Nissan GT-R
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The Nissan GT-R (''Gran Turismo–Racing''; model code: R35; Japanese: 日産・GT-R; ''Nissan GT-R'') is a series of
car A car, or an automobile, is a motor vehicle with wheels. Most definitions of cars state that they run primarily on roads, seat one to eight people, have four wheels, and mainly transport people rather than cargo. There are around one billio ...
s built by Japanese marque Nissan from 2007 to 2025. It has a 2+2 seating layout and is considered both a
sports car A sports car is a type of automobile that is designed with an emphasis on dynamic performance, such as Automobile handling, handling, acceleration, top speed, the thrill of driving, and Auto racing, racing capability. Sports cars originated in ...
and a
grand tourer A grand tourer (GT) is a type of car that is designed for high speed and long-distance driving with performance and luxury. The most common format is a Front-engine, rear-wheel-drive layout, front-engine, rear-wheel-drive two-door coupé with ...
. The engine is front-mid mounted and drives all four wheels. It succeeds the
Nissan Skyline GT-R The is a Japanese sports car based on the Nissan Skyline range. The first cars named "Skyline GT-R" were produced between 1969 and 1972 under the model code KPGC10, and were successful in Japanese touring car racing events. This model was fol ...
, a high-performance variant of the
Nissan Skyline The is a brand of automobile originally produced by the Prince Motor Company starting in 1957, and then by Nissan after the two companies merged in 1967. After the merger, the Skyline and its larger counterpart, the Nissan Gloria, were sold in ...
. Although this model was the sixth-generation to bear the GT-R name, it is no longer part of the Skyline line-up. The car is built on the PM platform, derived from the FM platform used in the Skyline and Nissan Z models. Production is conducted in a shared production line at Nissan's Tochigi plant in Japan. As per Nissan's intention of creating a world beating sports car, the GT-R brand was revived as part of the
Nissan Revival Plan is a Japanese multinational automobile manufacturer headquartered in Yokohama, Kanagawa, Japan. The company sells its vehicles under the ''Nissan'' and ''Infiniti'' brands, and formerly the ''Datsun'' brand, with in-house performance tuning pr ...
. Overall development began in 2000, following seven years of development and testing, including the introduction of two concept models in 2001 and 2005. The production version of the GT-R was unveiled at the 2007 Tokyo Motor Show. The GT-R is a brand-new car built on the PM platform, and featured innovative concepts and technologies, such as advanced
aerodynamics Aerodynamics () is the study of the motion of atmosphere of Earth, air, particularly when affected by a solid object, such as an airplane wing. It involves topics covered in the field of fluid dynamics and its subfield of gas dynamics, and is an ...
, the '' VR38DETT'' engine, an
active suspension An active suspension is a type of Suspension (vehicle), automotive suspension that uses an onboard control system to control the vertical movement of the vehicle's wheels and axles relative to the chassis or vehicle frame, rather than the conventi ...
system and the ''
ATTESA E-TS Pro ATTESA (acronym for Advanced Total Traction Engineering System for All-Terrain) is a four-wheel drive system used in some automobiles produced by the Japanese automaker Nissan, including some models under its luxury marque Infiniti. The 'mechani ...
'' all-wheel-drive system, making it the first ever rear mounted independent
transaxle A transaxle is single mechanical device which combines the functions of an automobile's transmission (mechanics), transmission, axle, and differential (mechanics), differential into one integrated assembly. It can be produced in both manual tra ...
all-wheel-drive vehicle. It is one of the first production cars to feature launch control and a
dual-clutch transmission A dual-clutch transmission (DCT) (sometimes referred to as a twin-clutch transmission) is a type of multi-speed motor vehicle, vehicle Transmission (mechanics), transmission system, that uses two separate clutches for odd and even gear train, ...
as well. The overall body is made out of steel, aluminium and
carbon-fibre Carbon fiber-reinforced polymers (American English), carbon-fibre-reinforced polymers (Commonwealth English), carbon-fiber-reinforced plastics, carbon-fiber reinforced-thermoplastic (CFRP, CRP, CFRTP), also known as carbon fiber, carbon compo ...
. In 2009 it set a record for the fastest accelerating 4-seater production car. The GT-R is offered worldwide, unlike its predecessors which were sold in a limited number of markets. It received various facelifts and updates to be up to date with the competition, and several special editions were also offered during its prolonged production span. The car is used in motorsports, notably winning championships in the
FIA GT1 World Championship The FIA GT1 World Championship was a world championship sports car racing series, developed by the Stéphane Ratel Organisation, SRO Group and regulated by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA), that was held from 2010 to 2012. I ...
,
Super GT Super GT (stylized as SUPER GT) is a sports car racing series that began in 1993. Launched as the , generally referred to as the All Japan Grand Touring Car Championship (JGTC), the series was renamed to Super GT in 2005. It is the top level of ...
and in various GT3 racing series, including the
GT World Challenge SRO Motorsports Group (formerly the Stéphane Ratel Organisation) is an international sporting organisation best known for promoting and running a variety of racing events and series, including the CrowdStrike 24 Hours of Spa, Intercontinental GT ...
. It is well received among enthusiasts and automotive publications as well, British motor magazine ''
Top Gear Top Gear may refer to: * "Top gear", the highest gear available in a vehicle's manual transmission Television * ''Top Gear'' (1977 TV series), a British motoring magazine programme * ''Top Gear'' (2002 TV series), a relaunched version of the ori ...
'' named it as "one of the most incredible cars of any kind ever built", due its exceptional performance and practicality given at an affordable price. Being one of the fastest production cars, it has won numerous notable accolades such as the
World Performance Car of The Year The World Car Awards (also known as World Car of the Year, WCOTY) is a group of automobile ''Car of the Year'' awards selected by a jury of 102 international automotive journalists from 30 countries. Cars considered must be sold in at least two m ...
among many others. Sales in the Australian market were discontinued due to new side impact regulations. The European market, including the United Kingdom, were also similarly suspended, due to newly implemented noise regulations. Sales in North America ceased in late 2024, while production in Japan and other markets were discontinued in March 2025, ending production of the GT-R after 18 years.


History of development


History

Between 1969 and 1973, and again between 1989 and 2002,
Nissan is a Japanese multinational Automotive industry, automobile manufacturer headquartered in Yokohama, Kanagawa, Japan. The company sells its vehicles under the ''Nissan'' and ''Infiniti'' brands, and formerly the ''Datsun'' brand, with in-house ...
produced a high performance version of its
Nissan Skyline The is a brand of automobile originally produced by the Prince Motor Company starting in 1957, and then by Nissan after the two companies merged in 1967. After the merger, the Skyline and its larger counterpart, the Nissan Gloria, were sold in ...
coupe, the Skyline GT-R. This car proved to be iconic for Nissan, achieving much fame and success on the road and in motorsports. The GT-R is an entirely new model, departing from its predecessor, the Skyline GT-R, which was a faster version of a regular sedan. Though they share a little with each other, such as the signature four round tail lights, the ''
ATTESA E-TS Pro ATTESA (acronym for Advanced Total Traction Engineering System for All-Terrain) is a four-wheel drive system used in some automobiles produced by the Japanese automaker Nissan, including some models under its luxury marque Infiniti. The 'mechani ...
'' all-wheel-drive system, and a twin-
turbocharged In an internal combustion engine, a turbocharger (also known as a turbo or a turbosupercharger) is a forced induction device that is powered by the flow of exhaust gases. It uses this energy to compress the intake air, forcing more air into the ...
6-cylinder engine, the GT-R diverges significantly. Notably, the GT-R omits the ''
HICAS HICAS (; High Capacity Actively Controlled Steering) is Nissan's rear wheel steering system which was fitted to cars from approximately 1985 to 2010, including models ranging from the Skyline (R31, R32, R33, and R34) and Fairlady Z (Z32) to smalle ...
'' four-wheel-steering system, with engineers recognizing its incompatibility with the advanced all-wheel-drive setup, which would compromise the car's performance. The previous
straight-6 A straight-six engine (also referred to as an inline-six engine; abbreviated I6 or L6) is a piston engine with six cylinders arranged in a straight line along the crankshaft. A straight-six engine has perfect primary and secondary engine balanc ...
''
RB26DETT The RB engine is an oversquare 2.0–3.0 L straight-6 four-stroke gasoline engine from Nissan, originally produced from 1985 to 2004. The RB followed the 1983 VG-series V6 engines to offer a full, modern range in both straight or V layout ...
'' engine is succeeded by the ''VR38DETT'' engine. Another continuity from its predecessor is the chassis code; the all-new version is identified as CBA-R35 initially and later as DBA-R35 and 4BA-R35 for subsequent model years, or simply R35 for short (where CBA, DBA, and 4BA denote the emissions standard prefix). The car also preserves the nickname of its predecessor,
Godzilla is a fictional monster, or ''kaiju'', that debuted in the eponymous 1954 film, directed and co-written by Ishirō Honda. The character has since become an international pop culture icon, appearing in various media: 33 Japanese films p ...
, a moniker originally given by the Australian motoring publication
Wheels A wheel is a rotating component (typically circular in shape) that is intended to turn on an axle bearing. The wheel is one of the key components of the wheel and axle which is one of the six simple machines. Wheels, in conjunction with axl ...
in 1989 for its R32 generation model.


