Infiniti’s 4dr GT-R on way

NEW-to-the-UK Infiniti is planning a performance saloon based on the GT-R supercar from parent firm Nissan. And it looks set to be named the R50.

The model has been championed by enthusiasts at Infiniti’s new European division, who had hoped that the GT-R would wear the luxury badge.

A source told us, “Launching new cars these days is all about recouping investment costs. Nissan chief Carlos Ghosn wouldn’t have approved the GT-R if its hi-tech chassis and transmission were not going to be used in some way in other models – including products from Infiniti and [sister firm] Renault. It’s the only way of making it pay. So building a performance Infi-niti saloon is perfect business sense.”

Our spies have revealed that the newcomer will be underpinned by a stretched version of the GT-R platform. Engineers currently have a choice of two powerplants. Most obvious is the GT-R’s 473bhp twin-turbo 3.8-litre V6 – although they may be forced to use the 5.0-litre V8 unit recently unveiled in Infiniti’s all-new FX50 SUV. That’s because Nissan produces the GT-R’s engine by hand – output is only 50 a day, which would be nowhere near enough to supply Infiniti, too.

Plans for new models don’t stop there, however. Another source says Nissan hopes to build a US-market, GT-R-based SUV – a car even bigger and bolder than the 385bhp FX50. It will be aimed squarely at the Range Rover’s replacement, due in 2010.

© Source: autoexpress
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Nissan GT-R reign begins at Super GT

So it begins. The Nissan GT-R has taken out first and second place in its Super GT debut in Japan in front of more than 32,000 spectators.

Of the five GT-R derivatives competing in the Super GT opening race at Suzuka, three dominated the field in qualifying for a clean first, second and third starting position on the grid.

The race was eventually won by the number 23 XANAVI NISMO GT-R driven by Satoshi Motoyama and Benoit Treluyer, whilst Michael Krumm and Masataka Yanagida brought the MOTUL AUTECH GT-R home in the 2nd place.

The Nissan duo crossed the line less than a second apart after a grueling 52 laps, with the PETRONAS TOM’S Lexus SC 430 entry more than 25 seconds behind in third place.

Unfortunately for the CALSONIC GT-R which started from third on the grid, it was hit from behind on the opening lap and forced out of the race.

© Source: caradvice
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Nissan GT-R V-Spec 70 hp more, 150 kg less

What is better than efficient? Perhaps "super-efficient" would be the word. Well according to the Nissan, the word on everyone's lips is V-Spec; and it is easy to imagine why. It originally took 7 minutes 38 seconds for the Nissan GT-R to tear round the track at Nuerburgring, but Nissan want more - they want to beat the record of 7 minutes 25 seconds.

In reality, the GT-R is not so much a devastating rocket, but a precision rifle - extremely efficient. The forthcoming 'extreme' model, the V-Spec will be a bit of both. It will be optimised to attain, or perhaps even redefine, perfection. Auto Express, going by the latest gossip, have put forward the idea that the
original power output of 473bhp will be increased to a huge 550bhp, matched by a weight reduction of 150kg. Consequently, the redefined weight to power output ratio of 2.9 kg/ bhp, would be a formidable weapon. Even the body-kit will get a make-over, with side-skirts and rear spoiler in order to prevent take-off. It should be released in 2010 at a price of no less that 100,000 Euro.

© Source: eurocarblog
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Nissan's GT500 GT-R to tackle SuperGT with V8 power

The debut of the production Nissan GT-R remains one of the hottest happenings in the automotive world this past year, but the return of the GT-R to Japan's SuperGT series is of equal importance. We've already seen what the new racer will look like as it gears up for its assault on the GT500 class, and today, Nissan finally released all the technical details about the SuperGT competitor. Let the bench racing begin.

As rumored, the GT-R will be powered by the VK45DE V8 that's been successfully campaigned in the 350Z over the last two years. The naturally aspirated mill produces 500+ hp and well over 376 lb.-ft. of torque. The 4.5-liter sends power to a six-speed sequential gearbox and on down to the rear wheels. Nissan opted for the V8 instead of the production GT-R's twin-turbo'd 3.8-liter V6 because the new mill is still too green to compete in the upper echelon of motorsport and the torque output isn't up to GT500 standards – something that's key to competing in SuperGT.

Nissan's Works program will be fielding five GT-Rs spread across four teams, with the first race set to begin March 15-16 at Suzuka.

