GT-R drops 'Ring time down to 7:29

When the 193-MPH Nissan GT-R set a lap time of 7:38 last year at the 'Ring, besting cars like the Porsche GT3, Lamborghini Murcielago, and Mercedes SLR, the Nissan team was disappointed. There were two damp corners on the track, and everyone was quite sure that the car, piloted by official test driver Tochio Suzuki, could go faster.

Now it has. With a completely dry track, the base model Godzilla-san wearing stock Japanese-market tires shaved 9 seconds off its previous best time, posting a lap time of 7:29. On that same lap, it leapfrogged the Porsche GT2, Koenigsegg, and SLR 722 GT. Now it's flashing its headlights at the Carrera GT and Pagani Zonda F Clubsport, both about one second up the road. So if the standard model on stock tires does 7:29, and the more powerful, lighter GT-R V-Spec has already been casually clocked at 7:25 -- betting on what the GT-R's ultimate best lap time will be begins now... And did we say it can all be yours for $70,000? Damn. Check out Nissan's official presser after the jump and our First Drive of the 2009 Nissan GT-R by clicking here.

[Source: Nissan]

PRESS RELEASE

GT-R ACHIEVES UNDER 7:30 AT NÜRBURGRING
- GT-R among the fastest ever production road cars at the 'Ring' -

Nissan today announced that its GT-R supercar achieved a lap time at the infamous Nürburgring in Germany of seven minutes and 29 seconds. Recorded on April 16 and 17, the GT-R used was a base specification car and fitted with the standard Japanese market tyres. Driven by GT-R chief test driver Tochio Suzuki, this latest lap time beats the previous fastest time for the GT-R by nine seconds.

The previous best lap time for GT-R of 7:38, also driven by Suzuki, was one of the fastest laps achieved by a production car despite conditions being slightly damp on two corners.

"At last year's testing, we were frustrated by the conditions at the Nürburgring, always believing that the GT-R could go under seven minutes 30 seconds," said Kazutoshi Mizuno, Chief Vehicle Engineer for GT-R. "Below seven minutes 30 seconds, the GT-R proves it is among the fastest mass-production cars in the world. We set out to build a multi-performance supercar accessible to anyone, anytime and anywhere – I believe the GT-R has delivered that promise."

Deliveries of the all-new GT-R began in Japan in December 2007. Sales in the US and Canada start in July and extend to Europe and other markets over the next 12 months.