2009 Motor Trend Car of the Year Winner: Nissan GT-R

AK370Z · 11-20-2008, 10:05 AM

.....

Quote:

Masterpiece de Resistance

In 1998, Nissan unveiled the 202-mph, $1 million R390 GT1. Essentially a roadgoing version of the race car that captured four of the top 10 spots at the 1998 24 Hours of Le Mans, the R390 street car enjoyed a breathtaking aura (its body was the work of famed Aston and Jag designer Ian Callum), humbling specs (550-hp, 471 lb-ft), and remarkable performance (0-to-62 in 3.9, quarter mile in 11.9). Rules dictated that manufacturers build at least one street-legal version of their race cars, so, as rumor has it, Nissan built two.

Today, after a little over a decade since those Le Mans days, the GT-R, of which Nissan will sell roughly 2000 per year at a cost of $77,840-$83,770 each, has superseded the omigawd! R390. Significance? When a genuine production car outperforms a homologated, Le Mans-based street machine-even one 11 years old-for about eight percent of the cost, it is certainly noteworthy.

The GT-R's significance, naturally, stretches far beyond its preeminence to the R390. Its justifiable association with contemporary flagships from Ferrari, Lamborghini, and Porsche alone says it is no poseur. The bottom line is Nissan is comfortably performing in rarified air, legitimately shaking up the hierarchy within the supercar stratosphere. And, lest you forget, at a comparative pittance of the others' retail prices. Further, whereas previous generations were sold only in Japan, Australia, and the U.K., the new GT-R boasts a global presence, treating enthusiasts in such countries as Germany and the U.S.

As with any supercar, simply looking at the GT-R is an integral part of the experience. Per senior vice president of design Shiro Nakamura, "The mission was to achieve a distinctive car, a supercar, but not a normal fast car-it's chunkier, more practical, and more muscular. The element of functionality is core to the GT-R and that functionality is reflected in the design. It is clearly not an Italian, German, or American car: It is unmistakably Japanese." Mission accomplished. St. Antoine notes, "The GT-R intentionally has none of the sophistication of a Ferrari, but instead looks mean and techno and macho."

Per chief vehicle engineer Kazutoshi Mizuno, a Nissan racing team director in the 1990s, his goal with the GT-R was to produce a "multiperformance supercar that can be driven fast and skillfully by just about anybody in just about any road condition." Thus, his mantra, "Anyone, anytime, anywhere." Well, the GT-R managed to astound every editor with its capabilities. Sure, some were dissatisfied with the styling ("Nissan has built the world's ugliest, oversized electric shaver"), the videogame feel ("If someone buys a car for more than just pure performance, i.e., emotional feel, the GT-R would be at a disadvantage"), and the stiff suspension ("Coarsest ride on the oval"), but none, regardless of talent, could dispute the GT-R's ability to leave mouths agape and spines tingling. Its mind-blowing faculties seemingly blur the line between surreality and reality-what a fantastical "Anyone, anytime, anywhere" supercar should do.

Plainly put: No Nissan has ever been as formidable or as awesome as the GT-R. More significant, no other 2009 contender crushes our criteria like the GT-R. For that, it wholeheartedly deserves our Golden Calipers.

AK370Z · 11-20-2008, 10:05 AM

Fast facts

Quote:

1. The 2009 GT-R, the sixth generation of Nissan's flagship sports car, is the first to come from a "clean-slate" design-all others were based on JDM Skyline models-and the first to be globally marketed.

2. A single technician in a climate-controlled clean-room environment hand assembles the all-new VR38DETT 3.8-liter twin-turbo V-6 (in Nissan's Yokohama factory) as well as the GR6 six-speed twin-clutch automatic (at the Aichi Machine Industry plant).

3. The GT-R undertook over 3100 miles of rigorous testing at the 12.9-mile Nrburgring Nordshleife, the world's most demanding racetrack. Its best lap time is 7:29, quicker than those of a Corvette Z06 and a 911 GT2.

4. The GT-R's "high-speed driving test"-the front passengers enjoying an easy conversation without raised voices at 186 mph-was performed mostly on German autobahns.

5. Product chief designer Hiroshi Hasegawa incorporated historical GT-R styling cues into the new model, namely the edgy box-shape of the 1969 PGC10 GT-R, the four round taillamps of the 1973 KPGC110 GT-R, and the prominent thin-slit grille of the 1999 R34 GT-R.

6. To ensure that virtually any driver can get comfortable, the GT-R boasts the greatest range of seat adjustment of any supercar-the driver's seat slides nine inches, raises 1.2 inches, and is rake-adjustable, easily accommodating anyone from 4 foot 9 to 6 foot 3. Also, the steering wheel both tilts and telescopes 2.4 inches.

