Nissan maintains that the GT-R is mechanized perfection that could never be improved upon (never mind that V-Spec over there), but that's not going to stop owners from attempting to extract every last bit of performance from Nissan's super coupe.
Enter GT-RR.com, an online distributor specializing in the importation of top shelf kit from Japan. Ben Schaffer, president of Bespoke Ventures, one of the men behind Bulletproof Automotive and blogger at The Real JDM, is behind the new site, bringing almost a decade of tuning experience and over 100 aftermarket components to GT-R owners here in the States. The site is currently in BETA testing, but that doesn't mean that GT-R drivers have to leave "good enough" alone.
GT-RR currently offers a nice assortment of parts – from seats to suspension components and exhausts to wheels – and while Schaffer and his team are currently farming out installation work to other reputable shops in the L.A. area, he's not ruling out a dedicated location for work on the GT-R. According to Schaffer, "Our sole focus is on what we do best. Fast and highly accurate logistics and distribution from Japan to both local tuning shops and directly to the end users." Although the aftermarket, along with the rest of the auto industry, is experiencing a downturn, there's little doubt that GT-R owners will be looking for something to turn up the wick on their rides. Thankfully, GT-RR will be there to answer the call.
Honda and Nissan are looking for ways to make cars lighter, better, and more recyclable, both for their own benefits and their customers. We've heard about the increased use of aluminum to save weight; next on the heavy R&D frontier could be carbon fiber. Both companies have teamed up with Japanese carbon fiber company Toray, and Mitsubishi Rayon -- a Japanese version of DuPont -- to research new, less expensive carbon fiber for cars.
Their efforts will be helped by the government, which is injecting two billion yen into the project over five years. The plan is that by the middle of the next decade, they'll be able to mass produce a cost effective carbon fiber and use it to reduce the weight of cars by 40-percent. And when they're finished with it, they will also be able to recycle it to reduce production costs.
The current price of carbon fiber makes its use prohibitive except for ornamentation or for use on the most expensive cars. With the price of steel -- and cars -- expected to keep climbing, the mass produced, recyclable carbon fiber will make financial sense in the not-too-distant future. Add in the fuel savings from lighter vehicles, and fewer emissions, and it looks like everyone wins. Thanks for the tip, David!
The Nissan GT-R is a fire-breathing monster, both on the track and on the canyon roads of Southern California. It's been the biggest buzz vehicle of 2008 and could be the most impressive sports car in the history of Nissan. The GT-R is a media star that attracts attention everywhere it goes not on looks, but on the potential to send concrete crying to its mama. Why, then, would there ever be a reason for Nissan to issue a drop-top version of Godzilla? Convertibles add weight and reduce structural rigidity, which doesn't exactly help the GT-R hold up its standing as the king of the 'Ring.
No worries, though. The photo above is nothing more than a reasonably well done photo-chop that shows what the GT-R might look like as a cabrio. Now that we've seen it, we have one word to describe what Nissan executives should say if asked to remove the GT-R's fixed roof: No. Seriously, the GT-R is a functional beast that utilizes automotive science to defy the laws of gravity to beat lighter, more powerful vehicles. And Nissan will likely never satisfy demand for the rarefied coupe. Again, no.
Click above for our high-res gallery of the 2009 Nissan GT-R
Nissan recently granted Autoblog four fleeting days with a red 2009 Nissan GT-R. While it seems every major automotive outlet has tested "Godzilla" on the track (including our First Drive), we chose instead to keep it on the streets to see if one of the world's most powerful and fastest accelerating cars could be domesticated by stop-and-go traffic, family errands, and carpool duty. Of course, we only stuck to that routine for a day or two... the rest of the time was spent on the famed canyon roads of Southern California. Follow the jump to read about our 100-hour experience in the Nissan GT-R and don't miss what very well may be the most beautiful gallery of high-res images we've ever published courtesy of our own Drew Phillips and all ready to become your next desktop wallpaper.
