While the big news for the 2015 model year concerning the GT-R is the launch of a new NISMO edition, the fact that the regular GT-R has undergone some updates shouldn’t be overlooked. While the GT-R’s former development chief Kazutoshi Mizuno was a fan of making the base GT-R the best he could, following his retirement Nissan is now altering its GT-R strategy slightly by splitting the latest 2015 model into two cars: a more refined regular GT-R and a hardcore, track-focused GT-R NISMO. In line with this philosophy, the regular 2015 GT-R offers a smoother ride comfort, more refinement and improved fit and finish compared to the previous model year.

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The suspension was fine-tuned to reduce load fluctuation between the wheels, giving better stability and more consistent grip. Modifications were made to the shock absorber logic, stabilizer spring rates and bush link. These changes are said to reduce vibrations and road noise.

The 2015 GT-R also gets Dunlop SP Sport Maxx GT 600 DSST CTT tires as standard. These have stiffer sidewalls than before, helping to reduce deformation and thus improve steering response under hard cornering. A set of 20-inch wheels is still standard. The braking calibration has been adjusted for a more firm, linear response at everyday speeds, making smooth braking easier. Furthermore, the electronic power steering was also adjusted in order to reduce the effort required for tight turns in city driving.

Onlookers will be able to recognize the 2015 GT-R by its revised headlights, which now feature LED elements and an active system that automatically adapts the angle of the light beam according to the speed of the car. At highway speeds, actuators in the light unit adjust the angle of the projectors to project the light further. The four LED units are configured with new intensive LED high beam and three different LED low beams including long-distance-illumination and wide-illumination.

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The 2015 GT-R’s color palette has also been expanded with a new hue called Gold Flake Red Pearl. As its name suggests, there are microscopic gold-tinted glass flakes infused into the red paint.

No changes have been made to the output of the car’s twin-turbocharged 3.8-liter V-6. The numbers remain at 545 horsepower and 463 pound-feet of torque. Those seeking more power can opt for the 2015 GT-R NISMO. This model features the same engine as the regular GT-R but its output is dialed up to 600 horsepower and 480 pound-feet of torque. This has helped the car to set a Nürburgring lap time of just 7:08.679, which is second only to the time of 6:57 set by the much more powerful Porsche 918 Spyder when it comes to production cars.

Sales of the 2015 Nissan GT-R range commence early next year.

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