2012 gt-r

Mag350Z · 10-29-2010, 04:42 PM

Inside Line has tested the 2012 GT-R and report that the car will make "at least" 520 HP and 450 Lb/ft. Estimated MSRP $84,500.
2012 Nissan GT-R First Drive
If You Thought the Old GT-R Was Impressive, Stand by To Think Again

By Andrew Frankel, Contributor | Published Oct 12, 2010

Poor So-So Pretty Good Good Excellent PoorSo-SoPretty GoodGoodExcellent101 Ratings 101 RatingsDirk Schoysman is one of those people whose appearance belies his profession. Tall, quietly spoken, gently humorous and perpetually affable, he looks like he should be employed in a thoroughly wholesome occupation. A veterinarian perhaps, or a charity worker. What he absolutely does not look like is the man who, in all probability, knows the Nürburgring Nordschleife better than anyone else alive or dead. When we met him he was about to complete his 19,000th lap of the most terrifying and challenging racetrack on earth, and as that lap measures close to 14 miles, that means he's driven the distance from the earth to the moon on this track. If there is a better man to introduce me to the 2012 Nissan GT-R, I've not met him.

It's hard to believe it was back in 2007 when the GT-R's creator Kazutoshi Mizuno first threw the cover off his new hypercar. Harder still to remember is that, at the time, he specifically warned that the car he referred to as "the real GT-R" was still three years away. It all got forgotten, swept away on the ocean of purple prose that greeted his 480-horsepower Porsche-crushing powerhouse. Soon it became known simply as "Godzilla," a ferocious, insatiable monster before which all bowed.

Except that nothing lasts forever. Rightly or wrongly, the scale of the GT-R's achievement became measured not by how it felt or looked, but how swiftly it could lap the Nürburgring. At first few could get close to it, as it posted times that would have been respectable for a purpose-built racing prototype when the 'Ring was still used regularly for racing back in the early 1980s. But others, notably contenders from Chevrolet and Porsche, were quick to meet and then beat it.

Something had to be done and this, the 2012 Nissan GT-R is it. The plan had been to attack the Nürburgring record on the day I drove it and Nissan's pilot of choice, ex-F1 driver Toshio Suzuki was pacing the pit garage waiting for the weather to come right, which it never did. So instead I went out with Schoysman to find out more.

Changes Across the Board
So often when a car is refreshed midlife, designers concentrate on modifications that are cheap and can be seen easily, resulting in a car whose changes are more perceived than real. But this is a GT-R and none of the normal rules apply. In fact you'll have to squint to notice the front air intake is now 60mm wider and that a strip of daytime running lights has been added. More notable are those smart 10-spoke alloy wheels while around the back a larger carbon-fiber diffuser has been fitted. Inside it's more subtle still, the biggest alteration being the use of carbon fiber for the material around the center console.

But underhood, the changes are myriad. Most tellingly the 3.8-liter V6 receives another slug of turbo boost, a less restricted air supply and revised valve timing to liberate a lot more horsepower. Nissan refuses to talk specifics yet and is only saying that the engine will have "at least 40 hp more" than the existing car.

The GT-R is, at last, complete.
Next the team turned its attention to the car's structure and fitted a carbon-fiber cross brace between the suspension turrets under the hood to bring greater rigidity to a structure that was hardly floppy to begin with. The dampers have been uprated and the front brake diameter increased 0.4 inch to 15.4 inches. Curiously, carbon-ceramic rotors remain off the menu. As for the tires, a completely new design has been used with a different pattern, construction and compound designed to make the car more progressive in a wider range of conditions with no loss of outright adhesion. Finally, that rear diffuser proves to be for more than mere show: It helps improve aerodynamic downforce by up to 10 percent.

What It's Like
With Schoysman behind the wheel, the rivers of water crossing the track on our test day presented little challenge. The 2012 Nissan GT-R felt imperious in these conditions, as if it really could walk on water. Schoysman said the extra power was nice, but it was the less obvious changes to the chassis setup that most improved the GT-R.

Even so, a driver of Schoysman's skills is capable of covering an entire litany of sins so the only way to find out if what I was feeling was a true reflection of what the GT-R can now do was to evict him from the driver seat, head out onto the track myself and try to keep it out of the Eifel mountains.

