2017 Nissan GT-R Nismo debuts at Nurburgring

Article by Christian A., on May 30, 2016

The Nürburgring race course in Germany is famous for being one of the most challenging, if not the longest, tracks around the world. It is here where the 2017 Nissan GT-R NISMO made its official debut, the same place where the performance of the Nissan GT-R was developed, tuned, and honed.

According to Hiroshi Tamura, the GT-R NISMO puts high value on the ”R” in its name as it provides the link to racing, making it home on any racing circuit. It is also able to deliver what can be expressed as the higher of excitement levels and exhilaration for its driver.

Hiroshi Tamura is Chief Product Specialist for the GT-R and the GT-R NISMO. Chief Tamura added that using the 2017 GT-R as the initial point, the GT-R NISMO is now a well-balanced machine and delivers increased performance plus an increased overall premium feel.

The GT-R NISMO is thus the result of the brand’s quest in giving that ultimate driving pleasure, he continued. Five colors for the exterior will be made available for the 2017 Nissan GT-R NISMO. While the engine was hand-assembled at its facility in Yokohama, Japan, the actual assembly of the vehicle was done in Tochigi, Japan.

Exterior Design

Similar to the standard version, the front end of the GT-R NISMO has a newly-designed face and is accented by its new bumper. Its V-motion grille comes in dark chrome and has been made larger in order to gather more air and thus help cool its high-output engine.

This was made possible without lowering any of the aerodynamic performance expected from the vehicle. The new hood meanwhile has been strengthened to ensure that even at very high speeds, no deformation occurs and thus the vehicle continues to retain its aerodynamically optimized shape.

What makes it different from the standard version is that the GT-R NISMO’s front bumpers are composed of carbon fiber. Made by applying TAKUMI-like precision, the front bumpers have on it a number of layers of carbon fiber sheets that have been overlapped carefully with each other in order to get that right amount of stiffness. Meanwhile, helping enhance the airflow on the vehicle are the canards which help create a higher level of downforce.

These canards are also able to guide air around its wheelhouse, enhancing the aerodynamics. Compared to other production cars that Nissan has manufactured to date, the GT-R NISMO is shaped to create more downforce, giving it excellent stability even at high speeds.

Interior Design

Since the 2017 GT-R has a refreshed interior, the GT-R NISMO is able to benefit from this. Hence, the cabin gets a more upscale feel to it.

The steering wheel, the center armrest, and even the redesigned dashboard, have all been covered in Alcantara high-quality leather. Meanwhile the center dash layout has not only been improved but simplified as well by integrating audio and navigation controls. An example of this is in lowering the total number of switches from 27 in the prior model, to 11.

Helping achieve this as well is the fact that the 8-inch monitor, with the touch-panel, has been enlarged and now makes use of larger icons, making it easier to use.

On its carbon fiber center console, there is a Display command control that ensures easy operation without any need to touch the monitor, a feature that is useful especially when running at high speeds. A feature exclusive to the GT-R NISMO are the Recaro carbon bucket seats that come in leather and have the red Alcantara inserts.

Powertrain

Even the performance was also improved, partly due to the reinforced body that is in the standard model. With the body structure made stiffer, engineers were able to improve the stabilizers, springs and shock absorbers. With all of these improvements combined, the vehicle’s downforce is given a boost. This ensures that it has better handling compared to the model before it. Proof of which, are the superior cornering performance and better slalom times. In fact, when compared to the prior model, these two results are better by almost 2%.

The GT-R NISMO is equipped with the driver-adjustable Bilstein DampTronic system that makes use of the different vehicle information systems in order to deliver the needed damping forces and provide the high level of control that is important for different driving conditions. This system also comes with the NISMO-tuned shock absorber in order to transfer the power delivered by the engine to the road more effectively.

This refers to the 441kW (600PS) output given by the 3.8-liter twin-turbocharged V6 engine. Still on the engine, it is nicknamed "VR38DETT." This engine is a product of NISMO’s knowledge that was achieved by joining different worldwide motorsports events. Paired to this engine is the dual-clutch 6-speed gearbox with a pair of turbochargers having large diameters. These are the same turbochargers used in racing by GT3.

Similar to the standard versions, the engine inside each of the GT-R NISMO was hand assembled by meticulously trained technicians from start to finish and done inside a special clean room.

