2017 NISSAN GT-R continues to impress

• The new 2017 GT-R represents the most significant changes to R35 since the model was introduced in 2007 • New styling, new features, more power and performance, more comfort and more sophistication are the focus of the model’s numerous updates • Offered

Since its launch in 2007, the Nissan GT-R has been at the cutting edge of the premium sports car sector – an uncompromising performance four-seater for enthusiastic drivers, a car which completely embodies Nissan’s Innovation that Excites motto.

For 2017, the GT-R has been significantly updated to keep it where it belongs – on the tip of the tongue of car fans around the world.

The new Nissan GT-R has an exciting new look both inside and out, as well as major driving performance enhancements in key areas, including a revised chassis and more power from its twinturbocharged 3.8-litre 24-valve V6 engine. The new GT-R is also more comfortable than ever before, with a more sophisticated and premium quality interior. These revisions were presented for the first time at the New York International Auto Show in March this year. Quite simply, they represent the most significant changes to the GT-R since it was introduced in 2007.

Exterior

The new GT-R boasts a thoroughly refreshed exterior look that adds a high sense of style to what is already considered one of the most distinctive-looking sports cars in the marketplace. The front of the car sees a redesigned bumper, daytime running lights, and a new matte chrome finish “V-motion” grille, which represents one of Nissan’s latest design signatures. This distinctive grille has been enlarged to increase airflow to cool the engine without causing any additional drag, and the refined shape blends smoothly with the new bonnet. The bonnet’s structural rigidity has been increased, preventing deformation and greatly improving aerodynamic performance at high speed.

In fact, nearly all of the visual changes made to the GT-R’s exterior were intended to improve aerodynamic performance; more specifically, enhanced aerodynamic efficiency in three key areas: downforce generation, drag reduction and improved cooling of vital vehicle systems. The goal was to maximize cooling airflow, while at the same time keeping aerodynamic drag in check (i.e. not increase drag in one area of the vehicle as a result of improving cooling performance/airflow in another).

In addition to the new grille and bonnet, the curving profile of the front under spoiler has been slightly extended and lowered by a few millimetres to improve airflow at the its lower edge. (The ground clearance of the previous model has been maintained.) Also, by reshaping the sill lip along the lower portions of the sides of the car, the amount of air being drawn underneath has been reduced, countering vehicle lift and improving stability. The C-pillars have also been redesigned, with the upper portion now shaped to deliver better airflow management by preventing the generation of a smaller vortex.

The rear of the new GT-R continues to be defined by its iconic round taillights, but look closely and you’ll notice a silver-finish diffuser and new side air vents that have been incorporated next to the quad titanium exhaust tips to improve the car’s aerodynamics. Also, the belt line that separates the lower black section from the body panel has been heightened to make the car look wider and more aggressive. The rear bumper section now incorporates the same design featured on the GT-R NISMO for better routing of air at the lower portion of the rear of the vehicle. This has also led to less interference between the exhaust gases exiting the tailpipes and airflow along the rear side portions of the bumper for improved heat evacuation.

Stylish new Y-spoke forged alloy wheels by RAYS are new for the 2017 GT-R that offer better wheel balance, lighter weight, and more strength.

Twin-Turbocharged Engine

Output for the GT-R’s awardwinning 3.8-litre V6 24-valve twin-turbocharged engine has been increased by 20 PS compared to last year’s model. It now delivers 570 PS at 6800 rpm, thanks in part to an increase in boost pressure and an ignition timing system that’s controlled at each individual cylinder—technology previously reserved for the GT-R NISMO. The new changes result in improved acceleration in the mid-range (3200 rpm and above) with maximum torque output available across a wider range of the powerband. Also like the GT-R NISMO, by more precisely controlling ignition-timing at each cylinder, engine knock (detonation) has been significantly reduced while enhancing environmental performance through a cleaner, more efficient fuel burn.

Dubbed the “VR38DETT,” the engine features plasma-sprayed bores (versus cast iron liners) for reduced friction, lighter weight, enhanced cooling, superior power output and fuel efficiency. It also boasts a symmetrical independent intake and exhaust manifold system with twin high-performance turbochargers; a secondary air management system for improved cold-start emissions performance; a thermostatically controlled oil cooling system; an oil scavenger pump to maintain oil flowing to the turbochargers; and a lateral wet and dry sump oiling system. Each engine is hand-assembled from beginning to end in a special clean room by meticulously trained technicians. An aluminium plate is added to the front of each engine showing the name of the TAKUMI engine craftsman.

Also new is a titanium exhaust system that better manages the high temperatures of the exhaust gas from the engine. The system includes a NACA duct on the vehicle’s undertray, which guides air into the rear diffuser section to help cool the silencer and evacuate hot air from this section of the vehicle.

