|
Nissan GT-R
Debut: 2007
Maker: Nissan
Predecessor: Skyline GT-R R34
|
|
|
After 6 years of wait, Nissan is
finally bringing back its all-time great.
|
Background
Like many of you, I have
been a
fan of Nissan Skyline GT-R since the
very beginning. The first time I knew about this car was from a
Japanese car magazine, but I did not realized its superiority until
seeing it blasting Ford Sierra RS500 and BMW M3 away in the 1990 Macau
Guia touring car cup. The GT-R was the most sophisticated production
car at the time. It featured computer-controlled 4-wheel drive and
4-wheel steering system and a twin-turbo 24-valve straight-6 capable to
be tuned to 1000 horsepower in extreme cases. Even in standard trim, it
was the first production car lapping Nurburgring Nordschleife in under
8 minutes. Such results shocked Porsche and other European sports car
specialists.
The original R32 GT-R
evolved
to R33 in 1995 and then R34 in 1999 without radical changes but
they still managed to improve things bit by bit. Unfortunately, during
the late 1990s Nissan got into financial trouble as a result of the
burst of bubble economy. Huge losses led to its sale to Renault. New
CEO Carlos Ghosn decided to concentrate its limited resources to those
money-making volume models and cut other non-essential models. As a
result, Skyline GT-R was sacrificed. As the last R34 left production
line in 2002, Nissan no longer had a super performance model sitting on
the top of its tree.
|
The R35 shares no genes with R35. Even
its nameplate has lost the word "Skyline" as that car became an
executive sedan.
|
However, Ghosn knew that the GT-R used to be profitable. He also saw
its powerful image could help Nissan, so he openly promised that a new
generation GT-R would be built. The problem is, the development phase
took much longer than we expected, because Ghosn wanted his men to work
out a profitable business plan and to make sure it is good enough to
stun the world. A small team of dedicated engineers led by Kazutoshi
Mizuno started the development from clean sheets. They designed a new
V6 to replace the old straight-6, a new transaxle gearbox and 4WD
system, new chassis and new suspensions. In short, the R35 shares no
genes with its predecessors. They tested it extensively in Nurburgring
Nordschleife and benchmarked it against Porsche 997 Turbo, which is
arguably the best road-going production sports car to date. They kept
improving it until they are sure that it is better than the Porsche.
Finally, the R35 was released in late 2007.
R35 GT-R
The new GT-R is difficult to be classified. As before, it offers
comparable performance to Porsche 911 Turbo and superior handling to
the Porsche yet it costs about half the price - US$70,000 in USA or
£55,000 in UK, while 911 Turbo asks for US$120,000 or
£100,000. It offers a large boot and a pair of rear seats capable
of accommodating small adults, so it is as practical as grand tourers.
Production volume is set at 12,000 units per year, which is a lot for
this kind of super performance cars, yet the latest forecast is demand
will outstrip supply. Ghosn predicts it will make good money for
Nissan, although it won't enjoy a profit margin as high as Porsche.
|
Have you seen a supercar produced at a
rate of 12,000 units a year ? Here it is.
|
At first glance the new GT-R is surprisingly big, even somewhat bulky.
Tape measure confirms that it is really big - 55 mm longer and 110 mm
wider than the R34. A wheelbase of 2780 mm is almost too long for a
super performance 2+2, while the 1370 mm height is a massive 70 mm
taller than 911 Turbo. To offset the bulky profile, chief designer
Hiroshi Hasegawa injected some spicy flavors to its styling, such as a
radical black mask, "aero blade" front fenders, blackened A-pillars and
a slopping roofline. The styling theme was inspired by Gundam, the
space-age military robot in Japanese anime, so it has strong
resemblance to an armored Japanese Samurai as well. This design may not
endure the test of time, but it does link to the Japanese culture and
has a unique character.
