The GT-R has a smiling face and it completely lacks aggression, dare I say. On the face of it, it isn’t really scary, but the air channels along the side and the rear end sure let you know it means business. When the tyre-pressure monitor, the human one, was done filling in nitrogen, I flicked out the door handle, got in, and immediately felt like a pilot. Round knobs, flip switches, a black, no-nonsense interior with carbon trim, and snug seats (for my frame) all tell me to brace myself for what is about to be delivered. It’s like that feeling you have when you’ve ordered what is known to be the hottest dish of a certain restaurant and your taste-buds are having an anxiety attack. Push the starter: burble, burble, V6 ready to sing.
Get that start sequence out of the way and the other details catch your eye. The centre console was customised to display the accelerator gauge, boost pressure, engine oil temperature, coolant temp, transmission temp, and, of course, fuel and range. Jaw propped into place in tune with my left hand moving the lever to ‘D’, prepping those two clutches, I set off, listening to the engine note grow louder and sharper. I was joined by Nissan’s guardian angel to ensure I didn’t overheat the transmission, or the brakes, or, well, anything.
Prod the throttle and we were off. Literally gulping down the palpable excitement, I exited the pit-lane. I was pleasantly surprised with the responsiveness of the steering, weighted on the heavy side, and the amount of grip from the four-wheel drive. Gently turn into C1, enter C2 with a wide line, guide the steering lightly to point me to the back straight and, with a smile wider than ever, step on it.
As much as I like conversations about the dip in the road and the white line while trying to go flat out, my priority was to get as much out as I could and 230 km/h seemed a smidge underwhelming, considering I was expecting nothing short of dragon fury. Brake just as the marker came up, turn in and into the series of esses and then the parabolica. I’d done this before in mad Italian and German machinery, but this, the GT-R, was a different beast. It would take corners like an alligator takes your arm, but ensures it makes you feel as if it’s nibbling at them, rather than chomping down hard.
That’s the difference: it makes things easier. The ragged edge is not really what it’s about. It can be completely bonkers if you flip those nanny switches to ‘Off’ rather than ‘R’. The all-wheel drive, with independent combination of gearbox, diff and transfer-case in the rear — a first for an AWD car — mean weight distribution is spot on, grip is phenomenal, and the traction control delivers the power brilliantly. Even the brakes, six-piston callipers biting on floating drilled rotors, do an excellent job. It’s just so smooth through everything, and the sound system somehow counters the noise levels. Why? I’d want a screaming V6 soundtrack in my life.
Last series of corners before the main straight and I’m eager to give it more foot this time. Everything is in ‘R’ or race mode. My guardian angel was now coaxing me to caress the white line before I got on the throttle again. All lined up, it was foot to the floor accompanied by rising needles, filling gauges and the gathering of revs. Up to 220 km/h and I lift off before the turn, heading into the next set of corners that lead me on to the back straight. Only this time, it was cool-down mode. A proper race car for everyday use this is, then. The GT-R does that. The extra attention to the ‘GT’ part, so say Nissan, shows, with the ‘R’ already well taken care of. The traction and power delivery ensure it stays calm and composed and nips any chance of a potential driver error in the bud.
Following its Expo reveal, Nissan India will launch the GT-R this September. It won’t come cheap, though. Consider a tag of around Rs 2 crore, plus tax. So you better have that, plus track fees ready; because it’s simply more than just a car.
Note: Nissan India will launch the MY2017 model in India in the second half of 2016. The new car develops 570 PS at 6,800 RPM and 637 Nm between 3200 and 5800 RPM, up 20 PS and 5 Nm from the car we’ve driven here.