© Source: autoblog
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Enter the dragon - Nissan GT 500

Now we're torn. Yesterday we saw the Aston DBR9 Le Mans racer in Gulf livery and were certain we'd found the coolest racing car of the year. But now Nissan has gone and taken the wraps off the awesome GT500 GT-R, in Tokyo, and we're all torn.Because, well, just look at it. The GT500 is, as you might have guessed, a racing version of the GT-R (Top Gear's Supercar of the Year, no less), set to compete in Japan's Super GT Championship.

It'll race in the top category, the GT500 - quite possibly the fastest GT series in the world thanks to a list of regulations that reads something like: 'Do more or less whatever you want, so long as you keep under 500bhp.' As the road-going GT-R puts out some 480bhp, that means it won't be much more powerful on paper. But, as a quick look at (and, more important, a quick listen to) this video of the car in testing reveals, there has been some pretty serious work put into the GT-R's 3.8-litre twin-turbo V6. What a noise.

Nissan hasn't released any technical details on the GT500 yet, but we do know that it won't be allowed traction control, ABS or stability control. Whoever takes control of that thing needs cojones of carbon fibre. The organisers of the Super GT confidently assert that over the past few years, they've introduced more stringent regulations regarding aerodynamics, aiming to bring GT500 cars in line with GT1 cars. By the looks of the rear end of the GT500, those regulations aren't too strict yet: look at the size of that rear wing and diffuser.

The GT500 also shows off Nissan's new works livery, which owes much to the paintjob on the current Fairlady Z race car. According to the Nissan spiel, 'the red symbolises the passion for racing, while the black signifies the high performance of the new GT-R'. Even if you painted the GT500 pink and plastered it in fluffy bunny decals, it'd still look scary enough to make Ross Kemp weep. We'll find out more about the GT500 GT-R at the end of this month.

© Source: seriouswheels
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Full Test 2009 Nissan GT-R

We know you want the numbers and we're not going to waste your time. Neither is Nissan. Its 2009 GT-R hits 60 mph in 3.3 seconds, quicker than the last Dodge Viper, Corvette Z06 and Porsche 911 Turbo we tested. Keep your foot pinned, and after another tap on the upshift paddle it will clear the quarter-mile in 11.6 seconds at more than 120 mph.

We know this because we've just returned from Japan where we tested a privately owned Nissan GT-R on an airstrip outside Tokyo. The car we tested was a Japanese-spec example with 1,500 break-in kilometers on its odometer. It's owned by Japanese journalist Jun Nishikawa and packs the same hardware the U.S. car will get: a 3.8-liter twin-turbo V6 that generates at least 473 horsepower and 434 pound-feet of torque. It had the same six-speed dual-clutch automated manual gearbox and the same adjustable dampers which, by now, you've read plenty about.

Controlling the Launch
Activating the Nissan GT-R's launch control is a matter of configuring its transmission, dynamics control and damping adjustments properly. The transmission and damping switches must both be set to the R mode and the VDC must be switched off completely by holding the VDC-R button down for a few seconds. Then it's just a matter of pinning the brake with your left foot and wooding the throttle with your right, not unlike the technique used to produce a tire-shredding burnout in that '85 Camaro you drove in high school.

The result, however, is quite different. The computer holds the engine at 4,500 rpm and waits for you to lift your left foot off the brake pedal. When you do the GT-R produces the most crushing acceleration of virtually any production car in the world. Our test was conducted on a fairly low-grip surface that produced lots of rear wheelspin before the GT-R's sophisticated all-wheel-drive system engaged the front wheels and it thundered down the track. Its 3.3-second 0-60-mph run and 11.6 at 120.9 mph performance make the GT-R the quickest car we've ever tested.

The Best Part
Perhaps more impressive than the Nissan GT-R's brain-cell-punishing acceleration or its stellar handling is its price. At just under $70,000 it's within reach of the upper middle-class enthusiast who insists on spending disproportionate amounts of his income on a car.
Plus, it will take an average driver and hurtle them into a realm of speed they couldn't buy with a 911 Turbo. It's world-class fast and relatively cheap. And that's a hard combination to beat.

© Source: edmunds
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First Drive 2009 Nissan GT-R

We're 20 feet from a production-spec 2009 Nissan GT-R at Sendai Highland Circuit, a raceway north of Tokyo. After years of staring at various concepts, prototypes and Nürburgring test mules of the GT-R, it's finally time to drive the finished product.An engineer waves us over after making his final checks, then hands us the keys with a smile so big you'd think he'd been knocking back Kirins since sunrise. We suspect he already knows what we came here to find out.

