2012 NISSAN GT-R REVIEW

That word ‘entertaining’ is what makes the GT-R such a Marmite machine. Many people see it has a super-sophisticated four-wheel drive system, a minimum-input/maximum efficiency gearbox and they read the improbable acceleration numbers and lap times and assume this GT-R is all speed and no involvement; a car that demands no skill and offers no reward other than pub bragging rights. More power will never convince that vocal group that the GT-R is a genuine hero car and a scintillating experience.

The cold hard facts are that this 2012 GT-R has been honed in every area: for the first time since its launch the GT-R’s 3.8-litre V6 twin turbo engine has been uprated mechanically rather than just through a reconfigured ECU and exhaust package.

It has revised heads, new sodium-filled valves, a revised intake system – all in the name of more throttle response and greater energy higher up the rev range.

The dampers have new programming, the springs are revised, the gearbox shifts even more cleanly and quickly, the front bulkhead is structurally stiffer... The GT-R even has different spring rates and rear suspension geometry from one side to the other to account for the weight of the driver. It’s a typically meticulous job by the GT-R’s chief engineer Mizuno-san and his team of GT-R obsessives.

On Tha Track

The GT-R’s previous local launches have all revolved around significant track time, and although the MY2012 launch focused more on the car’s on-road performance, Nissan still found time in the schedule to work in some laps at Tasmania’s Symmons Plains raceway.Symmons Plains is a compact 2.4 kilometre circuit made up of three straights linked by tight turns. It’s a good venue to show off the GT-R’s acceleration, braking and cornering performance.Utilising the full 404kW/628Nm thrust of the GT-R’s 3.8 litre twin-turbo V6, the car rockets away from corner exits and builds speed with astonishing rapidity.

By the end of the front straight we were touching 215km/h, before standing on the brake pedal just before the 100m marker for turn four - a very tight hairpin.
Braking feel, stability and fade resistance is exceptional, and the grip offered by the Dunlop SP Sport 600 tyres didn’t taper off even after 15 hard laps.Turn five, a very fast right-hand sweeper, is a true test of high speed stability.Some slight surface undulations have the GT-R squirming about at 220+km/h, and, with the VDC switch set to ‘R’ - which slackens off the stability control - power-on oversteer nestles under the right foot.The GT-R’s rear can also be coaxed into a slide when trail-braking into a corner.You can have a lot of fun with the GT-R’s chassis by using its weight to prolong a slight drift, before punching the throttle and bringing things back under control.

Actual Power Bump

The increase in economy is a feat, considering the substantial 45-hp bump to the VR38DETT V-6, due mainly to higher boost pressure made possible by better engine cooling. Peak boost rises from 10.9 psi to 13.0, and timing and fuel mixture are remapped accordingly. Mizuno says a 1-mm increase in the stroke of the thermostat allows greater coolant flow, which helps compensate for the higher cylinder temperatures. The two air-inlet pipes that feed the gorgeous intake manifold have larger diameters, and exhaust backpressure was reduced.We asked Mizuno how much of the horsepower bump was already in the engine, considering that the media and the blogosphere have long speculated that some GT-R engines already made more than 500 hp. It was a rare topic on which the normally chatty Mizuno was mute. However, he did allow that absolute bottom-line quarter-mile performance will depend on where you buy gas. In states that sell 94 pump octane, it’ll be no problem. In California, which offers only 91, you’ll have to be choosy about where you tank up, Mizuno says, as some brands are better than others. (We apparently chose wisely, given our blistering times.) However, the company stands behind its 530-hp claim for all 50 states.Staying in the driveline, engineers finessed the software controlling the dual-clutch six-speed transmission to make for smoother engagements during normal driving and jackrabbit launches. The car’s warranty now covers use of the launch control; stories of exploding transmissions and denials of warranty claims have dogged the GT-R since its debut. However, the software now requires a 1.5-mile easy drive after every four launches. Mizuno says this is to protect the driver’s neck from injury, although we suspect a desire to stem escalating transmission temperatures also factors into that change.In the suspension, another degree of front caster firms up the car’s straight-ahead feel and adds more edge to its off-center response. Suspension flex must have been a problem in the earlier GT-R, as the front shock attachment points were moved outward on the lower control arms to change the lever point for additional stiffness and impact absorption, and the shocks now have aluminum pistons instead of plastic ones for—you got it—extra stiffness. The rear suspension geometry was changed to lower the rear roll center. Like we said, small details.