When you do what you love every day, it’s not called work anymore – it’s called a career. For Carter Jung, this career has allowed for him to live and breathe all things automotive.
Carter is Senior Vice President of Partnerships & Strategy at Race Service, Los Angeles-based creative agency that specializes in automotive campaigns. Their client list has spanned from powerhouse manufacturers like Porsche, Mercedes-AMG and Aston Martin, to sports associations Formula 1 and NASCAR. Before Race Service, Carter cut his teeth at respected automotive publications, starting at Super Street as an associate editor to editor-in-chief at Import Tuner magazine. Beyond automotive, Carter gained experience in other fields, being employed in companies such as Acura, Red Bull Media House, Mattel, Playstation and more. Fashion-wise, his resume is even more impressive, having work histories that include ACRONYM, BAPE and UNDEFEATED, while his tenure at Playboy Labs has allowed for collaborative projects with fragment design, XXX God Selection, Emotionally Unavailable, and more. And if that wasn’t enough, Carter is also an accomplished photographer, and also does consulting and licensing work; most recently, he’s working with Sony Pictures on the upcoming Gran Turismo film.
So what does an experienced, automotive veteran drive on the regular? A GT-R, naturally. His 1995 Nissan Skyline GT-R has been in his possession for almost two decades now, and the work put into it shows. The R33 is arguably the least loved generation of the modern classic GT-Rs but not for Carter – he cherishes it for its body lines, improved aero, retained power and historic Nürburgring milestone. Tuners love the RB26DETT for its resilience to horsepower and torque improvements, so Carter went with the 2.8L HKS stroker kit that provides a generous bump in power and allowing for an even more aggressive buffer for tuning. For aesthetics, Carter hasn’t done much to the exterior, instead just treating the nearly 30-year-old JDM icon with a full paint correction and ceramic coating to keep it original. Find the car riding low in Volk TE37s while on the street and Titan7 T-S5s at the track.
There’s a lot to Carter and his Nissan GT-R. Read below, and in case you missed it, read up on Ben Clymer of Hodinkee and his classic 1967 Porsche 911S.
Thaddeus James
Thaddeus James
Thaddeus James
Thaddeus James
Thaddeus James
Make, model, year of your car?
1995 Nissan Skyline GT-R (R33).
When did you acquire it?
I’ve had it for a bit so I don’t remember exactly, I think I bought it back in 2003 or 2004.
What made you choose this car specifically?
Growing up in LA during the ‘90s, I used to go to Japanese bookstores in Little Tokyo and check out magazines like Option. I would pore over photos and attempt to translate text with my two years of high school Japanese to see what tuners were doing overseas. Like sneakers, the Land of the Rising Sun had the cool shit. And of all the cool shit, the coolest was the R32 Nissan Skyline GT-R.
The R32 was crushing lap records from the factory twin-turbo inline-6 and all-wheel drive system. Tuners were modifying them to run even quicker, shaving 0-400 meter – quarter-mile for us non-metric using folks – and lap times. Nicknamed Godzilla for destroying other models on the track, the vehicle reached mythical status. Then, during my absolute peak Japanese car magazine otaku days, Nissan dropped the R33 GT-R.
The R33 has a similar powertrain to the R32 it replaced. It’s slightly bigger and a bit heavier, but it boasts improved aero, chassis, and balance. Its lines are sexier and the interior is much more refined. When it became one the first production cars to break the 8-minute barrier at the Nürburgring, I was smitten. And because the GT-R, or the Skyline, wasn’t a model Nissan exported to the U.S., it became a grail that I thought was unobtainable.
What is the main purpose for this car for you?
I initially bought it to be my daily driver, which I did for years. Now, it’s become a project vehicle built by Evasive Motorsports capable of making 600 hp to the wheels, reliably, thanks to a host of HKS parts. This is the one vehicle I don’t ever plan on selling, it’s an heirloom that I’m passing on to my daughter, so I’m going to continue to build it to my own perfection.
What has been done with this car? Where has it gone?
It was my daily so I literally drove it everywhere for several years. In LA, we’re blessed with amazing roads, so I’ve taken it on a ton of canyon drives like Angeles Crest Highway. I’ve also had it on display at events from Import Showoff to the E3 video game trade show.
Thaddeus James
Thaddeus James
Thaddeus James
Thaddeus James
Thaddeus James
Thaddeus James
Thaddeus James
Any details? Modifications? Changes?
The cooling system had major rust issues a few years ago so it needed a full engine rebuild. Instead of going with the stock 2.6-liter internals, I opted for the bigger, 2.8-liter HKS stroker kit and HKS top end components, and dropped the engine off at DSport to do all of the machine work and assembly. Evasive Motorsports installed the fully built engine and added HKS parts such as the front-mount intercooler, intake, Super Turbo titanium exhaust, and Hipermax coilovers, and tuned the engine with a Haltech ECU. The turbo OG, Tod Kaneko, rebuilt the two HKS GT2863R turbochargers and the drivetrain has been upgraded with OS Giken LSD and triple-plate clutch, the latter of which I’m kind of regretting since it’s a bit aggressive for the street.
I pulled Bride seats out of storage that I originally bought for a 370Z project car that I built for Nissan, back during the Import Tuner days. The factory paint was looking pretty haggard so I had Prominence Auto Spa perform a paint correction and ceramic coat to restore and protect the sheen. I’m running Volk TE37s on Yokohama Advan Neova AD08 for the street and I have a set of forged Titan 7 T-S5 wheels for track days. The big brake kit is AP.
What is a car to you: functional tool, stress-reliever, aspirational achievement, etc?
All of the above. It’s functional as a mode of transport since I can comfortably fit my family of four thanks to the R33’s roomy rear seats. When on twisty roads during the weekends, there isn’t a better stress reliever. As my first big purchase after having a real job after college, the R33 was my biggest aspirational achievement. I can still vividly remember how pumped and proud I was when I got it, especially since there was such a small window when GT-Rs were being legalized in California.
What was your dream car growing up?
The R33 GT-R, hands down.
What have you owned before? What would you like to have?
I’ve owned a ‘95 Acura Integra, ‘09 BMW M3 Sedan, ‘91 Nissan Skyline GT-R, two beat Honda CRXes that I had merged into one semi-functional automobile, ‘91 Nissan 240SX with a turbo SR-engine swap, ‘95 Nissan 240SX, ‘93 Mazda RX-7, ‘97 Acura NSX, and a few other random Hondas.
I can’t think of a car that I’d really like to have. If anything, I really want to get my GT500-class JGTC Toyota Supra running as close to competition spec as possible. That would be sick. I’ve started plotting with my dudes at Evasive Motorsports, so maybe in a few years?
Thaddeus James
Thaddeus James
Thaddeus James
Thaddeus James
What is the future of the automotive industry? Car culture?
The automotive industry has been, and is still, going through some crazy changes, however, car culture is stronger than ever. Thanks to Netflix, F1 has finally found its footing in America. It’s wild to think the sport went from leaving the U.S. in 2005 with its tail between its legs after the tire debacle in Indy to now having three American GPs that are for sure going to sell out. I feel like Drive to Survive brought in a whole new crop of people whose newfound interest in motorsports has trickled its way down in to cars.
On the other end, the local scene is more vibrant than ever, every city, small to large, seems to have meets and cars and coffees, and track days are continuing to grow in popularity. In recent years, you’ve started seeing automakers like Porsche, Mercedes-Benz, and Lexus collabing with fashion and streetwear brands, artists, and music talent to take part in culture, and designers and the youth have really embraced the motorsports aesthetic. These are all lanes that I’m super passionate about, so it’s super dope.
