April11
By now, we’ve all seen Nissan’s GT-R V-Spec taking some hot laps at the Nürburgring. But with the initial sightings out of the way, we decided that it was time to try for a little more detailed look at some of the elements that will set the V-Spec apart from the standard issue GT-R. We finally managed a very close-up look inside the GT-R V-spec’s interior, revealing some of the carbon fiber construction applied within.
With a curb weight of 3,836 pounds, the GT-R is no featherweight. And while the standard GT-R obviously overcomes any weight penalty in heroic fashion, it’s compelling to imagine a GT-R that’s some 300-plus pounds lighter. The V-Spec will shave at least that much weight thanks to the extensive use of carbon fiber. Our spy photos show the V-Spec will use ultra-thin carbon fiber shells wrapped in a layer of leather, all finished off handsomely with some bright red stitching. The seat design is a brilliant stroke of purposeful, yet beautiful design–fully set apart from lesser GT-Rs. The rear seats were similarly pared down versions of the standard GT-R’s normal seating.
The prototype photographed has a portion of its rear wing blacked-out, suggesting it is also one of the carbon fiber pieces that will make up the V-Spec package.
Underhood, the GT-R V-Spec’s turbocharged mill will see an increase in boost, raising output to at least 550 horsepower — up from the standard GT-R’s 480 horsepower. In addition to the power boost, the V-Spec will shed 330 pounds.
This test car gets a revised front splitter, which sports some additional air intake slits, presumably to feed more cooling air to the brakes. New six-spoke wheels also house what appear to be a revised braking system. The golden Brembo brake calipers were an ever-present feature even on the first GT-R prototypes, but they’re a no-show on this tester. A closer look at the prototype’s brakes reveal that the road-going GT-R V-Spec will likely use a carbon-ceramic setup.
Nissan has set a sub-7 minute 25 second Nürburgring goal for the GT-R V-Spec — 18 seconds faster than the current car — and if initial reports are correct, Nissan engineers have already achieved that goal.
sweet.
great. porsche is gonna kiss nissans ass.
V-specs should be kept until no one knows about the GTR anymore, and have such an amazing agressive styling that make kids cry…but since the regular godzilla styling already is horrible, there’s not much they can do.
Even though I know they really shouldn’t be compared (or should they?) I can’t wait to see how it compares to the ZR-1 (in before fanboy crying from both sides).
This will be the greatest sports car for the money. I was thinking of putting a deposit on a GTR, but now that a spec V version is coming, I will be waiting for that one and get it in all black, with black rims and those beautiful black carbon ceramic discs. Its amazing they can shed over 300lbs from this monster, and add another 80hp! This thing will be good enough to go hunting cars like the Zonda and the Lambo LP640.
Impressive stuff. The best track / street car for the money is a lightly modded EVO IX in my opinion.
There is still a question of any long term normal or race driving. The drivetrain still leaves me wondering want this car does to itself under hard conditions over time. The First thing is that the tires go a lot sooner than say a 911. Strain on the drivetrain, suspension, and frame, having to force power to make the car do things it simply does not want to do or do as quickly.
There is a reason why the best sports cars in the world do not weight nearly two tons, aside from a couple of exceptions (B. Veyron being one).
I really would like to see this car run hard for 200+ miles against a 997-911 Carrera S, A C6 ZR-1(maybe a Z06 to be fair), and a Ferrari 430 Supercharged. To have to run against cars it is supposed to be better than under conditions that these cars made their names under. Do this anywhere but Nurburgring, namely because the GT-R was aimed at performing there anyway.
Why not test that “Anywhere, Anytime” tag line? (better ditch the limiter as for this one)
I would honestly expect the GT-R to start off strong for the first 50 miles, but would suffer badly on braking and agility, handling is no problem, but a car needs response and lightness to be agile, two things the GT-R, I feel, will fall short of pretty quickly.
The GT-R and its highly pro-active drivetrain, will start to chew up its tires with a combination of high weight (Giving up 200lbs to a ZR-1 and nearly 500lbs to a Z06 and falling somewhere in there between a Porsche and Ferrari) and a very harsh driving behaviors. It will lose grip early on and suffer more in maneuvers and braking as a result. It will have to pit first for tires. Any gains it had will quickly evaporate. The GT-R will have to stop at least one more time than the other cars for tires. A serious problem in a long real race.
The GT-R must be more careful to avoid damage that the other cars, because of its weight and complex AWD system. Its added weight means that it is more vulnerable, but not horribly so, to serious damage from relatively minor hits or errors. It is also a fully fresh design and its vulnerabilities to damage have not yet been fully explored and dealt with. The AWD system is more complicated than almost anything I’ve seen before in a performance car. Minor damage or even a stress related malfunction brought on by prolonged vibration, heat, or debris from the track, could cause a problem that could hamstring or even completely disable the car. (I still wonder why NISSAN hangs the warranty out like they do so I think this may be a real concern)
The other cars are not so vulnerable having had their weaknesses explored and dealt with. There is a reason why no Corvette from C5 on have never failed to finish a race (aside form being totaled). The 911 is considered nearly indestructible. Ferraris are unquestionably reliable in a heated race as well. The GT-R is a rolling question mark.
