I was expecting the Nissan to be fast, but I didn’t expect it to hurt me. Actually hurt. On some of the long left-handers, I had to bear down into my core and crank my neck rigid just to make it around semiconscious. And there was a distinct feeling that with all the blood pooled into the right-hand side of my body, my heart just might pump air rather than liquid, delivering the world’s most flatulent heart attack. Honestly, the grip it produces for a road car is simply astonishing. And it feels much more mechanical than aerodynamic. Yes, the Nismo has an extra 100kg of downforce over the standard GT-R, thanks to bits nicked from the Super GT racing car, including a wider front end, lengthened rear bumper and that big, tuner-tastic boot wing, but that stuff doesn’t come into play until silly speeds. What it does have at sub-light speeds is customdeveloped Bilstein DampTronic dampers, different – hollow – anti-roll bars and new upper links for the suspension, the astounding ATTESA E-TS all-wheel drive and those super-sticky Dunlop tyres. The 3.8-litre bi-turbo V6 has also had a few tweaks, but again, it sounds like a little that translates into a lot.
The turbos are stolen from Nissan’s GT3 racing car, there’s a new ECU controlling both them and the higher-capacity fuel pump, and although a 50bhp/14lb ft jump over standard doesn’t sound like much, it feels like it: the Nismo feels like it spins faster, breathes more freely, gets going with more hunger. What that package gives you is the ability to set the car into a corner, all but floor it, and cannon out of the other side with all of your features swept to the opposite side of your face. It will oversteer in Race mode, but guessing at the relative speeds, I think you’re probably better avoiding the GT-R’s showboating, nailing a decent line and making use of all that delicious traction. Given the slingshot, you can then use brakes that cause you to make little involuntary ‘oof’ noises, a gearbox that feels even quicker than standard, and a more fluent feel than any GT-R I’ve ever driven. It feels lighter than usual (it is, but only by a marginal 20kg, thanks to carbon bucket seats and a few other bits), more direct, more pointy than ever before. It’s more aware and connected, and turns in neck-snappingly hard. The steering isn’t as sweet as the Ferrari’s, the engine noise is whooshy and metallic in comparison, and where the Speciale requires delicacy and feels tippytoes nervy, the GT-R is real scruff-of-the-neck, bootin-the-face stuff. But when it comes to nailing a lap time, I don’t think I was far off the Ferrari – even with similar power and a 300kg weight disadvantage. The GT-R has grip and mid-range wallop that’ll make you feel sick. In a good way. It’s not exactly poetic, but it’s about as effective as it gets.
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