Autoblog

REPORT: Next-gen Nissan GT-R in the works for 2013

Noah Joseph — Sun, 04 Oct 2009 16:07:00 EST

2010 Nissan GT-R - Click above for high-res image gallery

Hot on the heels of reports, brought to you by British car site PistonHeads upon their visit to the Nissan's Ring-side test facility, of updates planned for the current R35-generation Nissan GT-R comes another report detailing the Japanese automaker's plans for the next-generation R36 model.

With competitors lining up to challenge the current GT-R's performance benchmark, Nissan's senior veep for global product planning, Andy Palmer, confirmed that plans are underway to succeed Godzilla with a next-generation model. The R36 will, according to the report, carry over the current model's twin-turbo V6, but with enough modifications to keep it ahead of the pack. The new GT-R is expected to hit the road by 2013 at the latest. Beyond that, Palmer didn't disclose many details, except to say that Nissan is committed to the GT-R program and won't be letting the Porsche 911 GT2 alone without a fight.

Gallery: Review: 2010 Nissan GT-R

Photos copyright (C)2009 Drew Phillips / Weblogs, Inc.

[Source: PistonHeads]

REPORT: Next-gen Nissan GT-R in the works for 2013 originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 04 Oct 2009 16:07:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Texas tuner developing turbocharged V6 Camaro to take on GT-R's 'Ring record

Jonny Lieberman — Fri, 07 Aug 2009 19:58:00 EST

Filed under: Aftermarket, Coupe, Performance, Chevrolet

2010 Chevrolet Camaro RS -- click above image for high-res gallery

Must. Beat. Godzilla. For some reason. Here's the skinny. A tuner company called East Texas Muscle Cars is fitting a couple of turbos to a 2010 V6 Camaro in order to "beat" the 'Ring time laid down by none other than the Nissan GT-R. That leaves us with two questions then: how and why?

Lots of folks are going to buy V6 Camaros, grok the 304 hp V6, scratch their heads and say, "More power." In other words, there's a market. ETMC will rip the guts come out of the 3.6-liter LLT and throw in forged rods, crank and pistons. And then, of course, you get the two Squires Turbo Systems turbos. These are remote-mounted turbos that bolt up under the car near the exhaust. With such a system, you're basically trading a bit of lag for increased cooling and no need to mess around with new headers. East Texas thinks they can wring 500 horses out of the system no problem.

Then there's the matter of dealing with the stock Camaro's "tremendous understeer and cradle walk." That's pretty necessary if you want to do battle with a R35, which neither understeers nor cradle walks nor really does anything bad or sloppy. East Texas Muscle Cars will be addressing those issues via harder bushings and Pedders coil-overs, along with a Baer big brake kit and lightweight forged 20-inch wheels.

Then there's the question: Why? Why go after Godzilla, such a high profile target? Unless you're building Clubber Lang, why call out Rocky? Publicity, obviously. Would we even be writing about a bolt-on turbo kit for a V6 Camaro unless they publicly challenged one of the production car 'Ring masters? Probably not. But there is one part of their scheme that we do like. Once the Camaro is finished, ETMC will be flying it and a friend's stock GT-R out to Germany to run 'em both simultaneously. Since that's the case, no need to even mention the inherent fallacy of Nurburgring lap records. Good luck boys.

Gallery: 2010 Chevy Camaro

[Source: Inside Line]

Texas tuner developing turbocharged V6 Camaro to take on GT-R's 'Ring record originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 07 Aug 2009 19:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Nürburgring Rapid Response Nissan GT-R: World's fastest fire engine

Jonny Lieberman — Mon, 03 Aug 2009 19:59:00 EST

Filed under: Coupe, Performance, Etc., Europe, Japan, Nissan, Police/Emergency

Nürburgring Rapid Response Nissan GT-R - click above for high-res gallery

If there's one performance metric that's pure marketing hype, it has to be a vehicle's Nürburgring time. Our good pal Jack Baruth brilliantly debunked this ever-growing myth. In case you missed Jack's article, here's the gist:

"Sorry. There's no "Nürburgring lap time record" for a simple reason: Real lap time records are set by real race cars, using real timing and scoring equipment, during actual competition or sanctioned practice sessions. They aren't "self-reported" for the same reason the World's Strongest Man Contest isn't held by having everyone mail in their "results" because people can, and do, lie and cheat."