I’m not willing to concede that the GT-R is invincible nor should anyone. It has yet to proof it’s claims of being better “Anywhere, anytime” that anything else it is likely to ever go up against. It still has to proof itself in competition. The racing version does not have ATTESSA-ETS, so it will race as a “normal” AWD racecar… the only way any GT-R can be an effective racecar for more than a few miles.
While Impressive, unless you live easy driving distance from Nurburgring, My money is still on the other cars to win a races the way they were meant to. If the GT-R can bet them that way and live up to the hype, then I’ll song it’s praises. But not before.
Give us a break! this is a street car, not a pro race car. If these things will be entered in proffesional road racing, they will be heavily modified to be durable for such a task. The Skyline GTR’s are hailed for their reliability even in highly modified form they remain solid unlike many cars that become self destructive over time if you mod them. If the Skyline was so great, this new GTR will be much better, improving on every aspect over the old GTR. Trust me, the Japs know how to build good cars that are fast and reliable.
My mid-life crisis car
geez- i just jizzed a little…. just a little, i forgot where i read it, having a hard time finding the webpage, but after this V-Spec version, there is also supposed to be a GTR Evolution as well. but i could be wrong
start the bidding at $200,000
mayer_ray_nagin,
I don’t think so, at least Porsche can put out a car that doesn’t look like a giant catfish. Faster doesn’t necessarily mean better. Besides, they’re evolving the 911s as well. The new updated Turbo is coming with about 500 hp, and will be lighter. As far as torque, I don’t know, that hasn’t been released as of yet. Expect an updated GT2 in about a year or so. Sorry, the GT-R just doesn’t do anything for me. I don’t care how fast it may be or how much power it has, it’s still a Nissan and it’s still grossly overhyped.
That sounds like one hell of a crisis jjt. I’m pretty sure if the war department saw me pull into the driveway with one of these crisis would be an understatement.
It may look large and huge, but atleast it’d doesn’t look like a beetle on steroids. Porsche while iconic, are not the best looking cars in the world my friend. If anything is overhyped, it is Porsche and every guy that doesn’t know anything about car design’s dream. They are more known for their performance than styling and the situation is that Nissan is offering better performance for a better price and better reliability.
Some Porsches are AWD, and so are a lot of other supercars. The GTR is rear wheel drive based and is predominately rear wheel drive esp in high speeds unless power is needed in the front wheels. Technically speaking it’s a hybrid that can be true rear wheel drive. The only issue with the transmission is that they are not offering a 6 speed manual. The GTR is the epitome of a technologically-advanced automobile, so the 7 speed paddle is great, but a manual is still needed for pure driving fun.
Either way, the styling or rather, the size/weight of the GTR is not great, but neither are most Porsches either. They are both iconic in sense of history, but they don’t get many design points. I feel that they both could use a design refresh, such as Porsche taking cues from the Carrera GT and going that direction and Nissan going back to the MID4 type of direction.
mayer_ray_nagin is right, and you SGIOctane2 my friend are wrong.
Nissan proved that you don’t need to spend over $100,000 to have a super car that out performs, out handles, and out stops the Prosche which costs $120,000. Porsche is nice but they are historically overpriced!
911 Turbo is already kissing GT-R’s ass. The Japs aren’t dumb, they already knew 911 Turbo is will get a redesign, this is one of the reason of the V-Spec. The funniest thing is Nissan doesn’t give a **** to tell the world “**** Porsche, we’re bitch slapping them!” and they BACK IT UP!
Blakkar- you frustrated redneck- go read up Edmunds’ insideline.com torture test of the GTR over 2,000 miles. It STUNNED them that it put up with beating including high speed skids and burnouts on a dry salt lake bed. Your whining only underlines your CORE jealousy over the 911’s overthrow.
Also- the base GTR makes 510bhp (dyno confirmed) not 480. The V-spec’s probably going to be making 650 and not 550bhp. What are you gonna come up with then Blakarr? The GTR is this decade’s greatest sport motoring achievement- the way the 911 was in the 70’s and 80’s and even 90’s. Everything moves over to the outside lane- you get it, Mr. Frustrated Blakarr?
Sanfranmac, I agree that this car can take a beating, but the V-spec version is not going to get 650bhp, if they were giving it that much more power they wouldn’t be reducing the weight by 300lbs.
Sanfranmac,
I would not say frustrated or jealous. More intrigued that so many out there are so quick to swear allegiance to the GT-R even though the car has yet to prove that it can do anything more than post a hot lap. I’d be more likely to go for a NISSAN ZX (not Z) than the GT-R because it is a proven world wide champ car.
I am not the biggest fan of the 911, rather the revived CORVETTE lineage. This comes from it actually proving its case as a world class sports car without the hype. The GT-R was on the hype wagon for 7 years and has yet to return any actual victories, aside from cutting a few hot laps. Not to down play the significance of doing so at the difficult, but not insurmountable, Nurburging, but win some real races already…. oh wait, the car came out only last year and the race car has yet to even roll out yet.
It is too soon for the proof I’m looking for.
