The Nissan GT-R made waves when it hit the world’s roads in 2007. It was a car with real potential, and it met those expectations gloriously. Coming five years after the revered Nissan Skyline GT-R stopped production, the Nissan GT-R married science and power together to create a spectacular and speedy road-legal racer. The car came equipped with a 3.8L twin turbo V6, the VR38DETT, assembled by hand by Nissan technicians, like watchmakers of an earlier age. The wonderful performance this engine gave, combined with the car’s killer looks and reasonable price, effectively forced other Japanese racers, such as the Subaru Impreza WRX, and the Mitsubishi Lancer Evo to the sidelines – this was Nissan’s time, and it never let up.

It still hasn’t – this year is set to see the release of the Nissan GT-R Nismo, a new model, boosted in power (and price), and a cut down weight. So, lighter and more powerful, this all sounds very promising so far – but what’s it really like?

The answer is, well, that it’s very good indeed. The aforementioned power boost has jumped the horsepower up from a hardly slovenly 545hp to 600hp, but keeping the same top speed of 196 mph, as well as the same DCT gear ratios. The 0-60 speed is nothing short of incredible, hitting the fabled number in an estimated 2 seconds. If this is kept up for the production model, then it’s…kind of an incredible feat. For reference, the Bugatti Veyron, the fastest production car ever takes 2.5 seconds, and the upcoming Ferrari 488 GTB hits it in 3 seconds. While it will, of course, lose out to a whole host of sports cars when their top speeds, a drag race between the Veyron and the Nismo is something I’d love to see (and probably never will).

So, this unassuming relative newcomer to the supercar scene has everything right under the hood, but what about its design, both in and out? Well, body-wise, it looks very similar to the GT-R, and there’s some changes that you may not notice at first glance – the trunk lid is now made of carbon fiber, and a carbon fiber front spoiler has been added. Add to this some special edition 20” alloys, and some gorgeous red and black trim, and you end up with an understated, but great looking piece of machinery.

Inside, you’ll find faux-suade bucket seats in red and black. The emphasis, is strongly on speed, however, with a new, firm suspension that’ll bring increased stability. It’ll most likely be comfortable enough, but this is a racer, first and foremost. Combine this with the 4-wheel drive system, and you’ve got a car that, despite some understeer, will no doubt drive fantastically.

For those who really, really want speed, and want to capitalize on the GT-R’s fantastic Nordschleife time, you’ll want to add the as-yet-unnamed track pack, which packs a decent amount of improvements and sheds even more weight.

The car’s final verdict will have to wait until the first models hit these shores, but if it keeps its promises, this could be one of the best products of the Japanese motor industry since the Skyline itself, and could let Nissan take a proud place amongst supercar manufacturers worldwide.

Used Nissan GT-R For Sale

Used Nissan GT-R For Sale By Owner

Used Nissan GT-R Black Edition For Sale