Unexpectedly, this aggressively-looking shape actually returns the
lowest aerodynamic drag coefficient I have ever seen in a performance
car - 0.27. For comparison, 911 Turbo is 0.31, Ferrari 599 GTB is 0.34,
Aston Martin DB9 is 0.35… Only Bristol Fighter (0.28) and Chevrolet
Corvette (0.29) come close. This must thanks to the smooth undertray as
well as the sloping roofline. The low drag helps it to achieve 310 km/h
(192.6 mph) top speed, which means this is the fastest ever Japanese
car !
New engine: VR38DETT
|
VR38DETT might be less
tuneable, but it produces 150 more horsepower than the last RB26DETT,
thanks to 1.2 liters more capacity.
|
Following
the
retirement of RB26DETT, Nissan developed a new VR38DETT
V6 for the GT-R. Compare with the old straight-6, the 60-degree V6 is
shorter and benefits weight distribution of course. This engine is
loosely based on the VQ series engine but thoroughly modified – not
only added twin-IHI turbochargers and intercoolers, but also converted
to hybrid wet/dry-sump lubrication (to withstand high g-force) and
closed-deck construction (to increase stiffness). Cast iron cylinder
liners have been replaced by a thin layer of plasma coating (Nikasil)
in order to reduce friction. Sadly, the variable valve lift mechanism
found on VQ37VHR was not used, while the continuous variable cam
phasing is limited to intake camshafts only. However, with 3.8 liters
of capacity and twin-turbochargers boosting up to 0.7 bar, its output
will never disappoint – 480 horsepower is achieved at 6400 rpm, while
433 lb-ft of torque is available continuously from 3200 to 5200 rpm.
The former matches Porsche 911 Turbo, although the latter trails that
car a little bit (457 lb-ft from 1950-5000 rpm). The old R34 was good
for about 330 hp and 293 lb-ft, so the new car is massively more
powerful.
Our only disappointment is the IHI turbochargers. Reason one is that
they do not have variable vane geometry like Porsche 911 Turbo. This
explain why the engine feels less responsive than the Porsche under
3000 rpm. Reason two is that they are made of stainless steel instead
of the previous car's ceramic. Although stainless steel turbines are
lighter and quicker to spool up, they are less resistant to heat than
ceramic turbines. This mean the new GT-R has less space for power
tuning. Besides, the turbochargers are now integrated with the exhaust
manifolds, so replacing them requires a great deal of work and money.
|
Gundam look is the new design
theme. The only visual link to previous GT-Rs is the
quad-circular taillights.
|
New transaxle and GR6
gearbox
To optimize weight distribution, Nissan not only lengthened its
wheelbase but also moved its gearbox and center differential to the
rear axle. This mean the whole transaxle now consists of gearbox,
clutches, center and rear differential. Placing the transaxle near the
rear axle helps balancing the 250 kg engine up front and improves
front-to-rear weight distribution to 54:46. Still not an ideal figure,
but should be better than the old car. The engine send the power
through a carbon-fiber prop shaft to the gearbox, then the center
differential split the power to two paths, one goes straight towards
the rear differential and one goes back to the front differential
through another driveshaft.
As before, the center differential of the ATTESA E-TS four-wheel drive
system is computer controlled. It employs multi-plate clutches to
engage the front axle according to needs. Under normal driving the GT-R
is basically rear-wheel drive, with only 2 percent power sent to the
front wheels. This is why it is as engaging to drive as traditional
sports cars. On the other hand, in fast cornering it gets the
advantages of all-wheel drive. When the computer senses that it needs
more traction up front – either to neutralize oversteer or to enhance
overall traction – it could send up to 50% power to the front wheels.
Basically, the ATTESA E-TS works the same way as the one used in R34.
The only difference is the addition of a yaw rate sensor and the
integration with VDC stability control.
|
Give it 3000 rpm, it surges forward
with the same vigor as 911 Turbo...
|
Nevertheless,
a picky motoring writer like me may criticize a couple of
things. Complaint One, the rear limited slip differential has been
downgraded from active LSD to a mechanical LSD. Will it affect the
cornering prowess of GT-R ? Complaint Two, the old car's Super HICAS
4-wheel steering has been ditched. It used to be a remarkable tool to
stabilize the car and sharpen steering response during cornering.