7. Nissan calls it "Independent Transaxle 4WD." In other words, the GT-R is the world's first production car to feature a rear-mounted transaxle (transmission, clutch, and transfer case) and two independent propeller shafts (no torque tube), allowing each axle to control tire grip without manipulation from the other.

8. The GT-R's advanced ATTESA E-TS all-wheel-drive system can deliver up to 50 percent of torque to the front wheels, depending on feedback from sensors that measure speed, steering angle, tire slip, yaw rate, and lateral and transverse acceleration. Also incorporated is a yaw-rate feedback control sensor, which calculates target yaw rate based on steering angle and actual yaw rate based on the yaw-rate and g sensors, and then continuously distributes torque accordingly.

9. Specially developed Bilstein DampTronic monotube shocks feature sensors that gauge 11 elements, including vehicle speed, lateral acceleration, steering angle, engine rpm, brake oil pressure, and ABS behavior.

10. The GT-R incorporates "super-wide-beam headlamps" that utilize three additional subreflectors to enhance the illumination area. According to Nissan, they outperform swiveling lamps that rotate in turns, mostly because they provide superior light spread during high-speed straight-line driving.

11. The Brembo brake system uses fully floating 15.0-inch vented and drilled steel rotors that feature diamond-shaped inner ribs for better cooling. Monoblock calipers (six-piston front/four-piston rear) employ racing-style three-bolt structures to generate stout stopping force and avert caliper distortion.

12. The GT-R's body is composed of lightweight and advanced steels, die-cast aluminum (front suspension strut housings, front and rear suspension cross-brace members, rear-seatback support, door inners, tunnel stay), and carbon fiber (radiator core support, front of the engine bay, rear diffuser undertray). Further, the GT-R's underside-made up of, from front to rear, a polypropylene under cover, a glass-fiber sheet molding compound (SMC) under cover, a carbon SMC diffuser, and a carbon diffuser-helps achieve a 0.27 coefficient of drag.

13. Before being shipped from the Tochigi factory, the GT-R undergoes a nine-lap break-in regimen: Laps 1-3 (brake quenching), Lap 4 (brake break-in), Lap 5 (transmission break-in), Lap 6 (transmission break-in, engine boost pressure check), Lap 7 (transmission contact-sudden start), Laps 8, 9 (reducing friction of suspension).

AK370Z · 11-20-2008, 10:12 AM

A well deserved win! I knew GTR will be one of the TOP competitor for this title. Congrats to Nissan for making this amazing machine!

alefcole · 11-20-2008, 01:40 PM

100% true, this 80K monster is the best value for your money. Bye Bye to the VET for having that title.

bigaudiofanat · 11-05-2009, 02:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by alefcole

100% true, this 80K monster is the best value for your money. Bye Bye to the VET for having that title.

Oh I agree plus this baby can actually be thrown into a corner without

dieing lol

Now is this the second award the gtr has won?

chadegrimsley · 11-05-2009, 04:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bigaudiofanat

Oh I agree plus this baby can actually be thrown into a corner without

dieing lol

Now is this the second award the gtr has won?

World Car Awards - 2009 World Performance Car
Car Magazine - COTY
EVO Magazine - Car of the Year 2008
Motor Trend Magazine - 2009 Motor Trend Car of the Year
Automobile Magazine - 2009 Automobile of the Year
Popular Mechanics - Automotive Excellence Awards 2008 (Design)
Popular Science - Auto Tech Grand Award Winner
Top Gear Awards - Supercar of the Year 2007
2009 International Car of the Year
2008 Japan's Most Advanced Technology Award
Edmunds - 2009 Edmunds Inside Line Editors Most Wanted Awards: Instant Classic

11-20-2008, 10:12 AM	#3 (permalink)
AK370Z Administrator Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: NJ Posts: 9,931 Drives: 09 370Z MB Sports M6 Rep Power: 10	A well deserved win! I knew GTR will be one of the TOP competitor for this title. Congrats to Nissan for making this amazing machine! __________________ The370Z Signature Pictures ll Want to rock our forum decals on your car? Then click here! ll How to Embed YouTube Videos In a Post STOP! (Hammertime) ll Become a Premium Member Click HERE ll F.A.Q. Are You a Nissan Dealer? Click Here to Become A "Supporting Dealer" and Start Listing Your 370Zs In Our Inventory Section My Monterey Blue Z ll My Exhaust --> My Intake --> G3 Nissan's Official Response Regarding Oil Temp Issue: CLICK HERE Need a Set of Cheap Winter wheels /Tires? Then Visit The Banner Link Below and Place Your Order. You'll Help Keep The370Z Alive.

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11-20-2008, 01:40 PM	#4 (permalink)
alefcole Premium Member Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: SJ Posts: 709 Drives: 2011 Black ZCP E92M3 Rep Power: 19	100% true, this 80K monster is the best value for your money. Bye Bye to the VET for having that title.