Driven: 2011 Nissan GT-R
Godzilla gets a makeover for 2011; we see if he's still as purdy as ever...
The thing, as anybody who has read a tabloid newspaper will tell you, is that headlines rarely tell the whole story. And so it is with the revised Nissan GT-R, because you really need to delve deep into the minutiae of the changes from 2010 to 2011 to understand why the GT-R feels so different. In short, the revisions to the GT-R are much more expansive than a few more horses for the VR38DETT and a nice new red engine cover.
This is achieved by a gently redesigned front bumper now has twin 'rectifier fins' that help increase front downforce by around 10 per cent as well as improving airflow to the radiator and reducing air resistance. At the back, meanwhile, there's a new rear bumper with a lower centre of gravity and an LED fog lamp integrated into an extended rear diffuser (the fog lamp doesn't do anything for the aero, by the way, but the diffuser does help both with downforce and with cooling.
As for the actual chassis, the springs, dampers and anti-roll bars have been tweaked, while the front caster angle has been increased. At the rear, a free-piston shock absorber has been developed to help provide more responsive damping and a smoother ride. Larger brakes, a new compound for the Dunlops and lighter, more rigid Rays wheels complete the dynamic tweaks.
After the first few miles, and in isolation (ie without an older model for direct comparison), the difference between old and new is hard to discern. But, much as with the tweaks to the overall looks of the car, the changes gradually mount up to make a noticeable difference.
Likewise the suspension, which used to bludgeon the road into submission the faster you went, now seems to actually work with the road. You're not going to confuse its ride quality with that of a hydropneumatic Citroen, but there's a certain amount of fluidity to the way the GT-R controls its body and suppresses lumps and bumps that definitely wasn't there before.
I suppose the best example of this is the drivetrain. Below 6mph, the car is now two-wheel drive, so turning out of junctions, or executing a quick three-point turn, no longer elicits a series of graunches and squawks from the differential, but the driveline still grumbles and shunts, especially if you're bumbling along at suburban speeds but have the car in full manual mode.
The 2011 GT-R is very much version 1.1 of the R35 GT-R concept, an evolutionary refinement that smoothes off the edges rather than marking any significant change in the car's ethos. It might be more presentable, more manageable (and a little more capable) but it's still the implacably rapid, hi-tech monster that it always has been. And thank goodness for that.
 |
 |
I still wouldn't buy one though. Too coarse, but DANG! what an achievement.
Anyway, impressive technical exercise agreed. Visually, very little presence or soul though.
So this can launch to 60 quicker despite a significantly worse power/weight ratio (GTRs are known to be heavy)? Must have a hell of a launch control system.
Any idea what the servicing schedule is like, quite frequent iirc?
Epic car though. 8)
And as said, its obviously not an issue and works....
h fest from a bunch of badge obsessed snobs, most of which probably haven't driven the car. And as said, its obviously not an issue and works....
Or something like that anyway, I'm sure someone can give a more detailed answer from his PH interview but that's how I read it.
Gassing Station | General Gassing | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff