- Nürburgring 24-hours provides invaluable design and engineering feedback
- More responsive engine and improved ride quality
- New Track Pack offers specialised parts for a customised GT-R
PRETORIA, ROSSLYN - Nissan's fabled ultra-high-performance and super-advanced sports car – the GT-R – has received a raft of sophisticated updates for the 2013 model year. With a sharper drive honed at one of the world's most demanding driving environments and some special additions to the range, the 2013 GT-R is the true embodiment of supercar style, performance and exclusivity.
Nürburgring continues to shape GT-R
Famed as one of the world's most demanding race tracks and also the anvil on which many new supercars are developed, the Nürburgring has played host to the Nissan GT-R over the years as an important environment where improvements to the car can be discovered, assessed and tested by its developers and racing teams.
As such, Nissan technicians have used data collected at the famous Nürburgring 24-Hour endurance race to sharpen some of the GT-R's finer details to improve its already mind-boggling handling, engine characteristics and chassis.
Janico Dannhauser, Manager of Product Marketing for Passenger Vehicles at Nissan South Africa, says the 2013 GT-R is a halo model within the Nissan stable and lies at the core of ‘Innovation that Excites'.
"Nissan has continued to instigate evolution throughout the GT-R, building on its world class performance when it first appeared in 2009. The second generation maintained its position at the forefront of the world's supercars and saw its final incarnation in 2012. The new 2013 model empowers the third generation of GT-R evolution – with the participation of a development team of unparalleled quality in the Nürburgring 24-hour race – with strengthened development talent as well as technology," he says.
Engine
The GT-R's twin-turbocharged 3.8-litre V6 engine retains its phenomenal power and torque output – 397 kW and 628 Nm – but with new high-output injectors which allow for greater control of actual fuel injection, improvements to its responsiveness in the mid- and upper rev ranges have been achieved. Other engine changes include a specially-developed orifice for the turbocharger's bypass relief valve – which suppresses the rapid decrease in forced induction air pressure, helping to sustain acceleration at high rpm – and a new baffle plate in the oil pan, which curbs rotational friction within the oil pan and stabilises oil pressure especially during high-performance driving.
Chassis, suspension and body
After Nissan's engineers meticulously measured the roll centre of a GT-R while in motion, the GT-R's centre of gravity has duly been lowered in accordance with the deflection of the suspension bushings and tyres. Shock absorber and the front stabiliser specifications have also been modified. The front suspension now also features cam bolts which improve camber accuracy and alignment setting maintainability, and torque from the driveshaft to the hub bearings has been increased to improve reliability in high-stress situations like track driving.
The new GT-R also features improved driving stability and steering response, where reinforcements have been added at two locations – in the dash panel bar and instrument panel member – which result in increased body rigidity and improved suspension performance.
Interior
In keeping with the two versions of GT-R already available in South Africa, the 2013 model year Premium Edition retains its more upmarket feel, with improvements to interior quality thanks to new stitching and thicker seams on the instrument panel and door trim. A new, fashionable interior package is now also available, where the two-tone combination of Amber Red and Black leather adds acres of style to the cabin. The front seats are now covered in genuine hand-stitched semi-aniline leather as well.
The 2013 Black Edition now features a new red-and-black combination leather steering wheel for increased sporty flair, and both models now feature convenient side knobs on the sides of both front seats to improve usability from the rear when the seatbacks are pushed forwards.
Brand new Track Pack tailored for South Africa
With its roots in the Nürburgring 24, the GT-R Track Pack is a combination of specialised parts and technology. Now available on the GT-R in South Africa for the first time, Nissan South Africa has tailored the Track Pack for a unique South African package.
Included in the Track Pack are exclusive carbon fibre Recaro front buckets seats, which feature high-rigidity carbon composite shells which have been developed during Nürburgring durability tests and are designed by Kazutoshi Mizuno himself – chief engineer of the GT-R project. The GT-R's rear seats are also removed with the Track Pack and replaced by quilted cloth, for a more track-focused interior.
On the outside, 20-inch forged aluminium RAYS wheels add sporty aggression with their black quartz chrome finish. The titanium muffler has been designed to secure high-temperature strength and creep characteristics, able to endure exhaust gas temperatures which exceed 1 000°C. Cooling enhancements have also been derived through the use of high-class titanium alloy and the addition of cooling fins, under-cover ducts and a reduction in plate thickness in certain areas of the muffler. A new carbon fibre front splitter is also part of the Track Pack for improved aerodynamic efficiency, as well as a new air guide to aid in cooling the brakes.
However, the most important part of the Track Pack is the revised suspension setup, which has been exclusively co-developed by GT-R Development Driver Toshio Suzuki and NordRing Corp. Hard spring rates have been adopted much like those of the GT-R Spec V, affording less body roll during high-speed cornering but still allowing for good ride comfort in a city environment thanks to aluminium dividing pistons within the shock absorbers.
Dannhauser continues: "The GT-R is Nissan's technology flagship, represented by dynamic performance and active safety as well as an approach towards environmental friendliness and safety by a supercar. The GT-R also strives to create a whole new supercar market, curbing the usual restraints such cars tend to be bound by – road and weather conditions and their superior driving techniques which place them in a market supposedly for a very limited class of users. The GT-R was however developed with the concept of being a supercar that offers speed and fuel efficiency, power and clean air, high performance and safety – a multi-purpose supercar for anyone, anytime, anywhere.
"The new Track Pack addition to the GT-R range comes on the back of feedback from current GT-R owners as well as market demand for a track-ready GT-R. It has been specifically designed for those who enjoy more demanding high-performance driving, in a uniquely South African rendition, delivering the ultimate race-ready supercar," concludes Dannhauser.
The new 2013 Nissan GT-R model line-up encompasses four models, each of which comes as standard with a 3-year/ 50 000 km service plan and a 3-year/ 100 000 km warranty:
GT-R Premium Edition R1 398 200
GT-R Premium Edition (Amber interior) R1 448 200
GT-R Black Edition R1 448 200
GT-R Track Pack R1 743 700
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