Development

In 2000, as per request of CEO
Carlos Ghosn Carlos Ghosn (; ; ; , born 9 March 1954) is a businessman and former automotive executive. He was the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Michelin, Michelin North America, chairman and CEO of Renault, chairman of AvtoVAZ, chairman and CEO of Nissan ...
, Nissan embarked on the revival of their iconic sports car model the GT-R, as part of the
Nissan Revival Plan is a Japanese multinational automobile manufacturer headquartered in Yokohama, Kanagawa, Japan. The company sells its vehicles under the ''Nissan'' and ''Infiniti'' brands, and formerly the ''Datsun'' brand, with in-house performance tuning pr ...
. Ghosn believed that introducing this halo car would gather public interest and enthusiasm towards the then-struggling Nissan brand, ultimately bolstering sales. Therefore, he claimed the GT-R should be made as a high-performance car, capable of rivaling esteemed sports cars from manufacturers in the likes of
Porsche Dr. Ing. h.c. F. Porsche AG, usually shortened to Porsche (; see below), is a German automobile manufacturer specializing in luxury, high-performance sports cars, SUVs and sedans, headquartered in Stuttgart, Baden-Württemberg, Germany. Th ...
,
Lamborghini Automobili Lamborghini S.p.A. ( , ), usually referred to as Lamborghini or colloquially Lambo, is an Italian manufacturer of luxury sports cars and SUVs based in Sant'Agata Bolognese. The company is owned by the Volkswagen Group through its su ...
, and
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, all while maintaining a comparatively affordable price point. From a design standpoint, Ghosn sought to preserve a distinctive feature from its predecessors; four round taillights, which he considered the signature design element of all GT-R models. Development commenced in 2000, with Nissan designers from Japan, United States and Europe generating a multitude of sketches. Out of these, 50 designs reached the desk of Nissan's design director at the time,
Shiro Nakamura is a former Japanese car designer and company executive. Nakamura served as Senior Vice President of Nissan Motor Co. Ltd. From 2006, Nakamura had been Nissan's Chief Creative Officer. He was Chief Creative Officer of Nissan, Infiniti and Dats ...
. Nakamura emphasized that the design must not only embody a modern sports car aesthetic but also encapsulate Japanese cultural elements and pay homage to its predecessor's heritage. In 2001, Ghosn officially announced ongoing development of the GT-R, with a concept reveal at the 2001 Tokyo Motor Show. The chief designer, Hiroshi Hasegawa, dedicated over four years to complete interior and exterior styling designs. He claimed the design should exude sportiness, modernity, and aerodynamic efficiency to meet the ambitious performance targets set for the car. Chief engineer of the Skyline GT-R R34, Kazutoshi Mizuno (also known as ''Mr. GT-R''), was responsible for the mechanical aspects of development. Mizuno initially rejected the project, due to the directive to work and built on the outdated FM platform. Mizuno expressed his reservations, stating, "I could not make a world-class performance car from this platform as Ghosn requested." In April 2003, Mizuno constructed a GT-R prototype on an advanced iteration of the FM platform known as the Premium Midship (PM) platform. Ghosn granted Mizuno full authority over development and designated him as the chief engineer for the upcoming GT-R. At the 2003 Tokyo Motor Show, Ghosn confirmed that the production version would debut in the fall of 2007. Subsequently, the prototype underwent refinement at
Lotus Engineering Lotus Group (also known as Lotus Cars) is a British multinational automotive manufacturer of luxury sports cars and electric vehicles. Lotus Group is composed of three primary entities. Lotus Cars, a high-performance sports car company, is ba ...
, focusing on enhancing chassis rigidity and revising suspension geometry to align with the car's performance goals. In January 2004, Mizuno officially commenced development with a specialized team and a full-scale GT-R model under the supervision of Ghosn. Differing from the typical development team, this specialized group was made by recruiting the best engineers and technicians from each department. The Mizuno-led team developed and tested the drivetrain and chassis, including the suspension setup and brakes, using test mules at the
Nürburgring The () is a 150,000-person capacity motorsports complex located in the town of Nürburg, Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. It features a Grand Prix motor racing, Grand Prix race track built in 1984, and a long configuration, built in the 1920s ...
and
Sendai Hi-Land Raceway Sendai Hi-Land Raceway was a motor racing circuit in 12 Hayasaka, Shinkawa, Aoba-ku, Sendai, Miyagi Prefecture, Japan. In the 1990s, Sendai hosted rounds of the Japanese Touring Car Championship and Japanese Grand Touring Championship. It al ...
. Mizuno claimed his ambitious goals were to build the GT-R so as to be able to have comfortable conversations with a passenger at speeds of , further more a power-to-weight ratio of under per horsepower and a lap time at the Nürburgring under 8 minutes. Notable mechanical designs and concepts, including the
Brembo Brembo N.V. is an Italian manufacturer of automotive parts that most notably produces braking systems, for high-performance cars and for the sim racing series Gran Turismo. Its operational head office is in Curno, Bergamo, Italy, while Amst ...
brakes system and the Bilstein suspension setup, were conceived and developed by Mizuno himself. Initial plans for the GT-R involved a straight-6 engine, consistent with its predecessors. However, the decision was made to opt for a
V6 engine A V6 engine is a six- cylinder piston engine where the cylinders and cylinder blocks share a common crankshaft and are arranged in a V configuration. The first V6 engines were designed and produced independently by Marmon Motor Car Company, ...
for ideal weight distribution. Nissan's chief powertrain engineer, Naoki Nakada, spearheaded the development of the brand-new ''VR38DETT'' 3.8L twin-turbocharged V6 engine, which is an evolution of the VQ engine. To achieve the initial goal of creating a user-friendly car with exceptional performance, a unique combination of typical road-going production car
aerodynamics Aerodynamics () is the study of the motion of atmosphere of Earth, air, particularly when affected by a solid object, such as an airplane wing. It involves topics covered in the field of fluid dynamics and its subfield of gas dynamics, and is an ...
and race car-like aerodynamics had to be developed. This challenge arose from the dual requirements of generating a respectable amount of
downforce Downforce is a downwards lift force created by the aerodynamic features of a vehicle. If the vehicle is a car, the purpose of downforce is to allow the car to travel faster by increasing the vertical force on the tires, thus creating more gri ...
for enhanced high-speed stability while maintaining minimal
drag Drag or The Drag may refer to: Places * Drag, Norway, a village in Tysfjord municipality, Nordland, Norway * ''Drág'', the Hungarian name for Dragu Commune in Sălaj County, Romania * Drag (Austin, Texas), the portion of Guadalupe Street a ...
for improved fuel efficiency. Engineers expressed the complexity of achieving such an aerodynamic level, given a road car's high ground clearance, safety regulations, visibility standards, material costs and various other factors. Aerodynamics development began in early 2004, spearheaded by a team of the company's best engineers, including Yoshitaka Suzuka, the developer of Nissan's successful Le Mans prototypes. The process began with an internal design competition among Nissan's design studios located in Atsugi, Tokyo, London, and La Jolla. Over 80 sketches were submitted, aligning with the original styling concepts. Subsequently, 12 distinct sketches were created by design elements from the initial submissions. Further refinement whittled them down to 3 scale wind tunnel models created by the development team.Nissan R35 GT-R - Techno Topic The team set a numerical target for the car to achieve a or lower, combined with front and rear downforce, which was not done by any other manufacturer. Suzuka initially proposed utilizing active aerodynamics, but the idea faced rejection due to the concerns of inflating the car's price beyond Nissan's planned offering. In August, Suzuka initiated wind tunnel testing at the Nissan Technical Center in Atsugi, spanning three months and involving over 300 test runs using the scale models. The program then transitioned to two 40 percent scale models—one representing the GT-R and the other replicating the
Infiniti G35 The Infiniti G Line is a series of compact executive cars manufactured and marketed by Infiniti, a luxury division of Nissan, for the 1991–1996 and 1999–2016 model years — across four generations. The first two generations of the Infi ...
test mule. Drawing data from its full sized version's testing at the Nürburgring, this scale model served as a comparable datum against the GT-R model. Initial wind tunnel tests with the GT-R model yielded a drag coefficient of . As the project progressed, exterior designers Hirohisa Ono and Masato Taguchi joined to refine certain aspects of the car, such as adjusting the front nose height. However, the efforts fell short of achieving the anticipated overall improvement in aerodynamics. Subsequently, Suzuka shifted the focus towards enhancing the car's internal airflow, which required significant changes to the chassis frame design. He insisted the chassis department to lower the frame rails to align with the passenger compartment, aiming to eliminate transitions and streamline airflow beneath the car. The team later employed a CFD program for wind tunnel testing, swiftly upgrading hundreds of components in a short period of time to optimize airflow and minimize drag. Lotus Engineering's road-rolling wind tunnel in the United Kingdom, was also used during the process. Over one and a half years of development, involving more than 2000 wind tunnel test runs, the engineers ultimately achieved a visually appealing exterior with a drag coefficient of combined with front and rear downforce. It took engineers and designers more than six years to complete the overall development of the car. After finalizing development in 2006, an additional year was dedicated for testing before reaching the conclusive stage. Nissan officially announced that the production version would make its debut at the 2007 Tokyo Motor Show. Ghosn was confident in the GT-R's potential profitability for Nissan, and dispelled the rumours of it being sold as an
Infiniti (stylized in all caps) is the luxury vehicle division of the Japanese automaker Nissan. The brand began on November 8, 1989, initially in North America. The marketing network for Infiniti vehicles included dealers in over 50 countries in the 201 ...
model in North America, confirming its global release as a Nissan model.


Concepts

Nissan unveiled the GT-R concept without prior notice at the 35th Tokyo Motor Show in 2001. Previewed as the 21st-century GT-R, Nissan confirmed the production version will be sold worldwide unlike its predecessors, which were sold only in a limited number of markets. The concept car featured an aggressive, muscular, wide and low exterior look. The interior featured a deep seating position, full-length centre console, integrated structural cage and a driver's command centre. Nissan unveiled a redesigned version of the concept car, the GT-R Proto, at the 2005 Tokyo Motor Show. It featured redesigned exterior elements over the concept car to improve overall airflow and reveal the identity of the car. These elements included a redesigned front air intake, front fenders with air vents behind them and the sides of the body were sculptured towards the rear fenders, no technical information were given for both concept and prototype cars. Officials claimed the production version would be 80 to 90 percent based on this prototype.


