Friday 31st July 2015

NISMO GT-R on track: PH Blog

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

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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

[Joeguard1990]

My favorite was always the R34 Z Tune - only 20 made and I've never seen one in real life

[vz-r_dave]

It sounds to me like it could hold it's own with anything out there at the moment, GTR Nismo, P1 track test?

[OldBob]

vz-r_dave said:

It sounds to me like it could hold it's own with anything out there at the moment, GTR Nismo, P1 track test?

125K plays about 950K in that comparison - why not stack it up against a 991 911 turbo, GT3 or McLaren 570 instead?

[vz-r_dave]

OldBob said:

vz-r_dave said:

It sounds to me like it could hold it's own with anything out there at the moment, GTR Nismo, P1 track test?

125K plays about 950K in that comparison - why not stack it up against a 991 911 turbo, GT3 or McLaren 570 instead?

Because from what I am hearing the GT3 and Maclaren 570 are not as capable. I might be wrong but thought thatthe NISMO might give the likes of a P1 a run for its money (on a track).

[gregf40]

vz-r_dave said:

It sounds to me like it could hold it's own with anything out there at the moment, GTR Nismo, P1 track test?

As a Nismo owner I can assure you in a twisty track with short(ish) straights the P1 would struggle against it.

I absolutely love mine - it is a completely different animal to a normal R35.

[TTucker]

the nismo gtr isnt as fast as u my think the nismo u purchase from the dealers is not the same nismo that done the nuburgring at 7:08 check out this link https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B7P4nJzD-4s and see the difference between a nismo gtr and the track pack 2015 model

[gigglebug]

Joeguard1990 said:

My favorite was always the R34 Z Tune - only 20 made and I've never seen one in real life

Wasn't there one up for sale recently in Japan for around 400K!!?? My Favorite too, not liking the looks of this version. I love to have a ride in one though obviously!

[redroadster]

gregf40 said:

As a Nismo owner I can assure you in a twisty track with short(ish) straights the P1 would struggle against it.

I absolutely love mine - it is a completely different animal to a normal R35.

I would like to see this nismo up against the super car top cars just to compare I bet there is not a lot in it and if somebody was to make a carbon tub for the nissans running gear and better area package it would trounce the competition.

[BelfastBoy]

OldBob said:

125K plays about 950K in that comparison - why not stack it up against a 991 911 turbo, GT3 or McLaren 570 instead?

Nismo GTR would beat them all,maybe even standard car would too.GTR's calling card has always been its giantkilling performance,since even the 'basic' 478bhp GTR was apparently as fast as,if not faster than £million+ supercars.

[PunterCam]

As someone who indeed grew up with Gran Turismo, need for speed games and fast and furious films, I can honestly say the GTR has never had the slightest pull for me. I think it's mostly down to the size and weight of the thing - every time I see one it looks like a bad joke, both in its (non-existent) styling and proportion to everything else on the road.

For me it continues to sum up everything that's wrong with cars at the moment. It began a fresh quest for speed over everything else, and as a result we now have a whole host of automatic, turbocharged, sanitised cars created by IT professionals and marketing departments. A base level Ferrari now has to have 700bhp to look relevant. Does speed last? No. The next one is faster.

Artificial exhaust noise, automatic gearboxes with modes to make them feel more mechanical than they actually are, power and torque numbers selected by comittee rather than engineer.. It's a sad way for internal combustion to go out, but I suppose it makes the eventual slide into soulless battery powered cars more tolerable; most will have forgotten the delights of an actual sports car by then.

[TTucker]

Took this from car and driver web site very interesting read would like to know how many nismo owner know of this?

"Of course, the GT-R NISMO heads in the opposite direction. The aim was to set a Nürburgring Nordschleife lap record for what Nissan calls “volume production cars,” the word “volume” allowing the maker to disavow the production-car crown recently grabbed by Porsche’s limited-run 918 spyder at 6 minutes 57 seconds. That is not to take anything away from this wicked GT-R, however, which ran around the Ring in 7 minutes 8.679 seconds when fitted with special track options the company will sell to whoever ponies up enough cash. (Nissan promises you’ll be able to own a GT-R like the lap car for less than $200,000"

so to get a nismo that is fast as the one that done the nurburgring lap time u have to purchase a special track pack at £50K on top of the of the £120k base price wot a joke might as well buy a 991 turbo which is quicker then a 458 speciale and gtr round Anglesey circuit

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uv8z7inZKpU

Edited by TTucker on Tuesday 4th August 15:13

Edited by TTucker on Tuesday 4th August 15:14