I can not wait for this car to get here!

That thing is sekz. Is it really going to cost around $90K?

That thing is sekz. Is it really going to cost around $90K?

I think it will more around BMW M3 and Corvette Z06 pricing. But I could be wrong. Nissan has as base GT-R coming out as well.

A "base" GT-R? What will the difference be?

Have they officially announced what they're doing engine wise for these?

Hawt

A "base" GT-R? What will the difference be?

Have they officially announced what they're doing engine wise for these?


From what I've read the base GT-R will be RWD and have a detuned 3.5.

I hope they go the Nissan route as of late and make a CVT standard across the model line (Maxima i.e. 'four door sports car' anyone?) so I can crash a roflcopter into one.

I hope they go the Nissan route as of late and make a CVT standard across the model line (Maxima i.e. 'four door sports car' anyone?) so I can crash a roflcopter into one.

I do not know if I would want a CVT GT-R. The Maxima has the same CVT as your Mother's Altima.

CVTs make me kill babies

CVTs make me kill babies

Well its not from the whiplash from shifting.

Nissan: shift_waitnvmdon't

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b60jUybVzRY My dad wants to change his Lexus SC 430 for this baby holy shit id love to take that off his hands!!! haha

That's hot.

damn that bitch is hot

I can not wait for this GT-R. I'm torn between this and the 08 BMW M3.

I can't bring myself to like the car... looks like a beefer G35. I realize ZOMG its a skyline but what can be expect for the rest of the car? Creature features and such...

I'd rather own a BMW or a Lexus for the price and service.

http://www.7tune.com/newtune/justin/gtrseptember/gtr1.jpg

Even though the 2008 GT-R’s release is still just under two months away, Holiday Auto has been hard at work putting together a 10 page article exploring the new GT-R’s engine, chassis, driveline and interior features, some of which is old news by now but included nonetheless. We’re told that Nissan was in fact looking at a V8 engine to use in the GT-R in its early stages of development but found that the VK45 from the Nissan President wasn’t an engine worthy of the ‘R’ in the GT-R’s badge. Although it could satisfy the power, torque and driveability deemed necessary for the GT-R, the way in which it delivered those attributes was more befitting of a large saloon than a GT car. There was also a status problem, the VK45 being associated with Nissan’s luxury sedan would cause problems with potential GT-R buyers who were looking for more exclusivity… well exclusivity is what they got.

The VR38VETT

Holiday Auto broke the news about the existence of a VR based GT-R engine last month, and since then has gone one further and given us a actual alphanumeric designation: VR38VETT. The VR38 is actually a recreation of the famed VHR38 V8 powering the R390 Le Mans car albeit in V6 form. A lot of knowledge gained from Group C and endurance racing has allowed Nissan to take the performance aspect of the GT-R that little bit further (over say, a VQ based engine) by taking the basic design of the VR38 and using it for the new GT-R’s V6 engine block and cylinder heads. What this has resulted in is an engine design that could be viewed as two 1.9L straight 3-cylinder DOHC turbo engines joined by a common crankshaft, with separate intake manifolds and throttle bodies for each bank. The intake manifold is actually the centerpiece of the engine bay, its intake runners being used as a design feature of the VR38VETT as shown in the CG mock up image shown below.

http://www.7tune.com/newtune/justin/gtrseptember/gtr2.jpg

Cosworth’s involvement in the GT-R’s engine development has been mentioned before on many occasions but until now there hasn’t been much information on what they’ve actually done. Holiday Auto tells us the GT-R’s aluminum engine block is a ‘monoblock’ design, meaning it doesn’t use sleeves inside each cylinder bore so that the pistons make direct contact with the block. Cosworth has also reduced the weight of the crankshaft, conrods and pistons to achieve maximum response and a free revving nature that belies its larger 3.8L capacity. It comes as a surprise too that the whole engine looks a lot shorter than what you would expect a 3.8L engine to be, its compact design and light weight being a major contributing factor in the cars overall balance. Many other parts such as the cam covers, timing chain cover, oil pan and a multitude of bolts, screws and washers are all made of magnesium. The GT-R will also use a semi-wet sump system which can handle higher g-forces over a traditional wet sump which start to suffer from ‘oil sloshing’ at around 1.8G. As pointed out in our previous article, the power delivery of the VR38VETT extremely linear and does not drop off after hitting maximum power at 6,800rpm which was a big factor in proceeding with the development of an all new engine. From as little as 1,500rpm a powerful surge can be felt with - what seems like - all 480ps available with very little throttle application. It has been said that there are very few people with enough skill to drive the new GT-R at its limit, this limit being so high that a driver of average skill level would never be able to test the boundaries of the GT-R’s performance… this could possibly be an exaggeration on Holiday Auto’s part, but the point has been made clear: the new GT-R is every bit a Supercar.

http://www.7tune.com/newtune/justin/gtrseptember/gtr3.jpg

Group C Influence

Kazutoshi Mizuno, who headed Nissan’s Group C and Le Mans racing programs, has brought a lot of Group C racing knowhow to the new GT-R in the form of an overall design theory rather than just a particular specification level or layout on paper. Where the BNR32 GT-R was specifically designed to conquer the Group A Championship in Japan (and subsequently Australia) and then sold on to the public, the new GT-R takes the opposite approach being a car designed for the public using knowledge gained from Nissan’s racing exploits. The Group C cars of the early 1990s were all about outright speed and this has been applied to the new GT-R right from the word ‘go’, every part of the car has been designed to gain maximum speed without upsetting the cars outstanding balance. As an example, during the Group C racing era it was found that cars with around 750hp were more drivable and could actually lap quicker than cars with 1,000hp and thus detuned, so this led the GT-R design team to limit its output to under 500hp despite the fact that the chassis could handle well in excess of that figure.
Multi Function Display and Price
The new GT-R’s Multi Function Display will offer more information than previously available in the BNR34 GT-R.

