Nissan GT-R Toolbox Features

• Stainless steel top and drawer guards
• Nissan GT-R Graphics
• Secure lock and key
• Custom-etched name plate
• Ball bearing slides are quiet and smooth rolling
• Five inch soft wheels on casters
• Full double wall construction features two full layers of heavy duty steel to provide strength and durability
• Lock'n Roll drawers prevent unwanted drawer opening when moving unit
• One full 49" width drawer and extra-wide 30" drawer bank
• Precut drawer liners help keep tools stationary in drawer
• Rolled edges reduce the potential for injury and add strength
• Launch control

[Source: Nissan]

It's gone," he said when asked if launch control would return in 2010. "We just don't want to deal with the warranty nightmare anymore

Hey, but there's a silver lining.

Said the same source, "It'll make the 2009 GT-R really special. It'll be the only R35 with launch control." So remember that GT-R owners when your engine falls out of your brand new exotic car and Nissan won't replace anything because your teenage son used launch control once in his high school's parking lot in a misguided attempt to impress a girl in the marching band. [Edmunds: Straightline]

In addition to that near-Corvette ZR1 power level (still coming from the 3.8-liter twin-turbo V6, Best Car says to expect bigger brakes, lighter wheels, firmer suspension, a fancier transmission and more downforce from a wilder bodykit.

This won’t be the first LM Edition Nissan, the late’90s saw an R33 Skyline GT-R LM Limited built to honor the vehicles that took part in some random 24 hour endurance race in France.

If these rumors are true, expect to see the car some time in 2010 or 2011, after the GT-R V-Spec goes on-sale. [via Carscoop]

A quick history of what we thought we knew.

• Nissan runs a 7:29 'ring lap time, pointing out this is faster than the Porsche 911 and turbo. A lap around the Nürburgring ring is, of course, Germany's performance benchmark of choice.
• Porsche then states that they ran a GT-R with stock tires and couldn't get the same time, suggesting that Nissan cheated by using racing tires or some other performance enhancement.
• Nissan then responds by saying that they used a stock version weighed-down by recording equipment and let out a snarky note stating that "... We offer performance driving courses for prospective and current GT-R owners to help them get the best performance from their car." The suggestion is, of course, that Porsche engineers can't drive.

With all of that information it merely seemed like Porsche got themselves into an argument they couldn't win. Maybe the Porsches are faster than the GT-R around the 'ring. Maybe not. But Nissan just generated tons of media attention for their GT-R, all of which mentions their car in the same breath as the Porsche 911 Turbo and, not surprisingly, a lot of these articles mention the price difference between the two.

So what can Porsche do? Either they let the assertion that the GT-R is cheaper and faster stand or they challenge the assertion and raise a lot of media comparisons and, in this case, set Nissan up to make a classic dig at the automaker.

But could this have been Nissan's original plan? Perhaps we're giving them too much credit, but the tidbit uncovered from a Road & Track article by CarDomain makes us wonder:

That Nissan engineers used the 911 Turbo as their benchmark is not secret. At every GT-R event we’ve attended, a Porsche 911 Turbo was always lurking in the background, presumably used by Nissan engineers as a target vehicle.

The question we must answer is obvious: is it more likely that a Porsche 911 Turbo always happened to be around when the reporters and a GT-R were in the area or is it more likely that it was done on purpose to manufacture some sort of controversy?

We've got a good guess, though we can't imagine that Nissan knew just how hard Porsche would bite down.

[Source: CarDomain]

In polite German fashion, the Porsche folks state they aren't trying to start a battle, just satisfy their own concerns. "The Nissan is a good car. I don't want to make anything bad with my words," August Achleitner, the 911 product chief for Porsche, told a CarsGuide reporter. At the time of this writing, Nissan hasn't responded to Porsche's claims of foul play, but we're interested to see if a mea culpa is forthcoming or if Nissan will provide irrefutable proof of Godzilla's triumph. Stay tuned. [CarsGuide; thanks Jack!]