Certainly the extra power is there, but without being able to jump out of the current car into the new one it was difficult to prove: It always felt ludicrously quick and it still does. Most obvious is its response from low revs: This is a small engine throwing out a huge amount of power and it should need big revs before it can really perform. But it doesn't. In fact, it pulls relentlessly from below 3,000 rpm in any one of its six gears. This has a two-fold effect: It makes it drivable for mere mortals and provides a touch of real-world speed that was previously absent.

But Schoysman was right. The real revelation of the new GT-R is the step forward made in its chassis development. Conditions at the Nürburgring during our drive were as bad as we've seen. The track was merely damp in some places and partially flooded in others. Grip was impossible to predict, but the GT-R — through its steering and seat — wasn't just reassuring, it encouraged us to push harder.

Why It Matters
Past GT-Rs have come across as remote and almost aloof devices, keen to exclude the driver from the action and relegate him to a directing role, but with this car we felt much more part of it, a talent that may or may not make it a quicker sports car. And being an involving driving machine makes it substantially superior to its parent.

The real achievement of this new GT-R is not that it has been made faster but that it is now both easier to drive and more entertaining. In short, the one missing piece of the puzzle, let's call it the human factor, has been found and added. The 2012 Nissan GT-R is, at last, complete.

Edmunds attended a manufacturer-sponsored event, to which selected members of the press were invited, to facilitate this report.
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rting1 says:

PapoZalsa · 10-29-2010, 04:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mag350Z

Inside Line has tested the 2012 GT-R and report that the car will make "at least" 520 HP and 450 Lb/ft. Estimated MSRP $84,500.
2012 Nissan GT-R First Drive
If You Thought the Old GT-R Was Impressive, Stand by To Think Again

Let me see If I can sell my first born baby... $84K+??

KaienZ34 · 10-29-2010, 04:52 PM

Who said they were changing the way it looks ??

NiZZZmo370 · 10-29-2010, 04:52 PM

Great, now the new one will have the power basically that mine does after all my damn work lol. :P

NiZZZmo370 · 10-29-2010, 04:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by KaienZ34

Who said they were changing the way it looks ??

Actually they are changing the looks, not dramatic but a slight difference.

Mag350Z · 10-29-2010, 04:58 PM

top gear reports 525 HP
truly a monster

6MT · 10-29-2010, 05:11 PM

Godzilla IS a fitting name. I drove a 2009 model. Wow was my reaction. Now even better..... Wow (again).

NiZZZmo370 · 10-29-2010, 05:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mag350Z

top gear reports 525 HP
truly a monster

O.K. Good, i still have more power in mine lol.

Waiz · 10-29-2010, 05:25 PM

Repost and wrong subforum

NAGTROC exclusive!!! 2012 GTR caught in the open

Mag350Z · 10-29-2010, 05:28 PM

it's the 2012 model, not 2011

DeLRo · 10-29-2010, 05:32 PM

Waiz · 10-29-2010, 05:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mag350Z

it's the 2012 model, not 2011

Click the thread, it's about the 2012 GT-R

spearfish25 · 10-29-2010, 05:39 PM

Inside Line also has this article: 2012 Nissan GT-R: 2010 L.A. Auto Show

Looks like there is a new Egoist edition. So stupid...wasn't that a perfume?

Mag350Z · 10-29-2010, 05:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Waizzz

Repost and wrong subforum

2011 gtr

you don't mean like the endless threads about the Mustang GT

kenchan · 10-29-2010, 05:45 PM

so they decided to slap on the 370Z driving lights cause we (the370z folks) made fun of them and no one bought and had to get rid of inventory.

