Hype: The Nissan GT-R Turns 45, Gets More Power, And Loves Gooolllldddd

Its been 45 years since the legend of the GT-R began, and ever since it has been coveted by speed freaks all over the world.  The GT-R has seen several re-designs and each one has its own tale to tell.  From the classic Hakosuka C10, to the beastly R32, to the now physics defying R35, each iteration of the GT-R remained always evolving and always drool worthy.  To mark the GT-R’s 45th birthday Nissan will gifting the GT-R with a few extra ponies, leaving the MSRP alone, and gracing us with a special edition model that comes in a special gold (well technically its called Silica Brass) paint color.

The GT-R Premium and Black editions will receive an extra 50 horsepower bringing their totals to 550 while the GT-R NISMO will remain at 600 horsepower.  The Premium Edition will also come with new 20 spoke aluminum RAYS wheels finished in a “near dark” color and wrapped with Dunlop Sport Maxx GT 600 run flat tires.

The 45th Anniversary Limited Edition will be based on the Premium trim but come in the Silica Brass color mentioned earlier.  It will also feature a special gold colored vin number plate in the engine compartment and will also come with a commemorative plaque on the center console.  The 45th Anniversary Edition will be extremely limited and “less than 30” examples will be sold in the U.S.A. which means we can likely expect magnificent mark ups from any Nissan dealership that is chosen to sell one.  This also means by the time you finish reading this it will probably already be much too late to order one even if you do have the cash for it.  Fortunately for me that isn’t a concern as there is no way I’d be able to afford one anyway!

For more info on the changes and prices of the 2016 GT-R and its trim models check out the press release below.  For a closer look just click on any of the thumbnails!
Press Release:

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Nissan today announced pricing for the 2016 Nissan GT-R supercar, which is on sale now at select Nissan dealers in the United States. Prices* for the three 2016 GT-R models remains unchanged from last year, despite several significant enhancements, including:

• Additional five horsepower for the GT-R Premium and GT-R Black Edition
• All-new 20-spoke wheels for the GT-R Premium
• New 45th Anniversary Gold Edition, featuring a special exterior paint color

The 45th Anniversary Gold Edition, built off of the GT-R Premium model, commemorates the GT-R’s long heritage of world-class high performance. Featuring a special gold paint color, the limited edition model also includes a special gold-tone VIN plate located inside the engine compartment and a special commemorative plaque on the interior center console. The paint color itself is the same “Silica Brass” color that marked the 2001 Skyline GT-R M-Spec (R34 Type). Fewer than 30 of these special GT-Rs are slated for the United States market.

The GT-R Premium and GT-R Black Edition are now rated at 550 horsepower**, the result of additional fine-tuning of the advanced VR38DETT 3.8-liter twin turbo V6’s engine electronics. The power rating for the exclusive GT-R NISMO remains unchanged at 600 horsepower. Along with the 50 additional horsepower and 18 additional lb-ft of torque, the GT-R NISMO features enhanced aerodynamic features, body reinforcement and ultra-precise handling (versus the Premium and Black Edition models).

The GT-R Premium’s new 20-spoke RAYS® aluminum-alloy forged wheels with premium dark (near black) finish replace the previous 10-spoke design. The wheels are mounted with sticky nitrogen-filled Dunlop® Sport Maxx GT 600 DSST CTT ultra high performance run-flat tires, sized 255/40ZRF20 front and 285/35ZRF20 rear.

Manufacturer’s Suggested Retail Prices (MSRP) for the 2016 Nissan GT-R:

GT-R Premium	$101,770 USD
GT-R Black Edition	$111,510 USD
GT-R NISMO	$149,990 USD

Destination and handling $1,595

About the 2016 Nissan GT-R NISMO
Now in its second year of availability, the Nissan GT-R NISMO delivers “factory tuned” supercar dynamics with advanced aerodynamics and ultra-precise handling. It takes the “standard” GT-R to an even higher level of street-legal driving excitement.

As in its debut year, for 2016 the GT-R NISMO model is available in very limited numbers in North America. It features exclusive styling that embraces the longstanding racing philosophy of form following function. It has numerous motorsports-inspired technologies to enhance the car’s performance through optimized aerodynamics, suspension and powertrain, creating a well-balanced machine that is at home on both the road and track***.

The 2016 GT-R NISMO’s 600-horsepower VR38DETT 3.8-liter twin turbo V6 is rated at 600 horsepower and 481 lb-ft of torque**. The engine’s high-flow, high-capacity turbochargers are similar to those used for GT3 racing and offer improved breathing. Optimized individual ignition timing control for each cylinder and upgraded fuel pump (versus standard models) help improve combustion.

The VR38DETT V6 is backed by an advanced paddle-shifted sequential 6-speed dual clutch transmission, which can be driver selected to shift at race car-like speeds. The sequential-shifting transaxle features separate wet clutches for the odd (1,3,5) and even (2,4,6) gears and pre-selects the next highest and next lowest gear for quick shifts. High performance differential oil, used in GT-R motorsports competition, is standard.

