Nissan GT-R Nismo: This ultimate GT-R will be a track monster

By Stephen Edelstein Published May 3, 2013

Nissan can’t seem to leave well enough alone.

The GT-R was already a near-perfect combination of everyday usability and supercar performance, but the Japanese carmaker decided to up the ante with the sharpened Track Edition model. Now, rumor has it that Nissan is working on an even more hardcore GT-R.

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Nismo, Nissan’s performance skunkworks, is working on its own version of the car, already known as “Godzilla.” Nissan executive vice president Andy Palmer told Autocar that it will be the “fastest GT-R ever.”

Exactly how that will be accomplished is unknown, but the Nismo GT-R was reportedly designed with input from Nissan’s factory racing team, which runs highly modified GT-Rs in the Japanese Super GT racing series.

“The majority of the exterior changes are aero and downforce related,” said Palmer. “The production car record at the Nurburgring is the gold standard, and we expect to lower that.”

When the current R35 GT-R launched in 2008, its stated goal was beating the Porsche 911 Turbo’s Nurburgring lap time. Now that a new 911 Turbo is on the way, and other cars have crowded the GT-R’s space, it does seem like the right time for Godzilla to return to Germany and show everyone who’s boss.

Still, looking at the stock GT-R, it’s hard to imagine any room for improvement.

The GT-R has a twin-turbocharged 3.8-liter V6 with 540 horsepower and 463 pound-feet of torque. That’s good enough for a 0 to 60 mph time of 2.8 seconds and a top speed of 190 mph. The car’s all-wheel drive system also allowed it to reach a top speed of 182.8 mph on a frozen Russian lake.

Nismo may sound like Nissan’s equivalent to Mercedes-Benz AMG or Ford SVT, but so far it hasn’t been as aggressive with its plans. Its only two cars to date are the mildly-tuned Juke Nismo, and the 370Z Nismo, which gets a bump in power (just 350 hp versus 332), and some upgraded hardware.

If Palmer has his way, though, the GT-R Nismo will be a completely different beast. It will debut at the Tokyo Motor Show this November, and will begin stalking racetracks worldwide shortly after that.

Stephen Edelstein

Contributing Editor

Stephen is a freelance automotive journalist covering all things cars. He likes anything with four wheels, from classic cars…

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Plans to build it in Canada were recently put on hold, with production now delayed until at least early 2026. Some of that might have to do with possible U.S. tariffs on Canadian and Mexican vehicles—adding a layer of uncertainty to the whole rollout.
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