Nissan GT-R R35Stage 1 to Stage 4 tuning guide

What we'd do

Stage 1 with gearbox software is where we would stop on an R35. Litchfield's Stage 1, an EcuTek remap with a Y-pipe, claims 590 bhp, and Litchfield writes switchable maps for 95, 97 and 99 RON, so there is a file for Israeli 95. Software mainly adds torque: on Cobb's 2017 test car its Stage 1 map moved peak power from 501 to 505 whp but torque from 453 to 531 lb-ft at the wheels. That torque is what the gearbox clutches feel.

We would pick an EcuTek-based tune. EcuTek covers every model year from 2009, while Cobb's Accessport stops at 2016, plus 2017 European and 2017–2018 US cars. Cobb is fine on the years it covers, and its Accessport with gearbox flashing lists at $1,460. Add an ETS Y-pipe from $895 and the parts come to about $2,355 before shipping, import tax and fitting; Litchfield's whole Stage 1 is £1,613.72.

Buy in this order: gearbox health first, then engine and gearbox software together, then a catted Y-pipe, and an intercooler only when you go further. Skip the downpipes. AMS sells its downpipes for race or international use only, and Litchfield says its de-cat stage is not emissions compliant on the road. Skip the 740 hp figure too: it needs E85, which Israeli stations don't sell. Past about 620 bhp the stock injectors are at 100%, which is where the bills start.

The gearbox is the one thing to watch. On 2009–2011 cars ask for the solenoid clips and magnets before any tune, and keep clutch pressure modest: Cobb warns that early CBA seals have a high chance of trouble above the stock 16.5 bar. At Stage 3 plan on clutch packs, such as the Dodson SuperStock 7 at £1,579.02, which Litchfield rates at 650 lb-ft.

Tuning it in Israel

Price in Israel

The R35 is no longer sold new, and Nissan has stopped taking orders. The importer, Carasso Motors, priced the facelifted car from ₪880,000 (Walla, 1 January 2017). Walla's report on the end of production says the car was sold here from 2011 at ₪790,000, later ₪880,000 with the Black Edition, which was also the price in its last year on sale, 2022. In all 61 were sold and 56 were still on the road; two 2012–2013 cars were listed on Yad2 at ₪480,000 (Walla, updated 2 March 2025).

Parts from abroad

At the Bank of Israel representative rate of 26 October 2026 ($1 = ₪3.078), Cobb's Accessport with gearbox flashing ($1,460) is ₪4,494 and the cheapest ETS Y-pipe ($895) ₪2,755. Above $75 both carry 18% VAT plus purchase tax, about 40.66% combined on car parts and car electronics (our import guide): ₪4,494 × 1.4066 = about ₪6,321 for the Accessport and ₪2,755 × 1.4066 = about ₪3,875 for the Y-pipe. An AMS intercooler ($1,984.95) lands at about ₪8,594. All before shipping, which is taxed too. Exhaust parts such as a Y-pipe also need an approval before they can be imported.

Fuel

The R35 is easy here: Litchfield's maps switch between 95, 97 and 99 RON, and Cobb names each map after its minimum fuel, with its "91" maps for 95 RON and its "93" maps for 98 RON. Cobb's rule is never to run a map written for higher octane on lower octane fuel. If 98 is on all your routes, take the 98 file; if not, run the 95 file (95 vs 98 after a tune). Jotech's 740 hp and the biggest Stage 3 and 4 figures need E85, which Israeli stations don't sell.

Regulation 380 and the test

The Road Safety Authority reads Regulation 380 as covering engine software, so record the tune like any other change (how approval works). The Ministry's list names a special exhaust outright: on this build the Y-pipe, downpipes and rear exhaust need a part with a lab prototype certificate, fitted by a licensed installer and recorded in the licence. Race-only downpipes have no catalyst, and passing the annual test doesn't make an unapproved change legal. Bigger turbos and a front intercooler are changes too. Fixed noise fines are ₪250, or ₪350 for driving without an effective silencer.

Where to get it done

EcuTek's tuner list names Top RPM in Holon. Cobb's dealer list names PIT-STOP and Palracing in Holon, SecretTuning in Petah Tikva and CH Performance in Peki'in. These are the brands' own lists, checked October 2026; we have no link with any of them.

Prices and rules checked 2026-11-10.

Also useful: tuning shops in Israel, the import tax calculator and the annual test checklist.

What owners ask

Do I need the gearbox (TCM) tune with Stage 1?

An owner of a 2008 R35 with only a mid-pipe asked exactly this in 2021: the tuners and Cobb resellers he spoke to were split, some saying the gearbox tune shortens its life and one saying it helps. Replies were mostly about custom tuning beating off-the-shelf maps. Cobb explains why the gearbox software matters: the GR6 clutches are clamped by computer-controlled pressure, and more pressure stops slip at high load. We would do the gearbox with the engine, with the pressure your gearbox's seals can take.

Sources: SAU: Stage 1 Cobb with mid pipe vs custom tune (2021), Cobb: Nissan GT-R 20 bar clutch pressure

I have a 2009–2010 car. Is the gearbox a time bomb if I tune it?

This comes up on GT-R forums all the time. In a 2014 thread several owners of 2009 cars reported no trouble, one after two years with a Y-pipe and a custom tune, while another lost his gearbox three days after buying the car. The common advice was to have a specialist clean the solenoids and fit clips and bigger magnets at the next gear-oil change. Cobb adds a hard limit: on 2009–2011 US cars with the original seals, it says clutch pressure above the stock 16.5 bar is likely to cause trouble.

Sources: GTR.co.uk: 2009-2010 gearbox issues (2014), Cobb: Nissan GT-R 20 bar clutch pressure

How much torque will the stock gearbox clutches take?

In a long-running thread one owner put the stock clutches at around 700 lb-ft from his research, with slip at high revs above that; another posted shift logs showing slip from about 650 lb-ft on E85; a gearbox specialist said Nissan designed the clutches for about 660 lb-ft. For a road car without launches, owners settled on circlips and magnets and kept the clutch upgrade for a turbo build or track use. That matches the ladder: Stage 1 and 2 on stock clutches, clutch packs at Stage 3.

Sources: GTR.co.uk: Power limits of stock clutches and gears (2013)

Will a tune void my Nissan warranty, and can the dealer see it?

A 2012 gtrlife thread is typical. Owners said a reflash may or may not cost you a warranty claim: one had seen Nissan both cover and refuse cars with tunes. Another pointed out that after a big engine, gearbox or differential failure Nissan downloads the car's data, and boost above the factory level shows a tune. One owner's worry was a random gearbox fault being refused because of the software. Our advice: if the car is under warranty, assume Nissan will find out.

Sources: gtrlife: Ecutek and warranty? (2012)

Is the Y-pipe worth it, or will it drone?

Owners are split. In a 2012 thread on a Litchfield Stage 1 without a Y-pipe, one owner had held off because of reports of drone, another tried a Y-pipe and preferred the stock sound, and others loved it. One owner with the quietest Y-pipe he could find said it was louder but not booming, and close to stock on the motorway. Litchfield's Stage 1 includes a Y-pipe; for cars that already have one it sells the remap alone for £720. Here a Y-pipe is an exhaust change, so choose one with catalysts and an approval.

Sources: GTR.co.uk: Litchfield stage 1 - No Y Pipe though (2012), Litchfield: GT-R stage upgrades