Nissan's been doing it tough lately, particularly with all of the mess surrounding former CEO Carlos Ghosn.
The enthusiast market in particular have been following proceedings with interest, given that the popular and much loved 370Z and GT-R are both well overdue for new models. And while all-new models are still yet to come, in the meantime Nissan's whipped out a refreshed range of 50th Anniversary Edition GT-R models — including a new range-topping Nismo.
The 50th Anniversary Edition celebrates 50 years of the brand's most iconic product, with a new stripe package, the return of 'Bayside Blue', and a retro-flavoured grey interior featuring on the Premium and Track Edition models.
Thankfully, there are some actual performance upgrades here too; namely in the form of shiny new turbos all round.
In standard form, the GT-R's twin-turbo 3.8-litre V6 makes 420kW and 632Nm; enough to give it enough pace to de-pants many a Ferrari or Porsche. But, new turbos have given those numbers a bit of a tweak — depending on which model you go with.
The 'entry' Premium model simply adds 1kW/1Nm to the fray, with its new turbos delivering more in terms of improved low-rpm response and efficiency than in big, hard numbers.
The Track Edition is a more serious device. It gets the Nismo's newly tweaked engine, underlined by turbos derived from what Nissan run in their GT3 racers. Apart from offering a bigger 447kW/652Nm output, the new heart also brings a 20 per cent increase in pedal-down acceleration reaction time.
“The Nissan GT-R has been the icon of our company’s driving performance for the past half century,” said Shinichiro Irie, GT-R program design director.
“We were highly motivated to ensure that the GT-R 50th Anniversary Edition stands out. While the exterior and interior changes may seem subtle at first glance, they’re still impactful, especially with the new paint schemes, keeping the car’s lines and overall presence modern and edgy.”
If Bayside Blue and grey cabins aren't your thing, then the fully fledged Nismo variant is there to save the day.
It too gets the tinkered new engine shared with the Track Edition, with the same 447kW of power and 652Nm of torque. The remainder of the Nismo's changes connect to weight reduction and aerodynamics.
Carbon fibre features in the front and rear bumpers, as well as on the roof, side sills, boot-lid, and more. Together, they trim 10kg off the GT-R's total weight, while another 20kg gets sliced by way of other changes like light-weight forged 20in Rays forged wheels and a more track-focused cabin.
While details regarding a New Zealand release of any of the 50th Anniversary Edition models haven't been confirmed, it's probably safe to expect Nissan's world-beater to hit our shores. We'll keep you posted.