Nissan today announced an interim price adjustment on the 2009 Nissan GT-R due to increased raw materials costs. The Manufacturer’s Suggested Retail Prices (MSRP)* of $76,840 for the GT-R and $79,090 for the GT-R Premium model are effective immediately. Destination & Handling (D&H) is $1,000. The adjusted prices do not apply to customer orders already in dealer hands prior to September 5. The initial GT-R pricing was established nearly a year ago.

To date, approximately 70 percent of the first year allocation of GT-Rs for the United States market have been sold as part of a pre-sale program that has been underway since February 2008. The first customer deliveries of the limited production Nissan GT-R supercar began on July 7, 2008. The GT-R is available only through officially certified Nissan dealers that have met a number of strict sales, service and facilities commitments, including dedicating a master technician to GT-R service. A searchable listing of the 663 GT-R Certified Nissan dealers is available to consumers on nissanusa.com.

All 2009 Nissan GT-Rs are equipped with a standard 3.8-liter twin turbo V6 producing 480 horsepower and 434 lb-ft of torque, backed by an all-new, paddle-shifted, dual clutch rear transmission and a world’s first independent rear transaxle ATTESA E-TS all-wheel drive system.

In North America, Nissan’s operations include automotive styling, engineering, consumer and corporate financing, sales and marketing, distribution and manufacturing. Nissan is dedicated to improving the environment under the Nissan Green Program 2010, whose key priorities are reducing CO2emissions, cutting other emissions and increasing recycling. More information on Nissan in North America and the complete line of Nissan and Infiniti vehicles can be found online at www.NissanUSA.com

[Nissan via MotorWorldHype] (Thanks Andrew!)

After seeing the first crash of a GT-R in Malaysia, and another one crunched by the boys at Top Gear, we're sadly starting to get used to the sight of Godzilla with battle scars. Perhaps the beast really is too fast to tame. (Hat tip to Joe!) [MyGTR]

Rumors peg the Nurburgring lap time at a scarcely comprehendable 7:25. That's epically quick, and clearly requires some sacrifice in interior appointments. In order to drop the weight, Nissan ditched the GT-R's rear seats, bringing the car down to a still-portly 3,615 lb. The maximum power output of 520 HP is now achieved at 6,500 RPM, while the 440 ft-lb of torque peaks all the way from 3,200-5,200 RPM. In the best Q-ship fashion, the Spec-V looks near identical to the regular GT-R and will allegedly set you back around $130,000, nearly double the GT-R's $69,850 price tag.

It'll be interesting to see how the 2010 Acura NSX and 2011 Lexus LF-A compare. [Road and Track via Autoblog]

According to CarTop, the 2011 Infiniti GT-R would use a stretched version of the GT-R's chassis, complete with its whiz-bang AWD system, a tuned version of the 3.8-liter twin-turbo V6 producing nearly 500 HP, and share the same Xtronic CVT. Pricing would be about 20% higher, bringing the sedan in at around $85,000 (before speculation) on this side of the Pacific.

Jalopnik Snap Judgment: This is probably just idle speculation. But, think of the possibility! Such a sedan would give Infiniti the range-topper it desperately needs, capable of defeating cars like the 2011 BMW M5 and Mercedes E63 AMG on their own turf, the 'Ring. A less aggressively styled four-door could be the ultimate Q-car and finally propel Nissan's luxury brand into direct competition with the Germans while simultaneously leaving Lexus to eat its dust. On the other hand, remember what happened the last time Nissan stretched its supercar chassis, added two doors and installed an Infiniti badge? The thirsty, cramped, and unspectacular J30.
[via Nihon Car and GT Channel]

In addition to the base price, options include Super Silver Paint ($3,000), an iPod connector ($360) and floor mats ($280). [via AutoFiends]

PRESS RELEASE

2009 Nissan GT-R Supercar Deliveries Set To Begin July 7th,
70 Percent of First-Year Allocation Already Sold

NASHVILLE (June 27, 2008) - Nissan today announced that deliveries of the all-new 2009 Nissan GT-R are scheduled to begin on Monday, July 7, 2008. More than 1,700 of the exotic 480-horsepower GT-R supercars, or approximately 70 percent of the first year allocation for the United States market, have already been spoken for since the announcement of a pre-sale ordering program last January.

