2009 Nissan GT-R (Skyline) Picture and Nissan Cars Specifica

2009 Nissan GT-R (Skyline) Review

Introduction

Technically, the 2009 Nissan GT-R isn’t a Skyline — that distinction now belongs to what we know as the Infiniti G series, which is marketed as the Nissan Skyline in Japan. But don’t let the official nomenclature fool you. From its familiar twin-turbocharged engine and all-wheel-drive layout to its telltale circular taillights, there’s no mistaking the new Nissan for anything but a modern-day Skyline GT-R.

The big deal for Americans is that the 2009 GT-R marks the first time this legendary performance car will be officially sold stateside. We also happen to be getting the most ambitious version yet. The great-granddaddy of the new GT-R, the “Godzilla” R32 Skyline GT-R produced from 1989-’93, was designed to equal the performance of the iconic Porsche 959. Nissan’s benchmark for the 2009 GT-R? The mighty Porsche 997-series 911 Turbo.

That’s a tall order under any circumstances, but Nissan’s President and CEO, Carlos Ghosn, sent the degree of difficulty skyrocketing when he agreed to green-light the GT-R project on two conditions: first, the base price had to be about $70,000; and second, the car had to be profitable, i.e., not merely an image-boosting “halo car” that would be sold at a loss. Improbably, the GT-R has succeeded on all counts. Ghosn’s conditions have been met, and we can confirm that the 2009 Nissan GT-R is indeed a match for its Bavarian benchmark at the track. Never before has such stratospheric factory performance been available at such a reasonable price; in fact, you’d have to look long and hard to match the GT-R’s performance at any price.

How does the GT-R do it? As far as that bargain-basement price tag is concerned, we’d put it down to a mixture of modern mass-production techniques and magic. Performance-wise, the gnarly Nissan has a long list of co-conspirators to thank, among them a 473-horsepower twin-turbocharged V6, a thoroughly revised version of the previous GT-R’s ATTESA ET-S all-wheel-drive system, a trick suspension with adjustable dampers and a dual-clutch transmission that ranks right up there with the best in the business.

2009 Nissan GT-R (Skyline)

Credit also goes to the GT-R’s all-new PM (“Premium Midship”) chassis, as distinguished from the FM platform that underpins the 350Z and the Infiniti G35. The GT-R’s 53/47 weight distribution (50/50 under full acceleration, Nissan says) is due in part to the PM chassis’ rear-mounted transmission, unusual in any case for a front-engine design — only the Corvette and a few other high-end performance cars have one — but unprecedented for one with all-wheel drive. What’s more, to guard against inconsistencies from one GT-R to the next, the car’s suspension and body are assembled on a jig, racecar style. The result is an honest-to-goodness supercar — except for the bottom line.

Demerits are few and mostly insignificant next to the GT-R’s colossal capabilities. First off, the car is a bit heavy given its sporting mission, tipping the scales at 3,800-plus pounds — but in light of the GT-R’s physics-defying cornering ability, who cares? Probably the only time owners will really notice the extra weight is at the pump, and folks who buy 473-hp sports cars aren’t likely to lose sleep over a few miles per gallon. Likewise, the angular exterior styling isn’t for everyone — but then, when a $70,000 car can get you to 60 mph faster than any Ferrari or Lamborghini currently in production, does it really matter how it looks? At the end of the day, the only unequivocal complaint we can lodge against the GT-R is that it lacks a manual transmission option. As good as the GT-R’s exclusive clutchless manual is, you can still shift many competing models the old-fashioned way if you want, and we wish the same were true of the GT-R.

2009 Nissan GT-R (Skyline)

But that’s the biggest nit we can find to pick, which is a good indication of just how special the 2009 Nissan GT-R is. The Chevrolet Corvette Z06 is the only other sports car at this price point that offers remotely comparable bang for the buck, and its performance numbers are yesterday’s news compared to the GT-R’s. Provided that you can live without a stick, have more than $70K to play with and can find one (it’s said that only 1,500 are being allotted for the United States market, and those will no doubt command a hefty premium), the GT-R should be at the top of your sports car shopping list. For the time being, it’s probably the most thrilling ride for the money that the automotive marketplace has to offer.

2009 Nissan GT-R (Skyline) Rims

2009 Nissan GT-R (Skyline) Interior

2009 Nissan GT-R (Skyline) Specifications

via

"We do our best to publish and share Non Copyrighted Material on this blog, We merely take the power of Google Search(pdf search), forums, social bookmarks to find those materials and link to it. None of those materials are hosted in this server. We are neither affiliated with authors of any site nor responsible for its content and change of content. If you see unrelated pdf files with the description or copyrighted materials published on this blog, please contact us, we'll take action as soon as possible. Please read our Disclaimer for more detail."

• 2009 Nissan Cars Maintenance Procedures Guide PDF Books Manual Service
• 2003 Nissan Pathfinder Diagnostic Guide PDF Books User Manual
• Nissan Titan Side Rail Guide PDF Book Manual Installation Instructions
• 2009 Holden Cruze Picture and Holden Cars Specifications
• 2008 Holden Coupe 60 Anniversary Edition Picture and Holden Cars Specifications
• 2007 Holden Commodore SS V Picture and Holden Cars Specifications
• 2005 Holden Efijy Concept Picture and Holden Cars Specifications
• 2005 Holden VZ Monaro CV8 Picture and Holden Cars Specifications
• 2004 Holden HSV Coupe 4 Picture and Holden Cars Specifications
• 2007 Chevrolet Monte Carlo SS Picture and Chevrolet Cars Specifications