san~man said:
So compare that then. A 6 or 7L 8 cylinder motor versus a 3.XL straight 6 that "can" make as much power?
RB26DETT is 2.6l.
I'll state all that I know, and what my quick research has turned up about RB26DETT, and Skyline GT-R, and I'm done with this thread
The standard RB26DETT puts out around 280 horsepower, although it is possible, with modification, to get as much as 850-1000hp. The RB26 was subsequently used in the R33 GT-R, then the R34 GT-R Skylines, with minor modifications made to each generation in order to produce more power.
To date, the RB26DETT stands as one of the most powerful and versatile engines that Nissan has ever made.
RB is the engine code used by Nissan to denote the engine type. 26 means 2.6 litre, D refers to the dual overhead cam setup, E refers to the electronic (multi point) fuel injection, and TT means twin turbo.
Nissan has always marketed the engine as making 280ps (276hp). Enthusiasts have proven that the original R32 made 310hp (measured at the wheels), the R33 made almost the same power. The R34 GTR has been measured at around 325hp (mostly due to the higher flowing turbos, and more advanced ECU tuning).
There are 2 major RB26DETT blocks; standard block (code 05U) used in standard GTR models, and N1 block (code 24U) used in the R32 Nismo, R33 N1, and R34 N1 models. The N1 block has improved water-channels, so the engine cools more efficiantly. It also has an uprated Oil-pump, and Water-pump. The engine block and pistons are also stronger. N1 engines also have steel-wheel turbos, as opposed to ceramic wheel turbos in the standard GTR (the ceramic turbos are prone to shattering when you set them to higher boost).
The last production RB26DETT was in 2002, for the R34 Nur-spec GTR (approx. 1000 made). It was based on the RB26 N1 block. The N1 block was further improved from the R34 N1 for the Nur by balancing the crankshaft and pulleys. The Nur engine also used the R34 N1 turbos, which are ball-bearing and contained the more popular steel turbine wheels. Although Nissan claimed the Nur made the standard 280hp, but with the higher flowing turbos, and more efficient engine would probably yield over 350hp. With light tuning, owners can easily reach 500-600hp.
The RB series engine ended production after the R34. The next GTR will be launching in 2007 with a VQ series engine (used in the current 350Z and Infiniti G35). It has been speculated that it will be a 3.7L twin-turbo, probably named VQ37DETT. Nissan will be marketing this car as a 911 Turbo alternative, so we will likely see around 450hp.
The GT-R of the 1990s included a 2.6 L straight six-cylinder twin-turbo motor producing 276 hp. The turbo-chargers were of a hybrid steel/ceramic design allowing them to spool up faster due to the light nature of the ceramic exhaust wheel.
Power was delivered to all four wheels using an electronically-controlled all wheel drive system referred to by Nissan as the ATTESA system. The ATTESA system uses two G-Sensors mounted underneath the centre console, which feed lateral and longtitudinal inputs to the ECU. The ECU would then control the feed of power by allowing a limited amount to be delivered to the front wheels via an electronic torque split converter. V-Spec models were equipped with (amongst other things), a faster reacting ATTESA Pro 4wd system with adjusted ECU settings, improving oversteer considerably.
The car also had computer-controlled all wheel steering system referred to as the HICAS system. The HICAS system, activated when the vehicle exceeded 80 km/h, controls steering of the rear wheels in the same direction as the front to improve turn in on entry to corners.
While the published figures from Nissan were as quoted above, practical tests showed the car had a factory power output of closer to 380 flywheel hp. The lower published figure was Nissan's response to the need to abide by a gentleman's agreement between the Japanese auto manufacturers not to release a car to the public exceeding 278 hp power output.
Popular feedback from Skyline GT-R owners is that turbo boost can be safely increased to around 0.9 bar (from the factory set 0.7 bar) with no changes to the factory turbochargers. Increases beyond this limit risk the ceramic exhaust wheels delaminating from the shaft.
(quoted from Wikipidia.org in Japanese. i translated best i can)