The 2009 Nissan GT-R has a Manufacturer's Suggested Retail Price (MSRP)* of $69,850 for the GT-R and $71,900 for the GT-R Premium model. Destination & Handling (D&H) is $1,000. The GT-R is available only through officially certified Nissan dealers that have met a number of strict sales, service and facilities commitments, including dedicating a master technician to GT-R service. A searchable listing of the 671 GT-R Certified Nissan dealers is available to consumers on nissanusa.com.

"After years of speculation and anticipation, the wait for a U.S.-spec Nissan GT-R is over," said Al Castignetti, vice president and general manager, Nissan Division, Nissan North America, Inc. "GT-R is one supercar that more than lives up to its promise, with independent testing by the leading auto enthusiasts magazines and online sites producing performance results that only a handful of production cars have ever attained - much less at a $70,000 MSRP."

A 2009 Nissan GT-R, equipped with a standard 480-horsepower, twin-turbo 3.8-liter V6 engine and advanced 6-speed dual clutch automatic transmission, recently set a lap time of 7 minutes 29 seconds at the famed Nürburgring Nordschleife, one of the fastest times achieved by a production-spec vehicle to date.

About the 2009 Nissan GT-R
The all-new 2009 Nissan GT-R, the fifth-generation of the legendary Nissan supercar, is a multi-dimensional performance machine that lives up to the concept of "the ultimate supercar that can be driven by anyone, anytime, anywhere."

It features an all-new 3.8-liter twin turbo V6 producing 480 horsepower and 430 lb-ft of torque, backed by an all-new, paddle-shifted, GR6-type dual clutch rear transmission. The Nissan GT-R is built on an exclusive, all-new Premium Midship platform. This new platform enables the use of a world's first independent rear transaxle ATTESA E-TS all-wheel drive system, which places the transmission, transfer case and final drive at the rear of the vehicle, optimizing weight distribution and maximizing handling capability.

The Nissan GT-R's functional styling utilizes advanced aerodynamics, evoking the lines of a well-trained athlete. GT-R's hybrid body construction combines steel, carbon fiber and die-cast aluminum, and features a low coefficient of drag of 0.27, while achieving high front and rear downforce. GT-R's four-passenger cabin features a sloping "aero blade canopy" roofline and curved C-pillar "sword edge," as well as GT-R's hallmark four-ring taillights, functional rear carbon fiber underbody diffuser, rear spoiler and large, integrated quad exhaust tips.

GT-R's interior balances functionality with a sense of ease and comfort. It features sculpted performance bucket seats for an optimal driving position, a cockpit-style instrument panel with a large center-mounted tachometer and multi-function display - which includes mechanical and driving information, as well as an on-board driving recorder.

In North America, Nissan's operations include automotive styling, engineering, consumer and corporate financing, sales and marketing, distribution and manufacturing. Nissan is dedicated to improving the environment under the Nissan Green Program 2010, whose key priorities are reducing CO2 emissions, cutting other emissions and increasing recycling. More information on Nissan in North America and the complete line of Nissan and Infiniti vehicles can be found online at www.NissanUSA.com and www.infiniti.com.

* MSRP excludes applicable tax, title and license fees. Dealer sets actual price. Prices and specs are subject to change without notice.

You want a genuine right-hand-drive, straight-from-Japan R33 Skyline GT-R, don't you? Of course you do! A 250-horse twin-turbocharged 2.6 six (which is eager to be boosted up to ridiculous power numbers using off-the-shelf components and well-known tuning tricks), all-wheel-drive, and JDM-only prestige that will leave jaws dropping in your wake. You could take your rapidly-eroding dollars and attempt to put together enough yen to get one shipped over from Japan... or you could buy this 1996 Skyline GT-R (go here if the ad disappears) right here in California! No, you're not allowed to buy it just for the RB25DETT engine (although we'd certainly approve of a Honey Bee B210 with such a powerplant)- you need to fix this car! We don't know how much the seller wants for it, but you can tell by his tone ("Don't waste my time. Serious buyers only!") that he or she means business. It's only got 10,000 kilometers on the clock, so the question is: was it hooned to death and wrecked in Japan, or was it hooned to death and wrecked over here? You'll have plenty of time to contemplate that question as you deal with layer after layer of state and federal bureaucrats, all of whom will disapprove strongly of the idea of you registering your Skyline for street use in North America, and all of whom will treat the car's sketchy lien-sale paperwork as being moderately radioactive. Oh yeah, the seller can't say whether it runs or not! Thanks to Jonee for the tip.

