All hail the new 2017 Nissan GT-R – Nissan’s most powerful, yet most refined version of the R35 to date.
The new Nissan GT-R arrives in South Africa just in time for the 2016 Festival of Motoring, and the first deliveries to customers will start soon after the event. The new model offers a range of styling, mechanical, luxury and performance upgrades that makes it a more accomplished everyday supercar, with a major improvement in its everyday driveability and more power on tap at mid- and high engine speeds.
“With its first introduction in 2007, the R35 GT-R redefined the boundaries of supercar performance and handling. Over the subsequent iterations, the model has been improved and refined to the pinnacle of hand-built perfection in this, the 2017 model,” says Xavier Gobille, Director of Sales, Marketing and Aftersales at Nissan South Africa.
2017 GT-R – Highlights
3.8 V6 twin turbo hand-built engine
408 kW @ 6 800 rpm
632 Nm @ 3 300 – 5 800 rpm
0 – 100 km/h in under 3 seconds
Top speed of 315 km/h
Price: R1 950 000 for Premium Edition, R2 050 000 for the Black Edition.
Delivery: From September 2016
Styling
Highlights:
New bonnet, bumpers, grille and side sills
New 20” forged alloy wheels
All styling upgrades also performance enhancing
The 2017 GT-R features the most comprehensive styling upgrades to date, with all features offering a performance benefit as well.
Viewed from the front, the new GT-R is fitted with a wider, deeper V-motion grille with new matte chrome trim and a redesigned mesh grille pattern. Apart from the more aggressive look, this new design improves air flow to the engine for enhanced cooling.
The grille is fitted between a new front bumper and redesigned bonnet. The bonnet has deeper character lines, which have been designed to work in unison with the new front bumper and bottom lip and the wider side sills for improved air flow and greater stability at very high speeds.
Rounding off the new design is a new rear bumper with functional air vents. This new bumper also aids high-speed air flow for improved drag on the rear wing and greater downforce at high speeds and on the track. The GT-R’s drag coefficient remains a low 0.26.
“One of the distinctive, yet subtle changes, is a higher and slightly wider shoulder line. This is especially pronounced at the rear of the vehicle and it definitely contributes for a more aggressive stance,” says Gobille.
Interior
Upgraded materials, simplified controls and a tactile redesign create a more upmarket feel
Multiple subtle improvements have reduced interior weight
New gearshift paddles now turn with the steering wheel
The 2017 GT-R features a brand new interior, replete with hand-selected nappa leather and real carbon fibre.
The dashboard has been redesigned to be more elegant and simple, with the number of buttons in view of the driver reduced from 27 to 11. This was made possible by moving many of the control functions to the new, larger 8” capacitive touch screen with Nissan’s proprietary Display Command system.
The dashboard itself is upholstered in a large, single piece of hand-selected soft nappa leather. The slight increase in weight of this leather cladding is more than offset by a new type of cushioning material, which is lighter than the material previously used.
The new GT-R now features steering wheel mounted paddle shifts for the dual-clutch gearbox. The new set-up allows for easier mid-turn gearshifts. Both the gear shift paddles and air vent controls have been re-engineered for a more positive tactile feel.
The seats are also upholstered in nappa leather and feature a new carbon fibre chassis for an additional weight reduction, while new sound dampening and an acoustic glass windshield keep unwanted road and wind noise from the cabin.
Engine and drivetrain
Power increased from 397 kW to 408 kW
Torque increased from 628 Nm to 632 Nm
Greater high-speed power delivery
Acceleration run to 100 km/m in less than 3s
Improved gearbox and gear shifts
The hand-built VR38DETT V6 engine remains the heart of the 2017 R35, but it has been further refined and improved for this model.
The engine benefits from greater boost from the turbo chargers, which are similar to those featured in the GT-R GT3 racing car. It also receives individualised timing control on each cylinder for more power and torque and significantly improved engine performance in the mid- and high-rev ranges.
The VR38DETT torque delivery now peaks at 632 Nm (up from 628 Nm) at a wider band from 3 300 rpm to 5 800 rpm. Kilowatt has increased from 397 kW to 408 kW at 6 800 rpm.
“The Nissan GT-R engine is built by a single craftsman, called Takumi in Japanese. Apart from taking full responsibility for the final performance of each engine, each of the five Nissan Takumi combines his superior technical knowledge with his personal intuition to create one of the best engines in the world,” explains Gobille. “This means that a Takumi may take an engine back to his bench even if the computer read-outs are perfect, simply because he did not like the vibration or sound that the engine made on the test bench.”
A key ingredient in the 2017 GT-R’s blistering 0-100 km/h run is its launch control system and an improved gearbox. The six-speed dual clutch automatically actuated gearbox remains fitted above the rear axle and is connected to the engine with a carbon fibre shaft, but the shifting has been refined to be smoother and less audible.
The GT-R also features a new titanium exhaust system that has been tuned for improved performance and a more appealing mechanical sound. This is enhanced through Nissan’s Active Sound Enhancement system.
Handling
More rigid chassis and body shell
New 20” forged alloy wheels
Smoother everyday driving
The GT-R is equipped with new 20” forged alloy wheels that are shod with Dunlop SP Sport 600 DSST ultra-high performance tyres. These tyres were developed in partnership with Nissan for the GT-R and feature RunOnFlat technology.
Upgrades to the suspension and a more rigid suspension structure mean that the GT-R now exhibits even better stability and grip through quick lateral transitions, such as on a fast switchback or hairpin on a race track. Along with these dynamic improvements, the engineers at Nissan have spent considerable resources and time on making the GT-R an even better performer at everyday speeds. In doing so, they have ensured that the 2017 GT-R exhibits none of the quirks that makes other super cars a taxing drive on everyday commutes.
“The new GT-R delivers a heart-pounding driving experience at all times, on any road, for whoever sits in the driver’s seat. We have continued to push its performance boundaries to the limit – it’s even more potent than before. At the same time, refinement has been added to take the driving experience to an entirely new level. We’re proud to bring you what we feel is the ultimate GT-R that possesses amazing performance, newfound civility and a rich racing history,” said Hiroshi Tamura, chief product specialist, GT-R, Z and NISMO, Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
The new GT-R will be available from September at Nissan High Performance Centres. The first consignment of vehicles has already been sold, but order books are open.
