2010 Nissan GT-R

How many race-capable cars safe and suitable for daily driving can you buy, for any price? Precious few: Chevy’s Corvette ZR1, Porsche’s top-of-the-line Turbo 911s, Dodge’s track-ready Viper and a handful of big-buck exotics. Now we can add one more to that short list: Nissan’s fifth-generation Nissan GT-R. Known as the Skyline GT-R (aka “Godzilla”) in Japan, it is the first to be imported here. The 2009 debuted in North America in July 2008, and the slightly upgraded 2010 models are available through nearly 700 official “GT-R certified” Nissan dealers across the U.S.

Relative Speed

How fast is fast? The 2010 GT-R can rocket from rest to 60 mph in a tick over three seconds. Its electronically limited top speed is 193 mph. Driven by former Formula 1 racer Toshio Suzuki, it recently clocked a lap of Germany’s famed 13-mile, 176-turn Nurburgring race/test track in a stunning 7 minutes, 26.7 seconds—5.3 seconds faster than the best its target Porsche 911 GT2 has managed. Only two reasonably attainable production cars have bettered that: a 638-hp 2009 Corvette ZR1 at a slightly faster 7:26.4, and a 600-hp 2009 Dodge Viper SRT-10 ACR at 7:22.1.


The 2009 GT-R was Motor Trend’s Car of the Year, Automobile magazine’s Automobile of the Year and Kelly Blue Book’s “Best Resale Value” award winner. And, if you can find one at sticker price, this new Japanese supercar can do all of the above and more for a little more than $80,000.


So strong is the GT-R’s performance, in fact, that some auto writers and analysts insist that Nissan is underrating its hand-built 3.8-liter twin-turbo V-6 (perhaps for insurance reasons) at a “mere” 485 hp (up five for 2010) and 434 lb. ft. of torque. Also for 2010, its six-speed dual-clutch transmission gets new Transmission Control Module (TCM) programming to optimize clutch engagement for improved acceleration and drivability. Its brakes are upgraded with more rigid lines for improved durability, its calipers wear both Brembo and Nissan logos, and its tied-down suspension is retuned with new Bilstein shocks and revised spring rates.

Powertrain and Chassis

Nissan says the GT-R is built on an exclusive “Premium Midship” platform boasting the world’s first independent rear transaxle all-wheel drive, which can vary the torque split from 100 percent rear to 50/50 front/rear depending on conditions. Its engines are hand-assembled in a “clean-room” environment, and its paddle-shifted sequential 6-speed dual-clutch transmission uses separate wet clutches for the odd (1st, 3rd and 5th) and even (2nd, 4th and 6th) gears. Pre-selecting the next highest (or lowest) gear, it shifts at racer-like speeds and has a Hill Start Assist feature for easy uphill starts.


Its sophisticated fully independent suspension is aided by a Bilstein DampTronic shock absorber system with three selectable settings: softer Comfort, mid-range Normal and ultimate-handling “R.” Three-stage adjustability is also available for the VDC system and the transmission’s shift operation, which also includes a Snow mode. Its powerful brakes are Brembo monoblock six-piston front and four-piston rear calipers with large (15-inch) full-floating cross-drilled two-piece rotors and high-stiffness brake pads that minimize fade. And it rolls on 20-inch specifically designed Bridgestone or Dunlop high-performance summer run-flat tires, though Dunlop high-performance all-season tires are available.

Aggressive Design and Interior

The GT-R’s highly functional (some say ugly) exterior shape, Nissan says, “evokes the lines of a well-trained athlete.” Its stiff steel, aluminum and carbon fiber body splits the air with a low 0.27 drag coefficient along with stabilizing high down-force front and rear. Leading-edge “aero-blades” and trailing-edge vents in the front fenders optimize airflow around the tires and along the body, while “super-wide-beam” headlights have three extra sub-reflectors for a wide illumination spread. The rear view features four-ring taillights, a carbon fiber underbody diffuser, a high decklid spoiler and large quad exhausts. The interior offers seating for four—though the rear two are of little use for adults—and a trunk sufficient for two suitcases or golf bags.