Nissan's GT500 GT-R to tackle SuperGT with V8 power
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click above for a gallery of high-res images of the Nissan GT-R GT500
The debut of the production Nissan GT-R remains one of the hottest happenings in the automotive world this past year, but the return of the GT-R to Japan's SuperGT series is of equal importance. We've already seen what the new racer will look like as it gears up for its assault on the GT500 class, and today, Nissan finally released all the technical details about the SuperGT competitor. Let the bench racing begin.
As rumored, the GT-R will be powered by the VK45DE V8 that's been successfully campaigned in the 350Z over the last two years. The naturally aspirated mill produces 500+ hp and well over 376 lb.-ft. of torque. The 4.5-liter sends power to a six-speed sequential gearbox and on down to the rear wheels. Nissan opted for the V8 instead of the production GT-R's twin-turbo'd 3.8-liter V6 because the new mill is still too green to compete in the upper echelon of motorsport and the torque output isn't up to GT500 standards – something that's key to competing in SuperGT.
Nissan's Works program will be fielding five GT-Rs spread across four teams, with the first race set to begin March 15-16 at Suzuka. Nissan's full press release is posted after the jump.
Gallery: Nissan GT-R GT500 Race Car
PRESS RELEASE
NISSAN ANNOUNCES NEW 2008 SEASON MOTORSPORT PROGRAMS
- New GT-R to challenge for SUPER GT Series in Japan -
TOKYO (January 31, 2008) - Nissan Motor Co. Ltd and Nissan Motorsports International Co., Ltd. (NISMO) today announced their 2008 Global Motorsport Programs.
Highlighting the company's continued commitment to global motorsport, Nissan will enter the all-new GT-R into the premium Japanese motorsport series, SUPER GT.
1.
SUPER GT
2008 marks the return of GT-R to racing, following the transition from the R34 model to the Z five years ago. Continuing from last year, Mr. Kunihiko Kakimoto will be the General Manager for all Nissan related teams, and the NISMO Team Manager will be Mr. Yoshitaka Iijima.
NISMO will give technical support and car development support to teams entering the NISSAN GT-R in SUPER GT. As a part of the Nissan team group, NISMO, HASEMI MOTORSPORT, TEAM IMPUL, and KONDO RACING will enter the GT500 class with a total of five NISSAN GT-Rs.
The 2008 NISSAN GT-R has been developed with the following areas of focus:
1. Reducing parts weight, lowering the center of gravity and optimizing weight distribution to improve handling and vehicle dynamics
2. Using the aerodynamics of the new NISSAN GT-R to decrease drag and increase down-force
3. Increased power and improved efficiency from the VK45 engine
♦Teams Car # Entrant Manager Driver Car Name
22 NISMO Yoshitaka Iijima Michael Krumm
Masataka Yanagida MOTUL AUTECH GT-R
23 Satoshi Motoyama
Benoit Treluyer XANAVI NISMO GT-R
3 HASEMI MOTOR SPORT Masahiro Hasemi Ronnie Quintarelli
Naoki Yokomizo YellowHat YMS TOMICA GT-R
12 TEAM IMPUL Kazuyoshi Hoshino Tsugio Matsuda
Sebastien Philippe CALSONIC IMPUL GT-R
24 KONDO RACING Masahiko Kondo Joao Paolo de Oliveira
Seiji Ara ADVAN Clarion GT-R
2.
Privateer support:
A variety of motorsport programs will be supported by Nissan
1.
March Cup Race/Nissan racing school
A total of 11 races run through regional championships (EAST Japan Series, WEST Japan Series, and NISSAN MARCH Champion Cup) using the March compact car. By standardizing on-board data-loggers, entrants can steadily learn how to improve driving skills, as well as the physical excitement of a racing car.
In addition, Nissan will conduct racing schools at each circuit before races using a March Cup car to give circuit guidance and technical support. Since 2008, Nissan motorsport has added new classes and technology into the cars to help make this entry-level support even more accessible.
2.
National privateer support:
SUPER GT GT300 class
Give technical support to privateer teams entering the Fairlady Z.
Super Taikyu series
Give technical support to privateer teams entering the ST-1 class or ST-3 class with a Fairlady Z.
Nissan Driver Development Program (NDDP)/Formula Challenge Japan (FCJ)
To educate young drivers and support the Formula Challenge Japan, FCJ, series started in 2006. Nismo will be responsible for the maintenance of engines managed by the organizers. In addition, Nismo will select four drivers as scholarship drivers and give them support to enter the FCJ.
Beginning 2007, to select a Nissan Advance Scholarship driver and send him to Formula Renault in England, where he will gain from the experience of racing in the competitive Formula Renault through one season.
3.
International activities:
China:
To continue supporting Dongfeng Ghia Sports, a team entering the Nissan Tiida in the 1600cc class of the CCC (China Circuit Championship) touring car series since 2006.
In China, the CCC is the most competitive national championship for racing cars based on standard production cars. Dongfeng Nissan has a continuing partnership with leading Chinese team, Ghia Sports. The Tiida campaigned by Ghia Sports was first in 2005 and second in 2006.
South Africa:
Nissan South Africa has won the South African Off-Road Championship series for the last seven consecutive years. This year they will enter the series with the Nissan Navara pick-up truck. In addition, Nissan will compete in the South African Production Car Championship with a 350Z (Fairlady Z).
