2009 Nissan GT-R

Would you pay $70,000 for a Nissan? That, it seems, is the $70,000 question, and it’s what the Nissan GT-R currently costs in Japanese yen. When it arrives on our shores in mid-2008, the price will start at $69,850 plus destination and gas-guzzler charges which have yet to be determined. Stretching the price range of a brand is nothing new: Ford went into the stratosphere with the $153,000 GT and managed to sell every copy. But the Nissan doesn’t have the 40-odd years of Le Mans–winning nostalgia that came with the Ford, at least not in the United States.

Overseas, the GT-R’s history goes back to 1969, when Prince (later absorbed by Nissan) put a hot 2.0-liter engine in its Skyline sedan. In 1989, the GT-R returned after a 16-year hiatus as the turbocharged, all-wheel-drive R32 and was succeeded by the R33 and R34, but the GT-R line has never officially been sold on American shores until now. In Japan, and to anybody familiar with the Gran Turismo series of racing games, the GT-R is an icon, but to many Americans it is as foreign as high-speed passenger trains. Calling the GT-R an unknown icon is oxymoronic (and slightly regular moronic, too), but it does illustrate the dual existence of the super Nissan.

Photos don’t really do justice to the GT-R. The camera shots convey inelegance in the design that doesn’t carry over in the flesh. Up close, the protruding snout is still the weakest styling element on the car, but it’s not nearly as offensive as were led to believe. There are countless curves, creases, and bumps on the GT-R that keep your eyes dancing back and forth from one end of the car to the other, like the crease in the C-pillar. The front wheel arches are far more dramatic in person, as are the dartlike bumps that surround the hood scoops. It’s all very aggressive and muscular, but what’s mesmerizing about the GT-R is that it seems as if it shouldn’t be pretty at all and we still can’t stop staring.

Well, the GT-R looks impossibly large. It seems absolutely crazy to compare the GT-R with its performance benchmark, the Porsche 911 Turbo, because the GT-R appears to be twice as big. That feeling is reinforced by the claimed curb weight of 3850 pounds, 330 more than the 911 Turbo. In reality, the GT-R is only seven inches longer than the Porsche and narrower than the Dodge Viper and Corvette Z06. The extra length and the long 109.4-inch wheelbase allow for a back seat that is just barely usable for two passengers and a trunk that Nissan claims can hold two sets of golf clubs. The Porsche, on the other hand, has hardly any luggage space and back seats that are suitable only for amputees.

If the GT-R were really to take on the 911 Turbo, it would need the power to match. So Nissan developed a new 3.8-liter V-6 engine and gave it the VR designation (VR38DETT in this specific application). The TT in VR38DETT stands for twin turbo, and intercooled air is rammed into the intake at a maximum pressure of 10.9 psi to produce 480 horsepower and 434 pound-feet of torque at the crankshaft. That’s the same horsepower as the 911 Turbo’s, and it makes the GT-R the most powerful Japanese car ever. There are similarities to the VQ engine found in the 350Z and Infiniti G35, such as the same cylinder bore, but the VR features a closed deck for greater block stiffness. Variable valve timing is on the intake valves only, but don’t let that make you think the VR is ordinary. Each engine is hand-built by a single technician in a climate-controlled room in Nissan’s Yokohama engine plant. Before it ships out to the assembly line, each engine is tested for power output.

Once the engine is installed in the GT-R, the power is routed to all four wheels in a way that is somewhere between brilliant and insane. A main driveshaft connects the engine to the rear transaxle, and then a second driveshaft runs back to the front of the car to power the front wheels. The upside to the extra inertial mass of this setup is better weight distribution: All the bulk and weight of the all-wheel-drive system is shifted to the rear. The front-to-rear power distribution, electronically controlled by a clutch, varies from 50/50 at launch to as much as 20/80 during driving. Between the rear wheels is a mechanical limited-slip differential. Unlike the GT-R R34 V-Spec II and new Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution, the GT-R’s all-wheel-drive system cannot distribute power from left to right.

Each of the GT-R’s 480 horsepower is responsible for 8.0 pounds of weight, compared with 7.3 in the 911 Turbo. So to achieve the claimed 0-to-60-mph time of 3.5 seconds, the GT-R employs a couple of tricks. The first is a six-speed dual-clutch gearbox, which changes gears faster than any human can push a clutch pedal and pull a shift lever. The transmission is similar to the ones found in Volkswagens, Audis, and the Lancer Evolution. The second trick is the gearing, which is short. The first gear ratio of 4.06, combined with the final-drive ratio of 3.70:1, helps the GT-R catapult quickly off the line. The rest of the gears are similarly short: The 186-mph top speed occurs at redline in sixth gear.