Testing

As overall development of the car was finalized around 2006, Nissan began testing in several countries on different road and weather conditions to fine tune the all-new performance car. In late 2005, the Infiniti G35 test mule was spied at the Nürburgring, it featured highly modified body panels. In late 2006 and early 2007, GT-R test mules were spied for the first time, alongside a
Porsche 911 Turbo The Porsche 911 model series (pronounced ''Nine Eleven'' or in ) is a family of German two-door, high performance Rear-engine design, rear-engine sports cars, introduced in September 1964 by Porsche, Porsche AG of Stuttgart, Germany. Now in it ...
on public roads in New Mexico and California, at motor circuits such as in the Nürburgring and
Laguna Seca Laguna Seca Raceway (branded as WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca, and previously Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca for sponsorship reasons) is a paved Racing track#Motorsport, road racing track in central California used for both auto racing and Motorcyc ...
. During a test session at the Sendai Hi-Land Raceway, Ghosn joined the test team to directly test drive the car against a 911 Turbo, which served as the benchmark to beat during the development of the GT-R. At the end of the session, he complimented the team for their effort to build the car in the way he imagined. During a test session at the Nürburgring, Nissan invited automotive magazine journalists from magazines in the likes of ''
Car and Driver ''Car and Driver'' (''CD'' or ''C/D'') is an American automotive enthusiast magazine first published in 1955. In 2006 its total circulation was 1.23 million. It is owned by Hearst Magazines, who purchased it from its prior owner Hachette Fi ...
'' and '' Evo'' to test drive both the GT-R and 911 Turbo around the track,
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and on country roads. Journalists praised the GT-R for its exceptional grip, handling and acceleration. End of overall testing in September 2007, Mizuno and team recorded a lap time of 7:38.54 minutes around the Nürburgring ''Nordschleife'' in damp conditions, claimed the car would have set a much quicker lap time on ideal track conditions. Following the introduction of the production version, the team continued development and testing to provide further upgrades for later model years.


Production


Production model

The production version of the GT-R was unveiled at the 2007 Tokyo Motor Show as confirmed, following an on-screen 7:38.54 minute lap time in damp conditions around the Nürburgring ''Nordschleife'' was broadcast, beating the benchmark
Porsche 911 Turbo The Porsche 911 model series (pronounced ''Nine Eleven'' or in ) is a family of German two-door, high performance Rear-engine design, rear-engine sports cars, introduced in September 1964 by Porsche, Porsche AG of Stuttgart, Germany. Now in it ...
's time of 7:40 minutes. Nissan called it the record for the fastest lap time for a mass-produced car. The car was previewed as "''A supercar, for Anyone, Anywhere, Anytime''". In November, 2007, Nissan revealed that the car already had a considerable demand, as more than 3,000 buyers pre-ordered the car in Japan before its official launch. The car was expected to sell around 200 units per month, to maintain exclusivity. Deliveries began on December 6, 2007, in Japan, on July 7, 2008, in North America and in March 2009 in Europe. The first production GT-R was purchased by Nissan's CEO at the time,
Carlos Ghosn Carlos Ghosn (; ; ; , born 9 March 1954) is a businessman and former automotive executive. He was the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Michelin, Michelin North America, chairman and CEO of Renault, chairman of AvtoVAZ, chairman and CEO of Nissan ...
. The large disparity in initial marketing between these regional releases was due to Nissan having to build GT-R performance centres where the car was serviced. ; 2009 update In 2009, the GT-R received its first of many updates for the 2010 model year. Featured increased engine power output of at 6,400 rpm, with no improvement in engine torque. The launch control system was reprogrammed to reduce stress in the transaxle and improve acceleration. It was also offered for sold 2009 models. Other upgrades include: re-tuned suspension, updated wheel finish, standard front seat and side curtain airbags.


2010 facelift

In 2010, for the 2011 model year, the GT-R received its first facelift. The car was revised and re-codenamed as "DBA–R35", replacing the original "CBA–R35". The revised version featured the same engine with altered mapping, changed valve timing, larger inlets and a modified exhaust system which boosts rated power to at 6,400 rpm and of torque from 3,200 to 6,000 rpm. The chassis was stiffened by a more rigid front strut bar made out of carbon composite. Larger front brake rotors, lighter and stiffer wheels, and revised Dunlop tyres reduced unsprung weight by . The suspensions contained stiffer springs, dampers and anti-roll bars and revised geometry to improve grip, new dampers provided more constant damping force. Cosmetic changes reduced its drag coefficient to and increased overall downforce by 10 percent. Achieved by a revised front bumper with integrated
LED A light-emitting diode (LED) is a semiconductor device that emits light when current flows through it. Electrons in the semiconductor recombine with electron holes, releasing energy in the form of photons. The color of the light (corresp ...
s, improving radiator cooling and front brakes cooling while reducing drag. The revised rear diffuser improved
downforce Downforce is a downwards lift force created by the aerodynamic features of a vehicle. If the vehicle is a car, the purpose of downforce is to allow the car to travel faster by increasing the vertical force on the tires, thus creating more gri ...
and additional rear cooling ducts were placed for further brake cooling. The interior improved quality and comfort. Offered with a new HDD
CarWings CarWings, renamed NissanConnect in 2015, and also branded as Infiniti InTouch is a vehicle telematics service offered by the Nissan Motor Company to drivers in Japan, the United States, Canada, Great Britain, and most other countries. It provid ...
navigation system, with enhanced entertainment features and a USB port with iPod connectivity. Engine noise and road noise were reduced, and the overall performance of the car was improved due to these upgrades. Overall weight of the car was decreased by . The car went on sale in mid-November 2010 in Japan and February 2011 in Europe, North America, and in other regions. ; 2012 update Similar to the update in 2009, the car was offered a revision in 2012, for the 2013 model year. It featured increased power output of at 6,400 rpm and of torque from 3,200 to 5,200 rpm. This was achieved by resin intake manifolds reducing air resistance, an enlarged duct for the intercooler, a new exhaust lowering back-pressure and sodium-filled exhaust valves reducing the temperature of the combustion chambers. The ECU was also remapped to alter valve timing, and improved air-fuel mixture ratio and ignition. A new flywheel housing, retuned suspension setup and revised weight distribution further increased performance and handling. ; 2014 update The car was given significant improvements over the previous model year in 2014, for the 2015 model year. Along with the GT-R Nismo, it was previewed at the 2013 Tokyo Motor Show. Engine power remained the same as the previous version, but an upgraded suspension setup with revised settings led to reduce load fluctuation between the four wheels, increased stability and provided more consistent grip. Tyre contact was improved with optimized electronic controls of the shock-absorber valves. Re-tuned front stabilizer spring rates and bush links, re-tuned brake system for more stopping power, and a fine-tuned steering improved handling. Cosmetic changes included new 20-inch alloy wheels, enhanced LED headlights and taillights with
Adaptive Front-lighting System A headlamp is a lamp attached to the front of a vehicle to illuminate the road ahead. Headlamps are also often called headlights, but in the most precise usage, ''headlamp'' is the term for the device itself and ''headlight'' is the term for t ...
(AFS). These upgrades improved straight-line and cornering stability, better ride quality without sacrificing its acceleration and cornering performance. Overall weight of the car was increased by for all models.


2016 facelift

The car received its second facelift in 2016, for the 2017 model year, re-codenamed as "4BA–R35", featured the biggest changes to date. Redesigned front and rear facias improved engine and brakes cooling, reshaped C-pillars reducing turbulence and strengthened hood reduced deformation at high speeds. Enhancements to engine cooling led the twin-turbocharged V6 '' VR38DETT'' engine to maintain its turbo boost pressure dialed up, increasing engine power output to at 6,800 rpm and of torque at 3,300–5,300 rpm, maximum speed of the engine (
redline The redline is the maximum engine speed at which an internal combustion engine or traction motor and its components are designed to operate without causing damage to the components themselves or other parts of the engine. The redline of an eng ...
) was increased from 7,000 to 7,100 rpm. Transmission was remapped to shift gears smoothly and quieter than before, and new titanium exhaust reduced weight. Revised chassis structure improved torsional rigidity by 5 percent. Noise insulation was provided by acoustic windscreen, sound deadening materials and Bose noise cancellation system. Furthermore, upgraded brakes, re-tuned dampers, lighter forged alloy wheels and stiffer chassis improved ride quality and cornering by less aggressive turn in. The interior featured a new leather material, steering wheel, 8-inch display infotainment system and a redesigned carbon-fibre centre console. Nissan claimed the upgraded GT-R increased acceleration at mid to high rpm ranges (3,200 rpm and above) and featured optimal balance between handling and ride comfort. The upgrades were also applied to Track Edition and Nismo variants, overall weight of the car was increased by for all models as well. ; 2019 update In 2019, for the 2020 model year, the car was offered with minor upgrades. Although there were no changes in the engine power output, the engine response and efficiency was improved by 5 percent due to the incorporation of revised turbocharges. The re-tuned transmission reduced its shifting time to 0.15 seconds, due to gear selection happening during ABS engagement, it reduced understeer and improved cornering. Suspension and steering systems were also enhanced for improved handling. Cosmetic changes included; new lightweight forged aluminium alloy wheels, interior and exterior colour options. Including the iconic Bayside Blue body colour, derived from the Skyline GT-R R34.


2021–2022 hiatus

It was revealed the GT-R would not offer a 2022 model year in North America (mid-2021 to mid-2022 in calendar years), following the introduction of the T-spec variant. However, in Japan and other markets the car sold a 2022 model.
Nissan Australia Nissan Motor Co. (Australia) Pty. Ltd. is the Australian subsidiary of Nissan and a former automobile manufacturer currently headquartered in Mulgrave, Victoria. The company assembled passenger cars of the Japanese brand Nissan. History Nissan ...
discontinued the GT-R in Australia and New Zealand from October 31, 2021, as it was no longer eligible for new side impact regulations. The car was sold 1,021 units in Australia and 89 units in New Zealand, a total of 1,110 units were sold in the Australian market during 12-years of sales since its debut in April 2009. Deliveries in Europe and United Kingdom were concluded in March 2022, for being unable to meet new noise regulations which took effect in June 2022. During 13-years of sales since March 2009, Nissan sold more than 11,000 units in Europe. In May 2022, Nissan officially closed orders in Japan, as it reached the planned sales amount. It was revealed the car was no longer in sale in North America and Africa as well, as
Nissan USA Nissan North America, Inc., doing business as Nissan USA, is the North American headquarters, and a wholly owned subsidiary of Nissan Motor Corporation of Japan. The company manufactures and sells Nissan and Infiniti brand cars, sport utility ve ...
, Nissan Canada, and
Nissan South Africa Nissan South Africa Pty Ltd is an automobile manufacturer based in Rosslyn, Gauteng, Rosslyn, South Africa, and a subsidiary of Nissan. History In the 1960s, the brothers Thys and Andries Bekker imported the first Nissan Sunny, Datsun 1000 pi ...
official websites claimed the car was sold out. German automotive magazine ''
Auto Motor und Sport ''Auto Motor und Sport'', (stylized in all lowercase) and abbreviated AMS or AMuS, is a German automobile magazine. It is published fortnightly by Motor Presse Netzwerk's subsidiary Motor Presse Stuttgart, a specialist magazine publisher that is ...
'' claimed it was no longer in production, as production for the 2022 model year was complete. ; Reintroduction In October 2022, Nissan resumed production for the 2023 model year. Skipping the previous model year, the car was only offered in North America. No changes were reported compared to the previous model.


