Right now, you’re probably wondering why anybody in their right mind would replace the tuning-friendly powerhouse that is the twin-turbo V6 of the Nissan GT-R with any other engine. Well, the fly in the ointment to this JDM platform being so popular among custom car enthusiasts is that anybody willing to build one that stands out will have a hard time. Of course, a Viper V10-swapped Nissan GT-R is a brilliant way to get around this.
To the best of my knowledge, this is the first time somebody drops a Viper V10 into the engine bay of a GT-R of the R35 kind, as an R34 Skyline (not a GT-R, though) with this sort of American heart already exists over in Denmark as a drift car.
The Viper V10-swapped R35 Nissan GT-R is an Australian project
The wonderful lunatics performing the swap are the folks over at MDS Fab in Brisbane, Australia. As for why the shop needed to make this project stand out, the build was commissioned by HardTuned, an Aussie automotive clothing specialist that wants to use the car for promotional purposes.
However, the latter company explains this is no show car. The Viper V10-swapped GT-R is being honed into (surprise-surprise!) a drift car rather than a show vehicle, even though that massive cutout in the panel added under the hood means it stands for both—seeing more of a “window” than a hood reminds us of German tattoo artist Mica Dori’s otherworldly Mercedes-Benz 190E build.
The project was still in the works back in March 2024 when HardTuned took it to Australia’s Rockynats 04 car and bike festival (their most recent social media post about it at the time we updated this article). For one, the engine was definitely in the car, but some details still had to be sorted out to get the car running. That would be an 8.0L V10, most likely from a Gen 2 Viper, which was fitted with a twin-turbo setup involving hardware from Pulsar Turbo Systems and a Link ECU. The turbos are solid mounted to the body for support while using flex joints in the manifolds.
And with this being a drift car, we can expect around 1,000 hp. For the record, while the Viper V10 can make double and more, HardTuned answered an instagram comment about the V10 possibly being taken to 2,000 hp by stating it won’t be pushed that hard. Oh, and while we’re here, maybe this Hellcat-swapped Viper will float your boat.
The drift setup means the Viper V10-powered GT-R has gone from AWD to RWD. And while the exact six-speed transmission isn’t mentioned, we could be dealing with a built version of the Viper’s Tremec T56 six-speed manual featuring an upgraded clutch that could handle all the extra power and torque.
There are forged three-piece wheels in a 20-inch size. In addition, a Liberty Walk R35 Type 2 widebody adorns Godzilla, with the space just after the front wheels being used for glorious side exhausts. And, if you’ll excuse the pun, once this reptilian get-together goes out to play, you can bet on those exhaust tips spitting fire like a dragon.
