should see the M.C.R shop on the right-hand side.

More pictures:

Source: 2009 Nissan 370Z CBA-Z34 - Matchless Crowd Racing - Super Street Magazine

Video 1


Video 2
Mr. Kobayashi in SUGO :driving:

Wow! simply Wow!
Thanks Ak! :tup:

LOL all of my directions in Japan were like that. "See X building, turn left, then go X distance to this next landmark". Kinda fun how Akihabara is the waypoint here...some of you might know what I mean.

I like the shop...very homely :p

You're welcome. Drift King Tsuchiya drives the MCR Z here. Old video so not sure you saw it already or no. ;)


haha.. that's great! It's my dream to go to japan and at least see the tochigi japan Nissan plant, Nissan Oval track and GTR testing. Maybe one day I can go. You can be my guide :excited:

Good luck on beating the GT3 with 415 hp, virtually R-compound tires, a fully developed racing suspension that is built solely for the car, and years of development.

Yeah, you can add a supercharger or turbo and massive tires and brakes but it'll still never be the complete package. By the time he's done, he'll have spent enough money to buy a GT3, I'll bet.

the Z can be made to Compete and with a lot more money left over...

It can be made to compete but what beats an out of the box racecar?! haha


I like the car as a whole but not a fan of the silver aero kit or the cheap looking steering wheel.

What happends if someone mods the hell out of that Gt3

with a base sticker of $112,000 you should have plenty left over...:hello:

agreed...GT3 killer is a VERY bold statement, and very unlikely

Simple, Deny your Warranty claim if they find the aftermarket component caused the problem, no different than Nissan or others would..

damn never knew that car cost 113k now I see the big deal:bowrofl:

MCR builds some nice cars, but the only GT3 killer I see is the GTR.

http://www.mcr-ltd.com/

The Zed is a great car but one with a perceived weakness and a lot of attention has been brought to it. Engine oli overheating issues. Again this Japanese guy proved it. I just wonder how a 370z could handle Melbourne 45 degree celcius temperature in heavy traffic where you don't get out of 2nd gear for at leaSt 45 mins, with the air conditioning on. Will it overheat and be an embarassment on the side of the road. Here, this is a $70,000 car. NISSAN STOP BULLSHITTING AND MAKE A GOOD QUALITY OIL COOLER STANDARD, I KNOW I WILL NOT BITCH IF THE CAR HERE IN AUSTRALIA IS WORTH AN $1,000 BECAUSE OF IT. I'D STILL BUY IT.
Therevare many days here where the temp gets to over 40 degrees, some people drive with the air con on (i don't, too mechanically sympathetic, and maybe stupid) and push the car. In this situation will the car handle it or will it go into limp mode. Eliminate this flaw/perceived flaw and this will be an untouchable from critism car.

Quick conversion (I do F here in the states), but 45°C (113°F) is 100% safe on street roads, in traffic, with the AC on. I live in Texas, a few members here live in Arizona (even hotter many days than Texas), and zero limp mode problems on the street.

Anyone know the details on the ARC oil cooler? Does it have a thermostatic control valve that only allows the oil to the cooler after a certain temp?

I know I've heard that was a concern on some kits that flow oil to the cooler right away causing the oil to take a long time to warm up and oil is too cool after start up. Is my memory correct?

is this what your looking for?
http://www.the370z.com/ae-performanc...ooler-kit.html

Thanks I guess that is reassuring. Makes one wonder how hard these guys push the cars to get them to go into limp mode.

Agreed!

15 to 20 minutes on a track will get you into limp mode, but that is pushing the car.

I can see this car being a GT3 killer, as stated in the article, the car isnt near finished, im sure when it is, the engine will be built along with some kind of forced induction, and im damn sure that it will cost far less than a stock GT3. And BTW, I live in Hell Paso, heat here averages 105-115 degrees fahrenheit in the summer, no overheating issues whatsoever, and i'm sure a few of them boys from Phoenix will tell you the same thing.

All I have to say about that 370 is............. DAYUM! It looks badass. I don't know about beating the GT3, but it would be fun to try.

looks like rice.

Well..... it IS Japanese. I like rice with my curry chicken.

What does the GT3 look like? Sauerkraut?

For a streetable race car the GT3 looks clean.

This Z is typical rice... carbon fiber bits all over the place just for the sake of carbon fiber... decals... blah. Typical ricer crap!

I started a project to rice out my Z. I haven't purchased the CF parts yet but I got started with the decals. So far I am pleased.

"Rice." "Typical rice" at that. People throw that word around like they honestly know what they're talking about. To call ANYTHING from MCR (Matchless Crowd Racing) rice is commiting automotive suicide. Do me a favor and actually look them up first. Their Z34 is a toy compared to the power that shop can produce. Show some respect.

Apparently a number of you have zero idea what one-off, custom made equipment costs to design and fabricate or machine. This car is using some off-the-shelf equipment but it will also have a fair bit of fully custom work done to it. It doesn't take long to add tens of thousands of dollars just in labor to such a car, not to mention the materials costs. Development work is extremely expensive and this project is no exception.