Strangely, Nissan has just reintroduced 4WS to Fuga and Skyline. Why
did the GT-R overlook this technology ?
However, judging from its wonderful real world handling - as you will
see later, there is little need to miss those old goodies. The
combination of a stronger chassis, improved balance and well-tuned
4-wheel-drive program is good enough to make active rear LSD and 4WS
superfluous.
The biggest improvement to the drivetrain of R35 is the new GR6
gearbox. This is a twin-clutch 6-speed gearbox made by BorgWarner – the
same supplier to Volkswagen's DSG. As you know, twin-clutch design
allows pre-selection of the next gear, so the gearshift is quick and
seamless. GR6 offers automatic mode and sequential manual mode, the
latter allows the driver to shift through either paddles or
conventional gear selector. You can select 3 gearshift mappings:
Normal, Snow (slower) or R modes (which takes 200ms). The twin-clutch
gearbox will put GT-R in a superior position against Porsche 911 Turbo
until the latter launch its own version later this year.
Chassis, suspensions
and
others
The R35 is built on a new platform called "PM" (Premium Midship). Its
chassis is primarily a conventional steel monocoque but with aluminum
subframes and suspensions. The door frames are cast aluminum. The front
bumper is made of lightweight polypropylene. The front cross-member and
radiator support are made of carbon-fiber to strengthen the structure.
Rear diffuser is also carbon-fiber. Many body panels are made of
aluminum sheets, such as bonnet, boot lid and door shells.
Ridiculously, the GT-R still weighs as much as 1740 kilograms, some 155
kg more than 911 Turbo. This is the price it pays for the sheer size
and sophisticated drivetrain.
|
3 rocker switches at center console
control (from left to right) 4WD, adaptive damping and traction
control.
|
To handle the mass, the brakes are monster-size Brembo, 380mm
ventilated discs all round, 6-pot front and 4-pot rear monobloc
calipers.
The suspensions consist of double-wishbones up front and multi-links at
the rear. Bilstein electronic adaptive dampers are used. It offers 3
stiffness modes – Normal, Comfort and R – for the driver to select.
GT-R offers two choices of tires: Bridgestone Potenza RE070R is more
sticky, thus is the one it used to set Nurburgring record. Dunlop SP
Sport 600 is more durable and comfortable for highway cruising. Both
have run-flat capability thus no spare is required. The front tires are
255/40ZR20 while the rear tires are 285/35ZR20.
On the Road
Now the most important question is: can it beat Porsche 911 Turbo in
real world ?
Enter the cockpit may give you some ideas. This is a no-nonsense place.
Everything is practical rather than desirable. Although most surfaces
are covered with leather, the in-your-face dashboard design is rather
tasteless, the plastic switches and fake alloy finish look cheap.
Nevertheless, what keen drivers really need are all available – a
multi-functional steering wheel, a pair of nice-touching gearshift
paddles, a supportive bucket seat and an initiative center console
through which you can select the 4WD setting (normal, snow or R),
damping setting (normal, comfort or R) and VDC stability control
setting (on, off or R). Besides, like R34, there is a big color LCD
screen located on the top of center console to display advanced data
like g-force, steering angle, lap time, torque split, boost pressure,
water temperature etc. in digit or live charts, so you can download
them afterwards to improve your driving skill. Did your Porsche ever
tried to be so serious ?
|
|
Workman-like dash is functional rather
than beautiful. Rear seats accommodates children or short adults. Still
better than 911.
|
Start
the
engine, the noise and bottom-end response may disappoint. The
exhaust note of the turbocharged V6 is no where as characterful as the
boxer engine of 911. By supercar standards it is even quite boring. The
output isn't laggy, but under 3000 rpm it doesn't feel very strong. The
paddle gearshift feels a little tight compare with DSG. The quick
steering (2.5 turns lock to lock) feels nervous on rough pavement. In
traffic you'll notice the width of the car and the shocks the run-flat
tires sent directly to your pants. Even with the adaptive suspension in
Comfort mode, the GT-R rides harder than a Porsche GT3, let alone the
comfort-biased 911 Turbo. The initial impression is not very keen
indeed.
