Indian automotive journalists recently experienced the thrill of Nissan’s mad sports car, the GT-R, at the Auto Expo preview in Noida
The GT-R has always been one of my favourite cars and at the Nissan Auto Expo preview I got a chance to be in the passenger seat with a highly qualified Nissan test driver, Pedro from Portugal.
Nissan got the latest 2012 GT-R at the preview. Let us first take note of some of the changes that were made to the car for 2012. The major change was done to the engine where the engineers increased its peak horsepower from 485 PS to 550 PS and its maximum torque from 588 Nm to 632 Nm. This was done by improving the intake efficiency of the car and by adding a lightweight catalyser, new metallic sodium-filled valves and by improving the valve control timing, air mixture ratio and ignition timing. Besides, small tweaks to the transmission have resulted in increased power output.
Nissan have reinforced the areas around the engine compartment and dash panel for a better feel and have also worked on the suspension for better handling. The car looks very much like the old model, but with minor tweaks to the front end.
The most engaging part about the GT-R is that feature which makes the car go from a controlled automatic car to a crazy and insane manual mad-machine, when its GPS detects a car on a pre-fed race track. We got a taste of this craziness at the preview when Pedro switched all the precautionary controls off, turning the car into a raw 550 PS beast. Initially, the GT-R feels very calm and peaceful, but once you floor the pedal, you get pinned to your seat as all the 550 horses propel the car forward. Acceleration in a straight line is simply mind-boggling and the way the GT-R tackles a corner is unbelievable. Just a little bit of gas into a corner and the tail comes out in a controlled slide, raising your heartbeat in an instant. Even though I was sitting in the passenger seat I could feel my heart racing at the end of the run and my mind begging for more.
This short ride in the GT-R was truly a big experience for me and I would recommend it to everyone who can afford to experience it.
Story: Ravi Chandnani
