NISMO GT-R on track: PH Blog

The elusive GT-R NISMO and one very excitable JDM fanboy - can you guess the conclusion?

For a certain generation of car fans, Japanese cars hold a unique and very special appeal. At a rough estimate, I'd say that generation is people currently in their early 20s to mid-30s, there or thereabouts. They're the people for whom Gran Turismo did so much to influence their automotive desires, opening up their world to a host of JDM performance heroes previously unheard of. And then spending lots of money, both virtual and real, buying and driving as many as possible.

Come have a go if you think you're hard enough

NISMO is one of those brands that any GT fan will know about. Stuff like the R33 400R, the roadgoing LM car and the Z-Tune 350Z were all (virtually) brilliant, improving upon already exciting standard car across the board. They also looked sensational. And this was from Nissan's own motorsport arm that barely anybody in Europe knew about. Very cool.

So to actually drive a NISMO GT-R, albeit briefly, was a pretty thrilling prospect actually. Five syllables to have GT nerds quivering in their trainers. The 370Z NISMO is pretty good actually, the Juke RS not so much, but this is the NISMO real deal.

Or is it? The NISMO still has a pretty luxurious interior, weight is only 20kg down and power is up by 50hp. It doesn't sound transformative to be honest.

Yet on circuit it was truly epic. Completely unlike anything else as a driving experience - like a GT-R then - but with tangible areas of improvement over the standard car. Those Dunlop Sport Maxx GT tyres are extraordinary, latching the car onto a line with alarming urgency and incredible poise. Combined with suspension tweaks and even greater body stiffness, the NISMO's ability to get into, through and out of a corner is phenomenal, comfortably beyond what you think a car this big should achieve. It's the freakish GT-R thing taken on yet further.

Hold on!

It's fantastically precise as well, brakes and steering so reassuring in their response and the dampers ruthless in containing body movement. You sense it might be a bit ... busy on a road drive but the focus is stunning. And aren't the hardcore specials what the Japanese myth is built on? It was the 22Bs, Type Rs and RS cars that we fell in love with, not the fascination with CVT gearboxes.

So yes, the NISMO GT-R more than lives up to the expectation, hype and nameplate. 'Specially when you're an unabashed fanboy. It needs a much bigger track to really shine but the genius that made us love the Japanese performance car is certainly alive and well at NISMO. Good. Now about the GT-R NISMO RS...

Matt