Nissan GT-R 2020 Review

Let’s get the elephant out of the room for starters: the current R35 Nissan GT-R was launched way back in 2007, before Kevin 07 became Australia’s PM -- for the first time.

And hat was after Nissan showed the first of two new-generation GT-R concepts in 2001 – two years after the Japanese brand formed an alliance with Renault and installed Carlos Ghosn as its leader -- as part of its decade-long development program.

But in supercar terms the R35 is still a baby. Finding 890 Australian homes since its local launch in 2008, it has received constant model year updates throughout its 12-year lifespan, the most recent of which was a major MY17 upgrade in 2016.

In fact, Nissan’s chief GT-R product specialist Hiroshi ‘Mr GT-R’ Tamura told us that the R35 platform could have a 20-year cycle, given the previous Skyline GT-R platform lasted 14 years.

It began life under the first GT-R to be officially sold in Australia, the R32, which debuted in 1989 and started the Godzilla legend when it beat Aussie touring cars at their own game by winning the Bathurst 1000 in 1990 and 1991 and also claimed three ATCC titles.

The same platform continued under the R33 (1995-1998) and R34 (1999-2002), and the GT-R’s trademark all-wheel drive twin-turbo six-cylinder layout (albeit V6 not straight-six) continued with the redesigned R35 after a five-year hiatus.

And it’s not as if the latest GT-R is old-hat. The new-generation Honda NSX might pack three electric motors and a 3.5-litre twin-turbo V6 with nine-speed dual-clutch auto, but it’s also more than double the price of the base GT-R at $420K.

Hinting at more evolution before renewal, Tamura-san says work on an all-new ‘R36’ won’t begin until Nissan decides whether it should be hybrid or fully electric, so for now the GT-R remains based on Nissan’s dedicated ‘Premium Midship’ (PM) platform and powered by a hand-built twin-turbo V6, both of which still tick all the boxes.

Underneath it is a racecar-style rear transaxle and independent subframes for the mostly-aluminium double-wishbone front and multi-link rear suspension units.

For MY20, there are worthwhile running changes to the GT-R’s VR-series 3.8-litre V6 powertrain and chassis, accompanied by prices hikes of up to $8000.

With no sign of more basic Pure, Prestige and Black variants sold in other markets, Australia’s entry-level MY20 Nissan GT-R Premium ($193,800 plus ORCs) and Premium Luxury ($199,800) are both now $4800 pricier.

Priced at $209,300 plus on-road costs, the Nissan GT-R 50th Anniversary Edition costs $9500 more than Premium Luxury model on which it’s based, while the GT-R Track Edition is up $8000 to $235,000 and the new Track Edition with optional NISMO interior tops the range, for now, at $247,000.

The MY20 Nissan GT-R NISMO will arrive Down Under in October, bringing a 30kg weight reduction, more downforce, new turbos from the GT3 racer, retuned suspension, carbon ceramic brake rotors, wider tyres on lighter, more rigid forged aluminium RAYS wheels and probably a price increase over the current model’s $299,000 sticker.

For now, all five MY20 GT-R variants bring upgraded turbochargers, transmission, suspension, steering, brakes, wheels and cosmetics, but there are no changes to engine outputs, which remain at 419kW of power and 632Nm of torque (although the GT-R NISMO’s will increase to about 447kW, from 441kW/652Nm).

Range-wide design updated include revised LED fog lights, blue exhaust outlets and a new Bayside Blue hero paint colour inspired by the Wangan Blue hue seen on the R34 – in addition to Ivory Pearl, Super Silver, Gun Metallic, Jet Black, Vibrant Red and Blaze Metallic hues.

In addition, Premium Luxury grades get an updated interior colour – Urban Grey – while Track Edition versions score refreshed Recaro front seats as part of the NISMO interior option pack.

The commemorative 50th Anniversary Edition is more of a special-edition than a limited-edition, featuring dedicated interior trim, anniversary badging and unique decals. Just four are in Australia so far, with a further four on the way, and more available by special order.

On top of GT-R Premium Luxury features, the five-decade special is available in three exterior colours: Super Silver with white decals, Ivory Pearl with red decals and Bayside Blue and white decals.

Said to be inspired by the liveries of GT-R race cars in the 1971 Japan Grand Prix, the contrasting decals are applied to the bonnet, roof and boot lid, where a ‘50th Anniversary’ sticker and badge also reside.

Further commemorative emblems can be found inside, on the kick plates, tachometer, seats and centre console, while the lighter 20-inch alloy wheels with blue spoke faces are also engraved with 50th Anniversary badges.

A special Twilight Grey interior colour scheme – for the semi-aniline two-tone leather trim, dashboard, centre console, door trims, steering wheel and gear shifter – plus an Alcantara headliner with unique stitching and Alcantara-wrapped sunvisors complete the anniversary package.