All that truth spoken to power, it's still accurate to say that certain cars generally tend to get around Green Hell faster than others. The big players lately have been the Chevrolet Corvette ZR1, Dodge Viper ACR, Porsche GT2 and Godzilla, better known as the Nissan GT-R. All four of these cars can scoot around the Nürburgring in 7:30, maybe a squidge faster. Again - it really doesn't matter. But one of the reasons why automakers play up these 'Ring times so much is that the Nürburgring is regarded as one of the most difficult and challenging strips of macadam anywhere - for both car and driver. To rephrase that, there are lots of accidents.

Meet the Nürburgring Rapid Response GT-R. The back seat has been removed to make way for a tank full of fire-retarding foam. The firehose itself is in the trunk, along with other flame-fightin' gear. And because the Rapid Response GT-R will be hustling round the 'Ring nearly as fast as Toshio Suzuki would flog it, there's a roll cage and carbon fiber Recaro race seats. Almost makes us wish we were German firemen. Almost.

Gallery: Nurburgring Rapid Response GT-R

[Source: Nissan Sportz via GT-R Blog]

Nürburgring Rapid Response Nissan GT-R: World's fastest fire engine originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 03 Aug 2009 19:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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VIDEO: 2010 Nissan GT-R makes supercar friends

Jonny Lieberman — Wed, 29 Jul 2009 14:28:00 EST

Filed under: Coupe, Performance, Japan, Videos, Nissan

Supercar parade - Click above to watch the videos after the jump

It's Godzillapalooza time boys and girls! More precisely, the day before the 2010 Nissan GT-R had to go back, my buddy Steve asked if I could give him a ride in the Skyline. Well, he'd actually been calling since two weeks before the car showed up, but anyhow, Steve is a filmmaker and he showed up camera in hand. Our plan, quite honestly, was just a quick blast across some empty freeways and nothing more. But then we saw the exit for Angeles Crest Highway and even though it was amateur day (Sundays = dozens of motorcycles riding off sheer cliffs in front of cops) we figured Steve should see Godzilla eat a canyon. Plus, after you get a few miles up you can turn left off Angeles Crest onto Angeles Highway, a much less congested (and some would argue better) road.

What happened next is one of the many reasons I'm never leaving Southern California. Stuck behind a pickup truck is a veritable supercar parade. From front to back: Ferrari F355 Spyder, Ferrari F430 Spyder, ~~Mothra~~ BMW M6, Dodge Viper SRT10, Ferrari F430 Spyder. I can't say for certain, but I think Godzilla was smiling. Eventually the truck pulled over and it was on. Well, OK, we got stuck behind the slow Ferrari, but it was still quite fun.

We all stopped for lunch where we asked the drivers if the matching Ferrari shirts add 5 horsepower. Then we hopped back in the cars, but not before I announced that the Nissan would be running mid-pack. The Viper driver yelled, "Try to keep up!" Little did he know I was wearing my high performance flip-flops. Thanks to Steve for filming and cutting the video: follow the jump to watch it.

Continue reading VIDEO: 2010 Nissan GT-R makes supercar friends

VIDEO: 2010 Nissan GT-R makes supercar friends originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 29 Jul 2009 14:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Review: 2010 Nissan GT-R - Does Godzilla Have A Soul?

Jonny Lieberman — Mon, 27 Jul 2009 11:55:00 EST

Filed under: Coupe, Performance, Japan, Nissan, Reviews

2010 Nissan GT-R - Click above for high-res image gallery

Being an automotive journalist is like being a male porn star. We're little more than Piloti-shoed buffers between the reader and the objects of their lust, and really, no one cares about us. Still, you only get one chance to make an initial impression, so my first review here on Autoblog had to be big. As luck/fate would have it, I got a phone call a few weeks back that went a little something like this: "How'd you like to drive the first 2010 Nissan GT-R on the West Coast, before the buff books get it?" Needless to say, the answer was obvious. But what to do with the brand-new R35, one of the most heavily and relentlessly covered car-stories of the past year? This takes us right back to that porno metaphor: How do I give the people what they want?

Gallery: Review: 2010 Nissan GT-R

Continue reading Review: 2010 Nissan GT-R - Does Godzilla Have A Soul?