The 4-wheel independent suspension receives unique NISMO tuning, with reduced weight and additional roll stiffness. Additional adhesive bonding (in addition to spot welding) helps increase body shell rigidity.

The GT-R NISMO also features a special aerodynamic body treatment designed to enhance rod holding and minimize the negative impact of drag while adding to the GT-R’s muscular appearance. The unique front bumper, engine undercover and carbon rear spoiler increase downforce, lowering the center of gravity and generating an additional 220 pounds of downforce (at 185 mph) compared to the standard GT-R models. The car’s aerodynamic characteristics are tuned to ensure the downforce is equally spread front to rear at all speeds for progressive handling characteristics. A widened front bumper configuration and elongated yet tapered rear bumper design keep the drag to Cd 0.26, same with that of standard Nissan GT-R. Four exterior colors are available for the GT-R NISMO: Solid Red, Jet Black, Super Silver and Pearl White.

Inside, the Nissan GT-R NISMO’s racing-style RECARO® seats offer comfortable yet firm support for the driver and front passenger. NISMO racers influenced the design of the steering wheel, which is dressed in Italian-made Alcantara® with three spokes, red leather center mark and red stitching to give the best combination of grip, feedback and comfort. The combi meter has carbon-like finish, and tachometer features a red design. The meter hood is also dressed with Alcantara®. Interior trim features include discreet red stitching on the seats, center console, door trim and steering wheel.

About the 2016 Nissan GT-R Premium and GT-R Black Edition
For 2016, the Nissan GT-R defends its position as one of the most striking supercars in the market today – with the addition of five horsepower (non-NISMO only), new 20-spoke wheels for the GT-R Premium and a limited-availability 45th Anniversary Gold Edition with special exterior paint color.

All 2016 Nissan GT-Rs are again built on an exclusive Premium Midship platform, which enables the use of the unique independent rear transaxle ATTESA E-TS all-wheel drive system. This system places the transmission, transfer case and final drive at the rear of the vehicle, optimizing weight distribution and maximizing handling capability. Total vehicle adjustability is provided by set-up switches located in the center of the instrument panel, enabling the driver to adjust transmission, shock absorbers and the Vehicle Dynamic Control (VDC-R) among three settings – Normal, Special or R.

As in previous years, the 2016 GT-R Premium and Black Edition’s 3.8-liter twin turbo V6 engine is hand-assembled from beginning to end in a special clean room by specially trained technicians, a process similar to racing powerplant construction. An aluminum plate is added to the front of each engine showing the name of the “Takumi” engine craftsman. The advanced VR38DETT 3.8-liter twin turbo V6 is now rated at 550 horsepower. Torque remains at 463 lb-ft. Fuel economy is rated at 16 mpg city and 22 mpg highway.

GT-R’s interior balances functionality with a sense of ease and comfort. It features sculpted performance bucket seats for an optimal driving position and 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. A specially designed 11-speaker Bose® sound system with speakers mounted in rigid aluminum die cast panels, which provides sound quality suitable for a supercar, is standard. The system includes a Bose® Active Noise Cancellation system (not applied to GT-R NISMO) tuned to reduce engine booming sounds. Also standard on all models is a RearView Monitor.

The 2016 GT-R again includes a choice of three interior color schemes, including a hand-stitched Premium Interior Package, offered in both Ivory and Red Amber, with semi-aniline leather appointments with hand-stitching on the front seats, along with accents on the instrument panel, steering wheel, door trim, armrests and shift knob.

The GT-R Black Edition adds special lightweight black aluminum forged RAYS® wheels, unique red and black interior, Recaro® leather-appointed seats and a unique dry carbon fiber**** rear spoiler.

About Nissan North America
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 and has been recognized as an ENERGY STAR® Partner of the Year in 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013 and 2014 by the U.S Environmental Protection Agency. 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.InfinitiUSA.com, or visit the Americas media sites NissanNews.com and InfinitiNews.com.

About Nissan
Nissan Motor Co., Ltd., Japan’s second-largest automotive company, is headquartered in Yokohama, Japan, and is part of the Renault-Nissan Alliance. Operating with more than 244,500 employees globally, Nissan sold almost 5.2 million vehicles and generated revenue of 10.5 trillion yen (USD 105 billion) in fiscal 2013. Nissan delivers a comprehensive range of more than 60 models under the Nissan, Infiniti and Datsun brands. In 2010, Nissan introduced the Nissan LEAF, and continues to lead in zero-emission mobility. The LEAF, the first mass-market, pure-electric vehicle launched globally, is now the best-selling EV in history with almost 50% share of the zero-emission vehicle segment.
For more information on our products, services and commitment to sustainable mobility, visit our website at http://www.nissan-global.com/EN/.

# # #