Nissan GT-R. These 2 words can make most auto enthusiasts skip a beat, yes, the GT-R is one of the fastest road cars in the world and has proved itself on the epic Nurburgring circuit in Germany. Producing a mammoth 530 Bhp of power, the GT-R is lightning quick and at the same time can be driven by almost anyone, you need not be a race driver to drive it. Sounds like a paradox, doesn’t it? Well, thats exactly the point, the Nissan GT-R is an engineering masterpiece. I got an opportunity to check the GT-R in flesh and it was a hell of an experience.
The GT-R’s design is very Japanese and has been inspired by video games. If you go back and think of all the cars you have raced in the hundreds of video games in the past, the GT-R’s design will suddenly look very familiar. The beauty of this car is that it can be driven anywhere under any condition, you don’t always have to be on the track. The speed is electronically limited for the city roads but once you get to a track, the GPS will detect this and unleash the entire 530 horses to your disposal. Notice the air intakes on the hood. Airflow to the engine has been vastly improved in the newer version.
The sports car silhouette is obvious from the side profile.
The huge rear spoiler provides the down force at high speeds. Huge exhausts only highlight the capability of the engine.
Sporty cabin with paddle shifts on the steering wheel.
Under the hood is the hand made, VR38DETT 3.8 litre, Twin Turbo, V6 engine which produces a mind boggling 530 Bhp and around 600 Nm torque with a record 0 – 100 time in exactly 3.0 seconds and a top speed of 320 kmph. The All wheel Drive system continuously adjusts torque between the front and rear axle with 100 percent torque directed to the rear and 50 percent towards the front in normal conditions. Mated to this engine is a GR6 Six Speed Dual Clutch gearbox with the option to shift via Paddles. Double wishbone front and multi link rear suspension ensures superb straight line stability, handling and braking under all conditions.
The dampers can be adjusted by the driver to either Comfort, Sports (the normal setting and producing the best possible handling/ride balance) or R (high performance) settings. R mode delivers flat, hard cornering for high-speed and maximum feedback. Various sensors measure criterion’s such as speed, lateral acceleration, steering angle and engine rpm, the data is then analyzed to provide appropriate damping forces for the required situation.
Spiderman has often mentioned, with great power comes great responsibility and the GT-R is a tank when it comes to safety. Besides the regular airbags, ABS, traction control etc, the GT-R has numerous sensors all around for threat detection, one of these being pedestrian safety. We got a demo of this feature on ground. The GT-R hit a cone on the way out of a slide, the sensor detected it to be a pedestrian and the hydraulics immediately raised the back end of the hood to about 7 inches as seen in the picture. For once I was taken aback by what I saw only to realize later that this was possibly a life saving feature. When a pedestrian gets hit, in most circumstances, the head slams against the centre of the hood. Right beneath this is the engine and the force is enough to fracture the skull. In this case however, the hood dents and absorbs the impact and the engine is still quite a distance away to cause any harm. It took a while to get things back in shape and the session was under way again. Ingenious to say the least.
Nissan had brought in their ace driver, Pedro, to give us the GT-R experience and some experience it was. Sitting in the front passenger seat, i was thrown back into my seat once he floored the pedal to the metal, not to mention the adrenaline rush was the highest i have had in a while. The GT-R was more than happy to go sideways and the amount of grip it generates is simply unbelievable. Pedro was chatting with me the entire time, for him it was a regular day at office. He would get his hands into position for the next move well in advance and it looked much easier than it really was. Happy times don’t last forever and it was my turn to step out, but i was certainly craving for more.
To sum up, the GT-R is a very impressive piece of machinery and highly addictive too. You can take it to work, impress your girlfriend or more importantly treat yourself to a track day occasionally. It just showcases Nissan’s commitment to bring the best technology on the road and the last i heard is that Sachin switched his Ferrari for a GT-R. Man, i can still feel the adrenaline surge, it was phenomenal.
Nissan is showcasing the GT-R & Leaf along with the cars from the Indian lineup at the Auto Expo 2012. They had organized a small preview for select media in Noida.
