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 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.

Thus, I give you this Matte Black and Carbon Fiber wrapped Nissan GT-R. It's so understated that it almost becomes overstated, and it takes vehicle styling and mixes it with that of a B-2 Stealth bomber; of course, this particular GT-R comes to us courtesy of the wealthy and mean (mean for a racer, at least) streets of Dubai - the world's newest playground for the exorbitantly wealthy.

The matte black wheels, matte black paint, carbon fiber fascia, splitter, diffuser, and spoiler pieces all come together beautifully with the vehicle's small touches of color -- the seemingly necessary highlights of the GT-R badging and the bronze colored Brembo caliper covers -- to make one gorgeous new GT-R. It's smooth, sleek, and looks like the sort of vehicle that would fit in perfectly in the wind-whipped and sand-blasted realm of the deserts surrounding its home. The carbon fiber exhaust tips (maybe they're an Akrapovic? It would make sense, the sound is right for one) are a great touch. Now, all the driver needs to do to complete the look is get themselves some acrylic light blackout kits.

For further proof of the beauty of the vehicle, also, take notice that the cameraman has focused directly on this very unique GT-R when inside of a Dubai parking garage where the following cars are also visible just within the few seconds of the video itself: multiple Porsche 911's, multiple Land Rovers,  a Mercedes Benz G class, a Mercedes Benz S Class, and a gorgeous red Ferrari. That's millions of dollars within direct vicinity of this GT-R, yet its unique paint scheme and carbon fiber touches really set it apart.

I don't know, personally. I still like the gloss, showcar quality of a well-polished, well-done, metallic coat paint job, but there's something inherently sexy--and inherently Batmobile-esque--of an all-black GT-R, much like the new Black edition, that this Matte Black ride just totally personifies.

What do you think?

EVI Corporation is a custom automotive company that spends its days outfitting vehicles for police forces--particularly for undercover purposes. A few weeks ago, they got in their very first Black Edition 2012 Nissan GT-R (with all of 13 miles on the odometer), and set to turning it in to the ultimate police car. Well, they've done just that, and a Virginia precinct (who will not be named, sadly) has purchased said GT-R.

This isn't the first Police GT-R to hit the streets, but this is definitely the coolest. EVI used a 530HP, Black Edition, 2012 GT-R as their base vehicle and outfitted with all of the police necessities. The flashing lights are hidden in the front headlights and in the front mirror, as well, so this vehicle is truly undercover.

Ultimately, there's not much more to say about this GT-R that hasn't already been said, expect to highlight what a crazy cool cop car it is. I guess it's a true V6 Interceptor, huh? And there's no running from it in any conditions. Here's just to hoping we don't hear about this one being involved in an accident any time soon, and I just want to imagine the look on the first person's face to get busted by this thing. I hope it happens when a ballsy Porsche or Ferrari pulls up next to it on the highway and tries to challenge it to a race. That would be a fun story. (Mostly because the GT-R would not only beat it at the race, but also pull it over).

The German duo of Michael Krumm and Lucas Luhr followed up Saturday's GT1 Qualifying Race victory in the no.23 JRM Racing Nissan GT-R with more of the same in today's Championship Race at Paul Ricard, leading from beginning to end and putting themselves back on top of the GT1 Drivers' Championship standings in the process. The no.21 Sumo Power GT of David Brabham and Jamie Campbell-Walter clinched an excellent fourth place after making up seven grid positions during the course of the race, whilst there were also good drives from Enrique Bernoldi and Nick Catsburg in the no.20 car. The only sour note of the afternoon for Nissan came with the retirement of the luckless no.22 JRM, which encountered suspension problems late on in the race when challenging for third place.
A large number of penalties applied by the race stewards in relation to the Qualifying Race meant a starting grid that bore little resemblance to Saturday's final race positions, with the first placed no.23 JRM the only Nissan to start where it finished. The no.22 and no.21 were both penalised three positions for cutting track corners, although due to similar penalties being incurred by several other cars around them they actually ended up only dropping two places (no.22) and one place (no.21) respectively. This meant that the four GT-Rs started the race in first (no.23 JRM), sixth (no.22 JRM), seventh (no.20 Sumo Power GT) and 11th (no.21 Sumo Power GT) positions.


A clean race start saw Krumm comfortably retain his first position going into the all-important and often incident-packed first corner in the no.23 JRM, with the no.22 and 20 Nissans doing likewise in sixth and seventh. The no.21 Sumo Power GT was the only GT-R to lose a position on the opening lap, falling back one to 12th place, but this would only prove to be a catalyst for some highly-skilled and pulsating driving from Campbell-Walter, who made four excellent passing manoeuvres to leave his car in a comfortable eighth place come the opening of the pit window on 25 minutes.