Four main presets categorize the information:
Preset 1: boost pressure (1.5kg/cm limit), oil pressure and temperature
Preset 2: selected gear, gearbox oil pressure/temp
Preset 3: cornering g’s, accelerator opening
Preset 4: acceleration g’s, braking g’s, front and rear torque split

Nissan Japan’s dealer network has been given pricing for the officially named ‘Nissan GT-R’ at 7,900,000 yen with certain options like a Bose Premium audio system incorporating - and this might come as a shock to current GT-R owners - a subwoofer mounted over the transmission tunnel between the rear seat footwells thus rendering the GT-R a strictly 2+2 seating arrangement. About a year after the GT-R has been released in Japan there will also be a model to go head to head with the Porsche 911 GT2, possibly to enter the market badged as a ‘Nismo Version’ and based on a V-Spec model.

Words: Justin Karow
Images: Holiday Auto

RESS RELEASE:

NISSAN ANNOUNCES FIRST DETAILS ON NEW GT-R
- Global website goes live today -

Tokyo, Japan, (September 26, 2007) - Nissan today started the pre-launch activities in support of the all-new GT-R, the high performance sports car to be revealed at the Tokyo Motor Show on October 24th. Central to the launch of GT-R, which will ultimately go on sale around the world, is a dedicated website that will provide all information on the car, including latest news, specifications and where to buy. The address for the website is www.gtrnissan.com and will be available in six languages: Japanese, English, Spanish, German, French and Italian.

With sales due to start in Japan in December, Nissan is today also confirming the final name of the car. Previous generations of this car were known as the Skyline GT-R; the new name for this car is simply "Nissan GT-R" in all global markets. Supporting substantial early customer interest in the Nissan GT-R, the company is today making available for customers in Japan some initial details including basic specifications, colors and practical information on placing pre-orders. Prices in Japan for the Nissan GT-R will start from around 7.8 million yen.

In support of the sale of the Nissan GT-R, the company also announced today the establishment of 160 Nissan High Performance Centers in Japan. These centers have been established to provide specialist sales and servicing support for customers of the Nissan GT-R.

- Nissan

Oh and check out the official GT-R website.

I wish they'd keep the Skyline name, but no biggie. I'm just glad to see they're sticking with their "Nissan" roots (instead of Infiniti).

68K, eh? It'd better rival the z06 in terms of performance.

The GT-R has no issues with the Porsche GT2 so it will not have an issues with the Z06. But it might have problems with the Z07/ZR1/SS Vette.

I thought the Z06 had the GT2 beat in a couple of categories?

http://www.dpccars.com/photos/10-17-07page-2008-Nissan-GT-R.htm

2008 Nissan GT-R will be as fast as the Porsche 997 Turbo and is priced less than $80,000, confirming rumors the new 2008 Nissan GT-R will set a new standard in bang-for-your-buck comparisons like the C6 Corvette Z06. Other details include the 2008 Nissan GT-R’s acceleration time of 3.5 seconds for the 0-60mph and 11.7 seconds for the quarter mile. Top speed is claimed to be a staggering 192mph. No official details about the car’s new drivetrain, most are expecting to see a 3.8L V6 engine with a pair of turbochargers and mated to a dual-clutch gearbox with the latest ATESSA all-wheel drive setup. The car should measure in at 4,650mm in length and 1,920mm across. There’s rumored to be three different versions of the new Nissan GT-R, starting with a 450hp entry-level model and ranging up to a 530hp flagship. This latter version is expected to be a stripped out racer with plenty of carbon-fiber and a track-tuned suspension.
http://www.dpccars.com/photos/10-17-07-01-2008-Nissan-GT-R.jpg
http://www.dpccars.com/photos/10-17-07-02-2008-Nissan-GT-R.jpg
http://www.dpccars.com/photos/10-17-07-07-2008-Nissan-GT-R.jpg

http://www.dpccars.com/photos/10-17-07-06-2008-Nissan-GT-R.jpg

http://www.dpccars.com/photos/10-17-07-03-2008-Nissan-GT-R.jpg

http://www.dpccars.com/photos/10-17-07-04-2008-Nissan-GT-R.jpg

And under da hood...
http://www.dpccars.com/photos/10-17-07-05-2008-Nissan-GT-R.jpg

:idhitit: :hititsign: all over the place.

i repost this. lol.

i repost this. lol.

It is one scary super car.

