The Nissan GTR R35 – Awesome!

Part 1 of 2

I have never been to Japan. I would love to visit someday but, not having the resources at present, I guess I will just have to wait until I can either afford to, or, benefit from some good Samaritan’s gesture.

Kazutoshi Mizuno

It possibly began on a cool, moonlit, serene night in a major city or a rustic town.  Nissan’s chief vehicle engineer Kazutoshi Mizuno went to bed.

Kazutoshi was given the task to chart the future of the Nissan GTR. This was no regular task, this was a monumental task. But, like most Japanese workers, Kazutoshi accepted his task with humility. The Japanese relish a challenge and so the engineer accepted his fate, prayed to his God and went to bed with an unburdened heart.

During his restful slumber, his subconscious took the reins of his carriage, as it attempted to pave the way into morning’s early light. His subconscious state, envisioned a revolutionary machine, one which would rewrite the record books, but not with a pen. This machine would be the new benchmark by which others are judged. During his closed eyes conference, several things were made abundantly clear :

 Engine : VR 38, DOHC, Twin Turbos
 Displacement : V6, 3.8 L (3,799cc)
 Horsepower : 480 bhp at 6400 rpm
 Torque : 435 lb ft.
 Maximum Boost : 17.8 psi
 Redline : 7000 rpm
 Drive-train : AWD
 Top speed : 195 mph

GTR R35

The engineer awoke, pleased and well rested, thanking the automobile gods that he found favor with them. They communicated the relevant information he was in search of, which would facilitate the development of another iconic car, worthy of being called a Nissan GTR. The car was built. The GTR R 35 was released in Japan in 2007, North America in 2008 and Europe in 2009 and as it did in the dream, it delivered in reality.

The figures reflecting the GTR’s blistering performance form the subject matter for vociferous debates among car aficionados and the executives of other car makers.

Materials for discussion include :

 Its quarter mile time. Motor Trend reports, 11.6 at 120 mph from a standing start.
 Nissan’s claim of a Nurburgring lap time of 7:26.7 minutes, making it one of the fastest production cars to lap the ‘Ring’.
 The lap times achieved by numerous magazines during the tests they conducted. During these tests, the GTR did not only pose a formidable challenge to cars revered by the motoring public, it annihilated a few of them. The competition in some of these tests included the Porsche – 911 Turbo, GT2 and GT3, Corvette – Z06 and ZR1, the Lamborghini Gallardo and the Audi R8, just to name a few.

Fastest

 The GTR was the fastest in Autocar’s test when compared with the Porsche 911 GT3 and the BMW M3. In Car Magazine’s test, the GTR was faster than the Porsche 911 Turbo. In Evo’s test which involved the GTR and the (Porsche) GT3, the GTR was faster. In Autocar’s comparison on the Castle Combe Circuit (England), which saw three cars jostling for top honors, the GTR, an Audi R8, V10 and a Porsche 911 Turbo PDK, the GTR’s lap time was the quickest.

One of the world’s most anticipated cars, the Nissan GTR R35, proved in no uncertain terms that it was a worthy successor to the GTR R34, continuing the legendary status the GTR held in Japan. In the words of Tanner Foust, of Formula D and Supercars Exposed fame, “It is one of the fastest cars on the planet”.

Part 2 – Thursday.

Cecil Munroe Gleaner On-Line Writer