Nissan GT-R 2017 Review

Nissan GT-R
Circuit of Spa-Francorchamps, Belgium

Thanks to its most comprehensive overhaul since launching in 2007, the MY2017 Nissan GT-R features a revised chassis, retuned suspension, tweaked aero and bodywork and an upgraded interior. So it’s exactly the same as it was only totally different! The boffins say they aimed at improving refinement and civility. The good news is that the latest Godzilla still packs a killer punch!

Physics defying, raw and fast are all phrases and words we’ve used to describe the Nissan R35 GT-R since its arrival back in 2007.

Mature, refined and sophisticated – not so much. But these are the buzz words being used to describe the latest iteration of Nissan’s all-wheel drive, turbocharged V6 icon. Believe it or not…

Jam-packed with technology but without the European supercar price-tag, the performance credentials of the GT-R have never been in question. How it delivers its staggering speed and agility with a kerb mass of 1752kg remains, to me, truly mind-blowing.

Consistent updates over the years have seen the GT-R evolve into a true supercar-killing sports car but a question mark lingers over its everyday practicality.

That said, I'm yet to see any other sub-3sec 0-100 supercar seat passengers in the back in relative comfort and have the boot space to actually carry something bigger than an overnight bag. I'd call the GT-R my kind of practical!

In part, that ‘hard’ reputation comes from the rugged dual-clutch rear transaxle proving a bit too raw and noisy for some. But the race-car driver in me had a soft spot for it -- it reminds me that I'm driving something a little different and ‘special’, although I concede that ‘positiveness’ can become tiresome on road.

So in its evolution to the 2017 version has the GT-R grown up too much? Has it lost its purposeful edge in the search for a more refined appeal?

Nissan engineers claim they got all of their 'wish list' into the works program for biggest update of the R35 since its release. Thus, if it does what they say it does, it will be one hell of a weapon.

For the first drive of the 2017 R35 GT-R Nissan chose none other than the best Grand Prix circuit in the world: Belgium’s awesome Spa-Francorchamps. If there ever was a circuit to flatter a fast, heavy car, Spa is it.

For a little while I’m pinching myself that I’m really here, driving what is arguably the most charismatic performance car Japan has ever built.

To me, every part on the GT-R looks the way it does to serve a purpose: pure speed. The changes that define the refreshed exterior of the 2017 model are all intended to enhance aerodynamic performance through the conflicting needs of drag reduction, downforce generation and improved cooling.

The distinctive 'V-motion' front grille has been enlarged to increase airflow, cooling the engine and vehicle systems but not at the detriment of drag. The bonnet shape is altered to cater for the grille changes but also incorporates increased structural rigidity designed to lessen deformation at very high speeds, enhancing aerodynamic performance.

Subtle alterations to front fenders and side sills reduce the amount of high-pressure air spilling under the car and the rear bumper design mimics that of the GT-R NISMO. All of these changes are intended to reduce lift, improve stability and provide better heat evacuation.

Nissan says they work. They would… But they do!

The big feature of the new interior is the presence of the shift paddles positioned (finally) on the steering wheel -- instead of the steering column, Ferrari-style -- and they were great to use.

One big piece of Nappa leather drapes the dash and provokes a prestige feel but the tan (or, for that matter, any colour other than the black) is very 'in your face'.

The dash is now simplified with the previous model's 27 switches reduced down to 11, and improvements in the seat design have reduced weight while providing driver and passenger with better support.

The push for increased refinement extends to Active Noise Cancellation in the cabin. Speakers send out sound in the same amplitude as the unwanted noise, effectively masking it. Improvements in the sound absorbing materials at both ends of cabin have also gone a way to reduce the NVH from the engine and rear tyres and the new acoustic windscreen can absorb 10dB.

The proof of the pudding is that I’m able to talk normally with our Nissan Australia host Chris Jordan while blasting down the German Autobahn enroute to Spa at 200km/h-plus.

The power from the hand-built VR38DETT twin-turbo 3.8 litre V6 engine increases to a claimed 419kW at 6800rpm.

The increase in the 2017 model comes via higher turbo boost, the application of an individual cylinder ignition timing system and friction-reducing plasma-sprayed bores. The benefits are seen from the mid-range (3200 rpm) and above, Nissan claims.