High resolution wallpapers....
http://www.gtrnissan.com/gallery.en.us.html

Vid and article ..
http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x3msde_autoweek-takes-a-drive-in-the-nissa_auto

http://www.autoweek.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20071201/FREE/71130013/1065

http://cwimg.sv.publicus.com/apps/pbcsi.dll/bilde?NewTbl=1&Avis=CW&Dato=20071016&Kategori=PHOTOS01&Lopenr=1016001&Ref=PH&Item=1&Maxw=600

"We've seen the Nissan GT-R, we've driven it and we've done our best to help put you behind the wheel of this extreme new sports car (http://www.autoweek.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20071201/FREE/71130013/1065#). Now we're going one better as our man in Japan, Dino Dalle Carbonare, rides shotgun and shoots video while one of Nissan's hot shoes turns a few laps at the Sendai Highland race track in Japan.

Dino's description: "We got strapped to the passenger seat of the GT-R while one of the professional drivers that helped with the development (of the car) blasted around the tight and technical course. VDC and traction control systems were turned off to extract the maximum from the car and it was almost comical to see how hard this new GTR can be driven on and over the limit.

"The engine is relentless in its acceleration (http://www.autoweek.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20071201/FREE/71130013/1065#) and there is no sign of turbo lag. Throttle response is crisp and responsive, while the gear changes from the dual-clutch transaxle gearbox are seamless and far quicker than what the 0.2-second shift time suggests.

"Power oversteer is always there if you need it, allowing you to steer the car with the throttle. Grip is phenomenal both laterally and under hard braking.

"This car allows you to do whatever you like with it, but most importantly of all it lets you get away with almost anything!"

:wackoff: but way faster

Man, it's so quiet.

nice indeed that white is hot.

http://images.leftlanenews.com/content/gt-r.jpg

Nissan (http://www.leftlanenews.com/nissan-takes-2200-pre-orders-for-gt-r-exceeding-expectations.html#) said it has received 2,200 pre-orders for its GT-R. sports car, which goes on sale in Japan in less than three weeks. That's close to Nissan's overall sales (http://www.leftlanenews.com/nissan-takes-2200-pre-orders-for-gt-r-exceeding-expectations.html#) target of 2,400 units for all of 2008!

Nissan has been taking orders for just under two months. It's not known how long it will take for all those customers to receive their cars. The first customers will begin taking delivery after December 6th, when the car (http://www.leftlanenews.com/nissan-takes-2200-pre-orders-for-gt-r-exceeding-expectations.html#) officially goes on sale.
It remains to be seen how Nissan will cope with stronger-than-expected demand, considering its claimed sales target is just 200 units per month in Japan, and even less in North America.
U.S. availability won't begin until June 2008, with prices starting at around $70,000. Nissan has set a U.S. sales target of 1,500 GT-Rs annually. Dealers are predicting a $15,000 markup on the GT-R.


http://www.leftlanenews.com/nissan-takes-2200-pre-orders-for-gt-r-exceeding-expectations.html

Dealers are predicting a $15,000 markup on the GT-R.

Nissan needs to step in and stop Dealers marking up the GT-R that much.

I wonder if they are taking 2009 preorders?

I wonder if they are taking 2009 preorders?

ok this is what im gonna do. i will buy evo x and pre order 2011 models.

Nissan needs to step in and stop Dealers marking up the GT-R that much.

The reality of the dealership/manufacturer relationship is that the dealership is a franchise and the manufacturer is the supplier. The supplier will not regulate the selling price of a vehicle, because ultimately, the dealership has already paid the manufacturer for the vehicle and it is up to the dealership to make a profit on the vehicle or give it away. The final selling price of a vehicle ultimately rests on the shoulders of the dealerships and the manufacturer has no recourse in adjusting this selling price. If a vehicle is not selling that well and the manufacturer fears that his slowdown will prevent their regional dealerships from ordering more cars, it will issue a rebate on the vehicle to help spur sales along. On the same token, if a vehicle is in very high demand, the manufacturer will not offer any incentives on it and the dealership, knowing that demand is high, will post a perceived value markup on a vehicle that is appropriate for their geographic market.

With only 12,000 vehicles (1,000 per month) being produced for worldwide distribution at the GT-R factory, it is safe to assume that demand is much higher than supply and anyone who has taken Macroeconomics 101 knows how the demand and supply graph adjusts accordingly when the demand rises and the supply stays stagnant. With 2,200 orders on hand in the Japanese market alone, that's less than 10,000 unitls left for the rest of the world to order, which moves the supply curve to the left. As the GT-R becomes available worldwide, the demand curve will move to the right. The intersection of these two lines is the marketable price of such item and as the two lines diverge away from each other, it will bring that intersection point higher and higher.

The GT-R is one of those cars that if you have to ask 'how much?' is not the car for you. People forget all about the service and maintenance on such a high end car. In Japan alone, Nissan has created specific GT-R service centers that are the only places you can bring a GT-R back to for factory service intervals. Not doing so can compromise the factory warranty on a vehicle and I doubt anyone who is spending over 70k on a motor vehicle is willing to not have their car factory backed. When you consider the long term operating, maintenance and insurance costs for a vehicle of this caliber, the markup on a vehicle is really negligible over the long term ownership costs.

