Nissan Germany’s Guerrilla Marketing Campaign for the Porsche-Killer GT-R
Nissan Germany recently went to the streets with a new, aggressive, and very interesting marketing campaign. Some people have criticized it for being over-the-top, and too much by the Japanese car company, but in Porsche company it feels like a pretty brilliant idea to me. Also, it's harmless, and funny. I can't imagine the Porsche owners who were targeted by the campaign were particularly upset by the stunt, so, the internet outrage that has started to grow in some circles seems a little unwarranted. I figured I'd share it though, in case you haven't seen it yet, because again, it's a ton of fun. The reactions from the Porsche owners (and I'm doing what I can to not give away the trick of the campaign yet) are pretty hilarious.
Check it out for yourself:
2012 Nissan GT-R Reviews
Well, last week we gave our own take on the Nissan GT-R based on the write-ups of the various automotive journalists who have been lucky enough to be able to test drive the 2012 Nissan GT-R thus far. Well, I've rounded up a collection of videos, posted by various automotive sources, that highlight the 2012 R35 in all of its glory. The different times and numbers posted by the various drivers show a pretty great range of the vehicle's abilities (from 2.9 to 3.1 seconds on the 0-60, so nobody was much of a slouch with this vehicle beneath their feet), and the final video gives a pretty fantastic look of the R35 going around the famous Buttonwillow track from inside the vehicle. All in all, they're a lot of fun to watch, and only make me want a new 2012 GT-R R35 even more than I did before.
2012 Nissan GT-R (R-35 MY12 M/C)
For a privileged few in the upper echelon of the automotive media world, the opportunity presented itself to scoot around Buttonwillow Raceway Park in the new 2012 GT-R. The forecasters in the blogosphere are predicting a Godzilla sized storm with heavy thunder and blistering acceleration with an added chance of personality. The impressions are overall very good, and in short the consensus is the new GT-R has more power, markedly better at-the-limit handling, and a few very minor aesthetic tweaks inside and out. Along with the upgrades, Nissan has announced the unveiling of a "Black 
Edition" which offers Recaro seats with black and red trim, six spoke Ray's Engineering wheels, and unique colors at a MSRP of $96,100 USD.
Pretty Things
As far as exterior styling, generally speaking the 2012 R-35 remains mostly unaltered. None of the metal body panels have been changed. The only major differences appear to be the Audi-style LED running lights that have become so prominent on sports/luxury cars in the past few years, and a new front and rear fascia. Now, instead of the happy smiling grill, we have a frowning grill, and the rear fascia has been updated with a pronounced rear diffuser, dropping the drag coefficient to 0.26 over the previous 0.27, while at the same time improving downforce by 10%. The front grill has been redesigned to send more air around the side of the body to aid in cooling the larger brakes more efficiently. There have also been a few tweaks to the rear fascia. Newly added are two small air exhausts, presumably to aid in aerodynamics and cooling as well as appearance, as it seems the shift in looks seems to be fueled by the desire to slightly differentiate this year from the previous years.
Stiff Stuff
As far as structural rigidity, the car has been improved by way of a carbon composite front strut brace applied directly above the towers and to the firewall to help with diagonal torsion of the chassis during high speed cornering and bumps. It has been brought up by many a reviewer over the past few years that the GT-R rides slightly on the harsh side and tends to be a bit squirrely during at-the-limit driving, but this minor flaw has not gone unnoticed by the engineers at Nissan. Apparently the whole ride has been tweaked with the goal of significantly bettering "spirited driving" comfort and handling. Nissan has opted for new Bilstein aluminum piston shocks for less friction internally, and they've been mounted further aft on the lower control arms for increased caster. The caster has been increased from five degrees to six degrees improving steering response. Overall, the impression of the new suspension set up is that it is greatly improved over the previous model. And along with new shocks, brakes and braces, Nissan has decided to change tires as well. Previous models were rolling on Bridgestone Potenza RE070A or Dunlop SP Sport GT600 tires, but every '12 model worldwide will be running Dunlop SP Sport Maxx GT600 run flat tires. The decision is also handling-based as the tires provide massive amounts of lateral grip when warmed up, but with the unfortunate downside of being slick when cold and noisy all the time. Nissan's handymen have also bumped the brakes up 
from a healthy 15 inch rotor to an astounding 15.4 inch rotor. These are showcased behind a new set of ten spoke wheels, that not only offer a new look but shave 6.6lbs off of the cars weight.
