2013 Nissan GT-R Pricing Released
Nissan Has Released Official U.S. Pricing for the 2013 GT-R
For 2013 Nissan will release two different trim levels of the Nissan GT-R R35 Stateside: the GT-R Premium--the standard GT-R Model--and the suped up GT-R Black Edition. The Black Edition, which I've gone over extensively in prior posts, features lightweight black forged aluminum RAYS wheels, unique red and black interior, Recaro leather-appointed seats and a new dry processed and vacuum formed carbon fiber rear spoiler.
The two models will begin retailing at the MSRPs of:
GT-R Premium: $96,820
GT-R Black : $106,320
The base price for the Premium sees a healthy hike of $6870 over the 2012 MSRP of $89950, and the premium paid for the Black Edition over the 2012 comparable trim level is a raise of more than $11k. Of course, with this healthy rise in price, the consumer also gains some healthy benefits. Chief amongst those benefits is an increase of 15HP and 15lb.-ft of torque over the 2012 GT-R counterpart. This power comes with increased transmission efficiency as well.
The gains to performance don't stop with increased HP and Torque numbers, either. The 2013 Nissan GT-R R35 features a retuned suspension that has been adjusted and optimized for track performance. The braking system is upgraded some also, and the 2013 GT-R R35 features Brembo full-floating cross-drilled rotors, low steel high stiffness brake pads and Brembo monoblock six-piston front and four-piston rear calipers.
For those people who like their supercar with some luxury, the 2013 R35 isn't focused solely on performance, either. The primary interior upgrade is found in the GT-R's audio system, which now features a standard 11-speaker Bose surround sound system that utilizes rigid diecast steel panels for improved mounting and stability. The Nissan GT-R R35 also features an upgraded Rearview screen, Bluetooth integrated hands-free phone support, and real-time traffic and weather updates with optional XM subscription.
Nismo GT3 GT-R Unveiled, to Hit Dubai 24 Hour Track
Nissan Motorsports Announces FIA GT3 GT-R R35
NISMO has finally unveiled a special track edition for the R35 GT-R that meets all FIA GT-3 qualifications and will begin its racing life at the Dubai 24 Hour Track.
NISMO teamed up with JR Motorsports to produce a special track version of the world-renowned r35 GT-R that would be FIA GT3 race compliant, and the results are impressive. With more than a full year's work between the two groups, they've finally hammered out a final product that is sure to take the GT3 World Race circuit by storm.
This new GT3 GT-R is powered by a modified version of the same 3.8L TT V6 engine found in the stock vehicle that will deliver 523 HP to the wheels at 6400 RPM via a modified six-speed rear wheel transaxle controlled through semi-automatic paddle shifters.
The GT3 Version of the GT-R was designed with both the track and the customer in mind, and NISMO took their time with this one to ensure that it had both performance and driveability. To allow for this, they enhanced the chassis for greater inspiration of confidence to those behind the wheel and then allowed for adjustable suspension set-up and driver controls so that whoever is behind the wheel can ensure the vehicle meets their track needs.
This new GT3 race compliant GT-R iteration was first unveiled on Thursday, January 12th at the Autosport International Exhibition (AIE) and Show in the UK. The immediate reception was extremely favorable, as crowds tended to be impressed both by the vehicle's performance potential as well as its obvious, stylistic, modifications suitable for a GT3 course.
To further show off the vehicle's potential, once the GT-R GT3 finishes his showing at the AIE, Nismo will be taking it to the Dubai 24 Hour for competition. There, the GT3 GT-R has already qualified for third on the grid--where the first two spots are occupied by GT3 Ferraris. For the Dubai 24 Hour race, the GT3 GT-R will feature an all-star team comprised of some of last year's world wide GT-R race winners: Michael Krumm, Alex Buncombe, Tom Kimber-Smith and Franck Malliaux. The NISMO GT3 GT-R will feature, prominently, the number 32 for the race.
Of course, things aren't always golden. Yesterday, Michael Krumm--who will be the first driver behind the wheel of the GT-R in the Dubai 24 Hour set to begin today--was quoted as having said “We had a tough start today as we had a few problems with the car but the guys did a great job to get it ready for qualifying.” Thankfully, the team of GT-R engineers that were on hand for NISMO took care of issues, and Krumm closed out with the statement, “The car worked very well and I am very impressed with the engine in particular. I love the GT-Rand I love it even more now. We just need to keep it all together for the long race tomorrow.”
Best of luck to those guys today as they show off the GT-R's capabilities in the GT3 races.
Now, if you want to own a GT3 ready GT-R, produced directly by NISMO for such an occasion, you'll soon be able to. NISMO themselves will be directly responsible for sales and all customer support on their GT3 GT-R in the major markets of: Japan, Asia, North America, South America, and Oceania. For those in Europe, Russia, and the Middle East, NISMO's partner JRM will be handling all distribution and support. Pricing has not yet been officially announced.
