Tuesday 28th November 2017

Next Nissan GT-R NISMO spy shots

Well of course it's on the Nurburgring, but can it beat the GT2 RS?

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So much of the Nissan GT-R hype is built around its Nurburgring prowess that it's little surprise to find the latest NISMO testing there. Remember the fallout when Nissan claimed a lap time and Porsche disputed it? Or when the previous NISMO recorded its ludicrous 7:08 lap? When Nissan is at the Nurburgring, some controversy is guaranteed.

Is there more than meets the eye?

There's more at stake this time too, with the 911 GT2 RS having recently set that incredible 6:47 time. Imagine the bragging rights possible if the big old GT-R could sneak a second or two ahead. Look what we can do with a 3.8-litre, twin-turbocharged, six-cylinder sports car, and so on...

Taking that much time out of a lap would require some very significant work though, and this GT-R doesn't look to have changed much from the last NISMO. Our spy photographer has identified some camo on the front arches and new brakes - hardly drastic changes by any judgement. There's not a hint of disguise anywhere else. While GT-Rs are infamous for conjuring up the impossible, this would seem a stretch even for Godzilla. It doesn't even look like an N-Attack car.

Let's hope it's something silly though. There can't be that many versions of the R35 GT-R left to run, and it's difficult to imagine Nissan letting the car fade away quietly. Before a hybrid model, wouldn't it be cool to see this story finish where it began - at the Nurburgring - with the GT-R going quicker than a 911? Far-fetched, perhaps, but stranger things have happened...

[Spyshots: S. Baldauf/SB-Medien]

[WCZ]

another one already? jesus christ...

[Pie-n-Peys]

As impressive as they still are, surely its about time for them to develop the next generation?

[Dakkon]

Wow, they really have looked at how Lotus sell Elise's and copied....I thought there was supposed to be an actual new GTR coming, not a re-hash?

[diddy_p]

i dont understand nissan - they have sh!t loads of money so why not develop something entirely new in good time? The R35 is 10 years old this year.

I bet that a replacement design is probably on the drawing board and nowhere else - the focus must be elsewhere on leafs, micras etc.

same thing happened to Infiniti. Practically invented the SUV segment with the original FX35, followed up with the FX/QX70 and that was a decent car - came out in 2008/2009 so is also nearly 10 years old.

nissan premium R&D staff must have taken a 10 year holiday.

[British Beef]

The Big GTR needs to shed 260 kg and 20 Seconds to match the GT2 RS time.

So I would say assuming like for like Power, grip, aero, handling, driver etc then each 13kg lost is about 1 sec around Nurburgring ;-)


No chance it is loosing 260kg, therefore it would need to compensate with shed loads of aero and power, 1200hp should do it. Then ask Lewis Hamilton if he wouldnt mind putting in a fast lap!!

[Gecko1978]

I assume body etc is not carbon as standard so could do some things there and power can be upped easily. But perhaps fact you can go an buy one of these makes it faster than a car you can not

[Amanitin]

Gecko1978 said:

But perhaps fact you can go an buy one of these makes it faster than a car you can not

_very_ well said sir.

the definition of a 'production car' is you can actually walk into a dealership and buy one in exchange for the list price and nothing further.

The rest are competing in the glorious 'publicity stunt' category.

[Gecko1978]

Amanitin said:

Gecko1978 said:

But perhaps fact you can go an buy one of these makes it faster than a car you can not

_very_ well said sir.

the definition of a 'production car' is you can actually walk into a dealership and buy one in exchange for the list price and nothing further.

The rest are competing in the glorious 'publicity stunt' category.

the zonda r did it in 6.47 so really a fast car might do it sub 7 but of you can't buy one then its not relevant . The new hurrican might be best bench mark. but i hope this car is faster lol

[noble12345]

Wait..... i CANT have read that right? Porsche disputed a Ring time!!!!???

ROFLMAO!!! BWhahahaaaaaaaaaaaaa!

[ambuletz]

I wonder what this car will look like when its out

[big_rob_sydney]

Ahem, a production car being a car you can walk into a dealership and buy.

Is this the point where we all just laugh at the OPC's friend-flipping practises, or the "investors" who will cocoon their mobile hedge fund?

Moving right along, this car looks like it has some interesting aero going on. I dont know how flat the floor is, but I'm very curious to find out what its time is.

[alexrogers92]

Quick! Slate it because it's being compared to a Porsche!

[WCZ]

they are terrible value money though, £80k premium for a few mods, if you went to a tuner with that kind of money then you'd end up with something which would demolish it

[Todd Bonzalez]

Unless they somehow give it a usable 1500hp I just don't see it happening.
Litchfield have been building this thing for a racing driver and he's absolutely nowhere near yet. Looked sketchy as hell as well when it was on track with us too.
https://www.topgear.com/car-news/modified/will-110...

1100hp, carbon body, custom ohlins, insane aero and it wasn't enough.

Also weird how I'm yet to see a customer GTR actually go proper quickly at a track day. I guess most people who buy them do so to play top trumps and can't actually be bothered with the difficult bit. Or the record cars are not actually that similar to what's sold?

[redrook]

Wow, a Nissan GTR which looks exactly the same as the 2009 model. Isn't it about time for an R36?

[Fetchez la vache]

Pie-n-Peys said:

As impressive as they still are, surely its about time for them to develop the next generation?

Given the time it took for the R35 to reach production after the first spy shots of the thing came out we'll be looking for at least 2020 surely, considering nothing has been seen of the replacement yet?
Best get used to a few more of these blobby NISMO's then...

[C7 JFW]

I wish Nissan the very best of luck. They are remarkably competent at these things and I'm sure they'll be allowed to do whatever they want to embarass Porsche.