As I said before, I want to see the GT-R “put its money where its mouth is” and go for a 200+ miles or 2+ hours racing against these cars. The achievement will be if it can stand and deliver. So far it has not.
Frankly, you should be the one who is frustrated (which ever meaning you want to attach to that), Sanfranmac, that a real fan of cars in general can not see fit to speak highly of this car because I know the burn of an oversold car (MITSUBISHI 3000GT, Toyota Supra, Honda NSX). Looks good on paper, runs great alone, but against competition it tanks. Will the GT-R be the real deal or just another waste of time.
Call me cautious or call me fair if difficult. But I am serious about what cars I speak highly or even favorably of. The GT-R still only looks good on paper and running alone to me.
I find it funny when people of little to no knowledge of the Skyline “GTR” and it’s history make doubting comments about the car. You don’t have to spend much time looking up the history of the GTR’s, First Drives, Comparisons… of the new car… It’s the real deal just like the ones before. I must declare my bias as I’ve owned a R32. It’s a shame Nissan took so long to bring this supercar humbling model to the States. Oh, and about tires, Nissan tested over 3000 combination of tires from the different manufactuers. The Skyline “GTR” have never come to market ‘half ****ed’. Look up it’s history on road, track and in racing.
I have a white R34
Blakkarr is an idiot!
I still have not seen it really prove itself. Doubt within reason leads to learning and understanding. Blind faith is just a dumb gamble.
When I have seen the proof I am looking for, that is as I explained earlier, then the GT-R will have my personal approval and I will sing its praises. But not before.
Dnell64,
I have. Not the most stirring story. A car that shows up consistantly with the best gear but gets schooled a year or two out the shoot. The R34 was disappointing only because it didn’t stay in production for more than 3 years and easily could have been shipped, at least to Europe, officially. America would have been easier. The R35 GT-R (the current car) may not be so disappointing, but it will have to win on more than it’s home turf to prove it can race. I mean just how good do you have to be to ace rebuilt 10 year old sports cars and out class the only update car (the RX-7)?
Again this is the proof I am looking for. Racing wins, Where, against who, how did it qualify, how did it win. This and not what amounts to as “test data” is what matters to me.
If wanting more data before saying the car is great is idiocy, then I am an idiot. But I don’t think the GT-R would have been built without the data to back up their ideas. Whether they are good ideas or not has yet to be proven.
Even with the weight loss it’s still heavy.
I’d take every carbon-fiber piece on it completely unpainted to save weight. And seriously if they really want to max the performance (or perhaps on an upcoming model … trust me there’ll be at least one more spec) they really should throw out the rear seats and rebalance the weight distribution.
Going back in history the R32 dominated the JTCC, winning 29 of 29 from 29 starts and taking the series title from 1989-1993. It’s entry in the Australian Bathhurst 1000 to compete against Ford and Holden V8 saloons along with other manufactures including Porsche and it’s success there was a major factor in the scrapping of the series. The series was change to the Supertouring and the splinter GT500 series we know today. The introducton of Audi Quattro in Group A Rallying was the only other car to change a motorsport series that the general public could go buy a road version of the car.
The 350z was competitive in the JTCC series and the new GTR’s scored 1st and 2nd places in their first outings of the season. Mind you, the GT500 car share little with their round going counterparts. Unfortunately in the States we never really witnessed the Skylines.
You don’t have to sing the models praises, just recognise the the pedegree and performance bargain that it represents.
I am you just loving to see how Nissan is simply smacking Porsche right upside the head and then bending it for you know what….. LOL
i like the picture of the confused asians walking around
Lol @ A4. Well they must know what they are doing to turn out something like the GT-R.
O_O this is a beautiful car…
Ok maybe it’s not the greatest looking thing but hell, I’d buy one if I had a $$$. I wanna wait and see more reviews though. I mean yeah the benchmarks are STUNNING to the point that I’m practically in a coma from watching videos of it but I still wanna get more info about it before I make my final judgment. Kickass car from what I’ve seen though.
With the exception of being one of the ugliest looking vehicles I think that Nissan has come out with for a very long time, the performance for the price well makes up for it. with 480hp the regular GT-R is a killer on the track. This is going to be crazy fast with 550hp. Although the six figure price tag that this will fetch for also doesn’t attract me. I just wish they kept its looks more like the R34.
Comment by SGIOctane2, posted on April7 at 1:02 pm
“I don’t think so, at least Porsche can put out a car that doesn’t look like a giant catfish.”
Uh, if anything looks like a catfish, its the Porsche 911 GT3. It’s got the catfish eyes (headlamps) and even the whisker looking things (supposedly daytime running lamps). The GT3 looks so much like a catfish its amazing!
Any car that calls Porsche’s bluff on price I’m all for. The Porsche 911 Turbo is a stout performing car - no question. But its not worth anywhere near its $130k+ price tag. First the Z06 called Porsche out on that, and now the GT-R is doing the same. So, what’s your answer, Porsche? You’ve been called twice - what’s your move?
Dnell64,
Sorry but…
Pedigree be damned! What has this car done besides post a few hot laps? I DO NOT care what previous Skylines have done or how they were equipped. What has THIS car done? Nothing. Will it? Stop bugging about how I’m not thrilled with the hype and want the car to win a few before I start cheering. When you show up with a totally new machine, the proving process starts again. It is the RESUME, what the car has done, not the whole line, that interests me and I’m not the only one.