A manufacturer has no obligation to make a car more affordable for the general public just becaue it is out of the financial means of the majority. In a perfect charitable world, perhaps, but the last time I checked, Nissan was not on the 'not-for-profit' list of companies world-wide. I mean, honestly, when someone walks into a Aston-Martin showroom and requests that a vehicle be sold to them on their financial terms 10 times out of 10 they will be ridiculed. Granted, Aston-Martin is at a much higher price point than the GT-R, but it is the same principle. At least at a Nissan dealership when you make that offer they can say, "Oh, well if that's what you're willing to pay I do have this Sentra over here..."

Make no mistake, there is a very affluent portion of this country that will be getting into a GT-R that will have no problems or concerns paying a markup on a vehicle of this caliber. Some will take care of this car and some will just thrash it around as a toy, but the fact remains that it is within their means. A car is a luxury item, whether it be a Yugo or a Buggati Veyron. It is not a neccessity of life and middle and lower class America needs to get a grip on that fact when it comes time to decide whether getting this car means more to them than putting a down payment on a home.

And even if the Nissan dealerships sold the car at MSRP, I highly doubt that would all of a sudden make throngs of people throw money down to get one. The price that the GT-R is at MSRP is right along the lines of many luxury vehicle makers. It's just funny that you don't hear GT-R prospective owners (that can actually afford the car) saying, "Oh I'll just pick myself up an M5 and call it a day then." It's because of the awesome performance of the GT-R that cannot be found anywhere else in the market that the fervor and anticipation for this car is so great.

So in closing, Tiffany & Co. has no reason to markdown their diamonds, Rolex has no reason to hold a fire sale on their Presidential watches, North Korea has no reason to stop it's nuke program and Nissan has no reason to interfere with the natural selection process of the sale of it's GT-R.

I never thought I'd be sick reading/hearing about a car..


But with this one, I truly am. STFU ALREADY.

I never thought I'd be sick reading/hearing about a car..


But with this one, I truly am. STFU ALREADY.

:ban:

If you don't want to read about this car, then don't click on the news threads about it.

You took that completely wrong.

Good job.

http://www.edmunds.com/insideline/do/Features/articleId=123822?tid=edmunds.il.home.photopanel..1.*#17

http://a332.g.akamai.net/f/332/936/12h/www.edmunds.com//media/il/features/general/il.nissan.gtr.party/skyline.event.12.500.jpg

http://images.worldcarfans.com/articles/2007/12/5/9071205.012/9071205.012.Mini1L.jpg

http://images.worldcarfans.com/articles/2007/12/5/9071205.012/9071205.012.Mini2L.jpg

http://images.worldcarfans.com/articles/2007/12/5/9071205.012/9071205.012.Mini3L.jpg

Photos have begun to surface of a mysterious Nissan GT-R traversing the track with several features not to be found on the standard model. Inheriting the tradition of its predecessors, the new GT-R appears set to re-vitalise a lightweight, stripped-out, higher-powered version of the car dubbed Group N or re-introduce the V-Spec version which also enhanced performance.


The images, which first surfaced on GTR-World, show a significantly modified prototype. Prime differences over the production model include a new bonnet air intakes, lowered ride height and a modified front bumper design with no central grille strut, presumably in aid of improved engine cooling during testing. Race-spec alloy wheels and tyres as well as a full roll cage highlight an upped spec.

The V-Spec is essentially a road-legal version of a track car, similar to how the race track-bred Porsche 911 GT3 is positioned relative to the 911 Turbo. The GT-R V-Spec is expected to hit streets in 2009.

- Worldcarfans

i heard that v spec will be @ 200k but they will make sure that it will break CGT all numbers, still cheap for that CGT is 600k.

one interesting pic

http://i229.photobucket.com/albums/ee127/tru610/gtr-production-race-18.jpg

http://i229.photobucket.com/albums/ee127/tru610/gtr-production-race-26.jpg

http://i229.photobucket.com/albums/ee127/tru610/gtr-production-race-29.jpg

^ I wonder how much lighter it is.

http://www.gtchannel.com/content.php?cid=11984



Today Mine's debuted their all new stock Nissan GT-R(R35) at Tsukuba circuit. These videos by GTChannel are the first videos from the event and first videos of the new GT-R at Tsukuba.
Familiar Best Motoring professional driver Takayuki Kinoshita was lapping Tsukuba in this new GT-R at 1 minute 3 and 4 seconds. This is extremely fast for a stock car without any modifications.
Nissan does not support the modification of the new GT-R in general so it will be interesting to see how Japan's top GT-R tuning shop works with the new GT-R. GTChannel will be following the development of the Mine's GT-R exclusively.

Mine's new R35 GT-R (in stock form) managed to lap Tsukuba in 1.03.1 sec. Behind the wheel was Kinoshita-san. As I was shooting I noticed he was backing off the accelerator mid-corner on the exit of some corners. I then discovered he accidentally drove the car with the VDC/TC system in "R" mode instead of turning it off. I think with Tsuchiya-san behind the wheel and the VDC/TC system turned to "OFF" the car can easily shave close to a second off. Nonetheless everyone was impressed.