Behind the massive 20-inch wheels are similarly large two-piece Brembo brakes. In Japan, the GT-R comes with Bridgestone Potenza RE070R or Dunlop SP Sport 600 rubber. North American–bound cars will most likely be equipped with the Bridgestones or, as part of a cold-weather package, Dunlop SP Sport 7010 A/S tires. The all-season Dunlops look more like three-season tires, but Nissan insists the GT-R can stop and turn in snowy weather when equipped with them. Any residents of cold-weather states would be well advised to pick up some Bridgestone Blizzak winter tires, which are conveniently available in the stock 255/40R-20 front and 285/35R-20 rear sizes.

The parts of the GT-R interior that are covered in soft, padded leather—which include the seats, steering wheel, shift knob, most of the dash, and some door trim—make some Infinitis look cheap by comparison. Some vestiges of lesser Nissans are apparent, though, like the plastic parts of the dash, cast in the same strangely cheap-looking texture as those in the Altima. The parts-bin window switches and the turn-signal and wiper stalks are familiar, too, but less offensive.

The GT-R comes with a smart-key system, so to bring the engine to life, you just push the bright red stop/start button on the center console along with the brake pedal. The shift lever gives you the option of park, reverse, neutral, or drive. A sideways tap will switch between automatic- and paddle-shift modes. At the bottom of the center stack are switches for the all-wheel-drive system, electronically controlled shocks, and stability and traction control. Your options for each system are as follows: normal, snow, or R mode; normal, comfort, or R mode; on, off, or R mode.

At the top of the center stack is an LCD that augments the main gauge cluster. Nissan engineers teamed up with Gran Turismo guru Kazunori Yamauchi to create a multifunction display that bridges the gap between video games and real life. There are various views: a customizable set of auxiliary gauges, acceleration and braking forces, lateral g-forces, gear display, fuel economy, and stopwatch lap time (controlled via steering-wheel buttons). The acceleration-and-braking and lateral-g screens are the best, though, because they also show brake- and gas-pedal levels and steering angle. It’s real-time telemetry and, if you can manage to watch it without driving off the road, it’s great fun. And if you’d rather be confused the (sort of) old-fashioned way, the display also has a touch-screen navigation system.

Subsequent trips around the track at a more feverish pace revealed the best part about the GT-R: It’s impossibly easy to drive. It still feels large and heavy, but it communicates exactly how the weight is shifting under braking, acceleration, and cornering so that nothing, dynamically, comes as a surprise. Even if you do unsettle the car, it’s easy to recover. The Corvette Z06 and the Dodge Viper inspire fear with their awesome performance, whereas the GT-R inspires nothing but confidence. In other cars you worry what might go wrong; in the GT-R you wonder what you can get away with. On a later trip in the passenger seat with a Nissan test driver at the helm, we learned that you can actually get away with quite a lot in the GT-R. The test driver turned in faster and got back on the gas sooner than we thought possible, and the only consequence was a slight slide from the back end that was corrected with a bit of steering and more throttle.

If you’re looking for 911 Turbo performance, the GT-R is a bargain, and it even trumps the 420-hp Audi R8. Of course, it’s not all about performance, and the GT-R offers the whole package. It’s fast, luxurious, easy to drive, and—with only 1500 cars headed to the U.S. for the first year—exclusive. The GT-R is also large, fat, and almost stupidly expensive for a Nissan. At least that’s what we can imagine 911 Turbo and R8 owners will say when they feel threatened. Chances are, GT-R owners will take that as a compliment.

2008 Ferrari 430 Scuderia

The great thing about the 430 Scuderia—a faster, lighter, and even more compelling version of the F430—is that Ferrari didn’t have to make it. Automakers create new versions of their existing models to stimulate sales, but with North American waiting lists at two years for the F430, Ferrari didn’t need to drum up showroom traffic.

Ferrari people say the primary reason for building the Scuderia is that it showcases the company’s racing technology in a street car. Another reason is that, historically, Ferrari has built more extreme versions of its entry-level sports car, going back to the F355 Challenge in 1995. And Lamborghini, its northern-Italian rival, has just introduced the Gallardo Superleggera, while Porsche, its perennial competitor, is continually making go-faster versions of the 911.