Review: 2010 Nissan GT-R - Does Godzilla Have A Soul? originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 27 Jul 2009 11:55:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Rumormill: Nissan working on 600 hp GT-R LM

Damon Lavrinc — Mon, 10 Nov 2008 14:29:00 EST

Filed under: Motorsports, Japan, Supercars, Nissan, Rumormill, Specialty

Rumors have been circulating for almost a year that Nissan plans to campaign the GT-R in several different series outside of SuperGT, including the Grand Am championship and the 24 Hours of LeMans. Japan's Best Car magazine supposedly has it on good authority that Nissan is developing a road-going model of the LeMans competition car that will carry an "LM Edition" badge and be sold in limited numbers.

According to the Japanese pub, the twin-turbo, 3.8-liter V6 will be putting out approximately 600 hp and will be equipped with upgraded brakes, lightweight wheels, a beefed up transmission and reworked suspension components, in addition to a new aero kit to increase downforce.

Nissan has produced several limited edition models of each generation of the Skyline GT-R before, including an LM Edition of the R33 that campaigned in LeMans in the late 90s. One good turn deserves another, and with 600 hp under the hood, things are bound to get interesting both on the track and on the street.

[Source: BestCar via Carscoop]

Rumormill: Nissan working on 600 hp GT-R LM originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 10 Nov 2008 14:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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GT-R tuning update: HKS GT570 package

Damon Lavrinc — Thu, 04 Sep 2008 15:02:00 EST

Filed under: Aftermarket, Tuners, Japan, Supercars, Nissan

Click above for a gallery of the HKS Nissan GT-R GT570.

Serious Nissan GT-R tuners aren't coming out of the woodwork - yet - but one of Japan's largest aftermarket firms has thrown its hat into the ring, and to good effect. HKS will begin offering its GT570 kit to consumers in Japan later this year (no word on U.S. distribution) and as it's name implies, output is getting close to the 600 hp mark. The package includes new wastegate actuators for the stock turbos and an electronic boost controller, along with aluminum intercooler piping, silicon hose couplers and straight pipes that replace the stock catalytic converters, reducing back pressure, but negating the GT-R's road-legal status.

All of those tweaks add up to a total of - you guessed it - 570 PS, or 562 hp and 540 lb.-ft. of torque at the wheels. Check the gallery below to see the dyno charts and a few shots of the wastegate and plumbing mods.

Gallery: HKS R35 Nissan GT-R GT570

[Source: SSH and HKS via 2009GTR]

GT-R tuning update: HKS GT570 package originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 04 Sep 2008 15:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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NISMO releases Club Sport package for R35 GT-R

Damon Lavrinc — Fri, 29 Aug 2008 13:32:00 EST

Filed under: Aftermarket, Tuners, Japan, Supercars, Nissan

Click either image for a high-res gallery.

NISMO has finally released all the details on its line of upgrades for the R35 Nissan GT-R, and per usual, there's good news and bad news.

On the positive side, the parts are the typical blend of OEM quality and fitment, with a focus on tighter handling and weight reduction. The Club Sport tuning package includes the Chassis pack made up of race-tuned Bilstein Damptronic adjustable dampers sheathed in 18.5kg/mm (front) and 9.6 kg/mm (rear) springs. The combination of rock-hard coils and adjustable damping at both low and high speeds should make the GT-R stickier in the corners and more stable while bombing through a fast sweeper. Rounding out the handling package is a set of Rays forged aluminum wheels, sized 20x9.5-inches in front (+45mm offset) and 20x10.5-inches (+25mm offset) in the rear, and wrapped in Bridgestone RE070R run-flats, sized 225/40 and 285/35, front and rear. These are rumored to be the same rollers we'll see on the Spec-V when it's unveiled in Paris this October.

The rest of the parts focus on weight reduction, beginning with a lightweight axle-back exhaust that drops 11 pounds from the GT-R's curb weight, along with a carbon fiber undertray that reduces air turbulence and parasitic drag. Upgraded carbon-fiber backed and leather-trimmed seats are also part of the package, which retains the side airbags but nixes the electronic controls, reducing weight by another 13 pounds total. Naturally, some NISMO badging rounds out the upgrades.

Now here's the bad news: the parts are only available in Japan as a package, can only be installed by 12 NISMO-authorized shops and come in at a whopping ¥5,460,000 (over $50,000). However, some U.S. importers have already worked out a distribution deal with NISMO, but for those of us in the States, we don't get the added benefit of the three-year/60,000 km warranty.