Awesome Video Find: Supercar Showdown
Best Motoring, one of Japan's most popular automotive media outlets, recently decided to put on a supercar showdown, and the results are fun in any language.
The showdown pits a 2011 (2012 in the U.S.) GT-R against a Lexus LFA, a Porsche 911 GT2RS, a Corvette ZR1, and a Ferrari 430F1 against one another for a three lap race on the famed Japanese Fuji Raceway. The dialog is all in Japanese, but when cars like this are racing, that doesn't matter does it? The vehicles all give a great showing, even though the GT-R's launch right around the Ferrari at the beginning of the race is one of the more impressive things I've seen in a long time. I'm used to seeing differences in acceleration like that between the GT-R and other vehicles, but never in a manner like this, where the GT-R is forced to go wide around a Ferrari within the first few seconds of the race because its get up and go is just that much more impressive. Not a vehicle to trifled with.
Ultimately, it's a fun race and a great video worth a watch. Hope you enjoy the results as much as I did!
2012 GT-R 0-62mph (0-100kmh) run.
One of the benchmarks of determining a vehicle's performance is its 0-100kmph (or, 0-60 MPH, in America) time. The GT-R has always had impressive numbers in this department, too, in large part thanks to its incredible, torque-delivering boost-controlled all wheel drive performance and fantastic HP numbers. Of course, those fantastic times weren't enough for Nissan, and with their focus on the next iteration of the R35 being to take one of the world's most incredibly performing vehicles and make it even more impressive, it was a given that more insane numbers would begin to be posted. That is where Nissan engineers come in to play.
The engineers over at Nissan saw the numbers their competitors were posting and decided they needed to boost their output to stay ahead of the competition, and they've done just that. Now, we're getting official Nissan numbers to show just how they are, also. So, Nissan took Porsche's 911.2 Turbo sub 3.4 second 0-100 KM/H time to mind, and completely obliterated it. They beat that number so badly, in fact, that they're competing with Porsche's next step up, and are putting down 0-100 KM/H times that best the Porsche 911 Turbo S Special edition. How quickly is the GT-R making this run, you ask? How about an almost even 3 seconds! That's right, the 2012 Nissan GT-R is running the 0-100 KM/H (0-60MPH) in 3.046 seconds!
Making those numbers even more impressive are the conditions under which it was achieved. At just 13 degrees Celsius (about 56 Fahrenheit), the vehicle has a lot of room to improve in warmer, dryer conditions, when the wheels will grip the pavement even better. That means that the 2012 Nissan GT-R should be very capable of posting sub 3 second 0-100KM/H times! Those numbers are not just impressive: they're downright insane. So insane, in fact, that I felt it necessary to provide video evidence of the feat. So, behold, the Nissan Development and Engineering team (with a number of presumably important people on hand, such as the GT-R's lead engineer Kazutoshi Mizuno-san) taking their newly DBA-R35 Powered GT-R out for some fun on the tracks at the Sendai Highlands. If this doesn't leave you either speechless or drooling, you may be a hopeless lost cause.
2012 Nissan GT-R Claims 7:24 Nurburgring Wet Run
Nissan is keeping quiet on their new GT-R. Or, at least, they're supposed to be. According to MotorTrend, a member of the Nissan GT-R development team approached them with too much excitement to keep absolutely mum, and said that the 2012 GT-R has been on the Nurburgring for a bit now, and that it was running consistent 7:24 times in wet conditions! That's a full 2 seconds faster than the previous R35's best dry run, and means that on a dry day, the vehicle could make it in to the low 7:20s, or maybe even below them, as the driver gets a greater feel for it.
Of course, if Nissan wants to keep themselves ahead of the competitive curve, they'll need to find a way to post a 7:18 time on the Ring, the time recently posted by the new Porsche 911 GT2 RS. That time marked it as the quickest (non-special permission and order based) production vehicle around the Ring, and gave it top bragging rights against its competition. Of course, as history has shown, Nissan is very rarely content with being second best when it comes to their Nissan GT-R, and you can be almost certain they'll push the GT-R to its limits to best that Porsche time. If the standard GT-R can't do it (and, seriously, we would be foolish to doubt them) then their special edition Club GT-R, which is being built to be lighter and more agile, should certainly be able to do that. I guess we'll have to wait and see what the official time Nissan releases is on a dry-condition run. I imagine, again, that we'll all be very impressed.
