Tekknikal
12-03-2007, 08:01 PM
<img src="http://i160.photobucket.com/albums/t193/streetseen/Nissan/09GTR/N1/gtr-production-race-19.jpg" alt="" />
Just last month when StreetSeen was in Tokyo with Mr GT-R himself, Kazutoshi Mizuno, nothing was being said about future GT-R variants except that "anything is possible." Now that's changed.
Amid glowing reviews for their new R35 GT-R, Nissan has just unveiled its new N1 Spec GT-R at the Nismo festival in Japan.
And Mizuno-san has started talking. The special edition "V-Spec" GT-R is now confirmed. Read forward for his comments on his new baby, and StreetSeen's exclusive take...
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<img src="http://i160.photobucket.com/albums/t193/streetseen/Nissan/09GTR/N1/gtr-production-race-02.jpg" alt="" />
In an interview with Australian car website Carpoint, Mizuno-san commented that the V-Spec GT-R "is an important part of the on-going GT-R story."
So what is the car like?
Mizuno-san says that the V-spec model is a "spartan" model. He notes "The GT-R was developed with a practical frame of mind. The V-Spec is for circuit only, but it will be homologated for the international market. That is my hope."
Homologation is when a manufacturer builds a car in a production series to comply with entry requirements for some types of racing.
<img src="http://i160.photobucket.com/albums/t193/streetseen/Nissan/09GTR/N1/gtr-production-race-15.jpg" alt="" />
Mizuno-san continued to describe the car, stating that "The power will not change much; that is not needed for better lap times. But the car will be tuned to the racetrack with more (chassis/suspension) stiffness."
According to Mizuno, the car will only be a two seater. Based on what we've seen, and considering Nissan's prior efforts, we'll probably not only see racing seats, but also roll cages on cars leaving the factory.
<img src="http://i160.photobucket.com/albums/t193/streetseen/Nissan/09GTR/N1/gtr-production-race-04.jpg" alt="" />
Work on the V-Spec GT-R isn't done yet however. Mizuno-san said that "We are still working on the (suspension) settings...we're working on stability-- this will yield faster lap times." And don't expect the car to continue to use Bilstein adjustable coil overs: Mizuno-san advised that the "V-spec is optimised for the track. It doesn't need to have any adjustments for the road."
<img src="http://i160.photobucket.com/albums/t193/streetseen/Nissan/09GTR/N1/gtr-production-race-09.jpg" alt="" />
Regarding production, Mizuno-san stated that "The GT-R is sold from Y7.7mln (US$70k) in Japan. The V-Spec will be maybe Y5.0 mln (US$45k) more expensive." He also estimated that production would be "certainly not more than 30 (units per month)."
Nissan currently has the ability to produce 1,000 GT-Rs per month.
<img src="http://i160.photobucket.com/albums/t193/streetseen/Nissan/09GTR/N1/gtr-production-race-16.jpg" alt="" />
So what does this all mean?
Consider what we're starting with:
We're starting with a car that did seven minutes and thirty odd seconds on the ring. In the wet. With traffic. In a setup designed to be used on any road and in any climate in the world.
We're then rebuilding that car to "perform". We're reducing weight, improving stability, and improving handling to make it work better on the track. To make it really run.
The base, the R35 GT-R, is the fastest street car on the Ring in production today. The Carrera GT is no longer in production and the Zonda F has not yet entered production.
<img src="http://i160.photobucket.com/albums/t193/streetseen/Nissan/09GTR/N1/gtr-production-race-13.jpg" alt="" />
Expect the R35 GT-R V Spec to eclipse both of these by a wide margin.
<img src="http://i160.photobucket.com/albums/t193/streetseen/Nissan/09GTR/N1/gtr-production-race-14.jpg" alt="" />
You're looking at what will probably be the fastest production car to hit the Ring. Ever.
The scary part is that this is only the beginning. Over the next several years, sources close to Nissan have indicated to StreetSeen that Nissan intends on building as many as one special edition car every year... and each one will continue to up the ante.
<img src="http://i160.photobucket.com/albums/t193/streetseen/Nissan/09GTR/N1/gtr-production-race-26.jpg" alt="" />
<img src="http://i160.photobucket.com/albums/t193/streetseen/Nissan/09GTR/N1/gtr-production-race-23.jpg" alt="" />
<img src="http://i160.photobucket.com/albums/t193/streetseen/Nissan/09GTR/N1/gtr-production-race-29.jpg" alt="" />
Mizuno probably summed it up best when he said that it's a "Spartan" model.
