Only two months to go until the start of the 2007 Tokyo Motor Show and the world debut of the 2009 Nissan GT-R. We've already caught it at Laguna Seca and the Nürburgring, so when we heard that yet another GT-R prototype was heading to L.A. from Arizona, we made our way toward Nissan's old stomping grounds to see if we could catch the test team in action.
Like the previous prototypes, this GT-R wore camouflage front and rear, keeping the final styling details a mystery. Same wheels, too, so it appears as if they're not changing anytime soon. The engineers were none too happy to see us, thus most of our exposure was limited to following them around the streets of L.A. from a distance. We kept up for the most part, but when the engineers grew restless and gassed it, the GT-R walked away in a hurry.
It was hardly a surprise, as we're expecting the GT-R to debut with around 450 horsepower from a twin-turbo V6. Nissan's 3.7-liter VQ-Series engine is the most likely power plant, although some recent speculation suggests otherwise. One enthusiast Web site translated a report in Holiday Auto, a Japanese automotive publication, that says the GT-R will get a larger displacement V6 with the same "VR" designation as Nissan's 1998 R390 GT1 racecar.
Although the GT-R's engine might borrow some of the VR's high-dollar components, we doubt it's derived from the same V8. The VRH35L used in the R390 only displaces 3.5 liters and its design isn't conducive to larger cylinder bores. It's also one of Nissan's older engines, so using it in the high-tech GT-R seems like a stretch. We'll see soon enough, but until then we'll stick with the prediction of VQ power for the 2009 Nissan GT-R.
Like the previous prototypes, this GT-R wore camouflage front and rear, keeping the final styling details a mystery. Same wheels, too, so it appears as if they're not changing anytime soon. The engineers were none too happy to see us, thus most of our exposure was limited to following them around the streets of L.A. from a distance. We kept up for the most part, but when the engineers grew restless and gassed it, the GT-R walked away in a hurry.
It was hardly a surprise, as we're expecting the GT-R to debut with around 450 horsepower from a twin-turbo V6. Nissan's 3.7-liter VQ-Series engine is the most likely power plant, although some recent speculation suggests otherwise. One enthusiast Web site translated a report in Holiday Auto, a Japanese automotive publication, that says the GT-R will get a larger displacement V6 with the same "VR" designation as Nissan's 1998 R390 GT1 racecar.
Although the GT-R's engine might borrow some of the VR's high-dollar components, we doubt it's derived from the same V8. The VRH35L used in the R390 only displaces 3.5 liters and its design isn't conducive to larger cylinder bores. It's also one of Nissan's older engines, so using it in the high-tech GT-R seems like a stretch. We'll see soon enough, but until then we'll stick with the prediction of VQ power for the 2009 Nissan GT-R.
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