416 kilometres per hour

One of our thousands of gearboxes was, in August 2026, travelling at 416 km/h. And no, it was not on a plane being delivered to customers, although this happened at Kilti Airfield, located in western Estonia. But it was working hard and its gears were spinning fast thanks to a VK56 V8 twin-turbo engine installed in a Nissan Skyline GT-R R32, driven by Aleksandr Ljahh. And yes, that was enough to set a new absolute Estonian speed record for road-going passenger cars. There were plenty of other records, and it seems there will be even more. But let’s go back to the beginning – who is GTR Racing, that likes to drive at unholy speeds?

"The GTR Racing Estonia project represents the long-term development of one of Estonia’s fastest cars. At the heart of the project is the legendary Nissan Skyline GT-R R32, which the team has continuously upgraded for standing-mile and half-mile racing. The key people behind the project are driver Aleksandr Ljahh and Aleksandr Cheryomushkin, the project’s chief mechanic.

Aleksandr Ljahh has competed in top-speed events since 2009. In 2011, he set a record of 319 km/h, raising the bar to 350 km/h in 2015. After several stages of development, the previous RB engine was replaced with a VK56 V8 Twin Turbo. Today, the car is equipped with two modified Garrett G1050 turbochargers and produces more than 2,000 hp."

Although the Samsonas 5-speed RS90 is rated to “only” 1200 Nm, those are conservative figures. In reality, this gearbox can handle significantly more power, but that depends on many factors, and GTR Racing has found a way to utilise it with mind-blowing numbers. The history behind this is quite extensive.

"We began negotiations with Samsonas in 2018. At that time, we stated that the car would produce approximately 1,500 hp, and we initially planned to purchase a six-speed gearbox.

However, after lengthy discussions, the specialists informed us that the six-speed gearbox would not withstand this level of power and recommended choosing a five-speed gearbox instead. There were no other suitable options available at the time, so we ordered the five-speed gearbox that remains installed in the car to this day.

In 2023, the gearbox underwent a complete service, during which all the gears were replaced. This year, it also received a partial service, and several components were replaced. The gearbox is currently operating properly, without any failures or issues.

The only drawback is that a five-speed gearbox is not ideal for our project and standing-mile racing. A six-speed gearbox would be the optimal solution."

New records on timesheet numbers also require new numbers on the dyno stand, and that upgrade is coming; it will be the ultimate test for our RS90 Sequential. Because the upgrade will be big and demand even more grunt. But our experience with Middle East desert racing Nissan Patrols, which also produce totally crazy numbers, means we are confident RS90 will handle the new upgrades with no problem.

"In the future, we plan to increase the car’s power to 2,500 hp; its current output is 2,050 hp. This raises the question of whether the existing gearbox will be able to withstand the additional load. It is currently operating successfully at a power level significantly higher than the manufacturer’s stated rating. One possible reason is that gear changes are currently performed using the clutch.

In addition, ViceSwap manufactured special torsion-type rear half-shafts with a damping effect for us. They absorb impact energy and reduce the load on the drivetrain. The gearbox’s reliability may be partly related to this solution. However, it is also possible that the gearbox itself has a considerable safety margin.

At present, the gearbox continues to operate reliably and without any issues. Only practical testing will show whether it can cope with a further increase in power."

The future looks promising for GTR Racing, and we can only wish them all the best in chasing speed and records across the old continent.

"Today, GTR Racing Estonia continues to develop the car and push its technical limits. The team’s next goals are to increase power to approximately 2,500 hp, further improve the transmission, and achieve new results at European top-speed racing events."