Nissan is finally releasing the GT-R fun to the US market next summer, and the Franco-Japanese automaker has no intentions of sticking with only one model. We've heard rumors about a lightweight V-Spec GT-R for a while, and Nissan officials aren't even denying it. Carbon fiber and light-weight aluminum will take a vehicle that has posted a 911 Turbo-beating 7:38 lap at the 'Ring and kick it up a notch. Save 200 lbs. on a 480 HP ball of hell-fire, and an already explosive sports car can turn in some of the best clock times of its day.
While $68,000 will net you a super Nissan that challenges the likes of Porsche, a V-Spec edition will surely cost you quite a bit more. Something tells us there will be plenty of buyers waiting in line with their check books in hand, so Mr. Ghosn and company shouldn't spend much time worrying if they'll attracting enough customers.
[Source: Inside Line's Straightline]
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 3)
John R @ Oct 29th 2007 10:16AM
Shhh! Don't tell naggs or ls2/ls7. There is another GT-R article on Autoblog. :^)
Erik @ Oct 29th 2007 11:04AM
still waiting for another Mustang article though.......
why not the LS2LS7? @ Oct 29th 2007 11:32AM
Yeah, there hasn't been a new Mustang announced for going in two weeks. Surely the Mustang GT500KRZ "Diamonds are Forever" edition with 1 more HP than the previous range-topper is on the near horizon.
John R @ Oct 29th 2007 12:02PM
With the GT-R, M3/3-series, G37, S5/A5 it's got me wondering why there isn't a CTS/CTS-V GT coupe.
CTS is already a good looking saloon and I imagine it would make a good looking GT.
Matt @ Oct 29th 2007 10:17AM
In more important news, how about them Red Sox!? 2007 World Champions! I'm shipping off to Boston tomorrow for the rally. C'mon I know there are some Sox fans on this site, so show ya love. Patriots are keeping me happy too.
naggs @ Oct 29th 2007 11:03AM
congrats to the yank... i mean redsox
nissanfreak87 @ Oct 29th 2007 10:22AM
Can't wait to see the numbers for the V-spec!
And yes, living in Boston I'm excited for the Sox, but I'm ready for the Cubs to win one.
Jeff Johnson @ Oct 29th 2007 10:24AM
Well I wasn't the first to say it... but WHO CARES?
Every 20 minutes there is a "new" GTR article posted so the GranTurismo generation will have something to beat off to.
I'd be much more excited/curious about this car if people didn't constantly talk about it, or boast about it. I wish the damn thing was out already so people could see what it could do, realize that its *not* the second coming of christ, and go back to talking about more important things.
John R @ Oct 29th 2007 10:27AM
Here ya go! :^)
http://www.edmunds.com/insideline/do/Drives/FirstDrives/articleId=123099
G P Burdell @ Oct 29th 2007 12:37PM
I'm looking forward to reviews of actual production GT-Rs. The 7:38 Ring time gets lots of folks into a frenzy, but the race tires Nissan used just _might_ have had something to do with that.
From the published power and weight of this car, I suspect it'll be a lot closer in real-world showroom-stock performance to a Z51 LS3 Corvette than a 911 Turbo or a Z06.
The car will be fast, no doubt, but not as fast as the Nismo faithful believe.
Pete @ Oct 29th 2007 1:45PM
So G P Burdell, are you saying that when Corvettes and 911 Turbo's run the ring, that they are all using stock rubber? Is there anyway to ever prove otherwise?
John R @ Oct 29th 2007 1:48PM
@GP Burdell:
I do not have any doubt that the showroom GT-R will at the very least match the Turbo's numbers and exceed the standard Corvette. 473hp is probably what it makes at the wheels.
The HP figure is probably underrated as that is standard practice for many manufacturers. Previous Skyline GT-Rs were quoted to make 276hp but were actually closer to 330.
Fair is fair, my man. Nissan has made a very capable GT car.
@altima24:
calm down. some people will never ever think Japan can do right.