The last time we saw a Lagonda in this series, it stomped an Alfa Romeo Giulietta into a heap of rusty scrap metal in the poll. We thought maybe we'd save this '83 Lagonda to do battle with a Citroën, but then figured the horror of registering the Skyline, coupled with undeniable coolness, likely puts it on the same level as the Aston Martin. The best thing about this Lagonda is that it has the full-on electronic dash, which makes ordinary Lucas Electrics look downright bulletproof. And you know how much its price tag was in 1983? $150,000, which seems utter lunacy even before you convert it to the 2008 inflation-adjusted figure of $323,529. This car's auction has no reserve and is currently bid up to just $4,000; we may be looking at the ultimate in car-value depreciation here... which is bad news for the seller, but great news for you! Now, those of you who don't know Malaise Era British cars may be scoffing at the idea of this beautiful, fully-functional Aston Martin as a "project" car, but we guarantee it was a Hell Project the moment it left the assembly line (if not before then). You'll be lucky to get it up your driveway and soon-to-be sulfurous garage under its own power (four carburetors on a British DOHC smog V8- cue evil laughter). Thanks to UDMan for yet another great tip!

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Those numbers on the time slip appear to be correct — a 1/4-mile time of 11.1 seconds and a top speed of 124.86 MPH! Keep in mind this is the Haltech's engineering team's first time — and first run — on the track with the re-tuned GT-R. The second run — well — that one didn't turn out quite as well. They only managed to equal the Inside Line numbers with an 11.6-second 1/4-mile run. Something to do with screwing up the launch control. Yeah, such a screw-up — any production car with an 11.6-second 1/4-mile run on a screw-up will more than likely remain on our "must have" list. Just sayin'...

One can only imagine what those numbers will end up looking like once the Haltech boys have finished playing around under the hood. Although we normally have to say we don't so much like tunage of the new GT-R, we know we're anxious to find out what Haltech ends up giving Godzilla. And then just wait until they get their hands on the Spec-V version in a year. (Hat tip to Jeff!) [Haltech via GTRblog]

Editor

Tony Swan of Car and Driver, who ran the Nissan GT-R in this year's One Lap of America, has apparently gotten a lot of static about finishing "only" 11th in the overall standings and feels understandably prevailed upon to justify the much-hyped supercar's performance. But oddly, the article that appears for this purpose on the Car and Driver website mostly just comes across as a load of whiny diapers. Though he blames everything from tires to computer technology, much of the apologia centers on the "fateful" autocross challenge at BeaveRun, where Tony got confused and went off course, resulting in a DNF and a minor tantrum by the driver, who reportedly stormed off in a huff, gunning the GT-R through a paddock populated by spectators. Probably not his proudest moment, but in the ensuing drama, it nonetheless became the spearhead for a movement to award a bunch of "bonus points" to those who failed to negotiate the autocross course successfully. Fortunately, common sense eventually prevailed, with the organizers confirming that a DNF is a DNF and that it wasn't in the spirit of the event to compensate teams for poor performance. Seems perfectly reasonable, though Tony apparently has a different sense of how it all went down. It's clear that he's endeavoring to be candid and honest about what happened, but having a GT-R fall on its face in multiple events turns out to be not the easiest thing to explain away. Read Tony's article here to decide for yourself if he gives a satisfactory defense of the GT-R's finish.

To get to the 24-hour race it begins with elimination tournaments for Gran Turismo 5 Prologue. This will eventually whittle down to two winners who will then partake in four months worth of racing lessons eventually leading to the opportunity to take Godzilla around the track, for 24 hours of Dubai racing action. Sony will also be filming the bulk of the academy and will be made available for download on the PlayStation Network.