MCR also have their new R35 GT-R demo car but for some odd reason didn't run it on track.

http://www.gtchannel.com/files/rsz/crop_600x500/files/L1020943.jpg

http://www.gtchannel.com/files/rsz/crop_600x500/files/L1020936.jpg

http://www.gtchannel.com/files/rsz/crop_600x500/files/L1020947.jpg

http://www.edmunds.com/insideline/do/Features/articleId=123822?tid=edmunds.il.home.photopanel..1.*#17

http://a332.g.akamai.net/f/332/936/12h/www.edmunds.com//media/il/features/general/il.nissan.gtr.party/skyline.event.12.500.jpg



that cocky legendary tuner in green shirt that he said that "stupid 4 exhuast tip etc", well will his best tuned gtr lap the nur in 7:38? Mines is the best tuner of gt-r and he's a humble guy.

"Pre-owned" 2008 Nissan GT-R sold for $94,000 in Japan

http://blogs.edmunds.com/Straightline/3906
http://blogs.edmunds.com/.eea12df/cmd.233/enclosure..eea12e0
Japanese used car auctioneer Aucnet sold a “used” new model Nissan GT-R for 10.4Million Japanese yen (USD=JY111) on December 10th. This car was most likely registered once and put on the auction immediately. During the 22 years in business Aucnet says that this is the 3rd time a pre-owned car price has surpassed a new car price.
The Nissan GT-R was just announced at the Tokyo Motorshow this past October and released through dealers in Japan on December 6th. MSRP is $70,000 to $75,000. The car sold in the Aucnet auction is a pearl white Premium Edition that goes for around $75,000. Mileage was probably close to 0 since we assume this car was predestined to go on auction from the start for a quick buck on the $20,000 premium.
In the past the Nissan Be-1 in 1987 and Honda NSX in 1990 were sold over MSRP on Aucnet.

damn

that mine's gtr is hotness.

Very flattering pics. The rear fender is begging for a wide-body kit. I can't wait to see one. Damn it looks fine.

http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2007/12/gt-r_dynapack_dyno_450-op.jpg

The dyno chart shows a peak output of 475 hp at 6,115 rpm and 428 lb.-ft. of torque at 5,130 rpm. Those numbers are incredible close to Nissan's claim of 480 hp and 430 lb.-ft. of twist, but we'll have to wait until a few lucky souls slap the GT-R onto a set of rollers to get some idea of wheel horsepower and torque figures.

Looking over the chart shows very little happening before 3,000 rpm, which is contrary to a number of driving reports we've read so far. Turbo lag has virtually been eliminated on many new models, the GT-R included, so we're assuming that the Dynapack at Super Autobacs wasn't paying attention until later on in the rev range.

All Horsepower, No Hype

http://a332.g.akamai.net/f/332/936/12h/www.edmunds.com//media/roadtests/firstdrive/2009/nissan.gtr/09.nissan.gt.r.r34.500.jpg

http://a332.g.akamai.net/f/332/936/12h/www.edmunds.com//media/roadtests/firstdrive/2009/nissan.gtr/09.nissan.gt.r.pro.500.jpg

http://a332.g.akamai.net/f/332/936/12h/www.edmunds.com//media/roadtests/firstdrive/2009/nissan.gtr/09.nissan.gt.r.pits.500.jpg

http://a332.g.akamai.net/f/332/936/12h/www.edmunds.com//media/roadtests/firstdrive/2009/nissan.gtr/09.nissan.gt.r.int.500.jpg

http://a332.g.akamai.net/f/332/936/12h/www.edmunds.com//media/roadtests/firstdrive/2009/nissan.gtr/09.nissan.gt.r.brakes.500.jpg

http://a332.g.akamai.net/f/332/936/12h/www.edmunds.com//media/roadtests/firstdrive/2009/nissan.gtr/09.nissan.gt.r.act.1.500.jpg

http://a332.g.akamai.net/f/332/936/12h/www.edmunds.com//media/roadtests/firstdrive/2009/nissan.gtr/09.nissan.gt.r.058.500.jpg

We're 20 feet from a production-spec 2009 Nissan GT-R at Sendai Highland Circuit, a raceway north of Tokyo. After years of staring at various concepts, prototypes and Nürburgring test mules of the GT-R, it's finally time to drive the finished product.

An engineer waves us over after making his final checks, then hands us the keys with a smile so big you'd think he'd been knocking back Kirins since sunrise. We suspect he already knows what we came here to find out.

Does the 2009 Nissan GT-R really deliver the performance of the Porsche 911 Turbo for half the price? Time to find out for ourselves.

Getting Acquainted With Godzilla
Unlike most supercars, the GT-R doesn't sit only 2 inches off the ground, so it's easy to slide into the driver seat. This is a Japanese-market car, so we're on the right-hand side, which makes everything feel awkward. The seat is firm and narrow, and the high center console gives the cabin a tight, cockpit-style feel.

Start buttons aren't the novelty they used to be, but the GT-R's big red igniter just below the central shift lever does make us stop and think for a second. There will be 473 horsepower and 434 pound-feet of torque on tap once this sucker is running. It's also about 40 degrees F outside and we're on an unfamiliar track that packs 16 turns into just 2.5 miles of asphalt.

Gran Turismo this is not.

