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Nissan GT-R not tough enough for you? Try the V-Spec edition, seen here testing at the Nurburgring today. It beefs up the already highly potent GT-R with an extra 60bhp, boosting power to around 530bhp.
The car is said to use carbonfibre body panels to cut weight ­ by as much as 150kg, according to rumours. That could cut the car's kerbweight to under 1600kg.
Behind the new six-spoke wheels ­are new, uprated Brembo brakes. Two small vents in the front splitter probably provide extra cooli...Read the full article

My only question is why? Why would they want to launch this car so close to the launch of the "standard" GT-R.

On another thread Nissan are saying that they may not be able to cater for the influx of orders they are getting for the "standard" car. Surely a better plan would be to maximise sales of the original and then in a few years time when a freshen up is on the cards, offer this V-Spec as an upgrade model.

Just a thought.

When did Autocar start slapping their logo across images? I assume this is to prevent other sites nicking the images. Does it really matter that much? I find this intensely irritating. Before long all decent sites will be doing the same in retaliation.

If I was one of those 700 folks who's just put down a deposit, i'd be royaly pi***d!!

Even Nissan are getting this manufacturer disease ' Niches within niches'- The GT-R brand was meant to be the hardcore, no compromise, racing Nissan ( don't even use the words Nissan!), it's the GTR brand.

Now they've got a hot GT-R and a vindaloo hot GT-R V spec. What was wrong with the market placements they had for both R33/34's where the V spec was the ultimate ( and have a much softer almost coupe type model, forgotten what spec that was for R33/34).

What's the point of having two?

The softer spec R32,33 & 34's were known under several nomenclatures, most though were GT-T, GTT-S or something like that. The engines in those cars were lower spec also, but as with most of these cars they have been fettled by owners to bring them upto and beyond the original V spec engines.

Jon Hardcastle:

My only question is why? Why would they want to launch this car so close to the launch of the "standard" GT-R.

The v-spec is going to go on sale in 2010, a full two years after the regular version was released in japan, right about the time when intrest may start to wane and there will be some other ultimate high performace car.  Car magazines and super-rich car enthusiats are always interested in what's new, it's the same reason normal cars have facelifts.

phenergn:

The v-spec is going to go on sale in 2010, a full two years after the regular version was released in japan, right about the time when intrest may start to wane and there will be some other ultimate high performace car.  Car magazines and super-rich car enthusiats are always interested in what's new, it's the same reason normal cars have facelifts.

Sounds about right then.

In my humble opinion, and as someone who has paid his £3.5 k and will wait patiently until my Black Edition with SatNav arrives, the V-Spec will be a different kettle of fish.

Think F430 and F430 Scuderia or 911 GT3 and 911 GT3 RS, to the non-enthusiast quite similar but actually can appeal to two different groups of drivers.  I believe the V-Spec GT-R will be far more hardcore, of course more power and less weight and maybe no rear seats and a half rollcage as in the RS.

Nissan are not shooting themselves in the foot with this model. it will not arrive here for probably two years after the GT-R and will sell to current GT-R owners as an upgrade and also to a new group of buyers.  

Look out 911 GT2 - Nissan is after you as well ......