Look and performance upgraded
Moves toward more premium level still don’t match that of Porsche or Audi
The latest evolution of Nissan’s iconic supercar is here and is now branching off in two directions with the standard GT-R evolving toward Grand Touring territory with a more “premium” look and feel, while the GT-R NISMO adopts an even more laserlike focus on performance.
One day after the GT-R’s introduction at the Tokyo Motor Show, we got to drive the new standard model on Japanese roads and to track-test the NISMO variant on the Sodegaura Forest Raceway.
When the GT-R first arrived in North America in 2008, it caused an incredible shock wave in the high-performance car world by offering power and speed that put it squarely in supercar territory but at a sports car price point. Over the years, the price has gone up significantly, while the performance level has crept up incrementally.
With the new GT-R NISMO, Nissan hits a magic number with the power output of the twin-turbocharged V6 engine now rated at 600 horsepower.
From a styling standpoint, the GTR is a large and muscular car that can be qualified as striking, but not beautiful, and the new model features updates such as LED headlamps, AFS (Adaptive Front Lighting System) that automatically adjusts the angle of the light beam according to the speed of the car, as well as small cosmetic changes to the tail lamps and the GT-R badge on the front fenders.
Also new is a signature gold-flake, amber-red, pearl colour with microscopic gold-tinted glass flakes infused in the paint to create an almost shimmering effect in bright sunlight.
Climbing aboard, it is clear that efforts have been made to make the car more upscale, with a leather steering wheel and part-leather seats with high-quality stitching, but the GT-R is not on the same level as Porsches or Audis as far as refinement is concerned.
Driving the GT-R on public roads in Japan, or anywhere else for that matter, can be an exercise in frustration because the car is so capable and, much like all performance cars of this calibre, its full potential can never be truly exploited on public roads.
The steering feel is excellent and the brakes are incredibly strong with superb pedal feel. To make the car more comfortable for everyday use, suspension stroke has been increased by 50 per cent and setting the dampers to comfort mode dramatically improves the ride quality. The dual-clutch gearbox can be controlled in full automatic mode or by way of the steering column-mounted paddle shifters, but the shift speed does not feel as immediate as in a Porsche or Audi.
To really push this car’s performance envelope, you need some track time, which we were able to get while at the wheel of the NISMO variant. Compared to the base GT-R, the NISMO version gets advanced aerodynamic modifications that can generate 100 kilograms of downforce at 300 kilometres an hour. Its body shell is more rigid, thanks to adhesive bonding in addition to spot welding and the suspension features custom-developed Bilstein dampers. As well, it has a hollow 17.3-millimetre rear anti-roll bar and specially engineered Dunlop tires.
It all adds up to some serious stuff that makes the car immensely capable on the track. But it can’t quite compensate for the GT-R’s curb weight of 1,750 kg for the base car and 1,720 kg for the NISMO variant.
On the short Sodegaura Forest Raceway, the car was very quick, but the weight could be felt in a quick right-left transition featuring a slight elevation change that upset the car’s balance and got the all-wheel-drive system clawing for traction. This slight drama probably would not have occurred in a lighter car and highlighted the fact that, for all its technical prowess, the GT-R is still a heavy beast and that some weightshedding would have been welcome.
Having said that, the Brembo-supplied brakes performed admirably with huge deceleration and the steering always felt just right. The power came on strong on corner exits but, as the GT-R is turbocharged, you don’t get the aural pleasure of the engine’s war cry at full song as the sound is all induction noise, which isn’t all that pleasing.
The Nissan GT-R is an icon in its homeland and it is, now as before, a perfect demonstration of what can be achieved when Japanese engineers are let loose. Its performance is nothing short of astonishing and yet it still fails to stir the soul in the way that a Porsche or a Ferrari can.
In many ways, the GT-R is a laserfocused and very sharp weapon that truly makes it a “digital” sports car. While it may be incredibly powerful and lightning quick, it seems to live in a parallel universe where logic trumps emotion every time, which makes it more of a high-performance “machine” than a high-performance car.
The GT-R will be available in Canada in the first quarter of 2014 as a 2015 model, with the GT-R NISMO coming online toward the end of 2014 as a 2016 model. No pricing information was shared as we are still some time away from the Canadian market launch but we can expect pricing to be comparable to the current model, which retails at $106,930 for the Premium model and $116,565 for the Black Edition.
To see more: 2014 Nissan GT-R photos and road tests go to ottawacitizen.com/cars