As evidence of this, each engine comes with an aluminum plate in the front that bears the TAKUMI engine craftsman’s name. As a result of having more power, the new GT-R NISMO delivers better overall balance and has become a vehicle that one can enjoy on the local race track or even through a winding mountain road.

Press Release

May. 27, 2016 2017 Nissan GT-R NISMO takes the new GT-R to the next level

The new 2017 Nissan GT-R NISMO today made its world debut at the famous Nürburgring race course, known as one of the longest and most challenging race tracks in the world. This is also the place where the Nissan GT-R's potent performance was honed, tuned and developed.

Like the GT-R Premium, the GT-R NISMO's front end features a freshened face highlighted by an aggressive new fascia. To help cool the car's high-output engine, the dark chrome "V-motion" grille has been enlarged to collect more air, without diminishing the car's aerodynamic performance. A new significantly reinforced hood avoids deformation at extremely high speeds, allowing it to keep its aerodynamic shape. Unlike the standard model, the front bumper of the GT-R NISMO – crafted with Takumi-like precision – feature layers of carbon-fiber sheets carefully overlapped to achieve the ideal amount of stiffness. The canards have been designed to improve airflow around the vehicle and generate a high level of downforce, while at the same time, direct air around the wheelhouse to enhance aerodynamics. Overall, the car's new shape generates more downforce than any other Nissan production car to date, resulting in exceptional high-speed stability.

The new GT-R NISMO also benefits from the 2017 GT-R's refreshed interior, whose cabin possesses a more upscale feel than ever before. The redesigned dashboard and steering wheel are covered with high-quality Alcantara® suede. The center stack layout has been improved and simplified, with the number of integrated navigation and audio controls reduced from 27 switches in the previous model to only 11 in the 2017 version. An enlarged 8-inch touch-panel monitor featuring large icons on the display screen make it simple to use, while a new Display Command control on the carbon fiber center console allows easy operation without having to touch the monitor. Unique to GT-R NISMO are the leather-appointed Recaro® seats with red synthetic suede inserts.

The performance of the all-wheel-drive GT-R NISMO has also been upgraded, thanks in part to the standard model's significantly reinforced body. The stiffened body structure allowed the engineers to further refine the GT-R NISMO's shock absorbers, springs and stabilizers, all of which, when combined with the car's added downforce, result in a better handling car than the previous model. This is evidenced by the car's improved slalom times and superior cornering performance (both up by nearly two percent from the previous model). The GT-R's special Bilstein® DampTronic driver-adjustable system – which utilizes multiple vehicle inputs to provide appropriate damping forces and high level of control for a variety of driving situations – features a special NISMO-tuned shock absorber that more effectively transfers the power of the twin-turbocharged 3.8-liter V6, which still produces 600 horsepower, to the road surface.

Dubbed the "VR38DETT," the GT-R NISMO's engine is the result of the expertise that NISMO has gained from competing in motorsports events around the globe. Mated to a 6-speed dual-clutch gearbox, it features a pair of high-flow, large diameter turbochargers used in GT3 competition. As with the standard model, each GT-R NISMO engine is hand-assembled from beginning to end in a special clean room by meticulously trained technicians, with an aluminum plate added to the front of each engine showing the name of the Takumi engine craftsman.

Despite its more potent nature, the new GT-R NISMO boasts better overall balance than before, evolving into a car that can be enjoyed on a winding mountain road, as well as on the local race circuit.

"The GT-R NISMO emphasizes the 'R' in its nomenclature. Its direct ties with racing make it at home on any racetrack, providing the highest levels of excitement and exhilaration for the driver. With the 2017 GT-R as a starting point, the new NISMO version has become a more well-balanced machine, with not just increased performance, but a heightened premium feel overall. It is the result of our ongoing pursuit of ultimate driving pleasure," said Hiroshi Tamura, Chief Product Specialist, GT-R.

The 2017 Nissan GT-R NISMO will be available in four exterior colors. It is assembled in Tochigi, Japan, with the engines hand-assembled in Yokohama, Japan.

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2017 Nissan GT-R Nismo debuts at Nurburgring

May. 27, 2016 2017 Nissan GT-R NISMO takes the new GT-R to the next level

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