<img src="http://i160.photobucket.com/albums/t193/streetseen/Nissan/09GTR/N1/gtr-production-race-06.jpg" alt="" />
Madness? This is Sparta.
Just last month when StreetSeen was in Tokyo with Mr GT-R himself, Kazutoshi Mizuno, nothing was being said about future GT-R variants except that "anything is possible." Now that's changed.
Amid glowing reviews for their new R35 GT-R, Nissan has just unveiled its new N1 Spec GT-R at the Nismo festival in Japan.
And Mizuno-san has started talking. The special edition "V-Spec" GT-R is now confirmed. Read forward for his comments on his new baby, and StreetSeen's exclusive take...
<!--more-->
<img src="http://i160.photobucket.com/albums/t193/streetseen/Nissan/09GTR/N1/gtr-production-race-02.jpg" alt="" />
In an interview with Australian car website Carpoint, Mizuno-san commented that the V-Spec GT-R "is an important part of the on-going GT-R story."
So what is the car like?
Mizuno-san says that the V-spec model is a "spartan" model. He notes "The GT-R was developed with a practical frame of mind. The V-Spec is for circuit only, but it will be homologated for the international market. That is my hope."
Homologation is when a manufacturer builds a car in a production series to comply with entry requirements for some types of racing.
<img src="http://i160.photobucket.com/albums/t193/streetseen/Nissan/09GTR/N1/gtr-production-race-15.jpg" alt="" />
Mizuno-san continued to describe the car, stating that "The power will not change much; that is not needed for better lap times. But the car will be tuned to the racetrack with more (chassis/suspension) stiffness."
According to Mizuno, the car will only be a two seater. Based on what we've seen, and considering Nissan's prior efforts, we'll probably not only see racing seats, but also roll cages on cars leaving the factory.
<img src="http://i160.photobucket.com/albums/t193/streetseen/Nissan/09GTR/N1/gtr-production-race-04.jpg" alt="" />
Work on the V-Spec GT-R isn't done yet however. Mizuno-san said that "We are still working on the (suspension) settings...we're working on stability-- this will yield faster lap times." And don't expect the car to continue to use Bilstein adjustable coil overs: Mizuno-san advised that the "V-spec is optimised for the track. It doesn't need to have any adjustments for the road."
<img src="http://i160.photobucket.com/albums/t193/streetseen/Nissan/09GTR/N1/gtr-production-race-09.jpg" alt="" />
Regarding production, Mizuno-san stated that "The GT-R is sold from Y7.7mln (US$70k) in Japan. The V-Spec will be maybe Y5.0 mln (US$45k) more expensive." He also estimated that production would be "certainly not more than 30 (units per month)."
Nissan currently has the ability to produce 1,000 GT-Rs per month.
<img src="http://i160.photobucket.com/albums/t193/streetseen/Nissan/09GTR/N1/gtr-production-race-16.jpg" alt="" />
So what does this all mean?
Consider what we're starting with:
We're starting with a car that did seven minutes and thirty odd seconds on the ring. In the wet. With traffic. In a setup designed to be used on any road and in any climate in the world.
We're then rebuilding that car to "perform". We're reducing weight, improving stability, and improving handling to make it work better on the track. To make it really run.
The base, the R35 GT-R, is the fastest street car on the Ring in production today. The Carrera GT is no longer in production and the Zonda F has not yet entered production.
<img src="http://i160.photobucket.com/albums/t193/streetseen/Nissan/09GTR/N1/gtr-production-race-13.jpg" alt="" />
Expect the R35 GT-R V Spec to eclipse both of these by a wide margin.
<img src="http://i160.photobucket.com/albums/t193/streetseen/Nissan/09GTR/N1/gtr-production-race-14.jpg" alt="" />
You're looking at what will probably be the fastest production car to hit the Ring. Ever.
The scary part is that this is only the beginning. Over the next several years, sources close to Nissan have indicated to StreetSeen that Nissan intends on building as many as one special edition car every year... and each one will continue to up the ante.
<img src="http://i160.photobucket.com/albums/t193/streetseen/Nissan/09GTR/N1/gtr-production-race-26.jpg" alt="" />
<img src="http://i160.photobucket.com/albums/t193/streetseen/Nissan/09GTR/N1/gtr-production-race-23.jpg" alt="" />
<img src="http://i160.photobucket.com/albums/t193/streetseen/Nissan/09GTR/N1/gtr-production-race-29.jpg" alt="" />
Mizuno probably summed it up best when he said that it's a "Spartan" model.
<img src="http://i160.photobucket.com/albums/t193/streetseen/Nissan/09GTR/N1/gtr-production-race-06.jpg" alt="" />
Madness? This is Sparta.