2023 facelift

The car received its third and final facelift in 2023, for the 2024 model year, introduced at the 2023 Tokyo Auto Salon. Nissan claimed the facelifted version would be limited to an unspecified number, and it was mainly offered only for the Japanese, North American, and selected markets, with three trim levels, Premium, Nismo and T-spec. The Track Edition variant was offered, exclusively in Japan. Unlike its previous facelifts, this model featured minor cosmetic changes. Redesigned front and rear bumpers, front grille and rear wing, improved aerodynamics around the nose and rear diffuser, which increased downforce without increasing
drag Drag or The Drag may refer to: Places * Drag, Norway, a village in Tysfjord municipality, Nordland, Norway * ''Drág'', the Hungarian name for Dragu Commune in Sălaj County, Romania * Drag (Austin, Texas), the portion of Guadalupe Street a ...
. No mechanical changes were made over the previous model year. In the North American market, the facelifted Premium and Nismo variants went on sale in the second and third quarter of 2023 respectively. Japanese sales began in March 2023.


Discontinuation

In June 2024, Nissan announced that North American market production of the GT-R would end in October 2024 with two exclusive variants, the T-Spec Takumi and Skyline limited editions, sending off production. Production continued in Japan and other markets until March 2025, when all GT-R production was discontinued.


Production figures

Since 2007, Nissan have produced more than 40,000 units and sold in various different markets worldwide.


Overview


Technical specifications


Engine

The GT-R is powered by the ''VR38DETT'' engine, a 60° degree
DOHC An overhead camshaft (OHC) engine is a piston engine in which the camshaft is located in the cylinder head above the combustion chamber. This contrasts with earlier overhead valve engines (OHV), where the camshaft is located below the combus ...
V6 engine – which is shorter than other V6 engines and benefits weight distribution. The engine is based on the VQ engine, but thoroughly modified to improve performance and suit the car. It featured the innovative hybrid wet/ dry-sump pressurized lubrication system, controlled thermostatically to withstand high g-force and closed-deck construction increase stiffness. Cast iron cylinder liners are replaced by a 0.15 mm (0.0059 in) layer of plasma transferred wire arc sprayed cylinder bores, reducing friction for the piston rings to slide on when the piston moves up and down during the power cycle. Two parallel
Ishikawajima-Harima , formerly known as is a Japanese engineering corporation headquartered in Tokyo, Japan that produces and offers ships, space launch vehicles, aircraft engines, marine diesel engines, gas turbines, gas engines, railway systems, turbochargers for ...
(IHI) turbochargers provide forced induction, boosting more than 0.7bar and its turbine housing is integrated into the exhaust manifolds to minimize lag, decrease weight and improve vehicle balance. The engine was originally rated at a manufacturer-claimed engine output of at 6,400rpm and of torque at 3,2005,200rpm, making it the most powerful engine fitted to a Japanese production vehicle at the time. The engine is compliant with
California Air Resources Board The California Air Resources Board (CARB or ARB) is an agency of the government of California that aims to reduce air pollution. Established in 1967 when then-governor Ronald Reagan signed the Mulford-Carrell Act, combining the Bureau of Air S ...
Ultra Low Emission Vehicle An ultra-low-emission vehicle (ULEV) is a motor vehicle that emits extremely low levels of motor vehicle emissions compared to other vehicles. In some jurisdictions it is defined in law; low and ultra low emission vehicles may be given tax or othe ...
(ULEV) standards. It features 24 valves controlled by dual overhead camshafts (2 per cylinder head) with intake only variable valve timing. The engine also has a feedback control system which changes air fuel ratio depending on the engine load which reduces fuel consumption. Fully equipped with catalytic converters, turbochargers, engine accessories, front differential assembly and turbo outlet pipes, the engine weighs 276 kg (608 lb). Notable features of the ''VR38DETT'' include: * Continuously variable valve timing control system (
CVTCS Continuous Variable Valve Timing Control System (CVVTCS) is an automobile variable valve timing technology developed by Nissan. It is also used in a twin CVTC configuration on engines like the Nissan Juke's MR16DDT engine. CVVTCS is the successo ...
) on intake valve. * Aluminium
cylinder block In an internal combustion engine, the engine block is the structure that contains the cylinders and other components. The engine block in an early automotive engine consisted of just the cylinder block, to which a separate crankcase was attach ...
with high-endurance/low-friction plasma-sprayed bores. * Iridium-tipped
spark plug A spark plug (sometimes, in British English, a sparking plug, and, colloquially, a plug) is a device for delivering electric current from an ignition system to the combustion chamber of a spark-ignition engine to ignite the compressed fuel/air ...
s. * Electronic drive-by-wire throttle. * Multi port fuel injection. * Pressurized lubrication system with thermostatically controlled cooling and magnesium oil sump. * Fully symmetrical dual intake and low back-pressure exhaust system. * Secondary air intake system to rapidly heat catalysts to peak cleaning efficiency. * 50 State LEV2/ULEV. The engines are hand built by five trained mechanics called "''Takumi Craftsmen''" in a dust proof, temperature controlled room at Nissan's
Yokohama is the List of cities in Japan, second-largest city in Japan by population as well as by area, and the country's most populous Municipalities of Japan, municipality. It is the capital and most populous city in Kanagawa Prefecture, with a popu ...
plant. Names of these mechanics are badged on every engine built. Each engine takes approximately 8.3 hours and 300 components to be fully assembled. Approximately 13 engines are built every day in a single shift. The cars are built at Tochigi plant on a shared production line. At the end of the production process, every single GT-R is test driven by a professional driver around Nissan's test track.


Drivetrain

The GT-R is the first ever rear mounted independent transaxle all-wheel-drive vehicle. The transaxle consists of the transmission, clutches, centre and rear differential. Placed on the rear axle, it helps balance the weight of the engine up front and improves the front-to-rear weight distribution to 54:46. The car has an exclusively developed, six-speed
BorgWarner BorgWarner Inc. is an American automotive and Electric vehicle, e-mobility supplier headquartered in Auburn Hills, Michigan. As of 2023, the company maintains production facilities and sites at 92 locations in 24 countries, and generates revenu ...
co-designed ''GR6Z30A'' type
dual-clutch transmission A dual-clutch transmission (DCT) (sometimes referred to as a twin-clutch transmission) is a type of multi-speed motor vehicle, vehicle Transmission (mechanics), transmission system, that uses two separate clutches for odd and even gear train, ...
. It is hand built by Takumi Craftsmen in a specialized room, similar to the engine assembly room at Nissan's Aichi Kikai plant in
Nagoya is the largest city in the Chūbu region of Japan. It is the list of cities in Japan, fourth-most populous city in Japan, with a population of 2.3million in 2020, and the principal city of the Chūkyō metropolitan area, which is the List of ...
. Shifting gears in just 0.15–0.2 seconds, it is one of the fastest gear shifting transmissions fitted to a production vehicle. Nissan claimed they chose a DCT over the traditional
manual transmission A manual transmission (MT), also known as manual gearbox, standard transmission (in Canadian English, Canada, British English, the United Kingdom and American English, the United States), or stick shift (in the United States), is a multi-speed ...
because of its significant performance advantage, high demand, better fuel efficiency, favouring the advanced technologies featured in the car and being the precise choice for meeting regulation and emission standards. This particular DCT is used in conjunction with the unique ''ATTESA E-TS Pro'' all-wheel-drive system, providing power to all four wheels with minimal loss and controlled by the built-in Vehicle Dynamics Control (VDC) to aid in handling and stability. Three shift modes can be selected from the drive mode selector: "R-mode" provides maximum performance of the six-speed dual-clutch transmission, "Normal-mode" is recommended for typical daily driving, and "Save-mode" is recommended for maximizing fuel economy, and driving on slippery surfaces, such as on snow or ice. Gear shifting is controlled automatically or manually through paddle shifters. The ''ATTESA ET-S Pro'' all-wheel-drive system used in the GT-R, is a different implementation to the version used in Skyline GT-R models. Unlike the previous versions which relied heavily on mechanical feedback, this updated system uses hydraulically actuated clutches and electronic sensors. This system is a rear biased all-wheel-drive system, providing incredible handling and stability at high speeds. In normal conditions, it provides 100 percent power to the rear wheels through the main carbon-composite propeller shaft. In situations with limited traction available to the rear wheels, such as in heavy acceleration and cornering, the separated additional propeller shaft sends torque from the transfer case to the front differential, resulting in a 50:50 front to rear power distribution. An open type differential distributes power in the front, and a 1.5 way multi-disc mechanical
limited-slip differential A limited-slip differential (LSD) is a type of differential gear train that allows its two output shafts to rotate at different speeds but limits the maximum difference between the two shafts. Limited-slip differentials are often known by the ...
does so in the rear. In addition to these mechanical components, the car is also capable of managing slip angles. Automatically braking either of the front wheels occurs when slip is detected in order to send power to the other front wheel, so as to mimic the functionality of a mechanical limited slip differential. The Vehicle Dynamic Control (VDC), is offered with three different modes: "R-mode" for performance driving conditions such as on track and dragstrip, lowering traction control sensitivity but does not fully turn off, "Normal-mode" for daily driver use, and "Off-mode" which turns off both traction control and electronic stability control entirely, recommended for skilled driver's hardcore driving, such as for time attacks.