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Franz 4:31PM (1/31/2008)
I could've sworn this story ran already. Oh, well. Maybe I'm wrong.
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Trent 6:06PM (1/31/2008)
man that thing sits low...
The v-spec sounds amazing already, I'm sure this will follow suit... Though I guess it should be very similar to the z based car
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Justin 4:51PM (1/31/2008)
"Nissan opted for the V8 instead of the production GT-R's twin-turbo'd 3.8-liter V6 because the new mill is still too green to compete in the upper echelon of motorsport and the torque output isn't up to GT500 standards something that's key to competing in SuperGT."
Can someone clear this up for me? How is being "too green" necessarily bad if the power is essentially the same? And also doesn't the 3.8TT not make enough low end torque? Doesn't it make "well over" 400 lb-ft at reasonably low rpms? I would think that the revs in this kind of application wouldn't drop so low that turbo-lag would be a huge issue. Also what rpms does the v8's 376 lb-ft come into play?
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Za 5:04PM (1/31/2008)
By green, they are talking unproven/untested in racing, not "too green" as in they make the environment a better place.
YourNameHere 4:53PM (1/31/2008)
this is dumb. nissan just spent countless dollars to develop a world class/beating car and instead of showing off the heart of the beast they use something else. this is about as cool as the V8 RWD Camry that runs in NASCAR.
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stefan 4:53PM (1/31/2008)
The old GT500 GT-R didn't also us there production engine's. they used the VQ30DETT until 2005.
And the supra's didn't use the 2JZ but the 4 cylinder 3S-GTE. And the later supra's and SC use the UZ V8.
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Nick 5:28PM (1/31/2008)
I love how everything that makes the R35 GT-R what it is, has been omitted and/or replaced for this racing iteration, lol.
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spdracerut 5:37PM (1/31/2008)
I would say that Nissan not using the street cars twin turbo V6 due to it being 'green' is a bad assumption. The fact that Nissan raced the VQ30DETT previously would lead one to believe that the knowledge they gained from racing that motor filtered down into the street GT-R motor.
From my understanding, Nissan had to switch to NA V8 power to be able to meet the fuel economy requirements while still hitting the target power. Turbo motors tend to be very thirsty when run WOT due to having to run richer A/F ratios.
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xpolarx 6:20PM (1/31/2008)
Laaame...I would think the weight difference would deter them from using the V8.
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Michael 6:27PM (1/31/2008)
I doubt the normally aspirated v8 weighs any more than the twin turbo, twin intercooled v6.
chris 6:10PM (1/31/2008)
Super GT regulations changed a few years ago to really screw with turbocharged cars, that's why 3-4 years ago every GT500 car was turbocharged (apart from the privateer Lamborghini's and stuff), now they all use V8s.
They also won't use AWD since it incurs such a massive weight penalty that the penalty weight (I mean additional weight they have to add, not about an AWD system being heavier than RWD) outweighs any benefit they would get from having an AWD car.
It's also useless for them to develop yet another new race engine for GT500 when in the next year or two all GT500 cars will use the same kind of V8s that are/will be used in Formula Nippon to keep costs down.
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mk 6:39PM (1/31/2008)
I don't care that much about the racing series, but I hope this helps Infiniti put a smokin' 4.5 liter V8, at about 400hp, in the G37, making it a G45.
VVEL, naturally aspirated, and RWD, and well appointed like any Infiniti, would make it significantly different than the GT-R in the marketplace.
And probably not quite as expensive as the GTR, with fewer hot and moving parts required. I am envisioning a limited-production-special V8 competitor to the Audi S5, and maybe undercutting the V8 M3 a bit, in the G-coupe body... Heck, even the G-sedan body... M3 is getting 4-doors as well.
Bring on the V8s!!! Not that I have anything at all against a V6 or a twin turbo V6.
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HotRodzNKustoms 1:33AM (2/01/2008)
It's like Nascar
Only with soy sauce.
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Temple 9:15AM (2/01/2008)
" The 4.5-liter sends power to a six-speed sequential gearbox and on down to the rear wheels. Nissan opted for the V8 instead of the production GT-R's twin-turbo'd 3.8-liter V6 because the new mill is still too green to compete in the upper echelon of motorsport and the torque output isn't up to GT500 standards something that's key to competing in SuperGT."
This is full of error. There are multiple reasons they are using the V8, but not because of being green, or lack of torque, or even because the engine isn't prepared. First of all the V8 is already in their Nismo Fairlady Z race car, also starting in the 2009 season the Super Gt series will be moving to V8 engines for ALL vehicles. They are only running 2 GT-Rs during the 2008 season, while the rest of Nismo and their partners will be running Fairlady Zs this season. The GT-R is more a preparation for the dramatically different 09' season.
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Khanh 4:24PM (2/02/2008)
I wonder what would happen if the JGTC merged/partnered/entered the ALMS...
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pmiddle5 12:55PM (2/03/2008)
RaceCar Engineering had a big article about that about 2 years ago now. THe GT300 and GT500 cars are cheaper to build and maintain then either GT1 or GT2 and have been shown to be expected to be faster; for less money. It would also increase the fields presence minimum at LeMan and possibly throughout the ALMS as well encouraging manufacturers who have already used their engineering to simply bring their cars here. Its a dreammmm
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