Of course, we have to take these manufacturer times with a grain of salt. Each run is done on different days by different drivers, and as result there are numerous variables. I'd love to see a magazine (with a lot more $$ than this lowly blogger has) get a few vehicles of this caliber and take them to the Ring on the same day, and have the same driver give them all a spin. A guest driver, someone like the Stig maybe, would be great, as it would add more interest to the event itself. Can you imagine that, though, honestly? A Corvette ZR1, A Porsche GT2 RS, a Viper ACRX, and a GT-R R35 all going head-to-head to tear up the Ring. I imagine the GT-R would come in well ahead of its competition in such a comparison, but, until such a track day is done, that's just speculation.
AMS Alpha 9 GT-R: A Revolution #9
The Nissan GT-R is already one of the premiere performance machines on the planet. The AWD, high HP and Torque, and incredible driving experience it provides make it an unparalleled vehicle, so it's always great to see what can become of it when heavily tuned and modified. AMS recently took a swing at making the best even better, and the results are more than impressive.
This performance package is truly a revolution of power. By utilizing custom-built AMS billet wheel ball-bearing turbos, the Alpha 9 package from AMS promises 800 HP with pump gas, and a beautiful 900 horse with race gas. These performance numbers are good for a 10.1 second 1/4mile at 138mph, and a true, verified, 9 second 1/4 mile run! 9 seconds! The package doesn't stop at the turbos, either. The high-power output requires greater flow, and to meet those demands AMS also includes a custom 3.5" AMS Exhaust system, and 76mm free-flow intercooler piping. These improved systems help aid the turbos to breathe better and perform more efficiently. The best part about the package is that it doesn't change too much over the stock, so your GT-R will keep its gorgeous look and quality, and become an absolute asphalt-eating monster.
The kit isn't cheap, but, then again, when is performance like this ever affordable? At $22k, the 420HP increase seems like a reasonable trade-off, though. Of course, if you're crazy (or, maybe, an astronaut) and this power isn't enough for you, you can turn your GT-R in to a veritable rocket ship with the Alpha 10 and Alpha 12 packages that AMS is currently developing. Those packages promise to give more power than any man will now what to do with, and, consequently, the most fun a person can conceivably have on four wheels. So, check out the dyno results and the videos below, and begin coveting thy neighbor's car!
Akrapovic GT-R Exhaust
I know that the big news concerning the Nissan GT-R right now is all about the Egoist, but I got to see a new exhaust this weekend that I wanted to share with you guys.
I don't know if you've ever heard of Akrapovic Exhausts. Before Saturday, I myself had not. They're a Slovenian exhaust company who make high-end, all-titanium, incredible exhaust systems for the greatest race cars on earth. This list is, of course, topped by the Nissan GT-R. Well, I was at a show with my Nissan GT-R when a local driver came by with his Godzilla, and I was immediately amazed by the noise. My GT-R is outfitted with a Mine's exhaust, and I thought I was pretty cool for that. I love the way it sounds and I love the way it looks, but this Akrapovic GTR EVO Exhaust was something above and beyond. The tips, crafted from both titanium and dry-carbon fiber, is absolutely gorgeous looking. The sound of the exhaust is fantastic as well. The loud tone and gorgeous, full, rich quality of it reminded me, immediately, of listening to the vehicles at an F-1 Race drive by. It is aggressive, but incredibly clean. After a bit of conversation, and awe on my part, I was invited back to my new friend's garage (where he has his own lift) to get under the car and check the system out. It is clean, smooth, and still: beautiful. The welds are all flawless, and the quality is unmistakable.
Akrapovic GTR Exhaust
Some more conversation passed, and we decided the next day we would go for a drive together. Out on the road, in full bore on a drive by, the tone is even more impressive. It's not super loud, I wouldn't say that, but it's super aggressive. I then got inside of his GT-R and rode around for a bit: silence. With the windows up, there was no noticeable cabin drone. We then rolled down the windows and enjoyed the tone itself. This was all I needed to know.
That evening, I went home, and went online to see what sort of damage an exhaust of this caliber would run me. It's hard to find. Very very hard to find. Some research showed that they seem to be an exclusive company and only allow very specific vendors the rights to sell their products. Then I came across one, (and one I've mentioned before, months back) who apparently had the rights to carry the Akrapovic line: Southern Car Parts. The guys there are great, and I spoke with David yesterday, who helped me immensely. After reading some more about the system, I was amazed by how light-weight it is. The exhaust saves over 17kg beyond the stock. My Mine's titanium saves about 12, which is already a big difference. The price isn't nearly as ridiculous as I had imagined for a system of this quality either. SCP has it listed at $6460, which seems to be exactly what all other companies sell it at. So, if you're in the market for a new exhaust, I would highly highly recommend this one for you. I have not been nearly this impressed on first listen to an exhaust in a long long time, and think it's totally worth a look. Once again, that's Akrapovic, and whoever these guys are, their quality is unbeatable!