NISSAN could have gone to Europe with the GT-R where they could have easily found a series or two to compete in with the GT-R. Whatever excuse you want to make for NISSAN, they did not. AUDI and VOLVO race AWDs very frequently in EUROPE. NISSAN could have done the same. The fact they they did not is not because as some have tried to assert “the Skyline was just too good.” Which is BS. It is just a car, not a neo-nuclear hyper robot with a protoculture power core. If the car was just too good, as still legal in some international venues, why not just ACE them?
The only logical conclusion is that NISSAN knew their car couldn’t stand up to real competition. That was in Europe. Maybe the R35 can this time, which is why they are going global with this car.
This BS is like the hype around the Japanese Ninja being some kind of superhuman killing machine,when historical records clearly show that Ninjas sucked at everything except hiding. If you want a fortress cleared send in a few Samurai.
As for a racing series being scrapped because of one car, I seriously doubt that. It would have been easier and more financially sound to outlaw a car or two, which is what happened to AUDI for a few years, and I think happened to NISSAN as well. Scrapping a racing league, much like TRANS-AM in America, was a matter of it wasn’t making money anymore. Not enough drivers or not enough fans to buy tickets and t-shirts, and other fan stuffs. No. For whatever reason those series simply did not rake in the money.
But maybe, as a possibility, the Skyline was too good, and the Aussies just didn’t want to see a Japanese car win every race. It’s kind of like European formula racing. It’s been in some trouble because FERRARI wins so many of those races their is no drama, no sport, just a podium ceremony to hand over yet another trophy to FERRARI.
So one car did, if indirectly, kill a racing series, because it was just boring to watch the same car win all the time. Could be nationalist tension. JAPAN and AUSTRALIA are not always on the best terms. Australians want to see their hometown heroes duke it out, not some outsider take to cup. In which case, they were sorely put off by it. But this assumes it did win.
Even so. Racing is still a very strong strong in Australia. But they wrote rules preventing a “GT-R” from just owning again. In Europe, AWDs take certain penalties (Nerfing) in road racing. The GT-R would face the same. But Maybe this time NISSAN is confident that they can still win even nerfed. After all, Audi and Volvo do very well and even ace now and then.
Again, let the R35 make its case against real competition if actual racing. No Hot laps. No hype. Just win or don’t. To me that is what I am looking for and demanding.
Blakkarr is still an idiot.
I saw a great le Mans race saturday.
Told my wife the ferrari that won was beautifiul.
“It’s the you of race cars,” I said.
^^i’m not getting now. the fact that other skylines were good at racing is a direct proof that this one should be good too. heritage is not just to sell cars. what car are you praising that the r35 gotta beat? i’m not putting the r35 in the celestial rank everyone puts, but hype comes from something getting excessive publicity, which does not mean it’s not deserved…you can’t beat that 3.3 0-60 that edmunds tested. and for the pig that car is, for me it’s pretty much a proof.
LMAO @ jackjimturkey post #35
haha i mean post #33, im #35!
AmericanMade you are posts #36 and #37 the post number is below its associated post not above it.
I usually try not to comment on cars I have not driven. Im not in a racing series so lap times dont mean crap. Every test Ive seen this car in, it is dominating and drives like its on rails. Very fast great car, even like the styling, but not for me. I want a car that challenges me a little more. Anyone here thats driven a vette or Porsche on track nows that a great deal of skill is required to squeeze out last 10% of performance. I still struggle sometimes in the 911 because its so different then what I am used to. That is where all the challenge and thrill is.
the car’s been stress tested on the nurburgring, it’s proven itself thus far by winning in its debut race, it did 2000 miles with edmunds.com insideline after a lot of punishment through high-speed highway driving, some drag racing, drifting through dry lake beds (which more than likely put plenty of dirt and dust all around and inside the engine bay), etc. they even took it around a couple race tracks. the car wasn’t cleaned until the end of the trip and it still ran perfectly. edmunds, who likely has more experience with cars than anybody who posts here, was very impressed with the car for its performance and reliability and that’s saying something.
the suspension, engine, brakes, tires, etc. have all been tested pretty well not only by nissan, but also by edmunds.
I think it’s a good car. It has a good pedigree and this car is no exception.
Sometimes a lot of varying speeds can stress a car as much as constant high speeds as varying speeds will put the tires, brakes, suspension and such to work more than going the same speed constantly.
also, I’ve heard that a month’s worth of “spirited” driving on the nurburgring is equivalent to an “average car’s” lifetime of wear and tear.
so if you think the car hasn’t proven itself yet, I don’t know what else you want except maybe a heavenly mandate from God.
The GT-R R35 is a brilliant car, especially for its price and ability to hang with, if not outpace, cars double, triple, maybe even quadruple its price in a straight line and/or around corners.
Interesting points BLAKKAR. Not totally sound though. The Corvette will pit for gas more often than the GTR due to its huge engine. So they balance out. The GT-R is atleast 5 seconds faster around the Ring than a 911 Turbo. At 13 miles ~5 seconds that is 76 seconds over 200 miles- assuming the Ring is 20km. More than enough time for a splash and dash.