Does the 2009 Nissan GT-R really deliver the performance of the Porsche 911 Turbo for half the price? Time to find out for ourselves.

Getting Acquainted With Godzilla
Unlike most supercars, the GT-R doesn't sit only 2 inches off the ground, so it's easy to slide into the driver seat. This is a Japanese-market car, so we're on the right-hand side, which makes everything feel awkward. The seat is firm and narrow, and the high center console gives the cabin a tight, cockpit-style feel.

Start buttons aren't the novelty they used to be, but the GT-R's big red igniter just below the central shift lever does make us stop and think for a second. There will be 473 horsepower and 434 pound-feet of torque on tap once this sucker is running. It's also about 40 degrees F outside and we're on an unfamiliar track that packs 16 turns into just 2.5 miles of asphalt.

Ignore the Numbers
Into 4th gear and the cabin remains calm right up to 120 mph. There's no valvetrain clatter like a Corvette and the engine doesn't wail in your ear like a 911.A quick left-right-left through a chicane and the GT-R starts barreling back up a hill through a long, sweeping left-hander. It's the last thing we expected, but the GT-R feels surprisingly light and maneuverable despite its curb weight of 3,836 pounds. That's 342 pounds more than a Porsche 911 Turbo and nearly 700 pounds more than a Corvette Z06.

The GT-R should feel like a big, lifeless brick, yet here we are, barely finished with our first lap and already we're tossing the car from one corner to the next with confidence. The precise steering and nearly total lack of body roll make it easy to place on the road, and there's little dive when the big six-piston front calipers are clamping down on the 15-inch drilled rotors.

For an engine that thrives at 6,000 rpm, this 3.8-liter V6 feels just fine at 1,500 rpm, too. That's good, since the transmission's automatic mode heads for fuel-sipping 6th gear as soon as possible. Of course, the slightest nudge of the throttle kicks the gearbox down to 4th. Ask for more and we're met with a slight delay before all the clutch plates and gears get lined up. Then it's wham, and we're off at full boost, wondering what the local speed limit might be.

© Source: edmunds
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Nissan GT-R racer

This is our first look at the new Nissan GT-R racer, which will debut in next year's Japanese Super GT series.

Unfortunately for Nissan and its racing/tuning arm, NISMO, this is not a series in which the production car's amazing four-wheel-drive traction will give it an advantage, like the Skyline GT-Rs of old: the cars are built to very specific regulations which outlaw four-wheel-drive and allow bespoke silhouette designs.

This year, the championship was won by a Honda NSX, which beat Nissan's 350Z racer. Whether or not the new GT-R will be more successful remains to be seen, but it shares little with the road-going car. Nissan GT-R Still, it doesn't rob the Super GT car of its visual impact. It's quite something, and it's a shame they'll have to run it with sponsors - this black colour is perfect.

© Source: topgear
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Breaking News: Undisguised 2009 Nissan GT-R

SANTA MONICA, Calif. — The wait is over. Undisguised 2009 Nissan GT-R photos have now become available prior to the car's official debut at the 2007 Tokyo Auto Show.

Numerous GT-R prototypes have been caught testing around the world, including at Germany's Nürburgring and California's Laguna Seca Raceway, but this is the first look at the rocket coupe's completely undisguised sheet metal.

Most of the specifications aren't expected to be announced until Nissan's Tokyo show press conference on October 24, but today we know that the all-wheel-drive 2009 GT-R will get a 3.8-liter twin-turbo V6 that produces 473 horsepower and 434 pound-feet of torque. It'll drive all four wheels through a rear-mounted transaxle. The only transmission will be a GR6 dual-clutch six-speed automatic. And of course there will be paddle shifters for your enjoyment — the same leather-wrapped aluminum paddle shifters as Nissan uses in the G35 sedan.

Nissan says the GT-R will accelerate from zero to 60 mph in 3.5 seconds, finish the quarter-mile in 11.7 seconds and reach a top speed of 192 mph. Base price is expected to be less than $80,000.

If true, the GT-R will be serious competition for the Porsche 911 Turbo, which it has been routinely seen testing alongside.

What this means to you: It's here. And it's hot.

© Source: edmunds
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