Spy Shot
Exclusive Spy Video and Photos: 2009 Nissan Skyline GT-R
2009 Nissan GT-R Battles 911 Turbo on the Nürburgring
With barely a month to go before its official debut, the 2009 Nissan GT-R returned to the Nürburgring. This time there was a very specific goal in mind, and according to our spy shooters, Nissan may have already reached it.
Since the earliest days of prototype testing, the GT-R mules have been accompanied by a Porsche 997 Turbo. The first time we saw the 480-horsepower 911 hanging around, we considered it a pretty ambitious performance benchmark for the new GT-R. The 911 Turbo is the quickest car we've ever tested from zero to 60 mph, and it doesn't exactly run out of steam at the top end, either. Clearly, Nissan was gunning for the big time.
Then last week rumors spread around the Nürburgring that Nissan was returning to the test track with the goal of breaking the Turbo's fastest lap time of 7 minutes, 40 seconds. With that in mind, our shooters staked out their usual trackside spots, but this time they brought their stopwatches along with their cameras.
There were no official times posted, of course, but according to our very unofficial hand-timed numbers, the GT-R managed to loop the track in just 7 minutes, 38 seconds. That's not only faster than the 911 Turbo, it's enough to make the Nissan GT-R one of the fastest production cars ever to loop the Nordschleife.
Apparently this has inspired a bit of extra confidence among Nissan's engineers, as their new goal is the 7-minute, 28-second lap set by the Porsche Carrera GT supercar.
None of this should come as much of a surprise, really. The GT-R's twin-turbo V6 is expected to generate as much as 500 hp. Combine that with all-wheel drive and a seven-speed gearbox, and the GT-R has all the necessary hardware to tame a difficult track like the Nürburgring. Add in the fact that the GT-R is expected to come in at around $75,000 and Nissan's accomplishment becomes even more impressive.
Since the earliest days of prototype testing, the GT-R mules have been accompanied by a Porsche 997 Turbo. The first time we saw the 480-horsepower 911 hanging around, we considered it a pretty ambitious performance benchmark for the new GT-R. The 911 Turbo is the quickest car we've ever tested from zero to 60 mph, and it doesn't exactly run out of steam at the top end, either. Clearly, Nissan was gunning for the big time.
Then last week rumors spread around the Nürburgring that Nissan was returning to the test track with the goal of breaking the Turbo's fastest lap time of 7 minutes, 40 seconds. With that in mind, our shooters staked out their usual trackside spots, but this time they brought their stopwatches along with their cameras.
There were no official times posted, of course, but according to our very unofficial hand-timed numbers, the GT-R managed to loop the track in just 7 minutes, 38 seconds. That's not only faster than the 911 Turbo, it's enough to make the Nissan GT-R one of the fastest production cars ever to loop the Nordschleife.
Apparently this has inspired a bit of extra confidence among Nissan's engineers, as their new goal is the 7-minute, 28-second lap set by the Porsche Carrera GT supercar.
None of this should come as much of a surprise, really. The GT-R's twin-turbo V6 is expected to generate as much as 500 hp. Combine that with all-wheel drive and a seven-speed gearbox, and the GT-R has all the necessary hardware to tame a difficult track like the Nürburgring. Add in the fact that the GT-R is expected to come in at around $75,000 and Nissan's accomplishment becomes even more impressive.
Add A Comment »