Nissan has released a promo video showing how the 545 horsepower 3.4-litre twin-turbo V6 VR38 engines for the GT-R supercar are built.

The whole process starts with just four highly skilled craftsmen knowns as “takumi”, who are sanctioned to put their name on the company’s halo vehicle, the legendary GT-R.

Izumi Shioya, Nobumitsu Gozu, Tsunemi Oyama, and leader Takumi Kurosawa have over 100 years of combined factory experience. These four highly skilled artisans hand-make the twin-turbo VR38 engines.

“By putting my name on the engine block, I strongly feel I represent Nissan and am regarded as a builder of GT-R engines,” says Kurosawa. “I feel a strong pride.”

Even though automation seems to be the thing of the 21st Century, in Yokohama’s controlled “clean” room, assembly of some 374 engine parts remains a hands-on experience.

“We are constantly improving our quality,” says Tsunemi Ohyama of his three decades at Nissan.
“When GT-R production started in 2007, valve clearance adjustment was by machine, but now everything is by hand – measuring, tightening, measuring again. After manual checks and confirmation, only then do we deliver to our customers.”