At the front, having worn the fresh tyres in, the no.23 JRM started to pull away from the chasing no.7 Aston Martin, establishing a four second lead ahead of the mandatory tyre and driver changes, whilst Westbrook's stint behind the wheel saw the no.22 JRM make a good overtaking manoeuvre to come into the pits in fifth.
The main Nissan pit stop beneficiary this time round was the no.21 Sumo Power GT, with some brilliant work by the car's pit crew allowing the fresh behind the wheel Brabham to come out two places up the order in sixth. There were satisfactory stops for the two JRMs, with the no.23 and no.22 JRM retaining first and fifth respectively, whilst the no.20 Sumo Power GT found itself losing a couple of places to come back out in ninth.
The opening stages of the second half of the race saw the no.23's lead to second place slashed to nearly nothing as the no.8 Young Driver Aston Martin, having overtaken it's no.7 team-mate in the pits, managed to close right up to Luhr's tail: there followed several tense laps before the GT-R managed to pull away and build a near two second gap again. Slightly further back, Dumbreck was having a strong drive behind the wheel of the no.22 JRM, easily overtaking the no.41 Ford GT for fourth place, whilst Bernoldi, having closed a substantial gap to the cars in front of him, made two great overtakes in the final quarter of the race, lifting the no.20 Sumo Power GT up into seventh.


Just when everything was looking rosy for Nissan there was to be unfortunate late drama as the no.22 JRM, which has endured a terrible run of bad luck throughout the length of this season's Championship, suffered a suspension problem whilst pushing hard for third place, ending its race challenge instantly. Dumbreck's loss promoted Brabham's into fifth, and the Australian was to go one better and over take the Ford for fourth on the penultimate lap - an astonishing achievement given the no.21's start on the sixth row of the grid. Up ahead meanwhile, Luhr was able to withstand a renewed push from the no.8 Aston Martin in second to claim the no.23 JRM's second GT1 race victory in as many days.

Speaking afterwards, Michael Krumm said: "It's a brilliant feeling to get a double victory here at Paul Ricard and jump back into the lead in the Drivers' Championship - the GT-R felt really great out there, and it handled very comfortably throughout my stint behind the wheel.


"The most important thing for me today was to have a good getaway and get through the first corner without an accident, which I did. As expected, Tomas (Enge) in the following no.7 Aston gave me a very hard time during the first few laps, and it took a while to get the tyre pressures up. However, after about three or four laps I found the grip and I was able to start building a little bit of a gap: I wanted to make as big a gap as I could for the driver change in case anything went wrong. Overall it really has been a perfect weekend - now it's on to the great unknown of China, which we'll obviously be approaching with a lot of confidence."
Michael's team-mate in the no.23 JRM, Lucas Luhr, added: "When I left the pits I had quite a good gap but evidently the no.8 Aston pushed quite hard on his out lap, because I soon saw him coming up behind me in my mirrors and I thought 'this is going to be close!'. After a few laps the tyre pressure came up and then I could control the pace more, but I still didn't want to risk pushing too much, as we saw what can happen with tyre degradation on this track yesterday: I didn't overstretch."


"Once again, Michael and I need to thank the whole team for their hard work, and for giving us the wonderful tools with which we can win races. Two wins is a great feeling!"
Round eight of the GT1 World Championship, in Ordos, China will take place on the weekend of the 3rd - 4th September, 2011.

"Thought I'd share this exciting news about a new GTR race car for the occasional track goers!

All in all, I am very excited about the car but not so much on the price! One more thing I can say that he said it is not the Spec R but i think it is. And oh yeah one last thing that I can add that they might bring a couple of them to sell in the States!"

You can read the full thread here. But as you can guess, everybody has something to say about it. The NISMO nameplate is rarely a cheap one, and if it bears the NISMO plate, it usually means excellent quality at a hefty price. The interesting point here though is the fact that Nissan is even entertaining the idea of customer racing backed by NISMO. A nice change from a few years ago and the tranny woes, (many of which are still pending in courts from the U.S. to Germany) of the first iteration of the R35. A rear roll cage with a wider stance and *GULP* almost 500 pounds shed off the car, would be a particularly palette whetting track monster. Now, if it was street legal… hmm….

