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Blitzing The Autobahn
Blitz R34 Skyline Attacks Top Speed Record on German Soil
By Gary Castillo
Photography by the Author

Blitz, a Japanese- based tuning company and parts manufacturer, planned to build a Nissan Skyline R34 into "Autobahn Project R348." The 348 figure is one kilometer higher than the unofficial record. Although Project R348 is based on the speed of the Porsche, its main goal was to make a new record on Germany's Autobahn. The full-interior R348 is still considered a street-driven car and proved it by driving to the test area from the car's temporary headquarters, MKB Motorsports located outside Stuttgart.

The Bosch testing facility in Boxberg was "plan B." It was only 10 minutes from our hotel but Blitz was planning to beat the record on the actual Autobahn, not at the track! The team hoped to also set a record for the Autobahn itself. If you have an addiction to speed, you should know that the AutoBahn is Germany's public highway where, in designated areas, the fast lane means full-tilt, all0out speed is totally acceptable. Strapped to the back of the Skyline was a speed meter that measures the velocity of the vehicle. A few days before we arrived, the R34 was shipped to MKB Motorsports where Steffen Leitgeb (public relations director for MKB) registered and insured the vehicle to finalize the legality of the event.

DAY 1

It was 5:30pm when we arrived at MKB Motorsports from Frankfurt. At MKB, we were greeted by Yasumasa Matsuda, executive managing director of Blitz and Steffen Leitgeb from MKB. We were told that the crew was going to make a shake-down run at 10:00pm on a secluded section of the Autobahn which was only about 15 minutes away from the shop. At this point in time all gathered were under the impression that the top speed runs were going to take place at the Bosch test track in Boxberg. After asking one of MKB's customers, "is it normal to try and break records on the Autobahn." He replied with a distinctly German accent, "No way, these guys are crazy."

9:05 PM

We left early for the designated meeting point which happened to be a semi-truck rest stop off the Autobahn. On the way there, we couldn't help noticing a pair of high-intensity ion bulbs in the fast lane zipping by us at lightning speed. Of course to our amazement it was Abe-Chan, mechanic/driver piloting the R34 to the meeting point.

The time as 9:34pm and Mr. Matsuda gave the thumbs up to Abe to shakedown the car, or as the Japanese say it, "setting the car." A quick 10-mile blast down the Autobahn allowed the crew ample time to datalog the test run. After a few paks at the keyboard the car was ready to record a time trial. Unfortunately, just as they were prepping the car, a diesel Mercedes-Benz rolled up with police lights. Sure enough it was the German police questioning what was going on at the rest stop. Unfortunately, there was a slight Japanese/Germanese language barrier that made it slightly difficult to distinguish what was to happen. Something that we found ironic was both parties tried to use English to communicate. To make a long story short because there is no speed limit on the Autobahn and the car was registered and insured the only possible thing to get pulled over for would be the speed sensor mounted to the back of the R34.

3:05 AM

A few hours later, a quick run down the highway in a stock vehicle equipped with a lookout navigator told us that the coast was clear. There was, however, a driver change. The driver now is Mr. Scheueg, a well-known Alfa Romeo Group A class driver, who happens to have a legit license for the roads in Germany. On the R34's first pass problems were to arise which hindered the vehicle from making a fast pass. It turned out that a problem with the spark plugs caused the Skyline to sputter down the highway.

Back at the meeting point, Blitz tuners Abe-Chan and Mr. Nakayashi, known as Killer Commander, were hard at work fixing the problem to make a second pass. By the time the problem was solved, the sun was on its way up. The time was 5:35am and the car was ready to make its pass. Unfortunately, the police showed up again. The Nissan was already gone so they didn't see the police car but the police did see the Option film crew on the side of the road which is illegal on the Autobahn. A few more minutes of waiting was to go by and it was now or never. Far in the background of the Autobahn we saw the Zenon bulbs appear moving at a fast pace. The Blitz Skyline blasted a 193.20 mph run which was short a little over 22.80 mph. This was still an accomplishment considering that this was the car's first recorded pass on the Autobahn.

DAY 2

Due to the fact that we had been up for two days, give or take a few quick "zees" on the plane, we decided to take the rest of the day off. We returned to the hotel at 8:00am on Saturday and passed out for an 11-hour battery recharge. By the time we were revived from our much-deserved rest, it was 7:00pm and the sun was nowhere near the horizon. Later, we found out that the sun doesn't set 'til about 9:30pm in Germany this gave us time to do some sight seeing. We were actually in the country but a quick 15-minute Autobahn trip took us to the city of Stuttgart. We were very fortunate that it was the weekend because little did we know, there was a beer festival going on!

DAY 3

This was the day that Mr. Matsuda wanted to break the record. Since Sunday is a non-workday, the Autobahn was free of morning traffic. The schedule was to meet at 2:30am for a quick rundown on how we were to avoid the police to complete a solid pass. Once the plan was established it was off to the test site with our cameras locked and loaded.

We were told that it was against the law to part on the side of the Autobahn so being the rebels that we are, we decided to get dropped off where the Skyline would reach its terminal velocity and hide in the bushes with the Option one video crew. After about an hour of waiting, the two-way radio relayed that the signal had been given for the R34 to drop the hammer. Just like a battle scene out of "Braveheart," we were all sprinting through the high shrub charging the Autobahn like rabid warriors. The Skyline was roughly a mile away but it sounded like it was right in front of us. As the high pitch whistle of the turbo and the deep low tone of the exhaust drew closer and closer, the HID headlights popped out like a nocturnal varmit's eyes with a flashlight trained on them. At the Nissan flew by us we couldn't help but noticing the all too familiar sound of the exhaust sputtering. Engine problems again but this time the cause was the vehicle's speed sensor giving false reading to the ECU. Completely understandable if you think about it, from the factory the car was never designed to break in to the 200 mph range. Although the car was not in its prime the external speed meter recorded a run of 206.90 mph.

