Click above for a high-res gallery of the Nissan GT-R in action.
While sitting through what felt like the longest press conference ever before we got some seat time in the Nissan GT-R, one of the engineers on hand mentioned that Godzilla’s suspension would be tweaked for the U.S. market. When asked why, the response wasn’t entirely clear, so we assumed that the changes would be made to adapt the GT-R to our less-than-perfect road surface. Apparently, that’s not the case.
The suspension revisions, which involved modifying the spring rate by 0.1kg/mm to make the GT-R’s coils a bit stiffer, will be accompanied by three harder engine mounts and a firmer transaxle mount that limits movement of the engine and gearbox under cornering forces. However, these changes aren’t just for vehicles bound for Stateside consumption. The tweaks have also been implemented on the latest batch of JDM vehicles and are going to be ported over to the UK models when they arrive next year. While the changes are minimal, it’s proof that Nissan’s engineers are dedicated to improving every facet of the GT-R to ensure that it remains on top. Or, to quote the GT-R’s chief vehicle engineer, Kazutoshi Mizuno, who spoke with Car, “The GT-R is my son… a son grows up and it’s my duty as father to keep improving it.”
Featured Gallery
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Ford Transit: Chassis cab and cutaway models enable commercial customers to adapt Transit to a wide variety of upfitted bodies for optimization to their specific needs. (03/04/2013)
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Ford Transit: Chassis cab and cutaway models employ a unique uni-ladder construction, combining a unibody cab with rear frame rails. The chassis cab and cutaway versions feature boron steel for stiffness. The frame rails underpin 100 percent of the cab area. (03/04/2013)
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Ford Transit: Chassis cab and cutaway models employ a unique uni-ladder construction, combining a unibody cab with rear frame rails. The chassis cab and cutaway versions feature boron steel for stiffness. The frame rails underpin 100 percent of the cab area. (03/04/2013)
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Ford Transit: Chassis cab and cutaway models feature high-strength steel in the uni-ladder frame rails and offer extension plates for mounting extra-length body upfits. (03/04/2013)
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Ford Transit: The instrument panel and cab interior feature a contemporary design and class-leading connectivity options, optimizing Transit for productivity. (03/04/2013)