Those spy shots we showed you yesterday of a higher-performance GT-R have been confirmed by inside sources as the Spec V model, which will both shed poundage and gain power compared to its baser sibling. Weight is expected to drop by over 300 pounds thanks to extensive use of carbon fiber, and as for how much power the twin-turbo 3.8L V6 will make in Spec V trim... some are saying 550 - 600 horsepower, though we think that's a bit optimistic as well as just overkill. These shots show the GT-R Spec V attacking a corner at the Nurburgring, and in the German sun we can see the new front splitter below the grille and carbon fiber rear wing much clearer. The current GT-R's performance has already surprised us all, but it's clear that this is just beginning for Nissan's new halo car.
With only 20 miles separating us from North Lake Tahoe, it's obvious that I hadn't secured the hood of our Super Silver Nissan GT-R after poking and prodding inside the engine bay. The left side of the bonnet is raised about a quarter-inch and flapping slightly at speed, so we pull off into a newborn subdivision to slam it shut. I step back inside and catch a glimpse of a silver Corvette in the side view mirror. The telltale air intake on the front bumper confirms that the man behind the wheel is an aficionado; it's a C6 Z06 and there's no doubt the driver knows what the GT-R is.
"That's the third one I've seen today," our new friend points out, "What's going on?" I explain that we're doctors of journalism heading out to Reno/Fernley Raceway to wring out the GT-R with the rest of the hacks. "That thing is so over-hyped. Let's see what it can do." With only a few seconds to calibrate my moral compass, he begins counting down. "Three, two, one, GO!" He takes off with a minimum of wheel spin and I lay into the throttle about a half second too late. The GT-R bogs slightly off the line (no time for launch control) and then rockets towards the horizon in chase.
My lame launch put us about ten feet off the Z06's bumper, and with the throttle pegged to the floor, the rear-mounted, dual-clutch gear box runs through the ratios in full automatic mode. Our necks are jolted back at each shift and we can feel our spines forming a valley in the suede-covered buckets. You know the stats; you can do the math. The Z06 is around 3,100 pounds and comes packing 505 hp. The GT-R is down 25 horsepower and is almost 700 pounds heavier. But in defiance of the laws of physics, the distance between us never changes. And it continues down our imaginary quarter-mile before we brake simultaneously and make a quick left into a row of homes to talk shop and take a few photos. "The guys on the 'Vette forum aren't going to believe this," Rich says as he snaps away on his disposable camera. "It's way faster than I would've thought."
This same scenario will be played out in a hundred different cities at a hundred different traffic lights when customers finally begin taking delivery of the 2,000 Nissan GT-Rs bound for the U.S. this summer. After years of speculation, spy shots, rumors, lies and nail-biting anticipation, the GT-R is finally here, and make no mistake, it's epic.
We started our trek outside Incline Village on the northern side of Lake Tahoe and made our way through the sparsely populated towns that dot the Nevada landscape. The mixture of minimalist urban areas, mind-numbing desert expanses and undulating roads provided us with just enough time to get acquainted with the GT-R's road-going... [Read More]
Scorching fast. That's the word from Car & Driver on a Nissan GT-R they were allowed to instrument up and abuse for a few hours. 11.5 in the quarter mile and a 3.3 second run to 60 mph are incredible numbers from any car, but this one only costs $70,000. That price tag would be preposterous for a Sentra, but it's a bargain for the ability to annihilate virtually anything short of a Hayabusa. There's been some debate about the three little words "engineering test mule," but scuttlebutt has it that the only thing Nissan was testing on the car were tires and suspension calibrations. From the report, it sounds like they got the ride dialed in, too - in comfort mode, you can reportedly thwack across expansion joints without bouncing your coiffe off the headliner. The biggest complaints? Weight (though apparently the car doesn't feel as ponderous from behind the wheel), and the interior design. The materials are said to be good, but haphazard is the order of the day for the dash layout. Oh darn, it won't come with the gorgeous cabin of a Ferrari 599 -- we suppose they need something to feel superior about as they watch the chunky arse of the GT-R rocket toward the horizon. A $70,000 supercar? We'll take it.
Thought the Nissan GT-R was already too hot to handle? Think again! Not content with the standard car’s blistering performance, the Japanese firm is developing a mighty V-Spec flagship – and we have all the details.
While the standard GT-R produces 473bhp, the range-topper is tipped to deliver a huge 550bhp from its twin-turbo 3.8-litre V6. The 16 per cent power boost will be matched by a substantial 150kg weight reduction to make the V-Spec one of the most hardcore supercars on the planet.
And the modifications won’t stop with performance upgrades – the body will get an aerodynamic make-over, too. Our picture shows how efficient the standard car is at slicing through the air, and a wild bodykit complete with side skirts and splitter will give the V-Spec maximum downforce at high speeds. Inside, the cabin will be stripped out to help reduce weight, but the dash-mounted touchscreen will remain. In fact, by the time the model arrives, the features available in the hi-tech system will be even more advanced, giving greater control of the set-up on the move.
Nissan has two very specific targets for the thrilling newcomer. Firstly, its engineers are desperate to complete a lap at Germany’s Nürburgring in less than seven minutes and 25 seconds, to take the circuit record.
And they are also keen to topple Porsche’s 911 GT2 and GT3 from the top of performance trackday wish lists. But the extra pace won’t come cheap. The GT-R is set to cost around £55,000 when it goes on sale in the UK in March 2009, and the V-Spec will add £20,000-plus to that. It will join the range before the end of next year
Nissan's original Murano was a successful and difficult act to follow. The elder statesman of crossover utility vehicles saw its sales increase every year since it was introduced in 2003, but with the segment going from crowded to standing room only, Nissan realized changes were needed to compete.
"Murano-ness" – that's what Jarrad Haslam, Nissan's product planner for crossovers, said the company insisted be preserved in the new version. Nissan invited us to Atlanta to sample this almost-totally-new Murano for 2009. You'll recognize the distinctive rounded nose, sharply-raked windshield, the side glass kicked up over the rear fender, a smallish rear hatch window topped by a sliver of a spoiler, and a lower rear bumper accentuated by dual exhaust outlets. But put the 2007 and 2009 (the Murano sat out the 2008 model year) side by side, and the differences become evident.
NissanForums.com
