04 Mar 08
Nissan has announced pricing for the GT-R: it'll start from £52,900.
But don't get too excited just yet - though deposits (£3,500) can be made next month, deliveries won't begin till March 2009. Sales of the GT-R will be via ten selected Nissan High Performance centres, which will run a series of special events for would-be owners as well as a concierge service for collection, delivery and ongoing maintenance.
The all-new GT-R, which does not take the Skyline name this time, has a 3.8-litre twin-turbo V6 giving 480bhp, 434lb ft, 195mph and 0-60mph in 3.5 seconds. It has four-wheel-drive with a rear-mounted independent transaxle, combining the transmissions, transfer case and rear differential in one compact unit, giving an optimum front-rear weight balance as well as ultra-sharp handling; up to 50% of torque can be directed to the front wheels for improved traction and the system is continually self-adjusting.
The gearbox is a six-speed twin-clutch unit (similar to Volkswagen's DSG) with sequential-shift pre-selected gears, steering wheel-mounted paddleshifts, throttle blipping on downchanges and a fully auto mode for when you want to take things easy. There is hill start assist, stability control, and the adjustable Bilstein suspension dampers can be set in comfort, sports or high-performance modes. The GT-R sits on 20-inch forged alloy wheels with Bridgestone run-flat tyres and large Brembo brakes.
All UK-spec models will come with eight-way adjustable leather/suede seats, dual-zone climate control, cruise control, a radio/CD/MP3/WMA audio system with hard-drive, ignition button, a Playstation-style multi-function LCD screen for telemetry readings, six airbags, xenon headlamps, tyre pressure monitoring and Thatcham-approved alarm. GT-R Premium Edition models (from £54,200) add automatic headlamps and an uprated Bose digital sound system, and the GT-R Black Edition (£55,500) comes in black paint only with gunmetal grey alloys and red-highlighted black leather upholstery. Options will include sat nav with 30GB hard drive, touch screen, voice controls and Bluetooth integration (£1,900).
Check out the rest of our Geneva Motor Show coverage.