Syrax,
It’s got to beat them all… at once, as I keep saying, in a real race. What was done so far is impressive, but nothing any other car can handle. Shot they have to handle it just to get out the door.
I really don’t think any of your are understanding the simple statement. I DO NOT CARE ABOUT HOT LAPS AND TEST DATA! I WANT TO SEE THIS CAR WIN REAL SANCTIONED RACES THAT MATTER THAT MADE THE NAMES OF ITS COMPETITORS.
It’s bunch of damned monkeys that don’t understand that.
I do not care if the R35 is the most technologically up-to-date road car in human history. It means nothing to me if the car can not bring home every wreath and laurel, every cup and trophy, every title and accolade, its competitors have earned.
WTF is the matter with wanting to see this car with a list of REAL victories not just glowing track reviews? A great athlete performs under the pressure of hard competition. They can prance and pose great in practice when the pressures or competition are not on. But if they can not score when they have to actually fight for it, what good are they really.
Maybe it is because I am a racing fan as much as a car fan, and the R35 has yet to amass any real wins. As a result I can not applaud this car for being anything other that a very well equipped car. Sadly nothing AUDI or PORSCHE could build if they cared enough to. Frankly they race and strive to bring the experience of racing to you. If their goal was to simply build a car to “beat them all”, it would be done, done better, and not look like a botched styling exercise.
So, the technology is not my issue. It’s whether or not the R35 is a winner, or a merely compete sports coupe with really good training wheels.
i’m telling you- just wait til the 3rd version comes out, the GTR Evolution- this Vspec would be what the Nur Spec R34 was when it came out
Jazz,
The CORVETTE actually goes further on a gallon that the GT-R by over 20% or about 1.5-3 miles mpg better, believe it or else. Blame it on weight, the extremely high level of turbo boost, and the drag of its AWD system. Have to push harder longer to move that mass, those parts, and cover for any turbo lag.
Iurburgring it not the only venue for racing. If your still basing any semblance of superiority on that one set of track data, then you are missing a lot of data. We do not really know what the driver was doing that day. Maybe some jerk entered to post a hot lap and he really wasn’t that good. I find it very difficult for a C6 Z06 to have posted a time that bad. 7min40 or less would be more reasonable. This is a car that can whup almost any 2wd 997-911. I would not doubt that a European driver had little idea of how to proper handle an American car.
It would be doubtful that the GT-R would get to race only at Nurburgring, further are you saying that the R35 is only good at Nurburgring? I would think not. I wouldn’t go back to that data unless that is what you are saying. Between drivers of roughly equal skill or even the same driver with no pronounced bias, the lead you speak of the R35 has over the C6 Z06 is not near so great, maybe a second or two. Gets tighter with a more experienced and daring driver.
Further as I said, the GT-R also has the problem of eating tires. That kind of weight and its AWD system, as proactive as it is, will force it to go through tires more quickly and it will have to stop for tires at least one time more than the competition. If you go by Lemans rules, The pit stop for any car will by over 25 secs for four tires and gas. “Gas and go” will still be over 10 secs (force feeded requires upgades these cars would not get for this hypothetical race. NASCAR pit rules would still be over 20 seconds, no built-in hydraulic jacks, not easy jack points). These cars would not be allowed to have one nut per wheel. Under Lemans-type rules, they can.
That doesn’t sound like much of a loss in time. But only at Nurburgring and similarly twisted tracks, assuming the CORVETTE doesn’t get a suspension update from Leaf Springs to four corner Coil-over springs, a common upgrade for CORVETTEs outfitted for racing. Watch that lead shrink such that the race looks more like the “Tortoise and the Hare” and we know how that ended up or worse the CORVETTE starts behaving like a real race car.
It would be bad for the R35 to lose because it ran out of gas and/or lost a tire, while the 911 and the CORVETTE went on to win having more than enough gas and tires still not half worn.
But this is why I want to see some real wins in real races and not just data analysis. The real world is full of incongruities that can render the technically better car the loser and the sure loser the winner.
In other words, “Don’t just tell me you can win. Show me.”
I’m still waiting to cream myself when/if they make an R35 Z-Tune. If Nissan made a Z-Tune for the R35 that is comparable with the upped performance from R34 to R34 Z-tune, just omg. I can’t imagine they would boost the horsepower much higher but if they made a Z-Tune I would expect a 20-25k racing suspension and basically everything Nissan could possibly do to make it blow even an R35 V-Spec away.
BTW don’t even get me started on looks, the original Z-Tune is about as badass as they come so I couldn’t even imagine.
Unfortunately we’ll never know because there simply isn’t a class of racing for cars like the 911 Turbo, GTR or Z06 to ever meet.
The business about the lap times is funny. The Z06 does not get better fuel consumption than the GTR in road trim. “The Ring” is one of the most demanding race circuits that exists. They stop having F1 races there because drivers were dieing there. A redesigned circuit is used today using a portion of the old circuit. I know the laptime doesn’t mean much to some, but as a note, it was set in damp condition which, around the 13 mile Nordschleife in dry conditions, is worth 2 seconds a lap; 2 sec’s a lap in racing is huge. The only production car to lap faster than the GTR is the ultra rare Porsche Carerra GT, now that’s something that can’t be ignored.