However, once you drive the GT-R into Autobahn, it starts showing its
talent. When the tachometer needle get passed 3000 rpm, it surges
forward with the same vigor as 911 Turbo. The lightning gearshift in R
mode transmits the power to seamless acceleration. In an eye blink, the
GT-R exceeds 150 mph. The smooth body generates little wind noise. The
suspension works well on smooth surfaces. The directional stability is
superb. You start believing it were born in Germany…
How fast is it ? A 911 Turbo Tiptronic is claimed to do 0-60 mph in 3.6
seconds (manual is slower). Nissan claims 3.5 seconds for the GT-R.
This sounds somewhat unbelievable base on its less torque and higher
kerb weight, but the Nissan has a faster GR6 gearbox and better weight
distribution to make better use of 4-wheel traction, so it is every bit
believable. I also believe it could match the 911 Turbo to 100 mph at
about 8.0 seconds. You will need a Ferrari 599 GTB to beat it in
straight line !
|
Weakness: harsh ride and nervous
steering on rough surfaces
Strength: everything else.
Conclusion: your dream come true.
|
But even more impressive is how well its big body handles in corners.
The electronic 4-wheel drive makes sure it steers so accurately into
and out of bends. The chassis feels rock-solid. The steering is quick
and meaty. Tremendous traction and grip keep it on rails. Body control
is rock-steady. Roll, pitch and dive are almost non-existent. Almost
everything is on a higher level than 911 Turbo ! We used to be highly
satisfied with the Porsche, but after experiencing the GT-R, you will
suddenly realize that the Porsche is actually a rear-engined machine.
It is far easier to unsettle and needs bigger steering correction to
get back into shape. In contrast, the Nissan is better balanced and
better controlled. The only areas the Porsche feels better are braking
and steering feel (apart from ride quality), yet they are only better
by a whisky.
No wonder the GT-R could ignore its 1740 kg kerb weight and set a new
mass production car lap record at Nurburgring Nordschleife: 7 minutes
38 seconds. That is 2 seconds quicker than the time Walter Rohrl
managed in 997 Turbo. Only 3 production cars have ever been faster:
Pagani Zonda F Clubsport (7:27), Porsche Carrera GT (7:28) and Porsche
997 GT2 (7:32). Of course, all of them are very exclusive and expensive
sports cars.
In this way, GT-R is once again a giant killer that every European
sport car specialist afraid of. As its chief engineer Kazutoshi Mizuno
said, it is a classless vehicle. On the one hand it offers supercar
performance and handling. On the other hand it offers grand-tourer
practicality and Japanese reliability. Yet most shocking is all these
are available at a price equaling a base 911 Carrera. It sounds like a
dream come true ! Our 6 years wait is worthwhile.
|
| The
above report was last updated on 13 Feb
2008. All Rights Reserved. |
Performance test: GT-R vs 911 Turbo vs Corvette
Z06
|
In the
April 2008 issue of Road & Track, Nissan GT-R was finally
put to test against its rival Porsche 997 Turbo and Chevrolet Corvette
Z06. As these performance figures were obtained under the same test
conditions and conducted by the same people, they are the best ever
reference to how fast these cars are in relation to one another.
