Earlier this year, Oberlin, Ohio-based tuning firm Switzer Performance moved from its 4500 sq-ft garage to a 105,000 sq-ft complex. The move has allowed Switzer to expand its existing tuning operations. David Kim, CEO of Switzer Performance, said;
We took a small performance garage and turned it into a supercar factory. That’s the simplest way to put it, but we really changed everything about the way the shop operates. We have a section of the shop now that focuses on complete, ‘turnkey’ converted cars. The Ultimate Street Edition GTR is that team’s focus.
Switzer’s Ultimate Street Edition (USE) GTR starts off as a 545hp R35 GTR fresh from Nissan, which – on its own – is a pretty capable sports car. Switzer removes the engine, transmission, and more before upgrading and re-engineering every aspect of the car’s performance. The horsepower output of the Switzer-balanced 3.8 liter twin-turbo V6 engine is nearly doubled to over 1,000hp, the transmission is fully rebuilt and strengthened, the suspension is slightly lowered for more neutral handling, while the lightweight Switzer Signature series wheels reduce unsprung weight.
The end result is a GTR with staggering performance: 0-60 times in the two second range, a top speed well in excess of 200mph (in under a mile!), and nine-second 1/4 mile times means that the Ultimate Street Edition GTR can out-accelerate virtually anything on the road.
The new facility is currently busy producing a number turnkey Switzer USE GTRs, with plans to raise that number to several cars per month as production scales up. Tym Switzer explains;
We’ve been steadily expanding over the last few months, so our capacity is increasing over time. If you expand too fast, the level of fit and finish goes down. The care that these guys take to build these cars, all of that is important to maintain. We built the brand and our reputation on quality and reliability and the confidence to stand behind our product. I’ve never strayed from that, and I have no intention of doing so, and that’s what our customers – the majority of them are repeat customers – come to us for.
Fully built Switzer Ultimate Street Edition GTR Nissans are available at select dealers, and carry an $88,990 premium over the GTR’s base sticker price, with custom touches (like the custom paint scheme and j-hook brake rotors shown here) adding to that number.