There’s no data to support the assumption being made on tire wear either. Again, this car represents a huge performance bagain, just like the ones before. All of the rest of the objections to recognising the car for what it is just fluff.
History:(for those who don’t know) Because of it’s dominance in the JTC Group A series, the Skyline was given it’s own series in 1994. Way back in 1991 at the Nurburgring 24hr Endurance race (first participation)a Skyline GTR won the Group N Class. At the Spa Francorchamps 24hr race the same year the GTR won overall beating Group A and N1 cars (for those who don’t know, the groups represent how modified a car is from stock, Group A being heavily modified). From 1991-1997 The Skyline GTR was undefeated in N1 endurance racing in Japan, winning 50 times, and yes Porsche’s were in attendance. Going back to the origin of the GTR Skylines, they were built to take on Porsche at the track, for less money.
In that is why I can not praise this car beyond being simply the most technically up to date performance car to date.
I would have liked to see AUDI step up on this car, but that seems unlikely for the foreseeable future.
As to Tire wear, call it experience, maybe I’m wrong. However, as long as a GT-R is not pushed for more than a few miles, tire wear data of any worth is locked away in NISSAN’s data vaults.
BTW, where are you snagging your history data from. I’d like to know for my own references. Also the Carrera GT, 997 GT2, Pagani Zonda F, Koenigsegg CCR all still top the GT-R, at Nurburgring, by a minimum of a full second. I skipped the tuned model times though. Further the time of 7mi35sec is the Manufacturers claim not the actual time. 7min38sec seems to be the more widely accepted time.
The point was to build a car that could stand up to them for far less money. I will not argue that. But unfortunately the “anywhere, anytime” mantra does not and can not ring true.
Next time, build a ZX. More love and there are no rules against it.
You definitely have to give credit where it’s do with this car. As far as numbers go, it’s very impressive. It actually kind of pisses me off being a GM fan, cause I’m gonna assume this will out perform the ZR-1. I wish Nissan woulda just let GM have their moment, but no. Assholes. I guess time will tell though, both will be great cars. Anyhow, my true problem with this car, along with those like it, is the technology overload. It has way too many electronic bits for me, the complex awd system, launch control. (I think some people still like to drive their cars.) Just think of the amount of boost the engine’s handling, I wonder how reliable it’ll be? Once again, time will tell.
Audi’s nearest is the R8 it Nurburgring time is 8.04,the Zonda has been timed at 7.27, the Veron at 7.40, now it’s funny to mention the GTR in the same breath as the exotic supercars like the Veron (VW built it just to show it could be done and only 300 will ever be made, the limited production Mercedes Benz powered Zonda; these are 1 million dollar cars, will never see a race track or any of the ‘prove their self’ stuff being spoken of. Oh, the CCR (highly modified supercharged 4.6 quad cam Ford engine, it’s so heavily modified it’s not even a Ford engine anymore) has done 7.34 and again, exotic supercar, limited production and all the rest and they haven’t put a full second between themselves and the GTR who’s MSRP will be around $70k depending on trim level. The GTR is an evolution of previous models, just like the current 911 turbo, an evolution, better and faster than the one before. Oh, one magazine refered to the GTR as a baby Veron, funny that too.
History: the Godzilla nickname came from the Australians during it’s reign in their championship series. The history and information is out there and from many sources, all saying pretty much the same thing, they didn’t make the stuff up. As mentioned earlier the previous GTR was never meant for markets outside of Japan, so never received the press the current car has because of it’s world wide release. Oh, these complex awd systems people keep bringing up are not new technology, Audi,Buggatti,Lamborghini,(all VW group cars), Mitsubishi, Subaru, BMW, Honda and Landrover use complex AWD technology; it’s not new, never been tried before stuff. And when has anyone read complaints of Nissan’s performance engines breaking, for that matter when has anyone read of any import manufactuer building engines that break or are unreliable, it’s a rare thing. I think Toyota was the last to have a problem when the rushed into production the 5.7 litre engine in the Tundra pick-up. The problem they had has since been fixed. Don’t take my word for it, look it up and you’ll see.
I know people would want to shoot me for saying this, but from a business standpoint, why is Nissan selling this car (the plain GTR) for so cheap in the states? If they’re going to sell every single one allocated to come here-why not get what you could get and make it as profitable as it could be. Real world conditions being where they are, an extra 30 grand per GTR would offset 6 Titans sold with $ 5000 in rebates on ‘em. I don’t know how many GTR’s they’re planning on selling…let’s say 5000-that’s a whole lot of cash. 150 million, anyone? That money will be made alright-by the a$$hole dealerships. Sort of the same reasoning why I don’t think Ferrari should make an entry level car-waiting lists are a great thing, boys and girls. Just because a company is doing fine today doesn’t mean tomorrow will be as bright. You’ve got to make hay while the sun shines, and if you can sell this thing for more-you should do it-for the financial well-being of your company.
50th comment. and 51st.
