With countless desirable GT and rally cars under its belt and given its engineering prowess and advanced technology it’s rather suprising that Japan has never competed in the super car arena.
The closest they’ve come to super car glory was with Honda’s all-aluminium, mid-engined NSX. Unfortunately, their attempt to play by Europe’s rules met with slow sales and eventual failure.
With a long tradition of manufacturing fast cars since 1969, its Skyline based GT-Rs have been legendary on roads and tracks, earning them the nickname Godzilla.
Design
Although the current GT-R has a lot in common with its predecessors, it is no longer based on
the Nissan Skyline and is a completely new design.
Designed by a global team, the GT-R features the latest Nissan design language.
With its gaping air intake, low stance and broad shoulders, GT-R looks taut and purposeful. This sporting character extends to the cabin, with the black leather sports seats and leather wrapped steering wheel adding to the racy character.
Take a seat in the electrically adjustable driver’s seat and the first thing you are likely to notice is the digital display taking pride atop of the central console. Used to display the satellite navigation information or the hard-drive based MP3 system, it also features a driver adjustable performance monitor. Featuring all of the comfort and luxury one would expect, fit and finished to a high standard inside and out.
Performance
With a twin-turbo3.8 litre V6 engine mounted up front feeding 480bhp of power and 588Nm of
torque to the rear mounted dual-clutch semi-automatic gearbox, which in turn distributes
the power to all four wheels via the state-of-the-art ATTESA ET-S four wheel drive system,
performance was always going to be a brisk. With a 0-60mph sprint of under 4 seconds (as
low as 3.2 seconds using the launch control system) the Nissan GT-R sets a new benchmark
for quick acceleration.
Delivering of its performance is what sets it apart from other sport cars.
Adjustability is the name of the game. For everyday driving, leave the car in normal mode with smooth shifts and a softer, more cosseting suspension.
Of course, when the desire for performance overwhelms you, or you venturing onto the racetrack, switch all the systems into “R” mode which will make the gearshifts a little faster, stiffening up suspension and traction control allowing you a little more leeway to enjoy yourself before stepping in.
Fitted with huge 380mm Brembo brakes front and rear, featuring ABS and EBD with a Dynamic Stability Control for when the driver exceeds his or her limit as well as a tyre pressure monitoring system to detect punctures or leaks.
Conclusion
The Nissan GT-R is a marvel of a
car. It more than earns its nickname
of Godzilla!
While no doubting its performance, there is one area where the GT-R might struggle. The super car world is as much about performance as it is about the raw snob appeal of the badge adorning the bonnet. Regrettably, Nissan is not one of the badges recognised by the super car buying elite. This is a pity, since the Nissan GT-R is every inch a super car as described.
Technical Specifications
Displacement: V6 3,799cc
Maximum Power: 480 bhp / 353 kW
Maximum Torque: 434 lb.ft / 588 N.m
Price (as tested): £56,795
Rivals:
Porsche 911 Turbo
Audi R8 R tronic