Power
Kazutoshi Mizuno, Chief Engineer for the R-35, put the car on a 3 year timeline when it was introduced remarking that he was happy with how the car initially turned out, but that in 3 years we would see the full potential of the car. Three years since Godzilla Pt. IV debuted on U.S. soil, we have seen the aftermarket hastily accept the new beast, a much anticipated release in the US domestic market, and a well received public opinion of the new platform. As of this model year release, we have also seen what sufficient amounts of R&D (particularly in a certain part of Europe…namely Germany, can anyone guess? Starts with an N…) can do in terms of refining what was already a viciously powerful robot, and turning it into a refined, powerful, better handling supercar. For 2012 Mizuno-san has upped the power from 485 bhp at 6400 RPM, to an even more monstrous 530 bhp at 6400 RPM, thanks to a bump in boost pressure from 0.75 bar (10.8 psi), to 0.90 bar (13 psi). This added bump in the pony department also comes with a nice nudge in the torque department as well- up from 434 lb/ft at 3400 RPM, to a 448 lb/ft at 6000 RPM. Why so much higher in the RPM cycle you might ask? Be not alarmed as Yoda-san might say. The higher RPM maximum peak torque does not come with the dreaded lag that you might fear. The car utilizes the same IHI turbos, only with a larger inlet and a better breathing exhaust, that combine with newly revised engine management for a higher RPM that the maximum torque peak occurs. Apparently this just means that everything happens just the same, but better and stronger. Along with this newfound display of power, the overall 0-60 MPH (0-100 KPH) drops to the extremely impressive 3 flat second range. Depending on how you measure 0-60 times (roll out included or not included), the 2.9X time might be attainable if all conditions were perfect and a good driver was in the cockpit. Meanwhile, speaking of dropping clutches and launching hard, Nissan has upped the ante again, and instead of their Launch Control version 4 they have introduced a refined system they are calling R-Mode Start. The Achilles' heel of the beast has so far proven to be launch control and VDC deactivation with a mounting number of voided warranties tarnishing the reputation that Nissan has worked so hard to achieve. With the new system, they have narrowed the path to success and hopefully started a newly turned leaf in the launch quest. It surely proves faster off the line than the previous years. From what we can discern from the lucky fellows at Buttonwillow, the car slips the clutch instead 
of a deathly clutch dump, as seen in the first generation launch control. This allows for a seamless launch sans wheelspin and not an entirely brutal shock to the drivetrain. Early in the press hyping stages, Nissan advertised the miraculous 2.886 second rocket to 60 miles per hour. Quite impressive, but seems to not have been replicated since that initial showcase. Regardless of whether the jaunt is 2.886 seconds or 3.1 seconds, we do know that either way- the 2012 GT-R is astonishingly quick off the line- even more so than its last model year.
Low Down Dirty
As far as the new GT-R stacking up against the competition, Inside Line has run an great set of tests, as they always do with each new car they review and stacked up Godzilla with some of the (more expensive) competition. The '12 GT-R ran the quarter mile in 11.1 @ 124.1 MPH, and the slalom test was run at 74.7 MPH with VDC disabled and 74.2 MPH with VDC enabled. This rivaled their production car record where the Porsche GT3 and GT3 RS both run their slalom test at 75.3 MPH. For comparison, the 2012 Nissan GT-R MSRP Black Edition is $96,100, and the 2012 Porsche GT3 RS MSRP is $135,500. Just for giggles, we'll say that a track day at Buttonwillow (or most any major circuits) costs $250 (also on the high side) a day with a club, and we'll say that you get 4 hours of track time per day, conservatively. That's 630 hours of track time to drive better than the Porsche driver that spent his extra forty grand simply on the car. So, all in all whether you think that the Porsche is a better car or that the GT-R and its lesser price tag aren't worthy of the same treatment, I'm sure everyone down at the track will be interested to see where the chips fall. Let the competition begin.
2012 money shot (note: carbon brace behind engine against firewall to above strut towers)
Akrapovic Titanium Exhaust for the Nissan GT-R
When your car is as incredible as the Nissan GT-R, it can be hard to find a modification piece worthy of the vehicle. When it comes to exhaust systems, there are a lot of options out there too, so what exactly should you be looking for? Weight, performance, sound, visual appearance? How about all four.
The Akrapovic Evo exhaust for the Nissan GT-R is a rarity in the fact that it delivers incredible benefits in all 4 departments there, that no other exhaust can really equal.
Weight
The GT-R is a heavy car, we know this. This is, in fact, about the only real knock on the vehicle that exists. It's heavy, alright, we get that, how do we get past that? A great place to shed some weight is in the exhaust. The stock exhaust weighs over 65 pounds, and by switching to a full titanium exhaust system (Like the Akrapovic EVO) you're able to shed more than half of that weight. The EVO weighs 38.5 pounds less than the stock exhaust, and comes in at right around 30 pounds on its own as a complete system. That's a lot of weight to save, especially when you consider the HP and Torque boosts that the system provides.
