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
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]