Whatever the reason, enthusiasts who have well-padded bank accounts should rejoice, because the 430 Scuderia is a stunning vehicle. The engine in the F430 is a wondrous device, a snarling 4.3-liter V-8 that makes 483 horsepower. The Scuderia gets an additional 20 horsepower and an engine sound that’s so loud and enticing it causes occupants to giggle in delight. The extra power and noise come from a revised intake manifold, a freer-flowing exhaust, and a slightly higher compression ratio (up from 11.3:1 to 11.9:1), among other changes.

The F1 automated manual transmission is upgraded, too, with revised software to effect neck-wrenchingly quick shifts. Ferrari says the interval has gone from 150 milliseconds on the F430 to just 60, close to the times that its Formula 1 cars were doing a couple of years ago. Like the F430, the Scuderia has an electronically actuated clutch-pack-type differential that now works in harness with Ferrari’s latest traction-control system, F1-Trac. Carbon-ceramic composite brakes are standard, with front rotors that are 15.7 inches in diameter (up 0.7 inch over the F430’s).

Further electronic trickery includes a refinement of the F430’s so-called manettino, a rotary dial on the steering wheel that allows the driver to choose a number of regimes for the stability- and traction-control systems, gearshift speed, and shock setup. There’s a new position that turns off the traction control but retains the stability system, replacing the “ice” mode of the F430. On the F430, the shocks are set at their firmest in the more extreme, track-oriented manettino settings, but the 430 Scuderia allows the driver to soften the shocks in these racier situations.

By a variety of measures, including the liberal use of carbon fiber, a Lexan rear window, and titanium springs and wheel nuts, Ferrari says it has trimmed 221 pounds off the F430, producing a curb weight of about 3150 pounds. It is claimed that the Scuderia shaves 0.4 second off the F430’s 0-to-62-mph time of four seconds flat and that the car laps Ferrari’s Fiorano test track as fast as an Enzo.

The Scuderia is indeed a track weapon, with superb handling balance, great grip, and amazing brakes. The so-called race setting is impressive, allowing a driver to mash the throttle out of turns while the electronics decide when and how to apply engine torque. The setting also allows a bit of oversteer before the stability control intervenes to prevent the driver going from apparent hero to immediate zero. On the road, the Scuderia is equally fantastic, with a tactility and immediacy that few other cars offer. The ride is outstandingly composed if the driver opts for the softer shock settings.

The F430 is a brilliant but expensive car. The 430 Scuderia is even better. And for those who think the projected price—about $250,000 when it goes on sale in the U.S. this spring—is on the extreme side.

VEHICLE TYPE: mid-engine, rear-wheel-drive, 2-passenger, 2-door coupe

ESTIMATED BASE PRICE: $250,000

ENGINE TYPE: DOHC 32-valve V-8, aluminum block and heads, port fuel injection
Displacement: 263 cu in, 4308cc
Power (SAE net): 503 bhp @ 8500 rpm
Torque (SAE net): 347 lb-ft @ 5250 rpm

TRANSMISSION: 6-speed manual with automated shifting and clutch

DIMENSIONS:
Wheelbase: 102.4 in Length: 177.6 in Width: 75.7 in Height: 47.2 in Curb weight: 3150 lb

PERFORMANCE (MFR’S EST):
Zero to 62 mph: 3.6 sec
Zero to 124 mph: 11.6 sec

PROJECTED FUEL ECONOMY (MFR’S EST):
European combined cycle: 15 mpg

Chevrolet Corvette ZR1 Engine

Here are the first official images of the supercharged LS9, the heart that powers Chevy’s amazing Corvette ZR1.

Chevrolet Corvette ZR1 Intercooler

These leaked pictures provide the first official look at Chevy’s ultimate Corvette, the ZR1, which is set to be unveiled in January at the Detroit auto show. Granted, these images aren’t of the actual car, but isn’t this tasty engine the important part anyway?

Dubbed LS9, the 6.2-liter supercharged small-block V-8 engine is expected to blast somewhere north of 600 horsepower down the ZR1’s driveshaft and is rumored to be closer to 625. Besides the fully assembled engine—well, mostly the engine cover—the pictures show the guts of the Vette’s intercooler as well as the supercharger and intercooler bolted together.

Like the supercharged Northstar V-8 found in Cadillac’s XLR-V and STS-V, plus the Corvette Z06’s 7.0-liter LS7 V-8, the LS9 will be assembled at the GM Performance facility in Wixom, Michigan.