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Auto Express pits Nissan Juke R against GT-R on track

March 19, 2012 by Gary Grant 1 Comment

There are few things cooler than a real skunkworks concept car. Essentially that means a bunch of car manufacturer’s engineers go underground and build their ultimate version of a road car, often without the knowledge of their superiors. Such was the case with the Nissan Juke R, which was mated with a GT-R to create the most ungodly crossover known to motoring kind.

Since the unveiling, there are few cars that auto journos have wanted to drive. The good folks at Auto Express have managed to get an afternoon with the matte black beastie and put it to the test against Godzilla. The track time battle is surprisingly close and you can see it after the break.

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In the Presence of Greatness…I Felt Nothing (An Editorial)

April 1, 2009 by Tom Williams Leave a Comment

2009_gt-r03

I live in a small city on the shore in Connecticut-I consider it a middle-class city with a diverse taste in cars. Come summer, when Cruise Night at the beach is in full swing with classic and muscle cars, I know of garages within walking distance holding vintage Ferraris and Porsches. You can easily see nearly any type of car here if you look hard enough. 

This week, while side-stepping a congested Route 1, I saw coming towards me a white, blocky object. We approached a stop sign, and it was a white Nissan GT-R. The car that supposedly can whoop a Porsche 911 Turbo on the ‘Ring. “Automobiles” Automobile of the Year. Jaw dropping performance. I’m staring at this majestic piece of engineering excellence, the most potent car from all of Japan, and…nothing. I didn’t break into a sweat. My heart rate remained normal. I rolled down my window. As he pulled away, the exhaust note did nothing for me. I checked my rearview mirrors for another look, certain I must have missed SOMETHING. 
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Minor Tweaks for 2010 Nissan GT-R

March 20, 2009 by Tom Williams 3 Comments

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Nissan is introducing the 2010 GT-R early (this March) with some minor, but noteworthy changes. First up: Power. Five more horsepower, bringing the grand total to 485. Transmission: new programming for better clutch engagement promises improved drivability, and quicker acceleration with Vehicle Dynamic Control switched on. Brakes: more rigid brake lines for greater durability. Suspension: redesigned Bilstein shocks, and revised spring and damper rates. 

Considering that the GT-R has been on sale since July 2008, that’s a lot of tinkering by Nissan, and a sign to all competitors that the company is serious on the continual development of the car. You know, sort of like Porsche’s philosophy with its cars. 

These improvements come at a cost, however. The base GT-R now stickers at $80,790USD, while the GT-R Premium costs $83,040. That is a whopping $3,950 more than the 2009 GT-R. Two options and two accessories are available: A Cold Weather Package (no charge), and Special Super Silver Paint ($3,000). An iPod converter is yours for $400, and carpeted floor mats will run you $280. Before you sharpen your pencil to write an angry letter to Nissan, hear this. On the $130,000 Porsche 911 Turbo, carpeted floor mats are also an option-but come at the comparatively bargain price of $140.

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Nissan unleashes GT-R SpecV

January 10, 2009 by Gary Grant 2 Comments

Whenever a new hot rod launches, the aftermarket goes nuts building performance and styling bits for it. Soon after, the manufacturer often ups the ante with their own hotter version. With just under a year of public consumption under the belt of their GT-R, Nissan has revealed the SpecV version of their all wheel drive weapon.

Sporting just 2 seats and carbon fiber everything, the SpecV takes the already serious GT-R and turns it into a track day monster aimed at owners who intend to really use the car on the track. Interesting that along with weight management and performance tweaks, that they haven’t included safety upgrades (like a roll cage) to make the car truly track ready.

Funny thing is that the photo above supplied with the press release shows the SpecV in red, but the car is only available in Black Opal.

Sadly, it will not be available in North America for the time being.

See the black car and full press release after the break.
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Video: Jay Leno takes on Godzilla

April 28, 2008 by Gary Grant 1 Comment

Jay Leno is a lucky guy. Not only has he built a career doing something he loves, but he’s earned the right to gain access to the world’s coolest cars. What more could a guy want? In this latest video release from the Big Dog Garage, Jay gets to put the 2009 Nissan GT-R through it’s paces. He may have been on the street, but just watch how quickly Godzilla snaps Leno’s sizable melon back when he stamps on the loud pedal!

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Where will you buy your GT-R?

April 8, 2008 by Gary Grant 1 Comment

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For many Canadian Nissan enthusiasts it almost seems like a dream. The legendary GT-R, Godzilla, will soon be available at our dealerships. Not some ratty old JDM import either, the real deal. The 2009 Nissan GT-R.

Earlier today, Nissan Canada announced which dealerships have been selected to retail the GT-R here. If you’ve just got to have your very own monster, now you know where you can put down your deposit from coast to coast.

For those of you who just want to oogle the beast, you can do that too!

Vancouver
West Coast Nissan
Regency Nissan
Jonker Nissan
Richmond Nissan
Morrey Nissan of Coquitlam
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High Seas Pirates

December 26, 2007 by Jeff Bressler Leave a Comment

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Nissan’s GT-R supercar will begin its international rollout shortly, but company official are setting a wary eye on the UK where they are concerned about illegal imports.

Even though the 473 HP GT-R is not officially set to hit Britannia until March of 2009, illegal importers are already heading to the high seas with a supply from Japan to quell the thirsts of those who can’t wait.
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Sellers Market

November 26, 2007 by Jeff Bressler Leave a Comment

nissan-gt-r.jpg

It might be time to head out to look at the Porsche 911 if you had any thought of going into your Nissan dealer and plunking around 70 thou down for the 2008 GT-R. The Japanese automaker is looking at each unit like a bar of gold.

The company plans on selling only 2,400 worldwide, with 1500 destined for American shores. It seems like a lot of hungry super car buyers are going to be waiting at the dock.
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Where oh Where is that new Corolla?

August 6, 2007 by Andrew Leave a Comment

Well, its no secret that the current clad Corolla is well over-due for its model year makeover. Toyota has now hung onto the current design, extending the conforming, utilitarian, and conservative (read: boring) outlook for 2 extra years. In some circles I have heard this to be a really interesting strategy:

1. Civic/Mazda3/Lancer are all enjoying a facelift late 2005 Impreza hits the scene in new-dapper present, mid-2006.

2. Celica is retired, RSX is hung, Civic SIR/TypeR is introduced in respective domestic markets, WRX/STI/MazdaSpeed3 readily available

3. Yaris making a nill impact with the dealership offered ‘aero package’ For those that absolutly unaware of Toyota’s new “flagship” sports compact, let me paint you a picture:

Yes, get a good look at that rear. This thing doesn’t have enough horses for you to see it again once you’ve passed it.

WTF is up with Toyota? are they too busy ENJOYING WORLD DOMINATION WITHOUT A SPORTS CAR? WTF???????
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Video: Skyline GT-R at Goodwood Festival of Speed

July 10, 2007 by Gary Grant Leave a Comment

Those kind folks at the GTR Owner’s Club in the UK not only provided the world with photos of Nissan’s upcoming supercar, but now they’ve posted video! As the test driver mentions, Porsche is going to be worried!

Video after the break
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