Chassis

The GT-R has a
curb weight A curb (American English) or kerb (British English) is the edge where a raised sidewalk/pavement or road median/central reservation meets a street/other roadway. History Although curbs have been used throughout modern history, and indeed ...
of distributed 54 percent to the front and 46 percent to the rear, providing greater stability. The car is the first and so far the only model built on the Premium Midship (PM) platform, an evolution of the Front Midship (FM) architecture introduced in the Skyline (V35). Its chassis utilizes hybrid unibody construction using a combination of steel, carbon fibre, and die-cast aluminium. It primarily uses a conventional steel monocoque but with
Alcoa Alcoa Corporation (an acronym for "Aluminum Company of America") is an American industrial corporation. It is the world's eighth-largest producer of aluminum. Alcoa conducts operations in 10 countries. Alcoa is a major producer of primary alu ...
aluminium subframes and suspensions. The door frames are die-cast aluminium, and the bumpers are made of lightweight polypropylene. The front cross-member, radiator support and rear diffuser are made of carbon-fibre to strengthen the structure and reduce weight. Many body panels are made of aluminium sheets, such as the bonnet, boot lid and door shells. Outer body panels are stamped using a multiple-strike coining process in order to add rigidity and precision. The car is fitted with an
active suspension An active suspension is a type of Suspension (vehicle), automotive suspension that uses an onboard control system to control the vertical movement of the vehicle's wheels and axles relative to the chassis or vehicle frame, rather than the conventi ...
system, called "DampTronic", which contains Bilstein designed electronic adaptive dampers and manufactured by Yorozu Corporation. Onboard computers adjust the suspension components every one hundredth of a second, evenly distributing the mass for all four wheels and maximizing tyre contact for better grip, under heavy acceleration, braking and cornering. It was the first production vehicle to feature such a suspension system. The DampTronic system allows the driver to select three different suspension modes from the mode selector: "R-mode" for maximum performance required on track and dragstrip, "Normal-mode" for daily driver use, and "Comfort-mode", which softens the dampers and improves ride quality, recommended for long-distance driving. The car features 20-inch 15-spoke forged lightweight aluminium alloy wheels manufactured by
Rays Ray or RAY may refer to: Fish * Ray (fish), any cartilaginous fish of the superorder Batoidea * Ray (fish fin anatomy), the bony or horny spine on ray-finned fish Science and mathematics * Half-line (geometry) or ray, half of a line split at an ...
, originally wrapped up with exclusively developed Dunlop SP Sport Maxx GT 600 DSST CTT
run-flat tyres A run-flat tire is a pneumatics, pneumatic vehicle tire designed to resist the effects of deflation when punctured, allowing the vehicle to continue to be driven at reduced speeds for limited distances. First developed by tire manufacturer Michelin ...
, Bridgestone Potenza RE070R run-flat tyres were also offered for earlier models. Each wheel features a
knurling Knurling is a manufacturing process, typically conducted on a lathe, whereby a pattern of straight, angled or crossed lines is rolled into the material. Knurling can also refer to material that has a knurled pattern. Etymology The terms ''knur ...
around the inside of the rim in order to keep the tyres from slipping on the rim due to heavy acceleration and braking. Brakes are
Brembo Brembo N.V. is an Italian manufacturer of automotive parts that most notably produces braking systems, for high-performance cars and for the sim racing series Gran Turismo. Its operational head office is in Curno, Bergamo, Italy, while Amst ...
monoblock six-piston ventilated brake callipers with rotors at the front, and four-piston callipers with rotors in the rear. They are full floating, cross drilled two piece rotors, fitted with low steel and high stiffness brake pads.
Carbon ceramic In materials science ceramic matrix composites (CMCs) are a subgroup of composite materials and a subgroup of ceramics. They consist of ceramic fibers embedded in a ceramic matrix. The fibers and the matrix both can consist of any ceramic materi ...
brake rotors were offered in some of the special variants, which are the largest brake rotors ever fitted to a Japanese production vehicle.


Exterior

According to chief design director,
Shiro Nakamura is a former Japanese car designer and company executive. Nakamura served as Senior Vice President of Nissan Motor Co. Ltd. From 2006, Nakamura had been Nissan's Chief Creative Officer. He was Chief Creative Officer of Nissan, Infiniti and Dats ...
, "aero blade" front fenders, blackened A-pillars and the slopping roofline of the GT-R are inspired by the
giant robots In science fiction, or mechs are giant robots or machines, typically depicted as piloted, humanoid walking vehicles. The term was first used in Japanese (language), Japanese after shortening the English loanword or , but the meaning in Japan ...
of the ''
Gundam is a Japanese military science fiction media franchise. Created by Yoshiyuki Tomino and Sunrise (now Bandai Namco Filmworks), the franchise features giant robots, or mecha, with the name "Gundam". The franchise began on April 7, 1979, with ...
'' series. Nakamura stated: "The GT-R is unique because it is not simply a copy of a European-designed sports car; it had to really reflect
Japanese culture Japanese culture has changed greatly over the millennia, from the country's prehistoric Jōmon period, to its contemporary modern culture, which absorbs influences from Asia and other regions of the world. Since the Jomon period, ancestral ...
". Nissan's American designers sculpted the rear three-quarters of the vehicle, while their European designers sculpted the roofline. Nissan developed a 6-stage paint process with a double clear coat and chip-resistant paint for use in critical areas of the chassis. An optional liquid-effect finish employs a hand-polished 8-stage process with product-specific colours, such as the original Super Silver metallic paint, with three layers of clearcoat. The car features an overall muscular, sharp and a boxy body design. Despite being a bulkier body design compared to its rivals, it provides high-
downforce Downforce is a downwards lift force created by the aerodynamic features of a vehicle. If the vehicle is a car, the purpose of downforce is to allow the car to travel faster by increasing the vertical force on the tires, thus creating more gri ...
and less–
drag Drag or The Drag may refer to: Places * Drag, Norway, a village in Tysfjord municipality, Nordland, Norway * ''Drág'', the Hungarian name for Dragu Commune in Sălaj County, Romania * Drag (Austin, Texas), the portion of Guadalupe Street a ...
through its smoother air flow over the overall body. Up front,
NACA duct A NACA duct, also sometimes called a NACA scoop or NACA inlet, is a common form of low- drag air inlet design, originally developed by the U.S. National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics (NACA), the precursor to NASA, in 1945. Design Prior su ...
s were placed on the hood, which scoops in clean air in order cool the engine compartment. Side front fender air vents also improves the airflow around the tyres, while cooling the engine. Front bumper edges are sharpened and features air ducts and vents to improve downforce while cooling the brakes. Overall front end of the car features an aggressive look, the rear end carries on the signature four round taillights from its predecessors. The rear end also features air ducts and vents for further brake cooling and generates a smoother air flow to minimize drag. A body-coloured rear spoiler, whereas some special editions had a dry carbon-fibre rear spoiler, in order improve rear downforce. The GT-R has a 315-litre rear boot, an under body made out of carbon-fibre panels, smoothens the air flow under the car. The car is fitted with
LED A light-emitting diode (LED) is a semiconductor device that emits light when current flows through it. Electrons in the semiconductor recombine with electron holes, releasing energy in the form of photons. The color of the light (corresp ...
headlights, automatic on/off headlights, LED daytime running lights, LED taillights and brake lights, dual-heated body-colour power wing mirrors, power-folding side mirrors, flush-mounted aluminium door handles, four 5-inch titanium exhaust outlets with polished tips and UV-reducing solar glass.2013 Nissan GT-R , Specifications
Nissan USA.
The GT-R generates more than of downforce at on both ends, while maintaining a . Becoming the first production car to feature such an aerodynamic efficiency.


Interior

The GT-R has a hand stitched premium
leather Leather is a strong, flexible and durable material obtained from the tanning (leather), tanning, or chemical treatment, of animal skins and hides to prevent decay. The most common leathers come from cattle, sheep, goats, equine animals, buffal ...
interior, embedded on the dashboard, steering wheel, door panels, centre console and seats. ''
Motor Trend ''Motor Trend'' is an American automobile magazine. It first appeared in September 1949, and designated the first Car of the Year, also in 1949. Petersen Publishing Company in Los Angeles published ''Motor Trend'' until 1998, when it was sold ...
'' claimed the car has one of the most finely crafted interiors despite its marginally lower price. Carbon-fibre is used in the centre console and in the gauge cluster, which features an analog speedometer, fuel meter and tachometer with a redline of 7,000–7,100 rpm. Digital displays featuring traveling speed, gear, fuel economy and distance calculations. GT-R badged steering wheel contains volume controls and cruise control buttons. Magnesium
paddle shifters A semi-automatic transmission is a multiple-speed transmission where part of its operation is automated (typically the actuation of the clutch), but the driver's input is still required to launch the vehicle from a standstill and to manually chan ...
are on the wheel column in earlier models and on the steering wheel in post 2017 facelifted models. The instrument cluster is angled towards the driver, featuring
air conditioning Air conditioning, often abbreviated as A/C (US) or air con (UK), is the process of removing heat from an enclosed space to achieve a more comfortable interior temperature, and in some cases, also controlling the humidity of internal air. Air c ...
controls, audio set-up controls and drive mode selectors. Centre console features the engine start/off button, leather–wrapped shift liver, parking brake and an armrest with a small storage area inside and a
USB Universal Serial Bus (USB) is an industry standard, developed by USB Implementers Forum (USB-IF), for digital data transmission and power delivery between many types of electronics. It specifies the architecture, in particular the physical ...
port. The car is fitted with an 11-speaker
Bose Bose may refer to: * Bose (crater), a lunar crater. * ''Bose'' (film), a 2004 Indian Tamil film starring Srikanth and Sneha * Bose (surname), a surname (and list of people with the name) * Bose (given name), a given name * Bose, Italy, a ''fra ...
sound system.
Polyphony Digital Polyphony Digital Inc. is an internal Japanese first-party video game development studio for PlayStation Studios. Originally a development group within Sony Computer Entertainment's Japan Studio known as Polys Entertainment, after the succes ...
, creators of the ''Gran Turismo'' motor racing video games, were contracted to design the
multifunction display A multifunction display (MFD) is a small-screen ( CRT or LCD) surrounded by multiple soft keys (configurable buttons) that can be used to display information to the user in numerous configurable ways. MFDs originated in aviation, first in mil ...
. It features a detailed log of the driving behavior, speed, g-force, fuel economy and more. Details of mechanical information such as the turbo boost, water and engine oil pressure, transmission oil, front and rear drive distribution, steering angles, braking and acceleration pressure, and optimal gearshift mapping for better fuel economy, satellite navigation and audio controls as well.


