The Nissan GT-R has been on the market so long that if it could talk it would probably just rant about how everything went to shit after Liberty Lunch closed down, but it’s still an unbelievably fast slayer of giants. And in addition to a raft of updates for 2017 it’s getting a new Nismo version as well. Get ready to bite the curb, Lamborghinis.
The GT-R gets several enhancements when it dons the Nismo badge, but the biggest is power. This version puts out a whopping 600 horsepower from its twin-turbo 3.8-liter V6, up from 565 HP on the base model.
That’s the same amount of power as the last GT-R Nismo, but nobody’s complaining about that kind of output.
Other tweaks include a front bumper made of layers of carbon-fiber sheets, an enlarged grille to better cool the engine, a reinforced hood, and tweaked canards for superior airflow. Handling is improved as well thanks to revised shock absorbers, springs and stabilizers.
The other major step up is the interior. The Nismo version gets the vastly improved cabin we saw on the model introduced at this year’s New York Auto Show. Nissan has done the world a favor by dialing up the luxury and dialing down the number of switches inside. It’s a little more befitting of its six-figure price tag now.
So a great and very fast car gets quite a bit better as it presumably prepares to pave the way for its replacement, which we keep hearing will be a high-performance hybrid. For now this Nismo variant should keep everyone happy.