By: IOL Motoring Staff
For those enthusiasts in the know, it's been no secret that Nissan's motorsport division has been working its magic on the company's dragon-slaying GT-R.
What, you thought they were going to stick to school-run terrors like the Juke?
Let's get straight to the most important facts.
The road-going-but-race-inspired GT-R Nismo has been tuned to 441kW and 652Nm, 44kW and 24Nm more than the standard version.
Nismo achieved this by fitting the GT-R's 3.8-litre V6 with a pair of new high-flow, large diameter turbochargers, straight from the GT3 race car, and by optimising the individual ignition timing control for each cylinder and upgrading the fuel pump to improve combustion.
'RING RECORD
Performance figures are not out in the open as yet, but Nissan is sharing another important number - its 7m08s679 Nürburgring Nordschleife lap time, which is a record for 'volume production' cars according to Nissan.
To achieve this, Nismo engineers pulled out all the stops to achieve a chassis package that delivers “stunning agility” as Nissan puts it.
Its road-glue formula includes specially tuned springs and Bilstein DampTronic shocks and bespoke links for the double-wishbone front suspension, which optimise wheel positioning during hard cornering.
Engineers also reduced body roll by fitting a 17.3mm hollow rear anti-roll bar that raises roll stiffness and reduces weight. Even the Dunlop tyres (255/40 ZRF20 front, 285/35 ZRF20 rear) were developed exclusively for this car.
What's more, the GT-R Nismo's advanced aerodynamics package not only gives it a more sinister road presence but significantly improves the downforce - by as much as 100kg at 300km/h in fact.
RACE CAR CABIN
Nismo's race-inspired theme really comes alive in the cabin, where front occupants will sink into carbon-fibre-backed reclining Recaro seats. Discreet red stitching features throughout and the driver faces a race-inspired Alcantara steering wheel with a red centre mark.
So when can you have one?
Our contact at Nissan South Africa tells us that local launch timing, specification and pricing will be made available in due course. It could be a bit of a wait though, as European sales only commence later in 2014.
STANDARD GT-R UPGRADED
And in other news, Nissan has announced a series of upgrades to its standard GT-R to usher it into 2014. Subtle styling changes on the outside are highlighted by new LED lamps and the interior gains improved materials and trim options.
Though the 397kW/628Nm 3.8-litre twin-turbo engine remains unchanged, Nissan has recalibrated the suspension for an improved ride and better road holding.