Push the button and the twin-turbo 3.8-liter V6 fires up with a low, uninspiring hum. We had heard it was quiet, but this is almost too quiet. Aftermarket exhaust manufacturers might as well start taking orders now.

The Nissan engineer leans in the window and sets all the adjustment buttons for the transmission, damper settings and VDC system to their "R" positions for maximum performance. He gives us a thumbs-up and another big smile. Yeah, he definitely knows something.

We slide the shift lever down into Drive and select manual shift mode by tapping it to the side. Left foot off the brake, a little gas with the right foot and the GT-R eases out of the pits slowly and smoothly. No SMG-style clunkiness here.

When the light at the end of pit road goes from red to green, we floor it in 2nd gear and promptly get drop-kicked onto the straightaway at nearly 70 mph. So much for turbo lag.

Pulling the right-side shift paddle snaps the GT-R into 3rd in one seamless motion that no stick jockey could match for speed or smoothness. Turn 1, a tight, slightly downhill right-hander is coming up quick, so we back off and get on the brakes. They scrub off so much speed that we hit the apex at all of 25 mph.

So far, this GT-R is all motor and brakes. Better take it easy for a lap to recalibrate.

Ram Air, Japanese Style
We get settled on the short straight before Turn 3. Although visibility is generally good, the GT-R's high cowl makes it feel especially big. And like a late-1960s Mopar, the twin intakes on the hood are visible from the driver seat. The bulky feel is no illusion, as the GT-R is 7 inches longer and 2 inches wider than a Porsche 911.

Turn 3 is a hairpin left that heads back uphill, so we swing wide, stay in 2nd and get on the gas at the apex. The GT-R turns in quickly — very quickly. Maybe it's our low speed, but there's not a hint of wasted motion in the steering. The slightest nudge of the wheel right or left delivers a response, so there's no need to muscle this car through corners.

As we crest Turn 4, which bends slightly right and onto the back straight, we're already in 3rd and back into the throttle. The GT-R is piling on huge chunks of speed now. If the speedometer were digital it would be skipping numbers, lots of them. Unlike our 2nd-gear slingshot out of the pits, this run to the redline is so smooth we hardly realize we're traveling at nearly triple-digit speed.

There's not much of a power curve. If you want power, it's there. It comes on heavy at nearly any engine speed, and you never feel the turbos spooling up either. This is a different kind of thrust than a big American V8. Not better or worse, just different.

Ignore the Numbers
Into 4th gear and the cabin remains calm right up to 120 mph. There's no valvetrain clatter like a Corvette and the engine doesn't wail in your ear like a 911.

Back on the Brembo brakes at the end of the straight and again they bite hard. The pedal is stiff and easy to modulate and you don't have to press all that hard to generate big negative Gs. We call up a couple downshifts with the shift paddles, and the dual-clutch transmission pulls off each one with a precise throttle blip that keeps the car steady on the pavement.

A quick left-right-left through a chicane and the GT-R starts barreling back up a hill through a long, sweeping left-hander. It's the last thing we expected, but the GT-R feels surprisingly light and maneuverable despite its curb weight of 3,836 pounds. That's 342 pounds more than a Porsche 911 Turbo and nearly 700 pounds more than a Corvette Z06.

The GT-R should feel like a big, lifeless brick, yet here we are, barely finished with our first lap and already we're tossing the car from one corner to the next with confidence. The precise steering and nearly total lack of body roll make it easy to place on the road, and there's little dive when the big six-piston front calipers are clamping down on the 15-inch drilled rotors.

The ultra-stiff chassis gives the adjustable Bilstein dampers a good platform with which to work, and the fact that we barely notice them working is a sign they're dialed in just right. Even when we misjudge a few of the final corners, our last-second corrections don't turn into frightening wobbles or twitches. Trust us: The 911 Turbo is not so forgiving in comparison.

Don't Doubt Mizuno
A few more laps and the GT-R now feels familiar and predictable. We're going through corners with enough speed to sense the all-wheel-drive system moving the power around from one corner to another. During the pre-drive briefing, Chief Engineer Kazutoshi Mizuno explained that the GT-R is more fun to drive through corners because you can get on the throttle earlier than with a conventional rear-wheel-drive car. It's an overly simplified way of explaining the GT-R's complicated ATTESA ET-S all-wheel-drive system.

Testing his theory is uncomfortable at first, since the car feels on the verge of understeer through some of the tighter turns. Adding more power seems like the last thing that's going to help, but, sure enough, a little midcorner throttle rotates the nose right toward the apex. Staying on the gas drifts the tail out a bit on exit as the power gets redirected to the rear tires. VDC is still activated in "R" mode, but if it's making any adjustments, we're not feeling them.

Getting so much movement out of an unfamiliar car makes us feel like Sendai regulars. The car needs only the smallest inputs to put it on the edge and keep it there. From the steering to the brakes to the transmission, it's all precise, quick movements. Sure, the car is heavy, but after you throw it through a few turns with nothing more than a few flicks of your fingers, the numbers become meaningless.

The World's Most Famous Porsche 911 Turbo
Pulling into the pits, we're exhilarated, not exhausted. It took just seven laps to go from pedal-stabbing rookie to calm, drift-happy veteran. Supercars are rarely so friendly.