Akrapovic GTR Exhaust
Nissan GT-R Egoist
If the Nissan GT-R doesn't boost your vehicular ego enough as it is, the next iteration seems to be designed to do just that. Buzzing the internet for the last few days, real information has come out from Nissan Japan concerning their Spec-M and the Nissan GT-R's future. We've seen the visual touches that are occurring. The new, LED-adorned front fascia is a thing of eye-catching beauty, while the new carbon fiber rear diffuser is a more subtle stylistic touch. The wheels, 20" works of art they are, are being redesigned to eschew themselves from the subtle side of visual flair back to the radical and aggressive. And, above all else, the car which was already a performance power-house is getting a bit of a boost. A very good bit of a boost. The vehicle will definitely cross the 500HP thresh hold, but by how much is a question. Some people with "source information" are claiming as much as 545, although 530 seems to be the safest bet at this point. That's right: 530 HP is a safe bet. So, you take the most impressive automotive machine in production right now (at least, the most impressive with a price tag under a quarter million), give it some more get-up-n-go, and adorn it with lighter weight, truly beautiful, exterior modifications and what do you have? You have the Egoist.
Yeah, you read that right: the Egoist. This car is meant to not only strike fear in the hearts of others but to also make you puff out your chest with pride and add a little more swagger to your step. Of course, the GT-R already does that, but with 530HP now, it will undoubtedly do so even more. Especially considering that the current GT-R boasts 485 power, so this is no small jump. 485 to 530 is a big difference, and will definitely shave large chunks of time off of the GT-Rs already unbelievably impressive performance numbers. Wow. This is exciting, and I can't wait for the official announcements and numbers.
Mine’s GT-R Products
Well, Mine's is and has been one of Japan's premiere vehicle performance tuning shops, and the work they have been doing with the Nissan GT-R R35 is absolutely incredible. They offer full dry carbon fiber body modification for the Nissan GT-R, as well as fantastic performance upgrade pieces.
Their full ESTA suspension kits offer some of the very best components available in one solid, well-tuned package, and the numbers on the Mine's Titanium VX II Pro Exhaust system for the Nissan GT-R are absolutely incredible. While the Mine's equipment is expensive, it is not like this for no particular reason. The reviews across the board on the Mine's products have been exceptional, and most people claim that the pieces themselves are more than worth the money spent on them.
I'm looking at purchasing one of the VX II Pro Titanium exhausts for myself now, after having seen and heard just how incredible a system it is.
The aerodynamic body pieces designed by Mine's are certain to cut down on track times as well. Coupled with their VX-Rom, VX II Exhaust, Super Catalyzer, and Improved Intake system, you're looking at getting 60+ HP on the GTR. Add to that some 200+ pounds weight reduction from all of their weight reducing products, and you're looking at making one of the most incredible cars ever produced a nearly unstoppable racing force. Mine's is certainly a good company to go with also, as their experience and name guarantee you're getting the very best of the best. Their GT-R R35 line was just finished, and is being carried in America by very few places. I found the Mines Nissan GTR Parts at Southern Car Parts for what appears to be less than any other competitor out there. The SCP guys also seem to have the entire Mine's product line available, as well as a number of other GT-R products, making them a certain go-to for future GT-R performance part purchases.
Mine's and the Nissan GT-R R35, a match made in heaven it would seem!
GT-R Named World Performance Car, but we all already knew this without the award.
Nissan GT-R awarded 2009 World Performance Car
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Baku. Nijat Mustafayev – APA-ECONOMICS. The Nissan GT-R was awarded the 2009 World Performance Car award during the New York International Auto Show. The GT-R was chosen from a field of 23 cars that included the Porsche 911 Carrera and the Corvette ZR1, said Nurgun Motors, the official distributor of Nissan in Azerbaijan.
The winner was judged by fifty-nine World Car jurors from twenty-five countries. The jurors observed that, “The Nissan GT-R stole the headlines in the sports car world in 2008. This GT-R – the R35 – throws even former GT-Rs into the weeds via an all-new 3.8-liter bi-turbo V-6 providing 480 horsepower and 430 pound-feet of torque. The drive of the GT-R, especially on a track, reveals an incredibly flexible all-wheel-drive chassis that lays down the rubber whenever you request it. Acceleration to 60 mph from a stop takes just 3.5 seconds, or a tick behind fellow Performance finalist the Corvette ZR1.”
The GT-R was also chosen “2009 Motor Trend Car of the Year” and “2009 Automobile of the Year” by Automobile Magazine. The GT-R also received top honours from Automobile for “Design of the Year,” “Man of the Year,” and “Technology of the Year.
Source:APA