Pure, unadulterated power. That’s really the only way to describe Nissan’s latest incarnation of the GT-R.
Not to say that the Japanese beast with the nickname Godzilla was slow to start off with.
Launched in South Africa two years ago, the supercar warrior landed with a Samurai sword in the form of a 3.8-litre twin-turbo’d V6 pushing a very respectable 357kW and 588Nm – through a six-speed gearbox and all four wheels.
And at the time we managed 4.4 seconds off the line to 100km/h and a quarter mile of 12.5 seconds. That didn’t quite get our two-minute noodles on the boil because we expected quicker times, but it turned out to be a glitch in the launch control’s software.
Earlier this week we tested the updated 2011 GT-R – let’s call it the Wasabi spec – which raises outputs up to a tidy 390kW and 612Nm along with some cosmetic upgrades inside and out. The extra muscle was achieved through fiddling with things like boost and actuator settings, airflow intakes and intercoolers, engine cooling, and an easier-breathing exhaust.
Suspension and brakes also got the once-over, with technology from Nissan’s Nismo racing division applied to the shocks and brakes. More all-round downforce was realised thanks to some clever aerodynamic changes like reducing air resistance in the engine bay and extending the rear diffuser’s length.
But, more importantly, we were told the Senseis who run the software side make sure the launch control is optimally set up before the cars leave the land of the white and red flag.
And boy does it work.
Our VBox almost went into heart failure when we got the GT-R’s launch control going at our test facility earlier this week, and the car achieved a jet-propelled 3.4 second 0-100km/h time, and 11.5 seconds over the quarter mile.
Unlike some other (read German) manufacturers you don’t need a doctorate to get the launch control working. Just put the suspension, traction control and diff settings in R mode and Miyagi’s your uncle.
But with great power comes great responsibilty, and living with a GT-R is like Satan’s mistress. There’s just no way to drive this animal slowly or responsibly. From 100km/h up the speedo’s marked in increments of 30, and though it’s a twin-turbo the beast still has a nice growl through those four rear drainpipes. Being able to electronically monitor everything from boost pressure, to lateral G-forces, to throttle inputs doesn’t help surpress your hooligan side either.
My only problem with the GT-R is that it’s the hardest ride I’ve ever experienced – even in comfort mode I’m still missing teeth. And the gearbox isn’t perfect; in auto mode it can work itself into a frenzy and when cruising around can take a while to select the right gear.
The bottom line though is that at R1 314 000 there simply is no better bang-for-buck out there (add R50k for the Black edition which throws in sports seats and a sportier-finished interior). The GT-R truly is a Goliath-slaying supercar with every go-faster box ticked. -Star Motoring