Performance
So, you're saving weight and adding HP, what does this mean for the vehicle's performance? Well, for one, it means the car will be a lot quicker. The Akrapovic exhaust offers a published 17 extra HP (even though independent dyno numbers are posted in forums a lot that show as much as 31HP extra). If you assume that you'll get exactly the published bonuses, that means your vehicle will lose 38.5 pounds and gain 17 HP, which takes its HP/LB ratio from the stock 1HP for each 7.2 LBS to a much more impressive 1HP/7.8LBs. That's a half a pound per HP that's shaved by switching to an Akrapovic exhaust.
Couple those HP numbers with the Torque bonuses that the Akrapovic provides, and you'll see something even more impressive. Akrapovic published Torque numbers of 41 lbs/ft, and those numbers tend to fall right in line with independt dynos on various forum posts (I've seen 37-45 lbs/ft torque posted). When comparing that to the vehicle's weight, you'll see another impressive picture. The stock 2010 GT-R provides 434 lbs/ft, for a Torque:Weight ratio of 1:8.75. When you add in the extra Torque of the Akrapovic exhaust, and remove the extra weight, that ratio changes to 1:8. That changes your ratio by a full 3/4 of a pound, and should really help provide a lot more pick-up and go performance, which is amazing when you consider how much get up and go the GT-R already has.
Sound
Nobody ever complains about the way the GT-R sounds, do they? The vehicle is an absolute beast, with a powerful exhaust note that tears apart the road beneath it. But what if you could make your GT-R sound even meaner? The Akrapovic exhaust does just that. With a louder exhaust volume, and an exhaust tone that sounds like it belongs on a Formula 1 racing ring (or the Nurburgring, if you want to get specific). The Akrapovic takes the steady exhaust crescendo of the GT-R and really opens it up. Of course, it's hard to describe an exhaust tone, so I'll just post some Akrapovic videos and let you hear this one for yourself.
Appearance
I know, I know, an exhaust doesn't change the overall appearance of a vehicle that much when it's driven... usually. The Akrapovic EVO Exhaust for the Nissan GT-R does a magnificent job of improving that appearance, though, as it comes outfitted with large, quad tips in your choice of either titanium or carbon fiber. The tips are all double-rolled edges, and give a fantastic aftermarket appearance to your GT-R that's equal parts subtle and style. The large, well-finished, and attractive tips really draw the eye to the back-end of the GT-R in the same way that the exhaust's tone will draw the ear, making them a perfect compliment for the rest of the vehicle.They really achieve this look, also, by acting as a near-mirror image to the GT-R's taillights and giving the rear of the car a powerful visual motif.
Nissan GT-R Laps Potrero de los Funes Circuit
Well, the FIA GT1 race circuit is hitting it's year end this weekend at the Potrero de los Funes Circuit, which is a gorgeous track in San Luis, Argentina that is put together from what are normally public mountain roads around the Lake Potrero de los Funes. This circuit course is a very fast and very challenging run, and always makes for a great race. With that in mind, there's probably no better car for driving around it than the Nissan GT-R.
In this video, you get a first eye view of what it's like to be behind the wheel of Nissan GT-R on a professional circuit course--something that most everybody can, and does, only dream about. The man driving the Nissan GT-R (which is, interestingly enough, the course's Safety Car) is none other than Sumo Power's veteran driver, Warren Hughes. Warren does a fantastic job snaking his way through the difficult course and around some other service vehicles, and provides a great look and great narration at what the track and the GT-R have to offer.
If you're interested in watching the final race of the FIA GT series, it will be airing tomorrow, 12/12, on SPEED channel starting at 12:30pm EST.
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.
AMS Alpha 10 Goes Faster!
Recently I shared with you a story about a modified R35 that ran the 1/4 mile in 9.33 seconds. That R35 GT-R was the AMS Alpha 10, and it was an absolute sight to behold. Amazingly, though, the vehicle had some more oomph in it. Now, the crew over at AMS, has taken that same vehicle and run a quicker 1/4 Mile with it. Yeah, that's right, it goes faster. They just released video footage of them tearing through a 1/4 Mile run in 9.19 seconds at 163 MPH. Holy %$*&! Those numbers are damn impressive, and I'm sure the AMS guys wont rest there. They're very close to the fabled 8-second territory now, and I can't imagine that that's too far off. So, watch this GT-R tear it up, and dream about what an 8 second GT-R looks like and how you can get one.
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.