Chief engineer Mizuno asks what we think. We tell him that it is rock solid and easy to drive, but we're not sure if it's as fast as the 911 Turbo. "Why don't you drive it for a few laps to compare," Mizuno says as he points to Nissan's own Porsche 911 Turbo test mule sitting at the end of pit lane. "Just two laps," Mizuno says.

Other than its roll cage and a competition seat, this 997-series Turbo is a stock model with a six-speed manual transmission. There are roughly 10,000 hard miles on it, but a thoroughly broken-in Turbo is still better than 99 percent of the cars on the road.

The Porsche is dead cold, so we take the first lap easy. Even at half speed, the 911 already feels surprisingly loose. It requires more steering input to get a response. Get on the brakes and it dives. Bend into a turn and it rolls. They're small movements, but compared to the GT-R they feel wildly exaggerated.

As we finish the first lap, we step it up a notch. In terms of pure power, the two cars feel very, very close. The Porsche's turbos come on a little more abruptly, but both cars are equal-size hammers at full boost. We dig hard on the 911's brakes at the end of the front straight and again we find more similarities than differences. The Turbo has a firm pedal that's easy to modulate, much like the GT-R.

Diving into the first turn is the real eye-opener, as the Turbo quickly gets a little unsettled. Like the GT-R, the 911 much prefers a steady throttle through the corner, but even when it settles down, we're still guessing where it wants to go. Steering corrections require far more input than the GT-R and the amount of body movement we get from the 911 is a stark reminder of just how buttoned down the Nissan is at speed.

If anything, the Turbo reminds us how much we like to do the shifting ourselves. The GT-R's dual-clutch setup is certainly faster and more efficient, but there's no substitute for the mechanical feel and driver involvement of a true manual linkage.

Keep Left
With the track work finished, we switch cars and head for a short loop on public roads. Mizuno has been quick to emphasize that the GT-R has a dual nature; he says the GT-R is "a supercar you can drive every day." We switch the Nissan's adjustable dampers to their softest setting, leave the transmission in automatic mode and recalibrate once again, this time to driving on the left side of the road.

For an engine that thrives at 6,000 rpm, this 3.8-liter V6 feels just fine at 1,500 rpm, too. That's good, since the transmission's automatic mode heads for fuel-sipping 6th gear as soon as possible. Of course, the slightest nudge of the throttle kicks the gearbox down to 4th. Ask for more and we're met with a slight delay before all the clutch plates and gears get lined up. Then it's wham, and we're off at full boost, wondering what the local speed limit might be.

The softer damping filters out some of the bumpier surfaces but it's still a stiff ride. Owners won't mind, but anybody in the passenger seat will. We expected the quick steering would feel twitchy on less-than-perfect pavement, but instead it's just a little on the high-maintenance side. In other words, no elbow-on-the-window-sill driving, but this car doesn't dive for the shoulder at every pothole, either.

Our only moment of "oh yeah, this is an all-wheel-drive supercar" comes when we pull a three-point turn in a parking lot. We hear what sounds like a couple of loose crescent wrenches fumbling around in the drivetrain when turning at full lock. Nothing is broken; it's just a little reminder that there are several differentials and driveshafts underneath the floor and they're not designed for slow, tight turns on dry pavement.

As we head back to the track, we confirm the usefulness of the navigation system as it manages to lead us in the right direction despite the Japanese voice commands. The rest of the interior isn't particularly impressive, since it's all about function instead of a style contest with other coupes in the $70,000 price bracket.

The Real Deal
Rolling back into the pits at Sendai, there's not much mystery left in the 2009 Nissan GT-R for us. Its world-beating lap time at the Nürburgring suggests this is one of the fastest production cars in the world. We wouldn't bet against it.

Then again, all-out capability doesn't mean much if you have to be a former Formula 1 driver to tap into it. That's not the case with the GT-R. It's well-balanced, forgiving and predictable in a way that allowed us to creep up to its limits without threatening to be the first ones to put a GT-R in a ditch.

The Porsche 911 Turbo puts it into perspective. The Nissan GT-R lives up to its billing as an affordable supercar that can go heads up with the world's best. The smiling engineer knew it and now we do, too.

- Insideline

i want a gtr

http://www.edmunds.com/insideline/do/Drives/FullTests/articleId=124017?tid=edmunds.il.home.photopanel..1

We know you want the numbers and we're not going to waste your time. Neither is Nissan. Its 2009 GT-R hits 60 mph in 3.3 seconds, quicker than the last Dodge Viper, Corvette Z06 and Porsche 911 Turbo we tested. Keep your foot pinned, and after another tap on the upshift paddle it will clear the quarter-mile in 11.6 seconds at more than 120 mph.

We know this because we've just returned from Japan where we tested a privately owned GT-R on an airstrip outside Tokyo. The car we tested was a Japanese-spec example with 1,500 break-in kilometers on its odometer. It's owned by Japanese journalist Jun Nishikawa and packs the same hardware the U.S. car will get: a 3.8-liter twin-turbo V6 that generates at least 473 horsepower and 434 pound-feet of torque. It had the same six-speed dual-clutch automated manual gearbox and the same adjustable dampers which, by now, you've read plenty about.

