Every time Nissan brings us news about the latest Skyline, the world drops what they’re doing and takes notice.
This year they unveiled the breathtaking 2009 GT-R, and this time it’s coming to America.
On the outside, the new Skyline is all dips and smooth lines from bumper to bumper.
It’s everything a sports car should be: light, aerodynamic and sickeningly quick.
In fact, Nissan’s engineers subjected the Skyline to a full year in the wind tunnels to get the aerodynamics exactly right.
The basic body structure is crafted from steel, but the majority of the body work incorporates lightweight materials like carbon fibre (front structure), polypropylene plastic (grille and bumper) and aluminium (doors, hood, fenders, trunk lid and front suspension).
The gaping vents along each side of the vehicle are there to provide cooling relief to the giant Brembo braking system, six-piston in the front and four-piston at the rear, both sets cross-drilled and ventilated for uncompromised stopping power.
The wheels and tires are pretty phenomenal too: you’re looking at 20-inch alloy rims snug inside Bridgestone run-flat tyres filled with nitrogen instead of air. Opt for those or the Dunlop all-season versions that can either be filled with nitrogen or air.
So with all that show, how about the go? Well, the new GT-R doesn’t disappoint with an earth-shattering output of 480HP at full tilt. This figure comes courtesy of a hand-assembled twin turbo VR38 V6 engine mounted just behind the front wheels to help with weight distribution.
With top speeds in excess of 190mph and a blistering quarter mile time of 11.7 seconds, those high-end Brembo brakes do come in handy! Another nifty feature is the adjustable race car suspension that you can set to whatever your needs may be at the time.
This Skyline features a six-speed automated manual dual-clutch transmission, which may disappoint those keen on full stick-shift driving, but if it takes all of 0.2 seconds to move from one gear through the next, who cares?
That’s quicker than any human being can make a gear change. The Skyline is engineered to be a solid, stable ride with a highly advanced chassis and an all-wheel-drive rear-mounted transaxle, the first of its kind introduced by Nissan on this car.
Inside the cabin there’s gadgetry galore, the most impressive being the screen that monitors the car’s performance as you drive. This monitor shows 17 performance features that can be divided into 11 different screens, so you can keep an eye on engine temperature, boost pressure, oil pressure as well as optimal driving technique.
The seats are racing-style comfortable and functional – they hug your body so you’re not thrown all over the place while negotiating tight corners.
If you have about $70 000 burning holes in your pockets, then by all means, throw it at this fantastic vehicle. Only 1500 units will be making its way to American shores, and the promise of that kind of exclusivity makes it even more desirable.
Not only does it look like something out of every gear-head’s wildest dream, it also has the performance capability to live up to the hype.