|
Nissan GT-R
|
Porsche 997 Turbo (6M)
|
Chevrolet Corvette Z06
|
Power
|
480 hp / 6000 rpm
|
480 hp / 6400 rpm
|
505 hp / 6300 rpm
|
Torque
|
433 lbft / 3200-5200 rpm
|
457 lbft / 1950-5000 rpm
|
470 lbft / 4800 rpm
|
Test weight
|
1796 kg
|
1683 kg
|
1519 kg
|
0-20 mph
|
0.7 sec
|
0.6 sec
|
0.9 sec
|
0-40 mph
|
1.8 sec
|
1.5 sec
|
2.2 sec
|
0-60 mph
|
3.4 sec
|
3.4 sec
|
3.4 sec
|
0-80 mph
|
5.7 sec
|
5.6 sec
|
5.3 sec
|
0-100 mph
|
8.6 sec
|
7.9 sec
|
8.0 sec
|
0-120 mph
|
12.7 sec
|
11.5 sec
|
10.7 sec
|
The test found out that the heaviest Nissan GT-R is slightly slower
than Porsche 911 Turbo, especially above 100 mph. Corvette Z06 is
faster again once its rear tires had overcome initial slippage. This is
not surprising, as it has the highest power and torque and the lightest
weight at the same time.
However, performance is only part of the evaluation. When it comes to
overall scoring, the GT-R beat both rivals in R&T's test. Again not
a surprise to me. |
| The
above report was last updated on 20 Apr
2008. All Rights Reserved. |
GT-R Spec V
|
|
Pricy Victory
|
High
performance comes at a price, especially when you go to the extreme.
The standard Nissan GT-R is already a supercar in terms of real-world
performance. To stretch its performance envelop further – even by a
small margin, Nissan needs some very expensive modifications. The
result is the top-of-the-range GT-R Spec V, where V stands for Victory.
In
Japan, it is for sale at 15.75 million yen (an equivalent to
£115,000), i.e., twice the price of the standard GT-R ! This make
it more expensive than Porsche 911 Turbo (£100,000) and close to
the territory of 911 GT2 (£129,000). In this form, our latest
AutoZine COTY is no longer that bargain.
So what does the Spec V provide ? Disappointingly, the earlier rumours
suggesting 550 horsepower is found to be completely wrong. Output of
its twin-turbo 3.8-liter V6 remains 485hp (note: power rating of the
standard GT-R has been revised from 480 to 485hp recently), so is the
torque output of 434 lb-ft at 3200-5200 rpm. However, Spec V has added
an overboost button on the steering wheel, which could overboost the
engine for up to 80 seconds and increase mid-range torque to 449 lb-ft
at 3500-5000 rpm. This will help overtaking a little.
More efforts were made on weight reduction. Spec V sheds 60 kg by using
Brembo carbon-ceramic brakes (-20kg), lightweight forged aluminium
wheels (-8kg), titanium exhaust (-5.4kg), carbon-fiber rear spoiler,
front grille and brake ducts, Recaro carbon-fiber bucket seats and by
simply deleting the rear seats. That said, the car still weighs a hefty
1680 kg. That's 95 more than 911 Turbo and 240 more than the rear-drive
GT2.
|
Handling ? Think about 911 GT3 RS
versus the standard GT3...
|
The
suspension of Spec V is about 20 percent stiffer than the standard. It
also ditched the adaptive damping for fixed Bilstein dampers. Its
Bridgestone Potenza RE070R run-flat tires might look like the standard
items, but they have stiffer sidewall and offer greater grip.
On the road, the Spec V doesn’t feel any faster than the standard car
in straight line acceleration, but it is noticeably stronger in
corners. The massive grip, powerful braking and rock-steady body
control enables the car to corner faster than the standard GT-R. Think
about Porsche 911 GT3 RS versus the standard GT3. At the limit – though
very high limit – its
handling is edgier and more sensitive to driver input, which should
delight professional drivers. However, for road use the Spec V will be
criticized for an unyielding ride.
Nissan plans to build only 20-30 cars each month to feed those hardcore
drivers who would take it to club racing. To most other people, the
extra performance it offers is difficult to justify its double price,
even if they could forgive its lack of ride and cabin comfort.
|
| The
above report was last updated on 22 May
2009. All Rights Reserved. |
|
|