Nissan will premiere the 2024 model year GT-R super coupe in a few hours’ time. Partially covered by a poor-looking tarp, Godzilla’s latest iteration appears to be the NISMO with some extra carbon-fiber goodies.
Clearly based on the 2022 model year GT-R NISMO Special Edition, the V6-engined brute is rocking a very impressive rear aerodynamic diffuser made from carbon fiber. We also notice vertical carbon-fiber additions on the rear corners of the rear bumper, and it’s pretty obvious that a massive rear wing is also featured. The paint, black wheels, yellow brake calipers, and Dunlop tires are shared with the NISMO Special Edition.
Minor changes were operated up front as well. The big question is, are the headlights different? We’re not holding our breath for that, though, because the quad taillights appear unchanged from the NISMO Special Edition. As for the oily bits and other go-faster shenanigans, your guess is as good as ours, although we’re certain that a V6 hides underhood.
Codenamed R35, the GT-R entered production back in December 2007. Feeling old yet? The R35 certainly feels old, especially in comparison to hi-po alternatives in the same price range. It originally retailed at $69,850 in 2008 for the 2009 model year, which is $97,395 adjusted for inflation. $113,540 is the starting price of the 2023 model in the U.S. of A., whereas the NISMO specification retails from a whopping $210,740 sans destination.
The Premium base trim level comes with 20-inch forged alloys from RAYS, no-nonsense brakes from Brembo, the Bilstein DampTronic suspension system, ATTESA E-TS all-wheel drive, and the VR38DETT twin-turbo V6 with 565 horsepower on deck. Those ponies are delivered at 6,800 revolutions per minute, whereas the 467 pound-feet (633 Nm) of torque can be fully enjoyed from 3,600 to 5,600 revolutions per minute.
The Premium and NISMO both rock a dual-clutch transmission with six forward gears. More powerful and torquier, the NISMO further sweetens the deal with Recaro leather-appointed seats, carbon-ceramic brakes from Brembo, more downforce, and an unmistakably stiffer suspension setup.
For the NISMO, the peeps at Nissan upgraded the force-fed V6 to 600 horsepower at 6,800 revolutions per minute and 481 pound-feet (652 Nm) at the same RPMs as the Premium. Definitely not a wowzer by modern standards, but still a hoot to drive. Capable of hitting 60 miles per hour (97 kilometers per hour) in under 3 seconds, the NISMO is a bit of a gas hog.
On the other hand, what did you expect from the high-performance variant of a sports coupe? The NISMO isn’t a point-A-to-point-B vehicle like a Corolla or Camry, but a white-knuckle ride with Nissan GT3 know-how.
After a 1:43 scale model of a Ferrari 250 GTO sparked Mircea's interest for cars when he was a kid, an early internship at Top Gear sealed his career path. He's most interested in muscle cars and American trucks, but he takes a passing interest in quirky kei cars as well. Full profile
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