Variants

The GT-R Black Edition, introduced as the first trim level, featured exterior and interior performance upgrades over the standard model. Notable features included lightweight wheels, a carbon-fibre rear spoiler, and
Recaro Recaro Holding, as the parent company of the Recaro Group, owns the Recaro brand and the independently operating companies Recaro Aircraft Seating (aircraft seats) based in Schwäbisch Hall and Recaro eGaming (gaming seats) based in Stuttgart, Ge ...
bucket seats inspired by the SpecV. Retaining the original car's mechanical specifications, the Black Edition featured enhanced handling akin to the GT-R SpecV. Re-introduced in 2016 with minimal changes, such as
Recaro Recaro Holding, as the parent company of the Recaro Group, owns the Recaro brand and the independently operating companies Recaro Aircraft Seating (aircraft seats) based in Schwäbisch Hall and Recaro eGaming (gaming seats) based in Stuttgart, Ge ...
seats, it was primarily marketed in Japan and the United Kingdom. The GT-R Track Edition, launched in 2013, was a high-performance variant similar to the SpecV and Black Edition. It featured weight-saving measures, such as the removal of rear seats, along with improvements like stiffer suspension, carbon-fibre air inlets, titanium exhaust, enhanced brake cooling, a unique front spoiler, and
Recaro Recaro Holding, as the parent company of the Recaro Group, owns the Recaro brand and the independently operating companies Recaro Aircraft Seating (aircraft seats) based in Schwäbisch Hall and Recaro eGaming (gaming seats) based in Stuttgart, Ge ...
black and grey leather seats. The 2019 update incorporated the GT-R Nismo's drivetrain, delivering increased power, improved acceleration, and a refined independent suspension setup. Notably, it was 25 kg lighter than the standard GT-R. The GT-R Nismo, introduced in 2014, was a higher-powered and track-focused model. With larger turbochargers, revised ignition timing, and aerodynamic enhancements, it produced 600 PS and 652 Nm of torque. Featuring a Nismo-tuned suspension, carbon-fibre components, and increased downforce, the Nismo edition demonstrated improved performance and reduced weight. The 2019 update further refined the model, enhancing acceleration, handling, and reducing overall weight by 25 kg. In 2023, the GT-R Nismo received significant performance upgrades for the 2024 model year. Notable improvements included a front mechanical limited-slip differential, a swan neck rear wing, revised aerodynamics, and carbon-fibre bucket seats. Additionally, the Nismo Appearance Package introduced exclusive exterior features. The GT-R T-spec, launched in 2021, offered exclusive upgrades and changes, drawing inspiration from the first GT-R concept. Available in Millennium Jade and Midnight Purple exterior colours, it featured performance enhancements, including carbon-ceramic brakes, wider front fenders, a unique carbon-fibre roof, and interior refinements. Several special editions, such as the SpecV, Egoist, Gentleman Edition, Midnight Opal Special Edition, 45th Anniversary Gold Edition, GT-R50, Naomi Osaka Edition, 50th Anniversary Edition, and Nismo Special Edition, highlighted unique designs, limited production runs, and commemorated milestones in the GT-R's history. Each edition featured distinctive characteristics, ranging from performance upgrades to exclusive cosmetic enhancements. Multiple one-off editions, including the GT-R Bolt Edition, Nismo Fastest Drift record car, Predzilla, Tomica 50th Anniversary GT-R, and a collaboration with McDonald's in Japan, showcased the GT-R's adaptability for special occasions, charity events, and collaborations. The GT-R/C, developed to celebrate Gran Turismo Sport's release and Nissan's two-decade involvement in the gaming series, featured extensive modifications for remote control operation. Driven by Nismo athlete Jann Mardenborough using a DualShock 4 controller, it demonstrated remarkable speed and agility.


Performance

Although the GT-R is heavy and bulky compared to its competitors, its innovative
all-wheel-drive An all-wheel drive vehicle (AWD vehicle) is one with a powertrain capable of providing power to all its wheels, whether full-time or on-demand. Types The most common forms of all-wheel drive are: ;1x1 : All unicycles Reflects one axle with ...
system and
active suspension An active suspension is a type of Suspension (vehicle), automotive suspension that uses an onboard control system to control the vertical movement of the vehicle's wheels and axles relative to the chassis or vehicle frame, rather than the conventi ...
utilize the weight to its advantage. The unconventional body design maximizes
downforce Downforce is a downwards lift force created by the aerodynamic features of a vehicle. If the vehicle is a car, the purpose of downforce is to allow the car to travel faster by increasing the vertical force on the tires, thus creating more gri ...
and minimizes
drag Drag or The Drag may refer to: Places * Drag, Norway, a village in Tysfjord municipality, Nordland, Norway * ''Drág'', the Hungarian name for Dragu Commune in Sălaj County, Romania * Drag (Austin, Texas), the portion of Guadalupe Street a ...
, resulting in exceptional acceleration, cornering and handling capabilities. Many automotive publications have expressed, "the GT-R defies the laws of physics" to describe its performance. Originally, Nissan claimed the GT-R can attain a top speed of , but ''
Motor Trend ''Motor Trend'' is an American automobile magazine. It first appeared in September 1949, and designated the first Car of the Year, also in 1949. Petersen Publishing Company in Los Angeles published ''Motor Trend'' until 1998, when it was sold ...
'' recorded a top speed of with the original 2009 model year GT-R.
Edmunds Edmunds may refer to: People *Edmunds (given name) *Edmunds (surname) Places * Edmunds Center, an arena in Deland, Florida * Edmunds County, South Dakota Companies * Edmunds (company), provider of automotive information See also * Edmonds (d ...
held the first ever performance test using a customer-spec GT-R in Japan, achieving a 0- time of 3.3 seconds and a quarter-mile time of 11.6 seconds. It was the quickest production car they had ever tested. The car was capable of achieving much superior performance figures in tests conducted by other automotive magazines. Owners expressed concerns that duplicating the times achieved in these tests would void their factory warranty. Mizuno indicated that he has never used the term "launch control", which refers to the act of turning off Vehicle Dynamic Control (VDC) and launching the car at around 4,500 rpm. However, then-Nissan director of product planning officer, John Wiener stated in an interview with
Jay Leno James Douglas Muir Leno ( ; born April 28, 1950) is an American television host, comedian, and writer. After doing stand-up comedy for years, he became the host of NBC's ''The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, The Tonight Show'' from 1992 until 200 ...
that "we
issan Northeast Thailand or Isan (Isan/, ; ; also written as Isaan, Isarn, Issarn, Issan, Esan, or Esarn; from Pāli ''isāna'' or Sanskrit ईशान्य ''īśānya'' "northeast") consists of 20 provinces in northeastern Thailand. Isan is T ...
actually offer a 'launch mode'". The GT-R user's manual states that turning off the VDC is only meant for escaping low-traction situations such as mud or snow. However the manufacturer themselves used to turn off the VDC during official hot laps and time attacks. In 2010, Nissan re-programmed the GT-R to reduce engine speed at launch to around 3,500–4,000 rpm with VDC enabled, which was meant to improve acceleration times. The revised programming was also installed in unsold 2009 model year models that were still in their inventory, was also available for existing 2009 vehicles. The re-programmed GT-R had a launch mode called "R-Mode Start". Enabled by pushing the three buttons up, transmission, suspension and VDC. The system allows a maximum of 4 consecutive hard launches before locking itself out, after which can be unlocked by driving normally for . Combined with the "R-Mode Start", the GT-R retained its original performance, which set the
Guinness World Record ''Guinness World Records'', known from its inception in 1955 until 1999 as ''The Guinness Book of Records'' and in previous United States editions as ''The Guinness Book of World Records'', is a British reference book published annually, listi ...
for the fastest accelerating four-seater production vehicle. Nissan offered numerous upgrades for later model years, which saw significant improvements in acceleration figures, top speed, and Nürburgring lap times.


Performance table

In 2013, in a joint project between Nissan Russia and LAV Productions, the 2012 model year GT-R set an unofficial national ice speed record for a production car at the
Lake Baikal Lake Baikal is a rift lake and the deepest lake in the world. It is situated in southern Siberia, Russia between the Federal subjects of Russia, federal subjects of Irkutsk Oblast, Irkutsk Oblasts of Russia, Oblast to the northwest and the Repu ...
, in southern Siberia, Russia. The record was set by Russian racing driver
Roman Rusinov Roman Aleksandrovich Rusinov ( rus, Рома́н Алекса́ндрович Ру́синов, p=rɐˈman ɐlʲɪˈksandrəvʲɪtɕ ˈrusʲɪnəv, born 21 October 1981 in Moscow) is a Russian auto racing driver who competed in the FIA World Endu ...
, with a trap speed of 294.8 km/h (183 mph). This lake is considered as the deepest lake of the world. According to Nissan, the record car was in standard specifications with factory standard
Bridgestone is a Japanese multinational manufacturing company founded in 1931 by Shojiro Ishibashi (18891976) in the city of Kurume, Fukuoka Prefecture, Fukuoka, Japan. The name Bridgestone comes from a calque translation and transposition of (), meaning ...
tyres.