What you likely haven't heard about is this: launch control. Despite its bold 3.5-second 0-60-mph claim, Nissan has been keeping this little bit of technological wizardry a secret. Test a GT-R in the homeland, however, and the need for confidentiality is quickly overwhelmed by the need for speed.

Controlling the Launch
Activating the GT-R's launch control is a matter of configuring its transmission, dynamics control and damping adjustments properly. The transmission and damping switches must both be set to the R mode and the VDC must be switched off completely by holding the VDC-R button down for a few seconds. Then it's just a matter of pinning the brake with your left foot and wooding the throttle with your right, not unlike the technique used to produce a tire-shredding burnout in that '85 Camaro you drove in high school.

The result, however, is quite different. The computer holds the engine at 4,500 rpm and waits for you to lift your left foot off the brake pedal. When you do the GT-R produces the most crushing acceleration of virtually any production car in the world. Our test was conducted on a fairly low-grip surface that produced lots of rear wheelspin before the GT-R's sophisticated all-wheel-drive system engaged the front wheels and it thundered down the track. Its 3.3-second 0-60-mph run and 11.6 at 120.9 mph performance make the GT-R the quickest car we've ever tested.

It's even quicker than the Porsche 911 Turbo Tiptronic, but not by much. The German hits 60 mph in 3.4 seconds and blasts through the quarter-mile in 11.6 at 118.5 mph. Due to their lack of all-wheel drive, the Dodge Viper and Corvette Z06 are held back by traction limitations. Despite its 600-hp V10, the last Viper coupe we tested reached 60 mph in 3.7 seconds and finished the quarter-mile 11.8 at 125.3 mph. The Corvette Z06 isn't even close. Once impressive, its 4.1-second 0-60-mph run and 12-second quarter-mile at 121.8 mph are now well off the pace, which is why Chevy is creating the supercharged Corvette ZR1.

In an effort to preserve its drivetrain and relations with the owner, we only activated the launch control twice, but with a few more attempts to calm the violent wheelspin, the numbers would likely have been even better.

Leave the launch control off and the tranny in R mode, and the car is still sick quick. Sixty mph arrives in 4.0 seconds and the quarter-mile disappears in 12.3 seconds at 120.6 mph. All our testing was completed using manual shifting.

World-Class Braking
It requires 15-inch rotors, six-piston Brembo calipers and sticky Bridgestone Potenza RE070R rubber to bring a 3,836-pound GT-R to rest from 60 mph in only 104 feet. That's only 1 foot longer than the Porsche 911 Turbo equipped with the $8,800 ceramic composite brake package. It's also the same stopping distance as the last Dodge Viper we tested and 2 feet shorter than the Corvette Z06.

Experience tells us that the GT-R's conventional iron rotors aren't going to endure abuse as well as the 911 Turbo's ceramic brakes, but in a one-stop scenario like this, we have no reason to doubt them. With a solid, effective and intuitive pedal, braking confidence is high. Plus, we're guessing future versions of the GT-R will get brakes as advanced as the Porsche's.

Predictable, Accessible Handling
Our makeshift test facility at the AMI Airport near Tokyo didn't allow room for lateral acceleration testing on a skid pad. However, we did set up our standard slalom for comparison. Again, we were somewhat thwarted by the less-than-ideal surface, which had unavoidable painted lines crossing the course.

This served as an opportunity to witness the GT-R's striking at-the-limit composure. Blasting across the bumpy painted lines between cones, you get the sense that this is truly a special car. Its chassis remains composed and it goes exactly where it's pointed despite the ugly surface. There's none of the puckering that comes with driving a Vette or Viper this fast through a slalom. Nor is there the sense that the rear-mounted engine of a 911 Turbo is eventually going to find its way to the front.

The GT-R is versatile, with plenty of control latitude, and the difference between the limit of grip and the limit of control is huge. It's probably the most easily controlled car we've slid sideways between the cones. More importantly, its abilities are far more accessible for the average driver than those of its competition.

At 72.9 mph, it's quicker here than the Z06 and 911 Turbo but can't quite match the huge-tired Viper (74.2 mph). Still, it will be interesting to see how these numbers compare when all three cars are tested at the same place and time.

The Best Part
Perhaps more impressive than the GT-R's brain-cell-punishing acceleration or its stellar handling is its price. At just under $70,000 it's within reach of the upper middle-class enthusiast who insists on spending disproportionate amounts of his income on a car.

Plus, it will take an average driver and hurdle them into a realm of speed they couldn't buy with a 911 Turbo. It's world-class fast and relatively cheap. And that's a hard combination to beat.

Now for god's sake can we stop the vette > GT-R argument? ;)

I guess its safe to believe the hype.

Man, that car sounds like a dream car.

However, it doesn't fully look the part.

car is all that you need in a car.i know for sure there will be a huge dealer markup.

another vid

http://www.windingroad.com/multimedia/issue-29/nissan-gt-r/

http://www.dpccars.com/car-videos-08/01-10-08page-Nissan-GT-R-Making-a-Mass-Produced-Supercar.htm

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b60jUybVzRY My dad wants to change his Lexus SC 430 for this baby holy shit id love to take that off his hands!!! haha


that thing just chews up the road

FIFTH GEAR Video
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2lPZT6BfiIg