Gallery: NISMO R35 GT-R Club Sport

[Source: NISMO via JPCNews]

NISMO releases Club Sport package for R35 GT-R originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 29 Aug 2008 13:32:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Nissan GT-R tuning packages from NISMO coming Aug. 20th

Damon Lavrinc — Mon, 04 Aug 2008 09:02:00 EST

Filed under: Aftermarket, Motorsports, Tuners, Nissan

Nissan's motorsports arm has been hard at work developing parts for the GT-R, and on August 20th, R35 owners in Japan will get their first taste of NISMO's efforts. Tuning packages - ranging from street to circuit kits - will be offered in either comprehensive combinations or ala carte, and will include wheels and tires, carbon fiber aero parts, exhaust systems, tweaked ECUs and upgraded cooling kits. All the parts have already undergone rigorous testing, primarily during NISMO/MOTUL's campaign of a race-prepped R35 GT-R in the Tokachi 24 hour endurance race.

More details are due out in a few weeks, although there's no word on if or when these parts will be available in the U.S.

Gallery: NISMO Tokachi 24-hour Nissan GT-R

Gallery: Review: 2009 Nissan GT-R

[Source: GTRBlog]

Nissan GT-R tuning packages from NISMO coming Aug. 20th originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 04 Aug 2008 09:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Review: 2009 Nissan GT-R

Michael Harley — Wed, 23 Jul 2008 19:58:00 EST

Filed under: In the Autoblog Garage, Performance, Supercars, Nissan

2009 Nissan GT-R - Click above for high-res image gallery

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.

Gallery: Review: 2009 Nissan GT-R

Continue reading Review: 2009 Nissan GT-R

Review: 2009 Nissan GT-R originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 23 Jul 2008 19:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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NISMO Tokachi 24-hour Nissan GT-R gets more carbon, V-spec mods

Damon Lavrinc — Thu, 03 Jul 2008 20:02:00 EST

Filed under: Motorsports, Tuners, Japan, Supercars, Nissan

The Tokachi-bound R35 Nissan GT-R is on a carbon-rich diet, as evidenced by images captured by our new friends at GTR-World. On the outside, the trunk lid, hood and side mirrors have been replaced with carbon fiber bits and the rear-quarter windows have been swapped out in favor of lightweight acrylic pieces. The stripped cockpit gets a carbon fiber racing bucket, a fire suppression system (with a carbon fiber mounting bracket) and a C.F. gauge and dash surround that's expected to migrate to the Nissan GT-R V-Spec when it goes on sale next year (look for the dry-carbon mirrors too).

The only other additions needed to make the R35 ready for its 24-hour race are the on-board pneumatic air jacks, a new steering wheel, a racing harness and the bolt in roll cage, which is more for safety than stiffness. GTR-World is reporting that NISMO isn't doing any additional spot-welding to the body, as the stock GT-R's chassis is stiff enough to campaign in a production race class without modification. Look for more coverage of the NISMO/MOTUL GT-R when it hits the tarmac in Tokachi on July 20th and 21st, and rest assured that many of the carbon fiber pieces that have been developed for the race car will find their way to Nissan retailers as either dealer-installed options or on the forthcoming V-spec.

Gallery: NISMO Tokachi 24-hour Nissan GT-R

[Source: GT-R World]

NISMO Tokachi 24-hour Nissan GT-R gets more carbon, V-spec mods originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 03 Jul 2008 20:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Video of first encounter with the R35 Nissan GT-R

Frank Filipponio — Fri, 29 Feb 2008 17:57:00 EST

Filed under: Performance, Videos, Nissan, First Drive

Click above for high-res live gallery of the new GT-R in the wild

Right after we posted our first impressions of the new Nissan GT-R last night, we were contacted by our friends at SpeedAndMotion.com who told us that they had shot some high-def video of the car, too. There is footage of the car during a quick sprint down the road and a good bit of time spent scanning the car's many interesting details, inside and out. The bottom video also shows a bit of crowd reaction to this all-new GT-R, just for fun. Follow the link to see the car in motion and hear some of the features explained by one of the guys who brought the car to the States for promotional purposes.

