Some experts say gaming increases grey matter in the brain. Others say it improves motor skills and spatial awareness. None of that has been scientifically proven, but they sound like factoids that might receive a few nods of approval around here.
A far more tangible outcome of gaming is the influence that racing titles have on tuner culture. You won’t need any clues as to which game owner Ryohei was playing when he dreamt up the livery for his 1999 Nissan Skyline GT-T, as there’s a pretty big hint on the custom-painted Voltex carbon fibre GT wing.
But even if the influence hadn’t come from Need for Speed, the impact that racing games, in general, have had on the tuning community, films, streetwear, music and street culture is undeniable.
I think it’s safe to say that car and game design are art forms with just as much artistic weight as sculpture or paintings. In the same way that a Picasso painting might influence another artist’s sculpture, car design influences game design and vice versa.
Of course, games like NFS are based around actual hero performance cars, but giving players the ability to customise them with aero kits, wheels and liveries must account for some level of artistic exchange between the digital and real worlds.
Quite obviously, a certain film franchise about driving fast, furiously may also have had some influence on Ryohei and this build. The vinyl graphics were printed and applied by Art Factory Graphics, who worked with Modern Image to create graphics for The Fast and the Furious, 2 Fast 2 Furious, and The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift.
As I’ve said before, I never really got into gaming and although I’ve seen all of the Fast and Furious franchise films, none are on my top 10 list. That being said, I love everything about Ryohei’s car, from the livery to the under-glow. Considering the car was built two years ago and not 20, the early-2000s vibes are spot on.
The kit combines C-West and one-off parts, while the front fenders are from Okubo Factory. The headlights and tail lights are custom, as is the Candy Violet-based paint.
From the bodywork upgrades to the graffiti-style graphics and a stance courtesy of Airforce air suspension, the Skyline looks like it’s just been discovered in a basement lock-up at Universal Studios.
And the wheels? Work Meister L1s in a meaty spec: 19×10-inch -17 offset front and 19×11-inch -29 offset rear. Toyo Proxes Sport tyres in 245/35R19 and 285/30R19 front and rear respectively put some serious rubber on the road.
Popping the bonnet opens another portal into the past, with the GT-T’s RB25DET NEO engine having been rebuilt by Top Secret. The 2.5L DOHC 24-valve inline-six is now making 550hp with help from a pair of Tomei Poncam camshafts, an RB26 six-throttle intake, GT-R intercooler, and a large Trust/GReddy TD06-25G turbo.
Poking out from the Car Shop Glow carbon rear diffuser is a full Trust/GReddy Ti Power Extreme titanium exhaust.
The interior features Ryohei’s handiwork in the DIY panel trimming, plus a bolt-in roll cage, Bride Zeta IV seats, an Avenue steering wheel, a wild hand brake lever, and the Nismo gauge cluster. You really can’t miss the prizmatic sparkle details and LED lighting either.
So, what do you guys think? Will this Hollywood video game street tuner style live on for our great-grandchildren to scratch their heads about? I sure hope so.
Toby Thyer
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