That only means it's time to get practicing. [Via Kotaku]

Kazutoshi Mizuno, the GT-R's Chief Vehicle Engineer said

"At last year's testing, we were frustrated by the conditions at the Nürburgring, always believing that the GT-R could go under seven minutes 30 seconds, the GT-R proves it is among the fastest mass-production cars in the world. We set out to build a multi-performance supercar accessible to anyone, anytime and anywhere - I believe the GT-R has delivered that promise."

That 112mph limiter was imposed on the JDM version by the ECU whenever the GPS sensed the GT-R wasn't on a racetrack. The team that cracked the ECU will continue to tweak the system until the GT-R is officially released in the United States and will have documentation ready to present to tuners happy to remove the speed limiter and otherwise tune their new Godzilla toys. Better luck next time, Nissan. [COBB]

One of our spies just photographed what appears to be a prototype for Nissan's long-rumored, long-promised GT-R Spec V. Caught as it was unloaded off a truck at Nissan's Nürburgring workshop, this test car has some visual differences from a standard GT-R. The visible changes are certainly subtle, and not as far-reaching as some had expected, but the differences are present nonetheless, suggesting that Nissan's GT-R—which already leaves a Porsche 911 Turbo gasping in its wake—is being prepped to be even more formidable.

This test car gets a revised front splitter, which sports some additional air intake slits, presumably to feed more cooling air to the brakes. New six-spoke wheels also house what appear to be a revised braking system. The golden Brembo brake calipers were an ever-present feature even on the first GT-R prototypes, but they're a no-show on this tester. Could we be looking at an upgraded ceramic composite braking system?

With a curb weight of 3,836 pounds, the GT-R is no featherweight. And while the standard GT-R obviously overcomes any weight penalty in heroic fashion, it's compelling to imagine a GT-R that's some 200-plus pounds lighter. Enter the GT-R Spec V, which is rumored to shave at least that much weight thanks to the use of carbon fiber body panels, and other assorted techniques. The prototype photographed today has a portion of its rear wing blacked-out, suggesting it is one of the carbon fiber pieces that will make up the Spec V package.

Additional power gains will augment the GT-R Spec V's weight loss regimen. Considering that early dyno tests in the media report that the GT-R may be making more power than its official claim of 473 horsepower, some sources claim that 550 horses could be on tap in the Spec V.

Once this GT-R is fully prepped for testing duty we hope to get a closer look to assess any other weight-saving steps Nissan may have taken. We also look forward to seeing if this lighter-weight GT-R can lap the 'Ring any faster than the 7 minute 38 second lap logged last fall. We suspect it will, as long as the current snow flurries currently wafting on the track dissipate as the week progresses. We'll be watching developments very closely. Stay tuned.

This is the latest line of accessories for the Nissan GT-R that will be available with the launch of Godzilla. All of the accessories have the same look and feel of the vehicle and the briefcase is even completely carbon fiber. These are the kinds of briefcases that hold bundles and bundles of money. Regardless, future owners and future wannabe owners should definitely check out this line of accessories to increase that street-cred. Oh, and the leather hat is a bit much. [Carscoop]

But who cares about logic? We want this. We want it so we can tease the drooling fanboys. We want it so we can pull up to the McDonald's window in reverse. We want it so we can give out rides to confused old folks from the retirement home. We want it so we can get pulled over by a local officer who has no idea that the car is illegal. We want to drift it, race it, and jump it. We want it because it'd be stupid to buy one.
[J's Garage Export]

Starting in Santa Monica

Even though they'd had the car only for a few hours of photography, people already took notice of Godzilla. "When we took it out for the first shoot, everybody asked the same thing: Is that the new Skyline? It was a question that we heard endlessly throughout the trip. Always Skyline, rarely GT-R." [0 miles]

Escape from L.A.

