Setting records is all about pushing the boundaries of what’s possible. In the case of the standing one mile top speed racing, success is defined by high horsepower, aerodynamics, and so much more. Pikes Peak Racing (PPR) Nissan GTR you see here holds the Colorado Mile top speed record at 246.1 MPH that was set in 2015. At the time, it was also the fastest Nissan GTR in country. Since then, another GTR has surpassed this speed at the Texas Mile event.
Today is the last day of the Colorado Mile event. It is being held at the Front Range Airport, just east of Denver, Colorado.
TFLcar went out with the PPR team on a practice session last week to learn more about the record setting GTR, nicknamed “The Queen”. The car is a collaboration of several companies who specialize in Nissan GTR performance hardware. The team says that the 4.1L twin-turbo V6 motor built by T1 produces close to 2,000 hp at the crank and around 1,700 hp at the wheels. The Queen has a custom suspension setup, fuel system, exhaust system, but the real secret lies in the 6-speed automatic transmission. It has a specially designed gear-set and programming to handle the crazy horsepower and help the car reach speeds in excess of 250 MPH.
The low air density of the Colorado Mile is a tough environment for top speed racers. Yes, the thinner air makes it a little easier for cars to travel at higher speeds, but the lack of oxygen robs power and makes it more difficult to slow down. The racers do not have a lot of distance (around 2,400 feet) to slow down before the end of the runway.
The team ran the Queen GTR several times on Friday and Saturday, but technical issues with the transmission spoiled the attempt to better the speed record. The car was accelerating good and reached approximately 208 MPH at the 1/2 marker, but the shift into the top gear was not working properly and was causing car to become unstable. Racing at these speed is dangerous business, and the team decided to abort further attempts. The PPR team is disappointed, as they felt that record speed was possible. The guys will take the data they collected, fix the issues, and come back for a chance at the record once again.
Get all the details about this speed demon GTR in this video.