The undisputed champion of hydrogen fuel cell SUVs at the Nurburgring has been crowned: the Nissan X-Trail FCV. The winning time: 11:58. Of course, it's the winning time because it's the only time -- a hydrogen fuel cell vehicle has never ran the 'Ring before.
After piloting the 120 bhp X-Trail around the world for two years, Nissan engineer Frank Eickholt, decide it was time to take it to the track. The €1.3 million X-Trail was apparently hampered by moist tarmac, so you can expect a redo at some point in the future. Just when you thought the 'Ring craze was as hot as it could get, here come the hydro-powered vehicles to... pour some water on it...
Top Gear has had its fair share of mishaps. There was that time the Stig took the Koenigsegg CCX on an off-track excursion, and of course Hammond's horrific crash in the jet dragster. The latest incident involves the one and only Nissan GT-R press car in Great Britain. Apparently it was involved in a fender bender in the Isle of Man after a photoshoot for Top Gear magazine. It seems that the GT-R wasn't damaged too badly, despite the pic of its naked arse above, and the same exact car ran up the hill at the Goodwood Festival of Speed only a couple days later.
Check out our own just-published review of the 2009 Nissan GT-R. We managed to keep our press car in one piece.
Click above to watch the GT-R take on the Top Gear test track
It's the lap time that everyone has been waiting for. Just how fast can the Stig push the Nissan GT-R around Top Gear's test track? Those who couldn't wait could see the track time posted on Wikipedia a few days ago. Even after the entry was removed (it's since been added back in), Wikipedia still allowed users to review the revisions made to an entry. So while the GT-R's time may have been no secret, those with enough will power not to look can now watch the video of the GT-R lap the Top Gear test track and have the result still be a surprise. Even if you do know the time, it's still worth watching, and as an added bonu,s Clarkson wrings out the GT-R at the Fuji race circuit. Just follow the jump to watch the video.
The new Nissan Cube will be unveiled the morning of November 19 at the Los Angeles Auto Show, and the automaker has begun the buildup to its arrival. The Cube now has an official website, where you can count down the days and see more on the Cube art cars that design students prepared for the '08 New York Auto Show, among other things. Nissan's covering all the bases, also getting the Cube set up on Facebook and other social networking sites in the meantime.
We like the Cube a lot, and hope the new version keeps the character of the current Japanese car intact while delivering power and fuel economy geared to appeal to the U.S. buyer. We don't think Nissan's going to botch this, so and shoppers looking to get their geek ought to have a strong candidate from Nissan. Not that it'll be without competition -- the Scion xB, Honda Element, and Kia Soul will all be vying for peoples' attention, too. Let the geekmobile deathmatch begin. Thanks for the tip, Turkey Pie!
This Sunday, Top Gear will finally get to test the mettle of the Nissan GT-R on the track. Well, "tracks" to be specific. Clarkson's appetite for tail-out antics wasn't satiated by last week's race against the bullet train, so he headed to a track in Japan to get a feel for the GT-R's capabilities at the limit and a chance to wring out Nissan's super coupe past its nanny-imposed 111 mph top speed.
Back in the UK, the Stig finally takes the GT-R around Top Gear's test track and that meant that members of the studio audience got a chance to see the GT-R's lap time. Earlier this morning, we received word that the time had been posted on Wikipedia. We saw it, our jaw dropped and then it disappeared. Wikipedia being, well... Wikipedia, means that we're taking the time with a grain of salt until the show airs on Sunday. While the lap isn't listed any longer, Wikipedia does allow users to view the revisions made to an entry. If you want to spoil it for yourself, feel free, just don't post it in the comments out of respect for the rest of us. We're willing to wait a few more days for confirmation.
Top Gear has turned its stellar production values loose on the GT-R. In the interest of compelling television, it's not just a review. In pursuit of hilariousness, May and Hamster set off on a bullet train to see if they can beat Clarkson to the final destination. It takes about the duration of the ride for Clarkson to figure out what half the buttons in the GT-R do, and May and Hammond don't have it any easier trying to communicate in Japanese to do simple things like figure out the train system and buy tickets. Hilarity follows, with part 1&2 after the jump.
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