The engine are still screwed together by the 'Takumi’ engine master craftsman – and there are still only five. I hope none take offence that I find it a little difficult to pick the new car’s extra oomph without a proper back-to-back test with the older model. Nonetheless, the turbo V6 feels strong and provides enough grunt to hit 250km/h at the end of Spa’s long straights.

The advantage this update gets is the increase in torque to 637Nm but, importantly, the curve is flat across 60 per cent of the rev range, making for a very tractable car in taller gears. Even on the tighter sections of the track third gear is all that was needed.

The six-speed dual-clutch transaxle has been updated to improve performance and smoothness. No more is torque reduced between gear changes in the shorter gears and the sometimes sluggish response in first and second is all but gone.

The shift-actuator gets a tickle up with the intention of reducing gearbox noise through more precise shifts.

My only frustration is the way the gearbox seems to have to physically cycle down through the gears to the desired ratio when gassing up the throttle. Cruising in sixth at low revs, apply the throttle and the time it takes to cycle, instead of jumping straight to second for example, is agonising.

The legendary ATTESA all-wheel drive system still has the torque split heavily biased to the rear and set at 0:100 with the scope to go 50:50. The GT-R operates as a rear-drive car with the all the dynamic benefits that come with that, until the system’s very complex array of speed, lateral acceleration, yaw rate and steering angle sensors determine that a bit more torque to the front will balance out any oversteer.

On the track the car hints at oversteer when provoked but it takes pretty big commitment to break the back-end loose and then to go on with it.

Body structure rigidity has been improved with engineering updates around the windscreen frame reducing flex and enhancing turn-in response. The rear-end also gets an increase in stiffness with improvements around the boot area, and Nissan says the GT-R now has has much more of a uniform rate of deflection from front to back -- resulting in a better balanced and more predictable platform.

Suspension pick-up points and steering rack mountings are also more rigid, serving to maintain optimum geometry when the car is heavily loaded.

The poise this car had on track (and on the fast corners in particular) proved the engineering team’s efforts to stiffen the frame while retaining the same spring rates has been a success. I did pin down the suspension engineer and found out that uprated anti-roll bars and more damping in the low piston speeds may also have something to do with it.

The DampTronic suspension system remains from the previous model but the three driver-adjustable modes (Normal, Comfort and Race) have been modified. Comfort offers even more compliance (insert that practicality word again) and Race more sportiness. To be fair, I was pressed to feel any tangible difference on track or on the smooth roads we tackled in our Germany-Belgium-Germany drive.

The steering is speed sensitive -- reducing effort at slow speeds around town and increasing wheel weight to provide better feel at higher speeds. I didn't have any complaints about the steering feel, which I think means that they did a perfect job.

I did spend a great deal of time at more than 200km/h on road and track and can attest that the GT-R’s high speed stability is exceptional. The faster the corner, the more settled the car is. It's very easy to push to the inevitable understeer when driven smoothly and easy to provoke oversteer when driven rough.

Particularly impressive was brake pedal weight, movement and feel, and I experienced no hint of fade at any stage. The GT-R is very confidence inspiring, fast and so much fun… I didn't want my track experience to end!

So has new GT-R matured?

Is it more refined while still being brutally fast?

In a word, yes. To both…

The much improved noise, vibration and harshness levels in the cabin and smoother, quieter gearbox operation makes for a far more pleasant driving experience around town. This is now certainly a car I could live with every day and, dare I say it, practical.

On track it displays an effortless turn of speed and poise – on a circuit like Spa, anyway.

Although Nissan Australia hasn’t released pricing or its new model line-up (although we're likely to get Premium and Track editions in September, plus the NISMO version for the first time early next year), history shows that on a bang-for-buck basis the Nissan GT-R should again be almost unrivalled.

2017 Nissan GT-R pricing and specifications:
Price: TBC
On sale: September
Engine: 3.8-litre twin-turbo petrol V6
Output: 419kW/637Nm
Transmission: Six-speed dual-clutch
Fuel: 12.0L/100km (ECE combined)
CO2: 275g/km (ECE combined)
Safety rating: N/A