Posted on Thursday 1 May 2008
Nissan’s all-new GT-R supercar has posted a blistering lap time for the Nurburgring of just 7m 29s but engineers still think they need to improve on the car and will be adding several tweaks before U.S. and European deliveries start. U.S. bound GT-Rs are set to receive three harder engine mounts, firmer spring rates and a stiffer transaxle mount designed to prevent drivetrain components from moving under extreme cornering. European models will get even more tweaks, likely to be new rubber bushes in the steering system and a recalibrated rear-differential.
The information comes from GT-R chief engineer Kazutoshi Mizuno, who spoke recently with CAR. “The new mounts make the car feel more together in extreme circumstances,” he said. “We’ve also changed the spring rates front and rear – it’s a minute change, they’re just 0.1kg/sq mm stiffer. But it means the movement of the suspension and powertrain are more perfectly tuned.”
He also revealed that the GT-R will remain a global model and as such any modifications made in one market will be rolled-out in all other markets. The changes to the U.S. spec cars, for example, were added to the Japanese version less than a week after the modifications were made.
Yes, and there needs to be a button to engage Ludicrous Speed!
What a bunch of marketing BS!
This isn’t marketing BS, this simply shows that Nissan isn’t resting on their laurels, and instead are doing everything they can to make the car as terrific as possible. I mean, they already had arguably the best all-around performance car in the world, and it was only released a few months ago. But instead of leaving well enough alone they continue to push the boundaries and improve on the car in any way they can.
Besides, how is this really a marketing ploy at all? It’s not like they’ll be advertising in their US ads “The US car has improved motor mounts and minutely different spring rates”. The only people that are going to know about these changes are the hardcore enthusiasts like us that take the time to read news sites and enthusiast magazines.
Marketing BS I think not but you have to see the humor in it all. They are releasing performance updates for the U.S. which has one the lowest national speed limits in the world and also has one of the highest accident rates per capita in the world due to the fact people just are not use to or know how to drive quicklly and safely. Germany ofcourse being one the safest places to drive.
My ribs hurt from laughter!!!!
Those Japanese are crazy. In a good way.
MYWheelsOnWalls is correct!—We need Passing Only Lanes enforced and better driver ed courses mandatory!! If we drove like they do in Germany, we would enojy driving, experience less traffic, waste less gas, and have less accidents! One of our politicians needs to put that on their platform.
Germany was by FAR the best place in the world to drive that I have ever visited.
Germany is good, Benelux and Austria are okay and parts of France are good. Pretty much everywhere else in Europe people don’t know how to drive. One of the worst driving I’ve ever seen was in southern Italy (Rome and south of it). Oh, and Greece, they don’t care about any traffic rules at all.
When it’s not raining.
Best place to drive in the world is California. Why? Because the weather is almost always perfect. I’ve driven in Europe most of my life, and although the roads are great, the weather really, really, really does suck…
And believe me, here in California, we have thousands of miles of twisty, scenic, two lane roads that hardly ever see a cop…
True, true.