5150 I say.
lol don’t give up hope just yet Hateful83, I haven’t given up yet. We just have to wait until official lap times are released. Hell they haven’t even let any official HP #’s or peroformance stat’s on it yet.
To compare this car to the stock 911 turbo is and was ridiculous. AT 400#s over the 911tt with the same hp,the winning numbers of the GT-R NEVER made sense. Now with the REAL horsepower and torque finally starting to be revealed IT ALL MAKES SENSE. The GT-R needs to be compared to the porsche GT2 and NOT the 911tt. So once again, can you say “lying sacks of ****?”
Noah,
So are you saying that NISSAN was actually testing the V-spec before and did not tell? That might seem more plausible.
I do find it hard to understand how NISSAN or anyone can claim the GT-R beat the 911 when it has not bested the best 911’s scores and times. That being of the GT2, by far the most superior of the 911 line.
i’d said it once, and i’ll say it again- just wait til the GTR Evolution comes out…. that is all
I have a white R34
Comment by jackjimturkey, posted on April7
Not on a janitors salry You have a Tempo and lied about having a Civic and Buick
Is it V-spec or Spec-V? I thought they would stick with the same scheme as the SE-R.
I’m not sure about the GT2 test Blakk but check out the May Road & Track, they test the GT-R against a 911 Turbo and a Z06. Down at Buttonwillow’s road course the 911 Turbo and the Z06 did 2:02.1 and 2:02.2 respectively with about 80mph averages; the GT-R ran the course in 1:56.9 at an 84mph average! The GT-R also averaged about 3-7 mph faster than the 911 and Z06 in all sections of the course. Even on the home straight before the first corner where the Z06 and its drag racing glory should be smoking the competition, it was only going 1 mph faster than the GT-R and the 911 turbo was 2 mph behind GT-R. There is no way around it really, the GT-R is king!
btw sharpie it is V-Spec, it always has been since the original. I also forgot to quote R&T’s headline which was “The GT-R absolutely spanked the competition.”
Looks pinched
F3INT))AP3X (On #59),
That’s the problem. anyone who knows anything about the 911 knows the GT2 is the top of the line 911 period. It is the maxxed out version for the 911. But at Nurburgring, the GT-R posted 7min35sec, the 997-911 GT2 posted three runs of 7min32sec or better.
The GT-R did not beat the 911 at Nurburgring. The Vspec should not have a problem if it’s perfromance before is any indication.
I did read that article, but I find 45+ year old writers pretending to be serious race car drivers to test this machines a flawed notion. It only proves that the GT-R is the best car, in the hands of an amateur. Driving by strict driving theory really only shows that if one have no grit, skill, and imagination, that the GT-R is truly the superior car. I can not argue that.
The rub is that If someone with skill and drive, where to take up a PORSCHE or CORVETTE, Hypothetically someone who took the time to master their car as opposed to some jerk who has no skill just brought “Race driver in a can” R35, Would the GT-R still fair as well. Even with a skilled driver in the GT-R would it still be as great.
The old argument of mine “The Sword versus the Chainsaw”. I would still bet on the Sword.
While the designers may apprentice at Zojirushi before going to Nissan, you cannot argue with the performance and appeal of the GT-R. The only short-term problem will be getting one.
Well first off Blakk 99% of the people out there are not pros, they are amateurs. And honestly I think even in the hands of a pro this car would still be better, have you seen the testing that all the tuning houses are doing with the R35 at Tsukuba? Amuse has been running a stock R35 with only their R1 Titan exhaust fitted in and 2 small canards on the front, and it ran a 58.6. To give you an idea of how nuts that is, the VARIS Cyber Evo 5 which is a dedicated track car with one off racing parts and intense aero mods all specifically tuned for Tsukuba runs a 56 something on a good day but usually gets 57s.
If I had a tempo, that’d be evidence against you — namely that tempos don’t last.
Jam
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Tripleonefluffer’s
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receptacle
All bets are against you on this issue Blakkarr. THe GT-R is odds on favorite to beat anything. I think everything is leaning in favor of the GT-R at 550 HP fine piece of machinery. It would make quick work of anything and that definitely includes that moron with his Z06. Without a doubt Porsche is sure to respond to this challenge it has been there domicile and territory of the fastest but maybe no more!?
I think Ford Motor would have something to say about it if put Twin Force to use on the Mustang GT500 KR-King of the Road.
It would be indeed king if the used it on that 540HP engine and say took it up to and even 1,000 HP which is about what the Track version of the legendary GT-R produced
^ Ford Taurus? Forever? … hmmm … I know the Taurus … ummm … ?
The GT-R doesn’t have 550 hp, the GT-R V-Spec does. The GT-R has 480hp. (someone above was saying it actually dyno’d at 510hp?) And you’re comparing the GT-R V-Spec to the Z06? Even the base GT-R is faster than the Z06 around virtually every track. And if you get one with launch control it’d take a LONG track for the Z06 to have a chance in a drag.
The V-Spec is almost certainly outputting more than 550hp, but whoever was saying 650 is overshooting for sure. It could be around 600hp though. And they almost definitely will be releasing a V-Spec II or a Z-tune or such, (Yes, there was a previous gen GT-R Z-tune with about 1000hp) and it wouldn’t surprise me too much if that easily sets the lap record on the Ring for a production car.
