Looking to upgrade your car’s cooling system? Here are the best radiators for a Nissan Skyline GT-R that you can buy today.
Just like us, cars don’t enjoy working in hot conditions. So, if you’re asking for more power from your GT-R’s engine, the least you could do is keep it running cool. If you don’t, you could end up with a very expensive mechanical failure on your hands.
Whether you’ve got a ‘90s Skyline or a modern-age R35, this handy little guide should point you in the right direction when it comes to choosing an upgraded radiator for your Nissan GT-R. Oh, and since these modern classics are turbocharged, we’ve also included some uprated intercoolers for optimal temperature management. Let’s get into it…
Best Radiator for a Nissan Skyline GT-R
Mishimoto
RRP: $319.95 / £314.64. Buy the R32 variant here, or the R33 variant here.
Despite having only been around since 2005, American brand Mishimoto is an established premium radiator brand within the aftermarket tuning scene. Naturally, they provide uprated aluminum options for both the R32 GT-R and R33 GT-R (which fit their GTS-T understudies too).
The two variants are similar, but not identical: the R33 radiator has a thicker core, as well as slightly larger dimensions overall. Regardless, the technology remains the same. As such, with their dual core construction and high thermal conductivity, these upgrades can provide up to a 35% increase in efficiency compared to the OEM radiator.
Koyorad
RRP: ~$400.00 / £384.48. Buy it here.
There’s a gap in Mishimoto’s parts catalogue where the R34 GT-R should sit, but happily, Koyorad are here to help. Koyo has been in the aftermarket radiator game since the 1950s, so you’re in safe hands.
The Koyorad R-Series radiators have a brawny 53mm core, and that increased capacity means better cooling reserve when you need it. Like the Mishimoto offering above, this part promises up to 35% increased performance over the R34’s stock radiator. So, whether your daily driving or pushing it hard on a track, this Koyo rad will be up to the task.
HKS Intercooler
RRP: from $828.93 / £667.22. Buy it here.
The stock intercoolers that you’ll find in any of the ’90s-era Skyline GT-Rs are all pretty tough, and can cope with up to – and just beyond – 500bhp. However, once you start adding more oomph than that, they can understandably begin to struggle. So, if you’ve got a crazy build on your hands, we’d highly recommend an intercooler upgrade.
An HKS Type R intercooler will not only be able to cool and flow enough air for just about any power you want, but it will also be around 25% lighter than the stock item too.
Best Radiator for a Nissan GT-R R35
Radtec
RRP: $1084.86 / £1058.40. Buy it here.
Whereas the Skyline sedan-based GT-Rs of yesteryear are quite mechanically similar, the same certainly cannot be said for the 2007+ R35-gen car. This supercar killer redefined what the GT-R badge stood for, no longer sharing any DNA with Nissan’s more humble line of JDM sedans, and instead branching out into its own bespoke model. With a blank canvas, Nissan created a beast – a Godzilla, you might say. However, with the performance bar now raised to a whole new level, the sort of radiators often planted into R32s, 3s, and 4s simply won’t suffice here.
Mishimoto does supply a much beefier aluminum radiator for the R35 ($621.95 / £521.39), however we’re more interested in what’s on offer from Radtec. It might not look flashy, but this product features a high fin content design to give it maximum heat dissipation, and is a direct fit under the GT-R R35’s hood. As they say, the proof is in the pudding, and this radiator’s performance tastes pretty sweet. Severn Valleys Motorsport uses it in their record-breaking 2500bhp, 259mph R35. So if it can handle that, we reckon it can handle your street build.
Japspeed Intercooler
RRP: ~£1800 / £1689.99. Buy it here.
Unlike most cars, the standard GT-R intercooler is very effective, but at this level a larger capacity version will improve performance and reliability. One of our favorite options is the Japspeed full MVT front mount intercooler kit. This includes uprated pipe work, is claimed to offer 45% better cooling, and unleashes an extra 30hp on its own!
Need more comprehensive advice? Check out our broader Nissan GT-R tuning guide, or our beginner’s guide to engine cooling.