Gallery: 2008 Nissan GT-R in the wild

Video of first encounter with the R35 Nissan GT-R originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 29 Feb 2008 17:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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First encounter of the fast kind: 90 seconds in a Nissan GT-R

Frank Filipponio — Thu, 28 Feb 2008 19:57:00 EST

Filed under: Performance, Nissan, First Drive

Click above for a high-res gallery of our first encounter with a Nissan GT-R

When a friend tipped us that there might be an R35 Nissan GT-R drifting around Southern California, we tried to get more details. As the facts started trickling in, we realized we might actually be able to get some seat time if we played our cards right. Well, we did get some seat time and we were definitely impressed. So what if the "seat" was on the opposite side of the steering wheel? Even amidst car-jaded Southern Californians, this thing drew a huge crowd. We were lucky enough to work our way to the front of the line and were eventually invited inside for a short ride around the block. So, what did we think? The most highly anticipated car of the day is one helluva ride, as you might expect. But the levels to which Nissan has gone to make this car a world beater had some in the crowd comparing this to the Bugatti Veyron for sheer technology overload. Follow the jump for more first impressions and click on the gallery below for some more high-res live shots. And don't think this is our last time in a GT-R, as we'll also be on hand for Nissan's official media ride and drive in the near future.

Gallery: 2008 Nissan GT-R in the wild

Continue reading First encounter of the fast kind: 90 seconds in a Nissan GT-R

First encounter of the fast kind: 90 seconds in a Nissan GT-R originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 28 Feb 2008 19:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Nissan GT-R dynoed at 475 hp, 428 lb.-ft. of torque

Damon Lavrinc — Fri, 14 Dec 2007 20:03:00 EST

Filed under: Etc., Supercars, Nissan

Japan's BestCar buff book grabbed the keys to a new Nissan GT-R and made for the nearest Super Autobacs. Once they arrived, they mounted Godzilla atop a Dynapack chassis dynamometer, removed the wheels and laid down a few runs to get power figures straight from the axles. The numbers are due for publication in the mag's December 25th issue, but our new friend Jeff made Christmas come early.

The dyno chart shows a peak output of 475 hp at 6,115 rpm and 428 lb.-ft. of torque at 5,130 rpm. Those numbers are incredible close to Nissan's claim of 480 hp and 430 lb.-ft. of twist, but we'll have to wait until a few lucky souls slap the GT-R onto a set of rollers to get some idea of wheel horsepower and torque figures.

Looking over the chart shows very little happening before 3,000 rpm, which is contrary to a number of driving reports we've read so far. Turbo lag has virtually been eliminated on many new models, the GT-R included, so we're assuming that the Dynapack at Super Autobacs wasn't paying attention until later on in the rev range.

[Source: NAGTROC]

Nissan GT-R dynoed at 475 hp, 428 lb.-ft. of torque originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 14 Dec 2007 20:03:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Mines planning Nissan GT-R upgrades for North America

Damon Lavrinc — Sat, 08 Dec 2007 10:52:00 EST

Filed under: Aftermarket, Tuners, Supercars, Nissan

The introduction of Nissan's GT-R in North America isn't just a milestone for the automaker, but for the tuners in Japan that stand to profit from one of the largest aftermarkets in the world. MINE'S has been developing parts in Japan since 1985 and have been one of the preeminent R32, R33 and R34 tuners over the past two decades. They've already gotten their hands on the new R35 GT-R and according to a few comments by Mr. Niikura from MINE'S, they plan on bringing both ECU upgrades and other parts to the U.S. market in 2008.

Our comrades over at the GTChannel videotaped the brief interview with the man behind MINE'S and also had the opportunity to watch the tuner's GT-R and its GT500 counterpart spend some time at the Tsukuba circuit. Click those hyperlinks to check it out.

[Source: GTChannel]

Mines planning Nissan GT-R upgrades for North America originally appeared on Autoblog on Sat, 08 Dec 2007 10:52:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Nissan GTR spotted Stateside!

Damon Lavrinc — Thu, 08 Feb 2007 14:54:00 EST

Filed under: Spy Photos, Performance, Supercars, Nissan

Oh, what we would have done to be the gas station attendant on duty when this rolled up. Some lucky New Mexicans had a chance to adore a GTR prototype up close, when it stopped for fuel while undergoing altitude testing in New Mexico yesterday.

Not much is camo'd in the pics, with the exception of the front end and, according to the photographer, the interior. While there's nothing new to report on the styling front, we'd ask you to direct your attention to the absolutely stunning seven-spoke rimmage, framing the equally drool-worthy gold binders.

We can't wait. We can't wait. We can't wait. And this is just the latest reminder that we'll be able to finally experience the pinnacle of Nissan performance here in the States.

Mad tip proppage to Nadir Ali.

Nissan GTR spotted Stateside! originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 08 Feb 2007 14:54:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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