1999 R34 Skyline GT-R: factory twin turbos out, single Garrett G35 in

This 1999 R34 GT-R is a Japanese import and is right-hand drive as it left the factory. It came in for a turbocharger conversion: off the standard arrangement, and onto a single Garrett Motion G35 turbocharger. It makes 750 hp.

The RB26DETT leaves the factory with two turbochargers running in parallel, not in sequence, and that distinction matters when the car is modified. The standard units use ceramic turbine wheels, which are light and spool quickly but do not tolerate the boost pressure and heat that a car at this power level lives with. They are a known failure point once an RB26 is asked for meaningfully more than it was built for.

Replacing both with one larger turbocharger changes the character of the engine and simplifies what sits on the exhaust side. A single unit removes the paired plumbing, gives one wastegate path to control instead of a balanced pair, and moves the compressor into a range that supports the target output rather than running past the edge of its map. The trade is low-end response, which a larger single will always give up against two small turbos.

A conversion of this kind is not a bolt-on. It rearranges the exhaust manifold, the charge piping, the oil and coolant feeds and the boost control, and it is only worth doing when the rest of the engine and the fuel system are ready for what the turbocharger can deliver.

Right-hand-drive imports bring their own considerations before any of that begins, from parts sourcing against a Japanese-market catalog to working on a car whose service access is mirrored from what most technicians see every day.