Remember everyone thinking about the GT-R as a balanced sports car that could compete with the Corvette as an on-track, off-track vehicle. Not so much. "We weren't kidding about the ride quality of the GT-R coming out of L.A. It's brutal on broken concrete. It was around that time that we noticed that the suspension adjustment switch only spells out "Comf". That's pretty much accurate, as it's never actually "comfortable". [47 miles]

Donuts at El Mirage

What would you do with a currently rare, $70,000 sports car? Spin the crap out of it on a silt-covered lake. Hell yeah. This is what happens when automakers aren't clear with their stipulations. "El Mirage is a trip. You basically just pull off the highway (granted, the highway out of Palmdale), head down an access road and drive right onto the dry lake at which point you can pretty much go as fast you want. The hard part is making sure you don't run into somebody else doing the same thing which isn't easy between the dust and the sun. Oh, and we also noted several Predator drones buzzing over our heads as we did donuts in the dirt (Edwards AFB is just up the road). I suppose we could say that we know what terrorists in Afghanistan feel like, but they're dead before ever seeing the Predators." [132 miles]

CHP On I-5

Those with stealth dreams of eluding cops in your new GT-R better think again. As stealthy-looking as the GT-R is, it's not going to outrun radar. At least not in white. That being said, flash the auto-journalist card and maybe you'll catch a break. [444 miles]

Sacramento Raceway

Show up to your local strip with a new car, especially a Japanese car (at least in certain areas) and be prepared to get the business from guys jockeying Vettes and Stangs. Run an 11-second 1/4-mile and be prepared to change some minds. "As soon as we pulled into the starting lanes at Sacramento Raceway, the car was surrounded. Some guys were dismissing it, but most were aware of its capabilities. Again it was always, "check out the new Skyline". This was the first place people actually said, "Hey, I've been following you on the blog." When it finally ran an 11.80, all the doubters were silenced. Traction on the starting box was hard to come by, so the numbers were a little slower that usual. [706 miles]

Bonneville Salt Water Flats

The flats were covered with a few inches of salty water when the Edmunds duo arrived. They thought it best not to sink the car in salt water and instead launched it up and down the access roads. We say, if life hands you salt water, make GT-R soup. A difference of opinion, we guess. "You have to see Bonneville to believe it. The access road is a raised two lane that seems a mile long. And then it just ends." [989 miles]

Sandy City Black & Whites

Being good sports, the crew stopped off to meet readers along the way. If you've got a high performance vehicle, meeting cops isn't a bad idea as it gives you the opportunity to burn rubber in parking lots with impunity. Just don't tase me, bro. "Eric, the Sandy City cop we met just outside Salt Lake City, was fun to hang with. He was so psyched to see the GT-R and when we started poking around his patrol vehicles he didn't mind a bit. He even offered to use his tazer on one of us. We weren't that curious. Launching the car in the police department parking lot was fun too." [1,150 miles]

A Desert Mirage

It would be criminal to have command of a GT-R and not take it to a track at least once. Conveniently, there's a fairly new park in the foothills outside of Salt Lake City. "Miller Motorsports Park really is unbelievable. Everything about the place is first class. The pit lane at the go kart track is nicer than the main paddock of most tracks. I think the only time we felt bad about not washing the GT-R was when we pulled into one of the main garages as they're spotless from top to bottom. Everybody there was nicer than they needed to be. We didn't want to leave." [Hot Laps]

Not Quite Home Yet

Seriously, the cops get on the GT-R like Elliot Spitzer on some expensive prostitutes. Maybe buyers of this car should stick to abandoned salt flats. "We were in the middle of nowhere when the guy came over a hill right in front of us. When he came up to the car he asked what it was and why it had manufacturer plates. At that point we figured we were getting written up, but when he came back he let us off. Not really sure why, but he was cool the whole time about it." [1,496 miles]

There's the inside line on Inside Line's trip. For more, including video and detailed information the GT-R head over to their site for the full trip. [Nissan GT-R Road Trip]

See that car next to it? That's a Honda/Acura NSX, the most recent Japanese supercar to grace the US from sea to shining sea. And while the NSX was of the extra light and nimble European mid-engined supercar variety, the new GT-R is decidedly more American (lots of power, engine in the front, gigantic proportions). [i-club via MotiveMag]