WORLD PREMIERE IN JAPAN: THE ALL-NEW 2014 NISSAN GT-R NISMO

For some strange reason I noticed that Nissan does not care much about the Nissan GT-R in the Gulf region and Egypt, although there are many GT-R fans in the Middle East and North Africa region. Is it maybe because many racing car fans call the Nissan GT-R a tuned 'Datsun' when compared to the other established sport cars?

Well, we will never really know.

In any case, we decided to be as fast as the GT-R and decided to publish the first pictures and specs of the all-new 2014 Nissan GT-R Nismo, only a few hours after the official world premiere in Japan.

This race-oriented model delivers "factory tuned" supercar dynamics with revolutionary enhanced aerodynamics and ultra-precise handling, according to Nissan.

Nissan claims that the Nissan GT-R is already established as one of the best performing supercars in the automotive sphere, and now Nissan has drawn on decades of racing experience gathered by Nismo, the brand's motorsport specialists, to develop the ultimate Nissan GT-R.

The Nissan GT-R Nismo features exclusive styling that embraces the longstanding racing philosophy of form following function. It has numerous motorsports-inspired technologies to enhance the car's performance through optimised aerodynamics, suspension and powertrain, creating a well-balanced machine that is at home on both the road and track.

The Nissan GT-R Nismo will be available in Japan in late February 2014, U.S. and Europe later in 2014.

Nissan CEO Carlos Ghosn says this is the fastest Nissan GT-R ever. "With a 7:08.679 lap time, we can authoritatively say that the Nissan GT-R Nismo* holds the volume production car lap record at the Nürburgring Nordschleife, which is the gold standard of high performance achievement."

Nissan GT-R Nismo Overview - Flagship of the Nismo lineup:

1. Mechanical Features

Nissan GT-R Nismo employs innovation, uncompromising engineering and motorsports-inspired technologies to achieve new levels of power, speed and handling.

Engine
◾Under the hood, the 3.8-litre V6 VR38DETT engine benefits from the know-how that Nismo has gained from participating in such events as the world-renowned Nürburgring 24 hour race. Engine power has risen and is now rated at 591hp (441kw) and 481 lb ft (652 Nm) of torque.
◾New high-flow, large diameter turbochargers, which are used for GT3 racing, improve breathing, while optimised individual ignition timing control for each cylinder and upgraded fuel pump improve combustion.

Chassis
◾The suspension setup,is inspired by that of the Nismo racing GT-R and tuned for stunning agility, road-holding and handling finesse, without compromising refinement.
◾The springs and custom-developed Bilstein DampTronic dampers in the front and rear suspension are specially tuned to deliver exceptional grip levels and progressive handling response at the limit. Three suspension modes can be selected: Comfort, Normal and R, for circuit applications.
◾Exclusive Nismo tyres - developed by Dunlop - exhibit outstanding grip and handling characteristics. Front: 255/40 ZRF20; rear 285/35 ZRF20.
◾Specially-developed links fitted to the front double wishbone suspension increase castor trail to optimise wheel position during high-G cornering and improve straight-line and cornering stability. Additionally, large high-rigidity bolts are used to increase stiffness of the wheel-hub attachment area.
◾To minimize body-roll during cornering and changes of direction, the Nissan GT-R Nismo features a 17.3 mm hollow rear anti-roll bar which raises roll stiffness while reducing weight.

Body construction
◾Increased rigidity in the bodyshell is achieved using adhesive bonding in addition to spot welding leading to precise suspension response under extreme load, the Nismo "factory tuned" enhancement.

2. Exterior design - Exclusive styling with improved aerodynamics
◾Using the latest Computational Fluid Dynamic simulation techniques to analyse airflow, Nismo has developed an aero package that improves road-holding, minimises the negative impact of drag, while giving the car a menacing and muscular appearance.
◾Together, the front bumper, engine undercover strake and carbon rear spoiler increase downforce, lowering the centre of gravity and generating an additional 100kg (at 300km/h) compared to the freshly updated 2014 GT-R model. The car's aerodynamic characteristics are tuned to ensure the downforce is equally spread front to rear at all speeds for progressive handling characteristics. A widened front bumper configuration and elongated yet tapered rear bumper design keep the drag to Cd 0.26, the same as that of 2014 Nissan GT-R.
◾The Nissan GT-R Nismo will be available in five body colors: Brilliant White Pearl, Meteor Flake Pearl Black, Ultimate Metallic Silver and Vibrant Red. And unique to the GT-R Nismo model, a Dark Matte Grey accentuates the car's imposing exterior muscularity.
◾The GT-R Nismo's black 6-spoke wheels are inspired by Nissan's legendary GT500 race car.

3. Interior
◾The Nissan GT-R Nismo cockpit inspires driver confidence through both its craftsmanship and optimised driving position.
◾Ergonomically sculpted carbon-fibre-backed reclining RECARO seats (Europe/Japan) comfortably, yet firmly, support the driver and front-seat passenger.
◾Nismo racers influenced the design of the steering wheel which is dressed in Alcantara®, with three spokes, red centre mark and red stitching to give the best combination of grip, feedback and comfort.
◾The combi meter has carbon-like finish, and tachometer features a red design. The meter hood is also dressed with Alcantara®.
◾Interior trim features include discreet red stitching on the seats, centre console, door trim and steering wheel.

So, will the new 2014 Nissan GT-R Nismo be able to compete with the really established Italian and German sports cars in the Middle East and North Africa region?

Well, it seems it will be not that easy for that tuned-up 'Datsun' !

In any case, only a comprehensive test-drive will show if the GT-R can compete with strong competition from Germany and Italy, in case Nissan does not fear the comparison like it did in the past!

MS
Yokohama - Dubai - Cairo
19.11.2013