Standard equipment across the Nissan GT-R range continues to include six airbags, three-stage stability control, reversing camera, tyre pressure monitoring, satellite navigation with 3D mapping on an 8.0-inch touch-screen, Bluetooth, keyless entry/start, heated seats, 11-speaker BOSE premium sound, auto LED headlights, LED tail-lights, dual-zone climate control and front/rear parking sensors.

The short answer is a lot like the MY19. It’s still a relatively big four-seat coupe (at 4.7m it dwarfs the sub-4.5m NSX, for example) with a small 315-litre boot and advanced driver safety aids extending little beyond a digital speedo.

And despite its aluminium bonnet, bootlid and doors it still weighs a hefty 1765kg (though the NSX is only 40kg lighter), 54 per cent of which is over the front wheels notwithstanding its rear-mounted gearbox.

But 419kW of power at 6800rpm and 632kW of torque over 3300-5800rpm is enough to retain its title as one of the world’s quickest cars. Nissan no longer states a 0-100km/h acceleration time for the GT-R, but previously claimed a brutal 2.7 seconds.

It doesn’t feel as quick as that, but is certainly up there with some of Porsche’s finest supercars, like the outgoing 911 Turbo S, which it all but matches for neck-stretching pace off the line.

But unlike the MY17 upgrade, MY20 is not about more power but extra finesse, and the revised powertrain and chassis both bring clear improvements to driveability.

While the GT-R NISMO will bring more kiloWatts thanks to racier turbos from the GT3 track car, all MY20 models also benefit from motorsport-derived turbo tech in the form of an abradable seal that reduces leakage between the compressor housings and blades.

Apart from a claimed five per cent increase in efficiency (claimed fuel consumption remains unchanged at 11.7L/100km), the result is improved low-end throttle response.

This translates to greater midrange flexibility and less throttle hesitation, making the GT-R noticeably more responsive at low engine speeds and more satisfying to drive at part throttle openings (ie: most of the time around town).

As an aside, optimised turbo flange attachment points for the exhaust manifolds are claimed to make for easier servicing and tuning. Downstream, Nissan says new titanium mufflers with burnished blue finishers are claimed deliver a better exhaust note.

We didn’t notice all that much difference, but we did spend most of our time inside the cabin, where the GT-R continues with active exhaust noise cancellation and artificial engine note generation.

There are similar detailed running changes for the GT-R’s three-mode transmission, suspension and steering systems.

Refinements to the six-speed dual-clutch transaxle’s R Mode are said to deliver more aggressive downshifts and reduced understeer. That wasn’t apparent during our ride drive, where the downshift rev-matching function worked well but the transmission’s refusal to default back to auto mode once the paddles are used is not so useful.

But the updates to the GT-R chassis are perhaps the most significant, making it far easier to live with as a daily driver. Nissan says revisions to the Bilstein DampTronic shocks result in more stable cornering, a smoother ride and better response to cornering, braking and yaw forces.

We’d go along with that given the improvement in ride quality, which makes the outgoing GT-R NISMO feel like it has no springs at all, and takes the standard model another step closer to being a complete, everyday supercar.

The GT-R’s increased liveability is all the more noteworthy since there’s no apparent reduction in its trademark levels of mid-turn grip and corner-exit traction, thanks to a mechanical rear LSD and exclusive nitrogen-filled Dunlop SP Sport Maxx GT600 DSST CTT run-flat tyres.

These measure 255/40 ZRF20 up front on lightweight 20x9.5-inch RAYS forged alloy wheels, and 285/35 ZRF20 at rear on wide 20x10.5-inch rims.

Proving this is not a once-over-lightly update, the MY20 GT-R also brings changes to its rack-and-pinion power steering, which still has a tight 2.4 turns lock to lock but is claimed to “more linear and precise than ever, requiring minimal corrections at speeds of up to 300km/h”.

Ditto for the Brembo brakes, which still comprising six/four-piston front/rear callipers on floating, vented and drilled rotors, but now come with a new brake booster to increase initial braking response with less pedal stroke.

Suffice to say these are both small changes that combine to make the GT-R drive experience even more intimate.

Alas the same can’t be said of the 50th Anniversary Edition extras, which seem like a bit of an afterthought and extend beyond the grey-themed interior only as far as decals and badges.

If we bought one we’d peel off the gaudy rear sticker and save it for resale time. And if it was up to us, this tribute to half a century of GT-Rs would pump out at least 500kW.

But maybe that’s why Nissan sells cars and we write about them. Exotic supercars cost billions to design, engineer and develop, so they’re not replaced every year -- or in this case even every decade – nor upgraded willy-nilly.

Nissan is playing the long game with a model that continues to set the benchmark for accessible supercars both in Japan and globally, and the MY20 GT-R is another important step in its evolution.

How much is the 2020 Nissan GT-R 50th Anniversary Edition?
Price: $209,300 (plus on-road costs)
Engine: 3.8-litre twin-turbo petrol V6
Output: 419kW/632Nm
Transmission: Six-speed dual-clutch automatic
Fuel: 11.7L/100km
CO2: 278g/km
Safety: Not tested