Nürburgring ''Nordschleife'' lap times by Nissan

Nissan has published numerous lap times for the GT-R around the Nürburgring ''Nordschleife''. Due to its demanding nature, the "iconic" racetrack played a pivotal role in the development and served as a performance benchmark for the GT-R. Over the years, Nissan conducted numerous time attacks for the car around the ''Nordschleife'', pitting it against
Porsche Dr. Ing. h.c. F. Porsche AG, usually shortened to Porsche (; see below), is a German automobile manufacturer specializing in luxury, high-performance sports cars, SUVs and sedans, headquartered in Stuttgart, Baden-Württemberg, Germany. Th ...
and
Chevrolet Chevrolet ( ) is an American automobile division of the manufacturer General Motors (GM). In North America, Chevrolet produces and sells a wide range of vehicles, from subcompact automobiles to medium-duty commercial trucks. Due to the promi ...
in pursuit of setting the fastest lap time for mass-produced cars, which garnered attention from the automotive media. Both manufacturers, fielded their respective sports cars, the
911 911, 9/11 or Nine Eleven may refer to: Dates * AD 911 * 911 BC * September 11 ** The 2001 September 11 attacks on the United States by al-Qaeda, commonly referred to as 9/11 ** 11 de Septiembre, Chilean coup d'état in 1973 that ousted the ...
and
Corvette A corvette is a small warship. It is traditionally the smallest class of vessel considered to be a proper (or " rated") warship. The warship class above the corvette is that of the frigate, while the class below was historically that of the sloo ...
, and consistently engaged in lap time battles against Nissan. The lap times of the GT-R were often navigated by development driver
Toshio Suzuki is a Japanese film producer. He is a founder, chairman, and former president of Studio Ghibli. Early life Suzuki was born in Nagoya in Aichi Prefecture in 1948. In 1967 he enrolled at Keio University and graduated with a degree in literature ...
, using factory-standard Dunlop SP Sport Maxx GT 600 DSST CTT run-flat tyres. Having set a lap time of 7:38.54 minutes in damp conditions before the official launch, Nissan returned to the ''Nordschleife'' with the GT-R in April 2008 with a lap time of 7:32 minutes. Observed by ''
Best Motoring was Japan's preeminent automobile magazine, video, and DVD series, before becoming a web video series. Alongside ''Best Motoring'', there were ''Hot Version'' and ''Video Option.'' History With the first edition debuting in 1987 and the last ...
'', the GT-R set a lap time of 7:29.03 minutes. Porsche accused Nissan of overstating the performance of the car in September, said they conducted a test of a customer-spec GT-R and recorded a slower time of 7:54 minutes, apparently implying that the car was not as fast around the track as it was claimed. In October, Nissan added the car was in standard specifications, equipped with factory standard tyres and implied that Porsche's driver was not as talented as theirs. In the following year, the GT-R with performance upgrades to the 2010 model year, improved its lap time to 7:26.70 minutes. In September 2010, Nissan returned to the ''Nordschleife'' and set a lap time of 7:24.22 minutes in its first attempt in damp conditions. Due to poor track conditions, the car could not further improve its lap time and settled down with the latter lap time. According to Nissan, the GT-R improved its ''Nordschleife'' lap time again in October 2012 to 7:19.1 minutes, by due to the 2013 model year improvements. Nissan claimed that it lost half a second due to traffic, making a potential lap time of 7:18.6 minutes possible, which would equal the limited-production 911 GT2 RS. At the end of September 2013, testing was finalized for the GT-R Nismo and the development team was aiming to set a lap time under 7:10 minutes. In his second attempt,
Nismo , abbreviated as Nismo, is a division of Nissan Motorsports & Customizing focused in motorsport and performance-oriented car models for Nissan. Nismo was initially a company, , formed in 1984 as a result of a merger of two motorsport departmen ...
racing driver
Michael Krumm Michael Krumm (born 19 March 1970) is a German former professional racing driver and current team manager at TOM'S in Super GT. Krumm is best-known for his successes in the All-Japan GT Championship, where he triumphed in the GT500 class in 1997 a ...
recorded a lap time of 7:08.679 minutes and achieved a peak speed of on the Dottinger Hohe uphill straight. Nismo engineers confirmed the car had several modifications, later sold as N-Attack Package, the not road legal parts used were offered as optional extras. The team invited ''
Car and Driver ''Car and Driver'' (''CD'' or ''C/D'') is an American automotive enthusiast magazine first published in 1955. In 2006 its total circulation was 1.23 million. It is owned by Hearst Magazines, who purchased it from its prior owner Hachette Fi ...
'' journalist, Tony Quiroga for a lap around the track. Krumm again navigated the GT-R Nismo with the journalist on the passenger seat and posted a lap time of 7:19.46 minutes.


Independent Nürburgring ''Nordschleife'' lap times

The car has set independent ''Nordschleife'' lap times as well, conducted by automotive publications and navigated by journalist drivers. In a test conducted by ''
Drivers Republic Drivers Republic (also referred to as “DR”) was a web-based digital platform comprising a bespoke social community for drivers, an online magazine and a video channel. The title was privately owned and managed by British-based NewMedia Rep ...
'', the GT-R and 911 GT2 set lap times of 7:56 minutes and 7:49 minutes respectively in partially damp conditions. The publication had no doubt that the GT2 could achieve the factory lap time of 7:32 minutes, but not the customer GT-R going faster than 7:41 minutes in spite of the 7:29 minutes of factory claim, although it used the less stickier, Bridgestone summer tyres and
stability control Electronic stability control (ESC), also referred to as electronic stability program (ESP) or dynamic stability control (DSC), is a computerized technology that improves a vehicle's stability by detecting and reducing loss of traction ( skiddi ...
. The German magazine ''
Sport Auto ''sport auto'' is a German automobile magazine, established in 1969, published monthly by Motor Presse Stuttgart, based in Stuttgart. The magazine publishes its "Supertest" of cars, featuring the laptime at the Nordschleife. Until 2015 almost a ...
'' recorded a lap time of 7:50 minutes in a GT-R supplied by Nissan during an initial short test in 2007, in partially damp conditions. In 2009, in a full "Supertest", ''Sport Auto'' recorded a lap time of 7:38 minutes, driven by
Horst von Saurma Horst von Saurma-Jeltsch (born Horst Vieselmann, 28 August 1954) is the former chief editor of the German automobile magazine ''Sport auto'' until February 2013. He also had a brief racing career but is best known for skillful driving at the Nür ...
it was 11 seconds slower than the official claim. It was also identical to a lap time of Corvette ZR1, recorded later by the same publication. In a test with the 2011 facelifted GT-R, they recorded a lap time of 7:34 minutes, also driven by Saurma it was only 10 seconds slower than the official claim.


Reception

The GT-R has generally received positive reviews from automotive publications and enthusiasts, particularly for its acceleration and handling. The car has received criticism for the choice of interior materials and lack of a
manual transmission A manual transmission (MT), also known as manual gearbox, standard transmission (in Canadian English, Canada, British English, the United Kingdom and American English, the United States), or stick shift (in the United States), is a multi-speed ...
.


Magazines

''
Motor Trend ''Motor Trend'' is an American automobile magazine. It first appeared in September 1949, and designated the first Car of the Year, also in 1949. Petersen Publishing Company in Los Angeles published ''Motor Trend'' until 1998, when it was sold ...
'' referred to it as, "''Godzilla''" in their reviews, tests and drag races. In the first acceleration test in 2009, they praised its launch control system, stating "BAM! The GT-R leaves the line like an arrow from a cross-bow. The rear tyres spin for a little over a foot, the fronts never visibly slip. The acceleration screen on the centre dash confirms the test equipment's assertion that longitudinal acceleration of at least 1.0 g persists for almost two seconds. No wonder the forged-aluminium rims have little knurled ridges to keep the tyre beads from slipping." Further added, "
he GT-R He or HE may refer to: Language * He (letter), the fifth letter of the Semitic abjads * He (pronoun), a pronoun in Modern English * He (kana), one of the Japanese kana (へ in hiragana and ヘ in katakana) * Ge (Cyrillic), a Cyrillic letter cal ...
appears to dodge the laws of physics", but was criticized for not being offered with a manual transmission and interior quality, nevertheless it was named as the 2009 ''Motor Trend Automobile of the Year''. ''
Car and Driver ''Car and Driver'' (''CD'' or ''C/D'') is an American automotive enthusiast magazine first published in 1955. In 2006 its total circulation was 1.23 million. It is owned by Hearst Magazines, who purchased it from its prior owner Hachette Fi ...
'' gave the GT-R a positive verdict, claimed "Prejudged on its specs, the GT-R is winning on appeal", praised its acceleration and handling performance, as well as its practicality. ''Edmunds'' claimed, "the Nissan GT-R delivers true supercar performance in a user-friendly package for less coin than a base
Porsche 911 The Porsche 911 model series (pronounced ''Nine Eleven'' or in ) is a family of German two-door, high performance Rear-engine design, rear-engine sports cars, introduced in September 1964 by Porsche, Porsche AG of Stuttgart, Germany. Now in it ...
", further added "it can get you to 60 mph faster than any
Ferrari Ferrari S.p.A. (; ) is an Italian luxury sports car manufacturer based in Maranello. Founded in 1939 by Enzo Ferrari (1898–1988), the company built Auto Avio Costruzioni 815, its first car in 1940, adopted its current name in 1945, and be ...
or
Lamborghini Automobili Lamborghini S.p.A. ( , ), usually referred to as Lamborghini or colloquially Lambo, is an Italian manufacturer of luxury sports cars and SUVs based in Sant'Agata Bolognese. The company is owned by the Volkswagen Group through its su ...
currently in production". ''
Top Gear Top Gear may refer to: * "Top gear", the highest gear available in a vehicle's manual transmission Television * ''Top Gear'' (1977 TV series), a British motoring magazine programme * ''Top Gear'' (2002 TV series), a relaunched version of the ori ...
'' magazine claimed, "This car is the greatest performance bargain of this or any other century, and is one of the most incredible cars of any kind ever built. For the price of a
BMW M3 The BMW M3 is a high-performance version of the BMW 3 Series, developed by BMW's in-house motorsport division, BMW M GmbH. M3 models have been produced for every generation of 3 Series since the E30 M3 was introduced in 1986. The initial mod ...
, you have a four-wheel-drive, super-high-tech, all-weather, 195mph supercar with tremendous ability on all roads and an almost impossibly cool image. And a boot". In the first performance test held by ''
Road & Track ''Road & Track'' (stylized as ''R&T'') is an American automotive enthusiast magazine first published 1947. It is owned by Hearst Magazines and is published six times per year. The editorial offices are located in New York City. History ''Road ...
'', they praised the smoothness of its engine's power delivery as well as the lack of turbo lag. They added its brakes could be used to induce oversteer, noting that "steering effort is light, and the all-wheel-drive system takes much of the drama out of exiting corners". Regarding the practicality of the car, the magazine states, "There is plenty of room for a big guy and a back seat that can be used by shorter folks. The ride is on the harsh side, even with the suspension setting switched to full comfort. The various screens of the monitor are neat, though some of the materials here could be better." The magazine on conclusion states, "
he GT-R He or HE may refer to: Language * He (letter), the fifth letter of the Semitic abjads * He (pronoun), a pronoun in Modern English * He (kana), one of the Japanese kana (へ in hiragana and ヘ in katakana) * Ge (Cyrillic), a Cyrillic letter cal ...
might well be considered the most exotic car on the planet". ''Autocar'' magazine's,
Chris Harris Chris Harris may refer to: Sportspeople * Chris Harris (basketball) (1933–2022), English basketballer * Chris Harris (cricketer) (born 1969), New Zealand cricketer * Chris Harris (darts player) (born 1977), Welsh darts player * Chris Harris (rowe ...
criticized the GT-R for having a harsh/uncomfortable ride quality, he added "with the three-way dampers set to hard, it is undriveable", but praised its performance and drivetrain, "There is only one performance car with a better powertrain than the GT-R, and it is made by
Bugatti Automobiles Ettore Bugatti was a German then French automotive industry, manufacturer of high performance vehicle, high-performance automobiles. The company was founded in 1909 in the then-German Empire, German city of Molsheim, Alsace, by the ...
at considerable cost. With the double-clutch gearbox set to automatic you only feel a slight judder from first to second and thereafter it is, for want of a less sickly phrase, seamless". Also "there is real sophistication to the way it handles. And unlike its predecessor, the R35 does not just spit you in to oversteer. It simply catapults you away from slow turns". The motor journalist gave a conclusion, stating "I want one now! If you cannot wait for a UK car some time next year then you will need to personally import one. But believe me: if you are after the ultimate performance weapon of the moment, there is every reason to. This is the best value performance car on the planet".


