GT-R

Make
Nissan
Segment
Coupe

There was once a time that a full carbon fiber body was something that you'd only expect to see on the most expensive Paganis and Koenigseggs, but lately, the aftermarket has been investing in carbon fiber construction in a big way, with the result being that more and more attainable cars have access to exotic composite body panels. We've seen this sort of work carried out on a classic Shelby Mustang, a twin-turbo Dodge Demon, and most recently, an old Renault 5 Turbo. Those are all worthy recipients of such phenomenal work, but if you really want to break the internet, take a page out of Kazushige Sakamoto's book and give a JDM icon too much power and a millimeter-perfect carbon body.

Sakamoto-san is the founder of Garage Active Japan and is clearly a hardcore Skyline GT-R nut. His Instagram profile is littered with stunning examples of the true Godzilla, the original BNR32, but few are as attention-grabbing as his carbon fiber-bodied creations. At Tokyo Auto Salon 2020, he broke the internet with a red carbon-bodied GT-R running a 3.1-liter naturally aspirated R31 motor on throttles, but his latest creation is just as special and is being flown in from Japan to be shown at SEMA.

We're talking about another carbon GT-R, boasting an HKS RB28 stage three stroker motor that develops an insane 1,300 horsepower, but you can still enjoy this thing because it still has air conditioning and a decent cabin. You can even consider taking a passenger along for the fright of their life because all the carbon body panels have resulted in a weight saving of around 245 pounds. Scaring someone in style has never been easier.

If you happen to stumble across this beauty at SEMA, take some time to drink in all the details. Yes, this car has a full dry carbon body and a boatload of power, but the precision with which every component has been manufactured and installed means that you could spend hours obsessing over something as simple as a taillight cover. Despite the overt nature of the carbon body, the car is remarkably restrained and has tasteful performance enhancements to the cabin including a shift light, a suede steering wheel, a turbo timer, and a trio of gauges. The leather-trimmed and double-stitched dash is also worth appreciating, and we're sure that the crowd at SEMA will fall in love. For us, the perfect finishing touch is a set of carbon and leather Recaro bucket seats. The only question is, does the R35 Nissan GT-R get some love soon, or will Garage Active break the internet in 2022 with another JDM classic?