In the movie Braveheart, the Scottish never did retreat but we were forced to go back to hiding until the Blitz crew fixed the problem. The time was now 4:01am and the car was almost ready to run. To pass the time, I entertained the Option video crew by explaining my knowledge of Japanese bad words and pick-up lines and talking performance.

4:55 AM

The car was ready to make its second pass so we made the trek through the brush again but this time it wasn't as fun because our shoes and socks were soaked from doing it the first time. As we heard the Skyline approach, it sounded like it had an early start because we didn't hear the car go from part to wide-open throttle. As the sound drew closer we powered up our arsenal of cameras, ready to try and put the shots we traveled all the way to Germany for. Suddenly deep in the morning haze, the car appeared up over the small hill but this time everything from the Blitz logo to the front mount intercooler was completely visible, not just lights in the darkness. The sights and sounds were truly awe inspiring. The car became louder and louder until it blazed past with the crisp hum of a smooth running engine. As we waited for the car to make its second pass on the opposite side of the Autobahn the two-way radio came alive with the driver's voice blaring that they had just broke a belt on the engine. By the time the van came to pick us up, small amount of traffic started to build up that signified that the team wasn't going to be able to make a third pass on this day.

DAY 4

Since it was Monday, we decided to go back to the city in the daytime and try the different beers that Germany had to offer- a tall order indeed. After a decent taste-testing attempt, getting back to the hotel was somewhat tricky when one is lost but we enjoyed the scenery as we found our way home. After a few hours of shut-eye Tim from Blitz USA knocked on my door rambling that he was hungry. Feeling the effects of jet lag we decided to go into town to eat and so some more exploring. Wouldn't you know it, there was another beer festival going on near the restaurant. Later, we found out that this beer festival thing was an event that goes on every night during the summer months. Most of the parties are "sponsored" by beer makers- what a concept!

DAY 5

This was the last day the team had to break the record. With Wednesday being a busy workday, the trials were forced to be held at the Bosch test track in Boxberg, AKA the proving ground. This track is the testing facility for many European car manufacturers.

As we approached the entrance of the facility, at first sight you couldn't help noticing barber wire fenced and an armed guard at the gate. It felt like I was entering a German-style Area 51. As I started to unload my camera, Steffen came sprinting towards me whispering to put the cameras away. Later we found out that cameras were not permitted. After negotiations with track management, Steffen was able ton convince them that our camera would only shoot the Skyline.

The track's first bank is its small curve climbing to a 33 degree incline with a 190-meter radius and the large curve is banked to 29 degrees with a 350-meter radius. The length of the track is roughly 2.5 miles and it's as wide as a three-lane highway.

As the car was finishing up its first pass, the sound of the engine grew louder half way through the large curve bank which enabled Abe to build up speed. As the car approached the small curve bank the speed seemed to decrease and continued to decelerate after the first turn. Abe attempted four more passes, but as hard as he could run the Nissan, the track was severely limiting the R34's potential. The car was only able to click off 102.77 mph passes out of the small curve which unfortunately, is the maximum speed on that turn even for a professional driver.

According to Steffen, "Although the car was unable to hit the 348km it was able to make a record on the Autobahn setting it at 343km. In itself is an incredible feat."

Next to the speed record, the celebration was one of the most enjoyable experiences of the trip. This was the one time e got to know a little bit about each other. I was sitting next to Abe-Chan who built most of the engine and Takayuki Nakabayashi who does all the programming of the electronics in the Skyline. Since I had a great deal of wrenching experience we shared a common interest- The value of Snap-On tools! Abe's theory is, "If no Snap-On, no work!"

As far as the Nissan Skyline R34 is concerned, this was the most impressive street car I have ever seen. The fact that the only trailer it needs is the one to get it from Japan to Germany illustrates how much of a real street car it is. Be sure to check out the next Autobahn Blitzer. Next stop for the Skyline is stated to be the Silver State Challenge!

1. On the Autobahn the Blitz crew and Option video crew got together to figure out the best spot to make the record pass.
2. Temporary headquarters for the Blitz Autobahn Project R348 was MKB Motorsports. MKB normally houses some of the fastest Mercedes in Germany but for a week its corral was home to a Nissan Skyline.
3. A quick-removal of the muffler's baffle along with setting the speed meter to its correct height allowed the team to make its first test pass of the night. Mr. Nakabayashi from Blitz had the laptop mated to the speed meter to record the run.
4. Left: After a quick tuning pass the car was ready to make its first recorded pass. Unfortunately, German Polizei (Smokey) showed up which put a dampener on things for awhile.
5. Left: In the city of Stuttgart, we found an outdoor mall that was as big as a small town. This is one section of the mall that caught our eyes.
6. Below: This was my first beer experience in Germany. One thing that was cool was that you buy a beer for about $2.50 and when you 'er done you can either get a refill for a $1.50 or return the glass for a dollar back.
7. Above: The key to the record pass was the sticker for our sister publication. Just imagine how fast it would be with a Turbo magazine sticker.
8. This was our hideout until we got the word to rush the Autobahn Braveheart-style armed with our cameras. Just to tell you how late it was, this is sun up not sun down.
9. This is the short bank curve that has a 33 degree incline and a radius of 190 meters. On the bank, the Skyline reached speeds up to 145 mph. We felt that this was the track's weak point as it hindered the car's ability to run full throttle.

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