2012 Nissan GT-R To Be Unveiled at LA Auto Show
The 2012 Nissan GT-R was recently debuted in Japan, and will soon be hitting American shores as well. Announced by Nissan, the GT-R will be making its American debut at the LA Auto Show in November. At the auto show American audiences will be able to get their first glimpse at the newly revamped and modified GT-R, which boasts many new features.
Externally, the vehicle looks very very similar to its 2011 brother. Some minor changes have been made visually (slight variations on the wheels, colors available, and under-chassis options) but its the engine output performance numbers that are generating the most buzz. The GT-R is already among the most impressively fast and powerfully quick cars in production today, and Nissan has retooled its brilliant Twin-Turbo V6 to deliver even more power. The HP and Torque numbers are being bumped up from their current 485HP/434 Torque to an even more impressive (reported) 523HP/452Torque. Combining that newfound power with a bevy of suspension alterations to improve the GT-R's already world-class handling only works to ensure that this vehicle will continue to break time records on tracks all around the world. Nissan has something very very special with their GT-R, and it's nice to see that they're very committed to keeping it that way.
Nissan GT-R Egoist Official Release in Japan
I wont begin to pretend that EGOIST is a good name for a car. And I know that when it was announced, a lot of people laughed at the very idea of driving a vehicle with that badge, but the car is official, it's released, and it looks really good. And, yes, it does have an EGOIST badge on the back, right below the GT-R Emblem.
The badge does look pretty, though. Pretty is the name of the game with the GT-R Egoist, too. Originally billed as the Spec-M, the GT-R Egoist is meant to combine the Nissan GT-R performance (which is top of the line) with incredibly beautiful styling. The exterior is already gorgeous, we know that, so Nissan put their focus on the interior of the GT-R, and they did a fantastic job with it. With 20 different interior leather options, a custom lacquer made steering wheel emblem, and other small visual details through-out the vehicle, the GT-R Egoist has style to put Porsches and Aston Martins to shame (just like its performance does!). These touches aren't just gorgeous, either. The lacquer work is done by renowned lacquerware artist Sakae Kubota of Japan, and the leather is hand-selected and hand-stitched by German leather masters Seton company. And, just as a fine wine gets better with age, so will the interior, as the Lacquerware is designed to age to bring out its deeper tones. This is achieved through a silverdust paint application applied to it.
The complete BOSE stereo system is also tuned to specifically match the GT-R purchaser, so that it optimizes its sound for exactly where the driver will be sitting. This fancy touch seems like a fantastic means of being able to hear your stereo well without having to turn it up so loud that you tune out the sound of the incredible exhaust.
As far as performance touches are concerned, the EGOIST doesn't offer much there. This upgrade of the GT-R is being made solely for the luxury aspect, it would seem (I mean, yes, it's still a GT-R and is still faster than much anything else you'll ever encounter on the road). The EGOIST only takes three performance cues from the Spec-V, but they're nice, and all of them add to the over-all visual appearance of the vehicle too. They are:
- 20″ Rays forged aluminium wheels (available in a new Blue Sword Chrome color)
- Titanium Exhaust system
- Carbon Fibre rear spoiler (manufactured by Challenge)
Of course, the EGOIST's price tag (which is almost double the Standard GT-R in Japan, and is in line with the Spec-V pricing) may be too high a price to pay for luxury. It's difficult to say without being able to see the vehicle's luxury modifications in person, honestly, and since it will only be available in Japan for some time, curious consumers elsewhere will have to wait. Either way, it's a great great looking vehicle and another great creation from Nissan.
Check the gallery below for the 20 different interior leather combination options. They are, in order as follows:
- Muelheim Brown lower with Muelheim Brown upper
- Ruhr White lower with Ruhr White upper
- Ruhr White lower with GT Black upper
- Ruhr White lower with R-Red upper
- GT Black lower with GT Black upper
- GT Black lower with R-Red upper
- R-Red lower with GT Black upper
- R-Red lower with R-Red upper
- Espresso Brown lower with GT Black upper
- Espresso Brown lower with R-Red upper
- Caramel Beige lower with GT Black upper
- Caramel Beige lower with R-Red upper
- Mimolette Orange (new) lower with GT Black upper
- Mimolette Orange (new) lower with R-Red upper
- Aqua Grey lower with GT Black upper
- Aqua Grey lower with R-Red upper
- Shadow Grey lower with GT Black upper
- Shadow Grey lower with R-Red upper
- Sakura lower with GT Black upper
- Sakura lower with R-Red upper
Also, here's an interesting GT-R Egoist documentary. It's all in Japanese, but, it has some great great shots of the GT-R Egoist and the build process involved with it.