The bloody thing is still WAY too heavy though. For the Z-tune or whatever they call it they should go to an Al-Ti alloy for some of the parts….WAY stronger and WAY lighter than steel.
Anyway G I am planning on the GT-R V spec to hook up a driver car modem interface that will hook up the cars controls directly to my brain via IBM’s new Racetrack Memory for virtual control and I shall be unstoppable!
It’ll be like Clinton Eastwood in Firefox but it’ll be a mind controlled car faster than anything anyone has ever seen.
^^^comment #48, hateful
“It actually kind of pisses me off being a GM fan, cause I’m gonna assume this will out perform the ZR-1.”
As of 2 days ago, the Nurburgring times are:
GT-R V-Spec timed at 7:25
Corvette ZR-1 timed in the low 7:40s
… As hateful said, not a surprising result, really.
They’re both really nice cars though and I’d like to have them both! I’m not bashing here, as hateful didn’t. Just excited to hear what’s going on. Exciting times at the Ring!
Holy ****, 7:25 is faster than Walter Roehrl’s (sp?) 7:28 record on the ring …
How does a ZR1 time in slower then a ZO6???? Where was that G?
I like the GT-R Spec V but I think in Honor of the Mach 5 since Speed Racer was a Japanese Cartoon. This car might be the closest to the Mach 5 we’ll ever get. Anyone ever remember the Shooting Star (Champion Star) or my favorite ultimate car the GRX which the name GT-R V Spec is a close facsimile of. Hmm just a thought.
G (#70),
NO what’s surprising is that some jack-off was driving the CORVETTE again. I just can’t believe a ZR-1 still did so badly. WTF is going on over there? Who the devil is driving that car? There is no reason why the C6 Z06 can not have made a time under 7min40sec (I would have expected at no more than 7min38sec). How can a car made for racing be so danged slow unless it was driven by some inept poser, a weekend warrior who has guts not not much else?
The ZR-1 should have at least done 10sec better! What the hell! GM needs to send put a proper race driver in the car instead of letting some private owner who just drives for kicks post officially for the car. I know NISSAN, PORSCHE, and all else would never allow it. Why is GM?
A car that can beat just about anything out there is not that damned slow! The totality of the numbers says that the CORVETTE Z06 and ZR-1 should do nothing over 7min40sec maybe 7min35sec.
Its not that the GT-R is that good. It is that we all know the CORVETTE is NOT that bad!
WTF!
Like R&T said, if the car doesn’t have a Nissan emblem on it, it may just be the greatest exotic ever made. All for below $80K…
BTW, I really do hope they make an Infiniti version with luxury loaded. Then it becomes the perfect exotic sports car without the snob appeal like Ferrari. Honda will probably never be able to catch up with a new NSX. Even if they release the new NSX reincarnate, they would have to sell it way below the GT-R, probably in the 50K range to make the sales.
Veda,
Some well founded rumors say NISSAN well make a sedan version of the GT-R… as an INFINITI. I’m not so sure if American Luxo-buyers will care so much that a GT-R Sedan is quicker and faster than an M5 or AMG C-class. Forget ACURA, they haven’t had anything to crow about since the NSX was new.
But looking at How serious it seems Japan has gotten lately, I wouldn’t count HONDA or TOYOTA out of this latest “sports car war” yet. The LF-A posted better times than the GT-R Vspec, well before the Vspec tested, and HONDA still has yet to show with their new car.
I’m not the biggest fan of of HONDA, but I doubt they want to be the last to the party and the slowest of the new cars, too. Either that or they err on the side of maneuverability as they did with the S2000. I just wish HONDA would take itself more seriously as a real performance car maker. I wish DETROIT would as well.
Blakkarr, Calm down - the Z06 does the ‘ring in 7:42 on crappy run-flat tires. Put R-compound tires on the car, and it’ll be in the high 7:30’s, easy. GM, for whatever reason, always publishes their ‘ring lap times with a 100% stock car, tires included. Unlike Porsche (and probably Nissan too), who uses race tires for their numbers. Tires make a HUGE difference.
As for the ZR-1, their is no published time for that car yet on the ‘ring. What you read was an estimate from spy photographers, on a WET track. Be patient, and GM will publish official ‘ring lap times for the ZR-1 under proper conditions. I can guarantee you it will do better than low 7:40’s.
Blakkarr still po’d…
I guess there is something of honesty in that.
Z06 I’d handle you boy and make it under 7:00 with the GT-R I don’t think you’d ever catch me!
Blakkarr, I totally agree that a real race is the best proving ground. The only fault I see is that you started off comparing this car to cars of a different class. However, apparently Nissan did that, as well. And until Nissan steps up and proves their point, everything we hear is just “blah blah blah.”
However, I want one of these (just like I want almost every other performance car). I like the way it looks, and I like the fact that it can beat a lot of cars with my whole family inside. I couldn’t do that in a Vette.
Although I do want to see the GT-R V-Spec in a race, what I really want to see it do is this:
http://www.break.com/index/136-mph-rally-car-jump.html
-Beatus Mongous