Thursday 3rd December 2009

Nissan GT-R SpecV to cost £124,900

Limited edition super-coupe trades on exclusivity and sharper focus

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The highly anticipated GT-R SpecV is finally available to order from Nissan, with just 40 cars being offered across Europe, at a price in the UK of £124,900.

Save 60kgs, at a price!

The eye-watering price-tag reflects 'exclusivity', says the Nissan press release, although buyers do get a range of performance enhancing upgrades in exchange for shelling out double the cost of the standard car.

Maximum power output remains unchanged, but performance is enhanced with a new high gear boost control device which briefly increases the boost of the twin turbos for greater torque in the intermediate to high speed ranges. This provides greater in-gear acceleration, says Nissan, but no figures have been released.

The SpecV also gets a carbon-ceramic brake set-up jointly developed with Brembo, plus revised springs and fixed rate dampers, and a titanium exhaust.

Lightweight forged alloy NISMO wheels help reduce weight, together with a carbon rear spoiler, carbon grille and carbon brake ducts. Altogether, 60kgs has been shaved off the kerb weight.

Standard car is £56,800 to £59,400

Inside, the SpecV is offered uniquely as a two-seater (non-SpecV GT-R models also include a two-place rear seat) with bespoke Recaro carbon fibre bucket seats trimmed in black leather, while carbon fibre is also used for the speaker surrounds, instrument panel and other trim areas.

In addition to a revised paint colour line-up (Ultimate Metal Silver and Titanium are not available) the SpecV is available in optional Ultimate Black Opal (RP), a unique chromaflair paint for this version.

The car will be distributed through just two dealerships here in the UK: Middlehurst Motorsport GT-R, St Helens, Merseyside and West Way GT-R, Oxford.

Orders are now being taken at these - and other Nissan High Performance Centres (NHPCs) across Europe - and will close on 22 January 2010. The cars will be delivered in April and May.

The limited run of 40 examples in Europe reflects that 2009 is the 40th anniversary of the launch of the first Nissan to wear the GT-R badge, says Nissan.

In recognition of the car's link with the Nordschleife circuit in Germany, the SpecV is only being displayed in Europe at the new Nissan Sports showroom in the new Nürburgring complex, which was opened in July.

PistonHeads was there earlier this year - see our story and video of the GT-R SpecV development test here.

 

[Papa Hotel]

Only sold in MERSEYSIDE (and Oxford)? Are they mad? The forged NISMO wheels will be off that in a jiffy.

That's steep. Seriously, they're looking genuine supercar money where the same car is also competing with low-end Porsche 911s?

[Papa Hotel]

Tim16V said:

Good luck if you can afford it and I hope that taking the weight off doesn't affect the grip levels around which the whole car was reportedly designed.

You do know that being heavier does not produce more grip?? What I mean to say is, if extra weight added grip, we'd all be driving around in 12 ton behemoths. But we don't.

Edited by Papa Hotel on Thursday 3rd December 09:31

[Papa Hotel]

The Wookie said:

Dave^ said:

/waits for someone to remind us all of the £11k repair bill for 5mph shunt.....

Or the nurburgring, or gearboxes...

We've already had 'Porsche 911' in the first post, but how long will it take until the word 'Turbo' creeps in

You've just done it.

[Papa Hotel]

uriel said:

Papa Hotel said:

Tim16V said:

Good luck if you can afford it and I hope that taking the weight off doesn't affect the grip levels around which the whole car was reportedly designed.

You do know that being heavier does not produce more grip?? What I mean to say is, if extra weight added grip, we'd all be driving around in 12 ton behemoths. But we don't.

Isn't that exactly what we do with downforce?

There's a difference between downforce and a heavier car... a 500 kilo car producing 500 kilos of downforce is not the same as a 1000 kilo car.

ETA: what The Wookie said above.

Edited by Papa Hotel on Thursday 3rd December 10:13

[Papa Hotel]

Dracoro said:

It's all this "halo effect" thing that some manufacturers are going for, not quite sure why.

Lexus I can understand, but it's going to take a whole lot more than this SpecV thing to make me want a Primera.

[Papa Hotel]

marcosgt said:

Papa Hotel said:

Dracoro said:

It's all this "halo effect" thing that some manufacturers are going for, not quite sure why.

Lexus I can understand, but it's going to take a whole lot more than this SpecV thing to make me want a Primera.

You can buy two of these for the price of the LFA and there will be a lot less of 'em

I drove a Primera once and a IS 2000 - To be honest, I liked the Nissan more!

M.

What I meant was that I can understand Lexus creating their stupidly expensive supercar thing. Even selling it at a loss, it should have some sort of halo effect and it will make their brand more desireable. People will think "ooh, I'd like a bit of that" and buy their tarted-up Toyotas.

Nissan though, beneath the GT-R, they really don't have that much in the way of supposed luxury or desireability... I can't see what sort of halo effect they're hoping for by creating ever-more expensive GT-Rs. Like I said, it'll take more than this thing to make me want a Nissan (Primera).

[Papa Hotel]

Dracoro said:

So, do you think they should have marketed the car under the Infiniti brand (Nissan's "lexus" if you like, they don't sell them over here but do elsewhere)......

TBH, I hadn't thought of Infiniti, but now you mention it... yeah. But then I'm not the boss of Nissan, he is probably a bit more business-minded than me.

[Papa Hotel]

pSyCoSiS said:

That is pricey for a Nissan, but i'm sure the purists will snap them up!

The purists?? Why? Aren't they all too busy driving around in their Elises?

[Papa Hotel]

Godzilla said:

Another notable fact is that Nissan have not released any Nordschleife lap times for it, which infers they have failed to get it to be any quicker than the £60k base car...

IMPOSSIBLE! The forged NISMO wheels must make it faster!

[Papa Hotel]

Godzilla said:

Papa Hotel said:

Godzilla said:

Another notable fact is that Nissan have not released any Nordschleife lap times for it, which infers they have failed to get it to be any quicker than the £60k base car...

IMPOSSIBLE! The forged NISMO wheels must make it faster!

Hehe, you jest, but the standard GT-R that set the 7:26 time was running the NISMO wheels as they are an optional extra...

Jesus Christ, they're fking chancers.

"Hey, have this Barry-boy car, it's a snip, only 65 grand more than the standard car."

"What's better about it?"

"You've got these fancy wheels. And it's 60 kilos lighter."

"But I have those wheels anyway. And I can just stick in some carbon seats, surely that'll save a big chunk of your 60 kilos?"

"Yeah... but.... It's exclusive!"

"So is a Lada Riva mate. fking do one."

[Papa Hotel]

Trommel said:

Papa Hotel said:

Jesus Christ, they're fking chancers.

http://www.pistonheads.com/porsche/default.asp?sto...

I suppose I can't blame Nissan really, every tt out there is charging millions more for "special" editions. Less stuff for more money or an "iconic" duck-tail thing for what, an extra 50-odd grand?

Edited by Papa Hotel on Thursday 3rd December 12:20