2015 Nissan GT-R first drive from Rosen Nissan

MILWAUKEE - Dec. 12, 2013 - PRLog -- What Is It?

At the original Nissan GT-R (http://www.autoweek.com/section/gt-r&template=newcar&make=nissan) debut in 2007, chief engineer Kazutoshi Mizuno said he would never stop developing the car. Boy, he wasn't kidding. In the six years since its release, we have seen near-continuous improvements in ride, handling and horsepower in the GT-R, each version a little better, a little more powerful than the one before.

So what did Nissan introduce at the Tokyo Motor Show (http://www.autoweek.com/tokyo-auto-show) this year? Three more GT-Rs: the regular model that you will probably buy in your dealer showroom next summer; the NISMO GT-R (http://www.autoweek.com/article/20131119/CARNEWS/131119826) that you will probably lust after; and a version of the car that recently lapped the Nurburgring in the now-famous seven minutes, eight seconds. The latter car might have been a one-off or it might make some sort of limited production run to justify its lap time as having been done by a “production car.” In any case, Nissan's already fast supercar is now faster, more powerful and more refined than it has ever been. AGAIN.

Let's start with the regular-old 2015-model GT-R coming to U.S. showrooms in January. While the engine is the same 545-hp twin-turbo V6, powering all four wheels through a six-speed dual-clutch transmission, the engineers at Nissan refined the suspension. Note: We said “refined.” They didn't just slap on a strut-tower brace and add rock-hard shocks and springs. They flinch if you use the word “softer” when describing the new setup; the word "refined" is probably more accurate.

“Normally shock and spring harder, harder, harder,” said the new chief engineer Kinichi Tanuma. “That's the typical time attack chaser. We learned at Nurburgring, maybe softer is better. Softer, but faster.”

The idea being to keep the tire on the ground so it can provide grip. Rather than say "soft," say the suspension is “optimized” for typical road conditions. Unless you have a billiard table-smooth racetrack, your suspension will need to absorb bumps without launching into space. The 255/40ZRF20 front and 285/35ZRF20s rear Dunlops are made with a new compound that increases grip. The brakes have been retuned for more firm, linear response at speeds not found on German racetracks. Likewise, the steering has been recalibrated for ease of use in city traffic. New headlights and exterior color choices round out the changes for the base 2015.

For the GT-R NISMO, the big news is the 600 hp output of the V6, thanks to the use of larger turbos used in GT3 racing, as well as optimized injectors and fuel pump. The chassis was stiffened with adhesive bonding added around the sides to allow the new front links to better locate the wheels. There's a new rear-stabilizer bar, and they even added bigger lug nuts. Aerodynamic enhancements outside add over 220 pounds of downforce while maintaining a cd of 0.26.

And, finally, there is the Time Attack GT-R, which has the very same specifications as the car that set the 7:08.679 lap time at the Nurburgring. While horsepower and torque in the V6 still peak at 600 and 481 respectively, the curves are slightly fatter. The AWD system is revised, and the aero exterior is optimized for the Nurburgring.