Dual Clutch Transmission

The transmission shift-management control of the sequential 6speed dual clutch transmission has been updated for better refinement and performance in a variety of driving situations. For example, when the vehicle begins moving from a standstill at a slow rate of acceleration, the gear shift change from 1st to 2nd gear is now much smoother than before.

With the previous GT-R, once

the vehicle began moving from a standstill under light throttle, the engine torque would be reduced, which could in turn produce a somewhat sluggish response. For the 2017 GT-R, under similar circumstances, the engine torque is not reduced, helping to improve smoothness upon initial acceleration even under light throttle. What’s more, the exhaust note is noticeably quieter for a more pleasant experience during normal every day driving. When driving in low-load conditions— such as on city streets or parking lots—the increased preciseness of the shift-actuator allows the transmission to operate more quietly.

ATTESA E-TS All-Wheel Drive

Engine power is transferred to all four wheels of the GT-R via the world’s first independent rear transaxle called the ATTESA ETS all-wheel drive system. During normal driving, the GT-R behaves like a rear-drive vehicle, with the torque split set at 0:100, but it can be adjusted up to 50:50 depending on speed, lateral acceleration, steering angle, tire slip, road surface and yaw rate. A special GT-R-specific yaw-rate feedback control measures the differences between the target yaw rate calculated from the steering angle and actual yaw rate detected by the yaw-rate sensor and G sensor, and adjusts the torque bias accordingly. The GTR’s Premium Midship Platform layout places the transmission, transfer case and final drive at the rear of the vehicle, without the use of traditional torque tubes, allowing the suspension to operate independently and optimizing weight distribution and maximizing tire grip at each corner.

Body & Chassis Development

For 2017, the handling capabilities and athletic performance of the new GT-R has been taken to another level, thanks to a refined suspension system and a more rigid body structure that results in improved handling and better overall vehicle stability.

Intensive engineering updates around the windshield frame, which is housed within the A-pillars, have increased the structural rigidity of the GT-R’s front end, resulting in reduced deformation and crisper turn-in response. Reinforcements around the trunk have resulted in an increase in stiffness at the rear of the car. As a result, the rigidity levels at the front and rear of the car are more uniform, resulting in a better balanced chassis.

The GT-R’s special Bilstein® DampTronic driver-adjustable shock-absorber system—which utilizes information from multiple vehicle systems to provide appropriate damping forces and high level of control for a variety of driving situations—has been enhanced by way of a new valve housing that reduces resistance losses. Also, rigid attachment points for the suspension system enhances cornering stability and turning response by allowing all of the wheels to be placed under even a greater load while maintaining optimal contact with the road surface.

Like the previous model, the DampTronic system features three driver selectable settings: Normal; Comfort, for maximum suspension compliance; or R. The same threestage adjustability is also available for the VDC system and transmission shift operation. For 2017, the “R” and “Comfort” settings now offer the driver enhanced sportiness and a smoother ride quality. Because of the increase in structural rigidity, the “R” mode now enables the vehicle to achieve the same yaw rate with reduced steering angle for a crisper, more communicative steering response, while the “Comfort” suspension setting produces less vertical Gloading in testing when compared to the “Normal” suspension setting. And, speaking of steering, the GT-R’s system—a speed-sensitive power rack-and-pinion design with aluminium steering rack, four-point mounting and stiff insulators—possesses sharper response during spirited driving, with reduced effort for around-the town commutes and exceptional feedback on the open highway.

At the test track, the new GT-R demonstrated its awesome cornering prowess by going four percent faster through the slalom than the previous model. Also, its straight-line stability at high speed (155mph/250 km/h) has been greatly enhanced while requiring less steering correction and inputs; tests revealed a steering correction decrease versus last year’s model.

Stopping power is provided by Brembo® monoblock six-piston front and four-piston rear calipers with 15.35-inch front and 15.0-inch rear Brembo® full-floating, cross-drilled two-piece rotors and low-steel, high-stiffness brake pads that minimize fade and provide intense stopping performance. The calipers utilize race car-style radial mounting to minimize caliper flex during extreme braking.

With its enhanced body/chassis structural rigidity, more efficient suspension system, and fitment of tires with improved lateral stiffness, the 2017 Nissan GT-R rewards the driver with better handling capability, increased vehicle stability and a more comfortable ride than ever before.

2007-Present, R35

First unveiled to the public as a GT-R concept car at the 2005 Tokyo Motor Show with the production car version making its debut at its home market show exactly two years later, Nissan’s iconic high-performance flagship model remained true to its roots by offering exhilarating handling and performance through the latest high-tech automotive technology. Now accompanying the GT-R’s signature four round taillights were a highly potent twinturbocharged V6 engine (in place of the former straight-6) and a technologically advanced road grabbing all-wheel drive wrapped up in a thoroughly modern exterior design that looked as sleek as it did muscular.