Grain @ Oct 29th 2007 4:15PM
Ok, I've had it with this "Gran Turismo Generation" thing. This car was around and praised for DECADES, wayyyyy long before Sony brought out Gran Turismo. So, stop with the friggin "Gran Turismo Generation" bull, seriously. You people act as if the game made this car popular. If you think this game brought 'all" the popularity of this car to the U.S., then you should consider stating the plethora of cars that were from Europe that this game showcased as well. How many "gamers" and "non-enthusiasts" knew about TVR before Gran Turismo????? Exactly, not many. If you say this game made the GTR, then say the same thing about the Cerbera, or anything from Panoz. You are just hating this car because it performs like you didn't want it to perform, stop hiding behind bullsh*t and just admit it.
And STOP THE GRAN TURISMO BULLSHI*T!!!!!!
why not the LS2LS7? @ Oct 29th 2007 8:34PM
As a Skyline fan from before Gran Turismo existed (but am wearing a GT4 T-shirt today), I have to say: Gran Turismo made this car popular.
It existed before. It was respected before. But it wasn't well known.
And as to having to say the same thing about TVR, yes. As to the GTR (Ultima GTR I presume), it isn't popular. Same with the Panoz.
And to John R:
The 276HP rating was due to an agreement among Japanese car manufacturers. There is no longer such an agreement, and as such, there's no reason to believe they are lying any more. At the very least, you can't point to that as an example and say it still applies.
G P Burdell @ Oct 30th 2007 6:06AM
Pete:
It's not possible to prove that 'Ring times are run on OE tires, but I assume that the factory times are on OE rubber unless I read otherwise.
With the GT-R, I read that Nissan engineers put typical 'Ring times in the 7:55 - 7:58 range (on OE street tires, I assume), and the 7:38 time was run on racing tires (cut slicks that generate 1.2 g in the wet and 2 g dry).
Both of those claims makes sense to me for a good street sports car with ~8 lbs/hp.
The 911 Turbo is available with Pilot Sport Cup tires, so it makes sense that their 7:40 time was run on those tires, not on the standard PS2s.
The Z06 has only one OE tire, but the car is slightly more powerful, hundreds of pounds lighter than the Nissan or Porsche, and has the widest rubber of the three. To me, 7:42 makes sense for a car like that.
John R:
I really doubt that the reported 473 hp is at the wheels. That would give the GT-R more advertisable engine power (close to 550 hp!) than any of its competitors, and it doesn't make sense that Nissan would suddenly choose modesty when they're in a bare-knuckle fight with the big boys.
I've been a Skyline GT-R fan for over 20 years, and I would love to drive the new one, but I try not to let respect overpower reason.
Jeff Johnson @ Oct 30th 2007 10:19AM
I do not doubt that the GT-R was great BEFORE the "Gran Turismo" generation... but it is my general belief that the large following of the GTR was confined mostly to Japan. I won't doubt that people knew about it and admired it over here before the game came out, but in terms of the fanaticism surrounding the car, GranTurismo and the "2Fast2Furious" movies got the car to be popular to the kids over here. Kids that know nothing about it except what they see in the movies/games/internet
PauloBecker @ Oct 29th 2007 10:40AM
Is it just me, or does anybody else want to see this car in EFFIN' DIFFERENT COLORS?!?!?!
Where's the classic Bayside Blue? Pearl Black? Gunmetal Gray? Midnight Purple? I'm SICK of silver!!!!
stefan @ Oct 29th 2007 10:44AM
The car on the picture is grey and here are the other colors. http://www.worldcarfans.com/3071024.004/page2/nissan-gt-r
John R @ Oct 29th 2007 11:06AM
@ Stefan
Good looking out on the pics. The white is killer. Replace it with a carbon engine bonnet and it's N1 time, baby.
Jeff @ Oct 29th 2007 11:24AM
All colors
http://www.nagtroc.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=20324&pid=289457&st=0&#entry289457