Here 's a link to some pictures of the RC by NISMO, just to get an idea of what we might be working with from our article on the GT-R RC.

David Brabham and Jamie Campbell-Walter gave the Sumo Power GT team a well-deserved podium finish in round six of the FIA GT1 World championship, crossing the line in third place as the series visited the relatively new circuit at Navarra in southern Spain.

Due to the second-placed Lamborghini requiring an engine change - out of step with the Championship regulations' timetable - it meant that a five-place grid penalty was applied and, consequently, Campbell-Walter moved up a place to start the Championship Race from third on the grid. Capitalising on his slightly elevated position, he made a perfect start and tucked his GT-R neatly on the inside of the first corner to take second place – much to the delight of the team.

As the first half of the race unfolded, not only did Campbell-Walter consolidate his position, he also pulled out a comfortable margin of four seconds over the third-placed JRM Racing Nissan GT-R of Peter Dumbreck by the time the pit-stop window opened half-way through the race.

"I think that to come away with a fourth and a third is a good outcome for us at this circuit team manager Hiroki Furuse confirmed, "We did not come here thinking we would beat the Lamborghinis, but we almost did! The whole team has worked really hard this weekend to get the cars up to speed and keep them running and I'm delighted to see Jamie and David have a much more successful time of things."

Here are the official standings for the Championship Race and the overall points standings from NISMO:

Championship Race

Current standings after Round 6

The biggest thrill for Dai seems to have been perfecting his driving skills. After his bicycle drifting days, he found he could go faster on a motorcycle, and then eventually perfected his mountain driving experiences behind the wheel of a Toyota Corolla (AE86 chassis). From the days of driving the winding mountain roads of his homeland, he discovered a true passion for driving. This passion, which soon became a thrill seeking escape, became second to "getting a real job." Dai took a number of jobs that any early 20's male could see himself doing, but it wasn't until a friend offered him the opportunity of a lifetime with a trip to the US to drive in a competitive drifting event that his career unexpectedly took off. The stuff of legends and fairy tales. Dai drove the initial Formula D series in 2003 and placed very well in the top 16—by no means an easy feat. Regardless of exactly where he placed, the idea that he was driving trucks a month before, and was now competing on the world stage in the international drifting circuit at the highest level had to have been a mind blowing experience. For the next few years he competed at the highest level consistently placing on the podium in international competition. He now lives in Anaheim as well as Tokyo, and continues to drift a highly modified Nissan 240SX with a V8 engine swap, sponsored by Falken Tires and Discount Tire.

You might be saying to yourself—that's a very inspiring and all, but what does this have to do with my GT-R?

Patience, young grasshopper. The GT-R is a monster of a car on the track. For instance- Jeremy Clarkson of the popular British TV series Top Gear, lost his neck to G-Forces while test driving the car on the track in Japan. This is a man who drives every car you can imagine—and those you can't, on a very regular basis. His job is to test the most powerful and exotic cars on the planet, and the GT-R owned his neck. Pretty impressive. So, when an accomplished driver such as Dai hops behind the wheel of the R-35, you can expect great things to happen.

Now, imagine the GT-R was built and tuned by Mine's. That's right- the tuning giant Mine's of Japan has placed Dai Yoshihara behind the wheel of their highly modified R-35. Not only that, but they've arranged for him to be matched against the Honda tuning giant Spoon- and their NSX-R GT driven by American drifter Tyler McQuarrie. Tyler McQuarrie is no lightweight either when it comes to driving. He's an incredibly accomplished road racer, drifter and time attack driver who has competed all over the planet. The little known GTchannel online video group has put together these two heavyweight tuners and pulled some of the best drivers on the planet to put the two cars to the test in the hills of Buttonwillow. It's always fun to see two great drivers in two great cars go at it head to head. What makes this event even more interesting is the fact that neither driver has had any experience in the cars. So, you get a true sense of who builds an easier car to drive, and who can handle the car better.

