You may think that the GT-R is a triumph of function over form, but while it has been designed largely by need, there is more to the exterior styling of the GT-R than you would initially credit. Certainly there’s no mistaking it for something else and, because this is the first GT-R not based on a mass-market vehicle (hence the absence of the Skyline tag), it has been designed with more freedom than previous GT-Rs. Hiroshi Hasegawa, Nissan’s chief product designer, says “it is clearly not an Italian, German or American car” and that “it’s very mechanical, almost like an animated robot”, and is “obviously made from metal”, thanks to its big shoulders and hefty muscularity. Those features help place this wide car and contribute to an excellent drag coefficient of 0.27.
Also continued from previous versions is the mechanical concept; the R35 is a front-engined, four-wheel-drive supercar. But the technology employed leaves previous GT-Rs – and most other supercars – trailing. Its body structure consists of carbonfibre, aluminium and steel (although the kerb weight is a bloated 1775kg), while the 100bhp-per-litre twin-turbo V6 engine is new, sits well back in the chassis and drives all four wheels via a dual-clutch automated gearbox.
As technological showcases go it’s quite a feat and is matched only by the array of electronics on board. But don’t misunderstand us: driving the GT-R is a visceral experience governed by mechanics and physics, not merely electronics. The GT-R is still a supercar and it’ll still slide.
One thing its electronics will know is if you’ve been in trouble. They log how much power you’ve used, how much g you’ve pulled and even whether you’ve switched off stability control. Japanese models even use GPS to disable their speed limiter on race tracks.