10-29-2010, 04:42 PM	#1 (permalink)
Mag350Z Base Member Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: South Florida Posts: 95 Drives: 2011 GS Corvette Rep Power: 16	2012 gt-r Inside Line has tested the 2012 GT-R and report that the car will make "at least" 520 HP and 450 Lb/ft. Estimated MSRP $84,500. 2012 Nissan GT-R First Drive If You Thought the Old GT-R Was Impressive, Stand by To Think Again By Andrew Frankel, Contributor \| Published Oct 12, 2010 Poor So-So Pretty Good Good Excellent PoorSo-SoPretty GoodGoodExcellent101 Ratings 101 RatingsDirk Schoysman is one of those people whose appearance belies his profession. Tall, quietly spoken, gently humorous and perpetually affable, he looks like he should be employed in a thoroughly wholesome occupation. A veterinarian perhaps, or a charity worker. What he absolutely does not look like is the man who, in all probability, knows the Nürburgring Nordschleife better than anyone else alive or dead. When we met him he was about to complete his 19,000th lap of the most terrifying and challenging racetrack on earth, and as that lap measures close to 14 miles, that means he's driven the distance from the earth to the moon on this track. If there is a better man to introduce me to the 2012 Nissan GT-R, I've not met him. It's hard to believe it was back in 2007 when the GT-R's creator Kazutoshi Mizuno first threw the cover off his new hypercar. Harder still to remember is that, at the time, he specifically warned that the car he referred to as "the real GT-R" was still three years away. It all got forgotten, swept away on the ocean of purple prose that greeted his 480-horsepower Porsche-crushing powerhouse. Soon it became known simply as "Godzilla," a ferocious, insatiable monster before which all bowed. Except that nothing lasts forever. Rightly or wrongly, the scale of the GT-R's achievement became measured not by how it felt or looked, but how swiftly it could lap the Nürburgring. At first few could get close to it, as it posted times that would have been respectable for a purpose-built racing prototype when the 'Ring was still used regularly for racing back in the early 1980s. But others, notably contenders from Chevrolet and Porsche, were quick to meet and then beat it. Something had to be done and this, the 2012 Nissan GT-R is it. The plan had been to attack the Nürburgring record on the day I drove it and Nissan's pilot of choice, ex-F1 driver Toshio Suzuki was pacing the pit garage waiting for the weather to come right, which it never did. So instead I went out with Schoysman to find out more. Changes Across the Board So often when a car is refreshed midlife, designers concentrate on modifications that are cheap and can be seen easily, resulting in a car whose changes are more perceived than real. But this is a GT-R and none of the normal rules apply. In fact you'll have to squint to notice the front air intake is now 60mm wider and that a strip of daytime running lights has been added. More notable are those smart 10-spoke alloy wheels while around the back a larger carbon-fiber diffuser has been fitted. Inside it's more subtle still, the biggest alteration being the use of carbon fiber for the material around the center console. But underhood, the changes are myriad. Most tellingly the 3.8-liter V6 receives another slug of turbo boost, a less restricted air supply and revised valve timing to liberate a lot more horsepower. Nissan refuses to talk specifics yet and is only saying that the engine will have "at least 40 hp more" than the existing car. The GT-R is, at last, complete. Next the team turned its attention to the car's structure and fitted a carbon-fiber cross brace between the suspension turrets under the hood to bring greater rigidity to a structure that was hardly floppy to begin with. The dampers have been uprated and the front brake diameter increased 0.4 inch to 15.4 inches. Curiously, carbon-ceramic rotors remain off the menu. As for the tires, a completely new design has been used with a different pattern, construction and compound designed to make the car more progressive in a wider range of conditions with no loss of outright adhesion. Finally, that rear diffuser proves to be for more than mere show: It helps improve aerodynamic downforce by up to 10 percent. What It's Like With Schoysman behind the wheel, the rivers of water crossing the track on our test day presented little challenge. The 2012 Nissan GT-R felt imperious in these conditions, as if it really could walk on water. Schoysman said the extra power was nice, but it was the less obvious changes to the chassis setup that most improved the GT-R. Even so, a driver of Schoysman's skills is capable of covering an entire litany of sins so the only way to find out if what I was feeling was a true reflection of what the GT-R can now do was to evict him from the driver seat, head out onto the track myself and try to keep it out of the Eifel mountains. Certainly the extra power is there, but without being able to jump out of the current car into the new one it was difficult to prove: It always felt ludicrously quick and it still does. Most obvious is its response from low revs: This is a small engine throwing out a huge amount of power and it should need big revs before it can really perform. But it doesn't. In fact, it pulls relentlessly from below 3,000 rpm in any one of its six gears. This has a two-fold effect: It makes it drivable for mere mortals and provides a touch of real-world speed that was previously absent. But Schoysman was right. The real revelation of the new GT-R is the step forward made in its chassis development. Conditions at the Nürburgring during our drive were as bad as we've seen. The track was merely damp in some places and partially flooded in others. Grip was impossible to predict, but the GT-R — through its steering and seat — wasn't just reassuring, it encouraged us to push harder. Why It Matters Past GT-Rs have come across as remote and almost aloof devices, keen to exclude the driver from the action and relegate him to a directing role, but with this car we felt much more part of it, a talent that may or may not make it a quicker sports car. And being an involving driving machine makes it substantially superior to its parent. The real achievement of this new GT-R is not that it has been made faster but that it is now both easier to drive and more entertaining. In short, the one missing piece of the puzzle, let's call it the human factor, has been found and added. The 2012 Nissan GT-R is, at last, complete. Edmunds attended a manufacturer-sponsored event, to which selected members of the press were invited, to facilitate this report. 59 Comments Add A Comment » Sort By: Most Recent First Posted rting1 says: Last edited by Mag350Z; 10-29-2010 at 04:45 PM.