Here's the low down dirty on what the Mine's car has in store for your drooling palette:

Engine (VR38DETT): 800ps @ 6,300RPM, 100kg-m @ 4,600RPM – Mine's Super Response Complete Engine (pistons, connecting rods), turbocharger kit, Spec-X 6.0 kit (Mine's VX-ROM Type-X ECU, turbo wastegate actuators, boost controller, HKS spark plugs), 800cc/min fuel injectors, high-flow throttle system, suction pipe kit, intercooler hard pipe kit, VX air filter, racing Silence-VX Pro Titan III exhaust, and Super Catalyzer II

Drivetrain: Mine's prototype clutch

Suspension: Mine's ESTA Full Spec Suspension III coilovers (Sachs 3-way dampers, Hyperco springs) and front/rear stabilizer bars

Brakes: Mine's prototype brake pads

Wheels: RAYS VR G12, 20×10-inch +30 (F), 20×11-inch +15 (R)

Tires: Bridgestone Potenza RE070R, 255/40/20 (F), 285/35/20 (R)

Exterior: Mine's carbon fiber Type II front lip spoiler, Type II hood, Type I trunk, carbon rear wing, carbon doors, carbon bumper protector, side steps, carbon engine cover, carbon fiber antenna cover, quad-light tail illumination kit, and carbon mirror surrounds

This combination of speed and style is a true mark of engineering prowess from one of Japan's top tuners. These guys don't play around. Perhaps one of the most impressive things about the car is the extremely non-flashy approach they've taken by paint matching all of the carbon pieces and only adding their very light gray signature on the side.

The Spoon NSX-R GT is an entirely different beast however, and has been built like a Honda fanatics dream:

Spoon Signature NSX Type-R GT

Engine: Turbo 3.0L Approx. 450HP
Spoon Balanced and Blue printed
Spoon Yellow valve Cover
All internals are Spoon balanced

Transmission: 6-speed manual, LSD Type-R Standard

Wheels: F: TypeR 17"x 7 ½" R: TypeR 17"x 8 ½"

Tires F: 215 40 17 R: 255 40 17 Bridgestone

Exhaust: Spoon Single Exhaust for Turbo

Brakes: Spoon Monoblock Calipers, Spoon Large Rotors, Spoon Brake pads, Spoon Brake lines,

Suspension: Spoon Custom Dampers

Exterior: Air duct Spoon Unicorn and sides air duct, Front Bumper Spoon aero, Rear Bumper, Spoon aero, Dry carbon Fiber trunk, Dry Carbon Door panels.

For more on Daijiro Yoshihara, Tyler McQuarrie or GT Channel visit their websites below:

http://www.daiyoshihara.com/

http://www.tylermcquarrie.com/

http://www.gtchannel.com/

For more on Mine's or Spoon please visit:

http://www.ppi-mines.com/index.html

http://www.spoon.jp/eng/

With the US market becoming more and more familiar with the capabilities of the GT-R, the pool of available cars increases. Since its debut release in 2008 to the US, the numbers have slowly crept up, and there are somewhere in the range of 5,000 GT-R's on US streets. This means that there are an increasing number of used GT-R's, which also means that there are an increasing number of new owners looking to modify their personal Godzilla. What this means for Mine's is an expanding market for their aftermarket parts. Thankfully, they have no problem taking the painstaking time to find the small things on the GT-R that could use a little aftermarket helping hand. What they have done so far, that bears at least a worthy mention is decode the factory ECU, and now offer a re-mapped and tuned ECU for our beloved monsters under the name of VX-ROM Performance Tuning Computer. This little guy removes the speed limiting function, adjusts both the air/fuel ratio and the ignition timing, remaps the boost map, modifies the variable valve timing, and leaves a significant safety margin to keep you and you're engine safe. This computer comes mapped for the US and is intended to be used with 92 octane pump gas, while also keeping all factory functions in place (think anti-theft, immobilizer, etc…).

So, if that doesn't impress you, and if you feel as if your throttle response could use a little help, sit tight. Mine's has taken the time to remove the factory throttle bodies, determine they could use a few more millimeters and some smoother surfaces to breathe that much better for an increased throttle response. So, after taking in the fact that Mine's found an area to improve in, just take a look at how different the stock pieces look next to the Mine's pieces. The interior of the factory throttle bodies has been machined using a diamond tipped tool to create a flawless finish with a perfect "venturi shape." These add a couple extra horses, and increased response, and after the addition of an exhaust, and especially an intake, you're looking at somewhere in the neighborhood of a 50 horse gain to be had. Pretty impressive gains (with minor bolt-ons) on a motor that is already had a very stout tune from the factory. Mine's has even gone so far as to minimize drag on the butterfly plates by using low profile screws. This attention to detail is what separates Mine's from the rest. They also have put out an array of beautifully crafted pieces of dry carbon fiber goods for our cars. They make everything from wings, sideskirts and hoods to engine covers and radiator shrouds as well as a host of exhaust and induction pieces- most out of Titanium. Be sure to keep an eye on these guys as time goes on, I guarantee that they'll be putting out more impressive stuff for our little city stompers.