Nissan GT-R: Skyline back as Nissan GT-R
All-wheel-drive legend returns as 500bhp twin-turbo monster in 2008
Lexus and Honda stole the Detroit show with the LF-A and ASCC concepts, but production versions of both will have to share the limelight with the new Nissan GT-R at the Tokyo show in October.
Looking almost exactly like the GT-R Proto concept of 2005 (pictured) and packing around 500bhp from a twin-turbo version of the 3.8-litre V6 found in the Nismo-developed Type 380RS-Competition racer (see page 21), the GT-R will go on sale in the summer of 2008. Expect a seven-speed paddle-shift ’box, 911 Turbo-rivalling performance and a price of around £75,000.
Nissan has been working hard to keep the weight of the GT-R down, which has involved ditching the traditional ‘Super HICAS’ four-wheel steering. The rear-biased all-wheel-drive drivetrain stays, though.The development team are currently finalising the chassis set-up on the Nürburgring, where their target is said to be a lap time of ‘significantly less than eight minutes’.