Nissan GT-R

1)   The GT-R made its debut in the late 50s and was called the Skyline GT-R. But the Skyline cars were originally made by another Japanese carmaker called Prince Motors. The company was eventually taken over by Datsun, which then launched the Skyline GT-R in 1969. Later, the Datsun nameplate was changed to Nissan.

2)   The GT-R earned the nickname “Godzilla” after a string of motorsport victories in the early 90s. Such was its dominance in the races that certain members of the Australian media began calling it Godzilla or the monster from Japan.

3)   Each of the GTR’s 3.8-litre V6 twin-turbo engine is handbuilt and assembled by five master craftsmen that Nissan calls Takumi. The engine is assembled in a temperature-controlled room at Nissan’s Yokohama plant. The process takes as long as 6 hours after which the Takumi mounts the engine block with a plaque bearing his name. They apply the same level of meticulous detail to each and every engine, whether it is destined for the road or track.

4)   The GTR is among the fastest accelerating 4-seater car in the world. It can do 0-100kmph in 2.8 seconds placing it in the league of the Porsche 911 and Lamborghini Aventador.

5)   As surprising as it may sound, the GT-R has a lower coefficient of drag than the Ferrari 488. While the 488 has a Cd value of 0.324, that of the GT-R is 0.26. Now the GT-R is more boxy than the Ferrari, but the designers have come up with such a design in order to reduce the drag coefficient, even though the vehicle is more boxy. This enables the GT-R to not only be fast, but also be more efficient.

6)   The Latest GT-R is produced in Nissan’s Tochigi facility and takes roughly 60 hours to make from start to finish. Apparently the hardest part is to fit the drivetrain as both the AWD system and gearbox are mounted in the back for better weight distribution.

7)   Comics are extremely popular in Japan and come the launch of the R35, Nissan decided to use a slightly different approach to advertisement. When the car was first launched in the US, a comic called the GT-R was also introduced which also included the history of the GT-R namesake.

8)   Just like the Ferari Enzo, it takes only 150ms to change gear in a Nissan GT-R. However, unlike the Enzo, the GT-R’s twin-clutch paddleshift gearbox can be adjusted to change gear less harshly, or even driven in full automatic mode. The GT-R’s gearbox is incredibly versatile, with the ability to shift like a supercar, or gently slide its way up the cogs.

9)   Added to this increased tyre strength, Nissan also chooses to inflate its rubber with Nitrogen instead of compressed air. Nitrogen brings several improvements over air, but perhaps most significantly is its ability to remain at a stable pressure even under extreme temperature change. This means during times of fast driving, the tyres are less likely to overheat, therefore providing better grip for even longer.

10)        In order to achieve perfect balance, Nissan’s engineers worked hard to ensure the GT-R’s weight distribution is comparable to that of a racing car. With the lightweight V6 up front and the transaxle sitting between the rear wheels, the weight distribution is split between front and rear almost perfectly. This brings a wealth of benefits to the car, enabling tremendous traction and sharper handling thanks to the car’s much flatter posture.