10-29-2010, 04:52 PM	#3 (permalink)
KaienZ34 A True Z Fanatic Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: LA. not L.a. Posts: 21,652 Drives: Z34 Tour/Sport Rep Power: 178	Who said they were changing the way it looks ?? __________________ *"These Violent Delights Have Violent Ends"* http://www.the370z.com/members/kaienz34-albums-z34.html

10-29-2010, 04:52 PM	#4 (permalink)
NiZZZmo370 Base Member Join Date: Oct 2010 Location: Aliso Viejo, Ca Posts: 67 Drives: Nismo 370Z & R35 GTR Rep Power: 15	Great, now the new one will have the power basically that mine does after all my damn work lol. :P __________________ Daily Driver: 2010 Magnetic Black Nismo 370Z #400 (Nismo carbon fiber shift knob, Parrot bluetooth system): Track Car: 2010 Nissan GT-R Premium Black Obsidian (546whp 568wtq)

10-29-2010, 04:58 PM	#6 (permalink)
Mag350Z Base Member Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: South Florida Posts: 95 Drives: 2011 GS Corvette Rep Power: 16	top gear reports 525 HP truly a monster Last edited by Mag350Z; 10-29-2010 at 05:17 PM.

10-29-2010, 05:11 PM	#7 (permalink)
6MT A True Z Fanatic Join Date: May 2009 Location: ITU Zone 2 Posts: 22,459 Drives: Reliant Robin Rep Power: 1790	Godzilla IS a fitting name. I drove a 2009 model. Wow was my reaction. Now even better..... Wow (again). __________________ Andrew 2009 370Z Sport/Touring 6MT sold 2013 Honda Civic Si coupe D/D

10-29-2010, 05:25 PM	#9 (permalink)
Waiz A True Z Fanatic Join Date: Apr 2010 Location: SoCal Posts: 9,262 Drives: Z33 & GE8 Rep Power: 459	Repost and wrong subforum NAGTROC exclusive!!! 2012 GTR caught in the open Last edited by Waiz; 10-29-2010 at 05:50 PM.

10-29-2010, 05:28 PM	#10 (permalink)
Mag350Z Base Member Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: South Florida Posts: 95 Drives: 2011 GS Corvette Rep Power: 16	it's the 2012 model, not 2011

10-29-2010, 05:32 PM	#11 (permalink)
DeLRo Enthusiast Member Join Date: Jun 2010 Location: CA Age: 42 Posts: 343 Drives: 10 370Z MB T/S 6MT Rep Power: 15

10-29-2010, 05:39 PM	#13 (permalink)
spearfish25 A True Z Fanatic Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Naples, FL Posts: 4,117 Drives: to work Rep Power: 1856	Inside Line also has this article: 2012 Nissan GT-R: 2010 L.A. Auto Show Looks like there is a new Egoist edition. So stupid...wasn't that a perfume? __________________ 2013 Cadillac V-Wagon, RIP Z

10-29-2010, 05:45 PM	#15 (permalink)
kenchan A True Z Fanatic Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: N/A Posts: 76,801 Drives: N/A Rep Power: 141521	so they decided to slap on the 370Z driving lights cause we (the370z folks) made fun of them and no one bought and had to get rid of inventory.

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