2016 Nissan GT-R NISMO: Shaking up the Aristocracy

Published on July 21, 2014 in First Drives by Sylvain Raymond

Since its introduction in 2009, the Nissan GT-R has wreaked havoc on the supercar kingdom, and the aristocracy has really taken it on the chin: the GT-R is a high-performance car without any real pedigree that is offered at a price far lower than many prestigious models. It shows off the best of Nissan and turns established conventions on their ears. It’s not hard to see why it has so many admirers, especially among the younger generation, who never object to a little anarchy.

At the heart of the GT-R’s success is not only its race car-like styling, but more importantly, its hand-assembled 3.8-litre turbocharged V6 that develops 545 horsepower and 463 lbs.-ft of torque. Its power is superior to several competing models that are equipped with V8 engines, such as the Audi R8 and the Ferrari California. Not even the Porsche 911 Turbo with its six-cylinder has numbers like these.

Nissan recently invited the specialized press to the greater Nashville area to introduce its 2015 models. After explaining some of the technical aspects, they made an entire fleet of vehicles available to us – all we had to do was choose a vehicle and go. I surveyed the fleet and noticed a bevy of GT-Rs. As I came closer, I quickly located the Premium base version in grey. How’s that for mouth-watering? Right next to it, the Black Edition stood out with its carbon fibre spoiler, black 20-inch RAYS rims and black and red Recaro seats. It was one hit after another!

A mirage or a golden opportunity?

Just a tad further, I was stunned to notice the mother of all GT-Rs, the NISMO, a car that includes several components inspired by Nissan’s race cars and that will be offered in Canada for 2016. Was it a mirage or a golden opportunity? It was definitely not a mirage, and the keys were on the dashboard. We couldn’t let the opportunity pass us by.

On the outside, the GT-R NISMO’s unique aerodynamics improve air flow and help it stick to the road a little better at high speeds. Its wider front bumper doesn’t prevent you from seeing the red supplemental air intakes while the carbon fibre rear spoiler helps increase downforce to the tune of an additional 220 pounds at 300 km/hr compared to the regular GT-R. What you can’t see is the reinforced chassis and lighter carbon fibre components. The functional aspects of all those elements notwithstanding, the GT-R NISMO is quite simply fantastic, especially from the back with its large air diffuser, round lights and quadruple exhaust. What a beast!

A 600-horsepower fireball

NISMO’s engineers also used a bit of their magic under the hood: this GT-R is juiced with its 600 horsepower and 481 lbs.-ft. of torque compared to the 545 and 463 of the “basic” version. This substantial gain is primarily the result of larger turbos borrowed from the GT3 racing program. The ignition system has also been optimized and a higher-flow fuel pump has been added to improve internal combustion. In order to control these 55 additional horses, the suspension has been modified to include springs and shocks that reduce roll even more. There’s just one transmission for all versions of the GT-R, namely a twin-clutch automatic. There’s no traditional shifter on the floor, rather there are controls located behind the wheel to shift manually. A clutch pedal would have been nice.

On board, NISMO’s exclusivity is less apparent since its passenger compartment is similar to that of the Black Edition with its red Recaro seats. We liked its sporty look, metal pedals and above all the alcantara steering wheel. However, it’s odd that all of the controls for the audio system and cruise control are wheel-mounted – it kind of takes away from the overall race car feel. We would have expected a reduction in the car’s overall weight and a passenger compartment stripped to the bare minimum for this exclusive performance-oriented edition. Fortunately, there are the three controls for the suspension setting, traction control and transmission control to remind us that this is no Sentra. Sure, the GT-R’s passenger compartment is very comfortable – they wanted to make it a little more civilized – but we were expecting it to be more exotic or unique, if only to better compete with the performance cars that it’s targeting.

Engine is too low-key

We had the chance to drive the GT-R NISMO a few dozen kilometres. Of course, to truly appreciate all of this car’s qualities, you need to be on a racing circuit. Despite its ambitions and its record at the Nürburgring, it’s fun to drive in normal conditions too. You can go on long trips painlessly – score one for the GT-R.

When you push it, the torque and power are insane: the car plants itself on the pavement and the all-wheel drive system efficiently transmits all of the horsepower to the road. The turbos respond with hardly any lag and power is delivered in a much more linear fashion, and less violently than with a Corvette or a Viper. Nonetheless, we were surprised at the very low-key engine sound: it would be nice if the GT-R NISMO’s exclusivity could actually be heard like it can with other similar performance cars. Nissan says that they wanted to preserve the civility of the model, but why couldn’t the engine's sound be adjustable like it is in a Porsche or Audi? The mechanical sound is often the very heart of a sports car and, unfortunately, the GT-R NISMO leaves us wanting.

Otherwise, the car features perfect balance and impeccable handling. The steering is ultraprecise and we have almost nothing bad to say about the twin-clutch transmission.

In short, the GT-R NISMO may not have all the panache and exoticism of some of its European rivals, but it can go toe-to-toe with anyone when it comes to performance.