The GT-R Nismo is the fourth model to join
the Nismo line-up, after the 370Z, the Juke and the not-for-UK March Nismo.
Aside from the ultra-rare R390, it is the fastest and most expensive Nissan
road car ever and pushes the performance of the GT-R clean through the
stratosphere. Interestingly, Tamuri says that he 'doesn't care about the lap
time' and goes on to clarify that the Ring is important to his team as a test
track and data-gathering exercise. 'The lap time is for the marketing
people...' he admits.
It's possible to
monitor every aspect of the Nissan GT-R Nismo's performance
With 591bhp and 481lb ft, the Nismo's
twin-turbocharged engine delivers 49bhp and 15lb ft more than the standard road
car's. The swept volume of the V6 engine remains the same at 3,799cc but the
turbos used on the GT3-spec race car have been fitted. A new injector circuit
and a reprogrammed ECU cope with the revised ignition demands, while a new
high-pressure tank manages the flow of coolant on particularly demanding roads
and tracks such as the Nordschleife. On the breathing side, both the intake and
exhaust systems are unmodified.
Aerodynamically, the Nismo is significantly
revised, more so than tile engine. Engineered by the same aerodynamicist in
charge of the Super GT racer, an extra 100kg of downforce is applied at 186mph.
The majority of this downforce is generated by a wing built into the lower
section of the new carbonfibre front bumper, while the overall downforce effect
is balanced by a new, taller carbonfibre wing at tile rear. This rear spoiler
deserves special mention for its lovely knuckleduster grooves on the trailing
edge that you can't help but caress with your fingers.
The prodigious
power is transferred via a six-speed dual-clutch auto gearbox
The front and rear bumpers are wider and
more sharply profiled on both sides in order to reduce drag and clean up the
airflow around the base of the car. Both are 20 per cent lighter than those on
the standard car. The wheels are beautifully simplistic six-spoke 20in forged
aluminium rims from Rays Engineering, with the front Dunlop tyres 10mm wider
than those on the standard GT-R. Correspondingly, the front wings are 10mm
wider. The only other points to note is that the Nismo's body is bonded along
the sills and the rear suspension pick-up points, increasing rigidity by eight
per cent. Nissan claims only it can introduce body stiffening in this manner: a
thinly veiled comment at GT-R tuners perhaps?
The
Nissan GT-R Nismo's Recaro seats are carbonfibre-backed
Interestingly, Tamura is at pains to point
out that the boot is made from carbon, not so much for its weight-saving
properties (it's only 1.5kg lighter than the standard steel boot), but to
create a stiffer platform to cope with the added downforce created by the rear
wing. Indeed, Tamura doesn't dwell for too long on weight issues, perhaps
because at 1,720kg the Nismo is only 20kg lighter than the standard car. Or
perhaps because, as he suggested to me later, there's little more that can be
done without making it unbearably harsh and noisy on the road.