Consider that you get charged a minimum of $75 per hour for work done on your car. Consider how many hours are going to be put into this car before it's done and that alone will probably add $30K+ to the "street price". Add in the literal cost of off-the-shelf parts (wheels, tires, brakes, suspension, exhaust, forced induction at some later point, tuning time, aero kit, paint job) and you're adding in tens of thousands more. Consider then if they strip it to lighten it, add in a roll cage and body stiffening elements, possibly do a seam-weld job on the car (requiring it to be stripped down - very time consuming!), add in more monitoring equipment, etc, etc, and you're going to have a very expensive car that is very quick around a track but it's also extremely expensive, does not have a warranty, and is worth a lot less than what you've spent to get it to where it is.

There are racecars that cost the owner $10K (or less) that can beat a GT3 around a track. It's not impossible by any means but when you take a brand new car, you take a big financial hit up front and it's actually quite a bit more expensive to develop than an older car since the platforms are not nearly as comprehensively supported by the aftermarket.

What I can guarantee is that 99% of us would still pick the GT3 over the heavily modified 370Z. Why? It'll still be the better package (even if it is possibly slightly slower), as well it should for the cost that's been invested to buy one.

Sweet, sweet ride, in spite of the few issues it may have. I do agree that Nissan's engineers could and should improve on some areas (the "little annoyances"). Cheers!

What custom work has been done to this car?
Most of the parts that are throw into this car can be bought, heck even some are sold by Nissan. Maybe once he gets into the engine he might be doing some custom fab for performance, but it will not cost 50,000USD. People are throwing on twin turbos already for 15,000USD (custom built), throw in the rest of the upgrades needed to compete against the GT3 and you will probably spend 32,000 to 34,000USD on the car and 8-10,000USD on everything else. You are looking at under 60,000 for a car that competes very well, heck you could drop another 20,000 some how and still only be at 80,000 with room to spare.

Now I am not saying the Porsche is not great, I would love to own one, but at the same time having the Z and adding to it myself and getting it all the way I want is worth something. Then again, the Porsche does have a warranty.

Very Nice.
Great potential for the 370z. Dont mix topics in here regarding prices and other stuff.
This is basically showing the big potential that the 370z has. Yes, it will be considerably expensive or whatever, but great potential.
And if you ask me, I will definitely chose a GT3. :p

http://fp.images.autos.msn.com/media...354ef77dd0.jpg

http://www.carzi.com/wp-content/uplo...he-911-gt3.jpg


Sexy.... On white please!

Doesn't change the fact that it looks like "rice."

Yes, right now he's using bolt-on equipment. However, I think if you add it up, he's pretty close to $25K-$30K just in parts.

Wheels - $3K
Tires - $1.2K
Exhaust - $1.5K
Seats - $2K
ECU + tuning - $2K
Body kit + install - $3K
Paint - $1.5K
Bracing - $1K
Oil cooling kits (engine and diff) - $1.5K
LSD - $1K
New catalytic converter - $0.5K
Endless Brakes - $5K
Custom Valved Coilovers - $3K
Steering wheel - $0.4K

TOTAL: $26.6K

And that's not even touching any bolt-on engine mods he might want, forced induction, roll cage, any chassis work (seam welding, weight reduction, lightening, etc, etc). That cost also doesn't necessarily include labor costs to install the different parts, which is probably another couple thousand dollars at typical shop rates.

Future work:

Forced induction - $15K
Tuning - $2K (he'll want it perfect)
Reinforcements to body and frame (engine bay and sub-frame bracing) - $1.5K
New clutch/flywheel/pressure plate - $1K
Roll Cage - $3K
R-compound tires - $1.5K

TOTAL: $24K, not necessarily counting install costs either

So, he has a $40K car (Touring + Sport with Navigation), $26K in mods right now and at least $24K to come, which puts him at at $90K and doesn't necessarily include installation/labor costs or development time if they have to go with custom work on the car to get to where they need to be. That's not the price of a GT3 but it's more than you'd pay for a Nissan GT-R which will still be quicker and have a warranty.

I know these cars aren't supposed to make sense (heck, the J's S2000 is well over $100K in parts and labor, including the initial purchase price of the car) but my point is that most people won't spend this kind of money to modify when they can just buy something else off the showroom floor with similar (possibly better) performance but with a warranty and probably more comfort.

This is a neat engineering exercise but it's a foregone conclusion that you can make just about any reasonably focused car faster than a more expensive, even more focused car by throwing money at it. It's just a question of whether it's remotely worth the time and effort.

why does any of this matter? this car is being built to compete with a car thats 115k, the overall cost is still well below that, and will probably outperform it when its all said and done, calm down fella.

calmate. I lol'd.

:icon17:

Yes, the GT3 is a cool car, but it is not as good looking as a 370Z. It still looks like a car designed half a century ago. And it still has an engine placed in the worst possible location. Does have that warranty, though, along with that extra-cool $35000 logo on the hood.

What the F are you talking about? Engine in the worst place? explain... Looks shittier than the Z? lol you are on one... but sure...

i cant believe we are comparing these two...hahah!

yah, they need to try beating a real sports car without making it look like some rice-mobile...