TV series

In series 11 of the British motoring show ''Top Gear'',
Jeremy Clarkson Jeremy Charles Robert Clarkson (born 11 April 1960) is an English television presenter, journalist, farmer, and author who specialises in Driving, motoring. He is best known for hosting the television programmes ''Top Gear (2002 TV series), T ...
described the GT-R's performance, saying its "acceleration is blistering, it is just savage!". Also complimented its cornering performance, he added "they have not built a new car here, they built a new yardstick", it corners faster than electricity". He was forced to end his test drive prematurely, because of its cornering speed causing him to pull a muscle in his neck at
Fuji Speedway is a motorsport race track standing in the foothills of Mount Fuji, in Oyama, Shizuoka, Oyama, Suntō District, Shizuoka, Suntō District, Shizuoka Prefecture, Japan. It was built in the early 1960s. In the 1980s, Fuji Speedway was used for the ...
. In another episode of ''Top Gear'',
James May James Daniel May (born 16 January 1963) is an English television presenter and journalist. He is best known as a co-presenter, alongside Jeremy Clarkson and Richard Hammond, of the motoring programme ''Top Gear (2002 TV series), Top Gear'' fr ...
tested its launch control system. Following his first run using launch control, he stated "that is tremendous, I have never gone off the line that well in a car". Clarkson added "there is no car that accelerates when you look from 30 yards like this one does". In an episode of ''
Fifth Gear ''Fifth Gear'' is a British motoring television magazine series which has been broadcast since 2002. Originally shown on Channel 5 from 2002 to 2011 (and branded as ''5th Gear'' until 2005), it began as a continuation of the original version ...
'',
Jason Plato Timothy Jason Plato (born 14 October 1967) is a British auto racing, racing driver who last competed in the British Touring Car Championship (BTCC) for BTC Racing. He has twice been List of BTCC champions, BTCC Champion, in 2001 British Touring ...
praised its acceleration and cornering performance, stating "it is a great car, it is fantastic fun, it is great value for money, we like it, we like it a lot".
Jay Leno James Douglas Muir Leno ( ; born April 28, 1950) is an American television host, comedian, and writer. After doing stand-up comedy for years, he became the host of NBC's ''The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, The Tonight Show'' from 1992 until 200 ...
, in his television show, also praised its performance and overall practicality as a sports car.


Accolades

In addition to these accolades, the GT-R has also set
Guinness World Records ''Guinness World Records'', known from its inception in 1955 until 1999 as ''The Guinness Book of Records'' and in previous United States editions as ''The Guinness Book of World Records'', is a British reference book published annually, list ...
for the fastest accelerating four-seater production car, ice speed record for a production car as well as the fastest drift speed record. In 2010, it was named as having one of the best resale values of any sports car by ''
Yahoo! Yahoo (, styled yahoo''!'' in its logo) is an American web portal that provides the search engine Yahoo Search and related services including My Yahoo, Yahoo Mail, Yahoo News, Yahoo Finance, Yahoo Sports, y!entertainment, yahoo!life, and its a ...
''. ''Top Gear'', ''
Auto Express ''Auto Express'' is a weekly motoring magazine sold in the United Kingdom published by Carwow Group. The editor is Paul Barker. History and profile Launched in September 1988, its 1,000th issue was published on 20 February 2008. Its only w ...
'' and ''Car Connection'' entitled the GT-R as one of the best performance cars in 2015. ''Car Connection'', again claimed the GT-R as one of the best performance cars in 2019. In 2021 and 2022, ''Autocar'' and ''Auto Express'' named it as one of the best hardcore sports cars. ''Road & Track'' mentioned the GT-R as one of the best daily drivers, while ''
Evo Magazine ''Evo'' is a British automobile magazine dedicated to performance cars, from hot hatches to supercars published by Carwow. History In 1995, then Harpenden-based farmer and property developer Harry Metcalfe had become involved in car tests for ...
'' claimed it as one of the best coupes in 2022. ''
Carwow Carwow is an online marketplace for buying and selling cars. It uses the reverse marketplace model to remove the need for customers to negotiate with dealers when buying or selling their cars. When buying a new car, users choose the car they wan ...
'' temporarily named the GT-R as one of the best sports cars of 2023. ''Car and Driver'' listed it as one of the best luxury sports cars of 2024.


Motorsport

The GT-R upheld its predecessor's exceptional pedigree in
motorsports Motorsport or motor sport are sporting events, competitions and related activities that primarily involve the use of automobiles, motorcycles, motorboats and powered aircraft An aircraft engine, often referred to as an aero engine, is the po ...
, competing across a range of racing disciplines and attaining success. Notable motorsport achievements came through from its participation in
sports car racing Sports car racing is a form of motorsport road racing that uses sports cars with two seats and enclosed wheels. They may be either purpose-built Sports prototype, sports prototypes, which are the highest level in sports car racing; or grand to ...
, including championship triumphs in the approvingly competitive
FIA GT1 World Championship The FIA GT1 World Championship was a world championship sports car racing series, developed by the Stéphane Ratel Organisation, SRO Group and regulated by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA), that was held from 2010 to 2012. I ...
,
GT World Challenge SRO Motorsports Group (formerly the Stéphane Ratel Organisation) is an international sporting organisation best known for promoting and running a variety of racing events and series, including the CrowdStrike 24 Hours of Spa, Intercontinental GT ...
and in the
Super GT Super GT (stylized as SUPER GT) is a sports car racing series that began in 1993. Launched as the , generally referred to as the All Japan Grand Touring Car Championship (JGTC), the series was renamed to Super GT in 2005. It is the top level of ...
series. As well as in endurance races, consistently vying at the top in the
Bathurst 12 Hour The Bathurst 12 Hour, currently known as the Meguiar's Bathurst 12 Hour for sponsorship reasons, is an annual endurance race for Group GT3, GT and Production car racing, production cars held at the Mount Panorama Circuit, in Bathurst, New South ...
,
Nürburgring 24 Hours The Nürburgring 24 Hours is a 24-hour annual touring car racing, touring car and Grand tourer, GT Endurance racing (motorsport), endurance racing event that takes place on a combination of the Nordschleife ("North Loop") and the GP-Strecke ("Gr ...
,
Spa 24 Hours The 24 Hours of Spa is an endurance racing event for cars held annually since 1924 at the Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps, Stavelot, Belgium. It is currently sponsored by CrowdStrike. History The Spa 24 Hours was conceived by Jules de Their and ...
among others. The car was used as official
safety car In motorsport, a safety car, or a pace car, is a car that limits the speed of competing cars or motorcycles on a racetrack in the case of a ''caution period,'' such as an obstruction on the track or bad weather. The safety car aims to enable the ...
s in numerous motorsport events, such as in the Super GT series, FIA GT1 World Championship,
British Superbike Championship The British Superbike Championship (BSB), known for sponsorship reasons as the Bennetts British Superbike Championship, is a road racing championship for superbike class machines in the United Kingdom and acknowledged as the premier domestic s ...
, and in the
Supercars Championship The Supercars Championship, also known as the Repco Supercars Championship under sponsorship and historically as V8 Supercars, is a touring car racing category in Australia and New Zealand, running as an International Series under Fédération I ...
as well.


References


Further reading

* * *


External links

* (Japan)
Nissan GT-R official global site
{{DEFAULTSORT:Nissan Gt-R GT-R GT-R All-wheel-drive vehicles Coupés Grand tourers 2010s cars 2020s cars Cars introduced in 2007