Nissan GT-R 2012 Review

What we liked:

>> Mega grip, mega performance

>> Price in comparison to competitors

>> Anyone can drive one fast

There are few cars on the market today that carry the aura, or the baggage, of Nissan's GT-R.

Proponents call the R35 the world's best value supercar. Europhiles refuse to admit the level of its competence. There's a picture of one on the dartboard of every Porsche aficionado. How dare an upstart oriental company do so much with so little?

In terms of real world performance, the fact is only a handful of cars come close -- and they are all priced at a multiple of the GT-R's sticker. Porsche's 911 Turbo S is the obvious comparison suitor, but add too Lamborghini and names even more exotic.

First introduced as a Model Year 2009 (MY09) model, the GT-R has been continually upgraded. Astonishingly more than 20,000 have been sold worldwide. It's a number all the more impressive when you consider much of the mechanical package of the car is essentially hand built. Down Under 420 have found their way to local owners, according to official Nissan Australia records.

In its latest iteration Nissan has sharpened its GT-R flagship with a claim of "more of everything". Power and torque are up, and the company is also claiming improved fuel economy and emissions. Gearbox operation and the general refinement of the car have also been improved.

Officially, the new GT-R's max power has been boosted 14kW to 404 -- around 540hp in the old money. Peak power revs are unchanged at 6400rpm. Top torque is also up with the maximum 628Nm available over a substantial rev brand -- 3200-5800rpm. These stats are a healthy 47kW and 40Nm up on the original MY09 model GT-R, though pundits suggested Nissan was coy with the first car's true numbers.

Changes to the 3.8-litre twin turbo petrol V6 have centred on improving intake and exhaust efficiency. The new car scores new composite intake components and intake ports and runners have been reshaped and optimised (hand ported). Other tweaks include new sodium-filled exhaust valves, valve and ignition timing changes and an exhaust catalyst that is around half the size of the previous model's.

These efficiency improvements have benefited fuel consumption, Nissan says the combined figure has decreased from 12.0L/100km to 11.7.

In addition to the engine changes, Nissan has also upgraded the GT-R's transmission. In conjunction with stiffer shift forks and other internal tweaks, the rear-mounted twin-clutch six-speeder gets new (race-derived) oil which, it's claimed, plays a significant role in reducing friction and improving the refinement of the transmission.

As noted below it's still a box that feels like it's straight out of a racecar. There's never any mistaking all those gears, clutches and shafts are tightly meshed underneath you.

There have been very mild styling tweaks front and rear and, under the skin, the body-in-white has been strengthened (in the area of the firewall). Nissan claims this has positive benefits to steering feel and precision.

Though wheel and tyre sizes are unchanged from the MY11 model, the 2012 GT-R still rolls on specially developed rubber -- for MY2012, Dunlop Sport Maxx runflat rubber. Nissan says over 1100 tyre compounds and constructions were experimented with in arriving at the 'perfect' tyre for the GT-R.

One of the key changes for the model year update is a new asymmetric suspension setting which is applied only to right-hand-drive GT-R's. It is claimed to be a world first.

Essentially because the four-wheel-drive mechanicals stack additional mass to the right-hand side of the GT-R, right-hand-drive versions have to date had a lateral weight imbalance of around 50kg. New suspension settings and a rejig of components at the rear of the car addresses this imbalance, says Nissan.

The benefits, it claims, are improved steering response and enhance stability. You'll need to be on a racetrack and have a very finely tuned seat of the pants to detect the changes, we'd suggest.

Even with some prior knowledge, there's not a lot that will prepare you for your first punt (or re-acquaintance) of a GT-R. The sheer competence and pace of the car across a range of conditions is eye opening. This is a hugely rapid real world tool.

The twin turbo V6 is muscular from idle through to its upper reaches. There's little turbo lag and the impression is one of weapons-grade strength.

In its latest version the GT-R's V6 is more powerful than ever, but the key improvements are the extra dose of muscle in the midrange and even more rev-ability in the top-end. It is like it combines the best of the forced induction character of the 'old' engine in the midrange with a new free revving top-end of an atmo V8. Under the right foot, it's simply addictive.

There's a purposeful rumble to the car's engine and plenty of metallic gnashing from the drivetrain. It's not obtrusive but nor is it quiet, rather it is in keeping with the manga-mechanical roots of the car. On the highway, however, the combination of this mechanical cacophony and plenty of tyre roar can be wearing.

It's been a few model iterations since yours truly drove a GT-R for any distance and an obvious improvement is ride quality. The suspension changes were made for the MY2011 model year and included damping rate changes and mechanical alterations to the Bilstein suspension's electronically-adjustable dampers.

Though the GT-R undoubtedly remains on the sporting end of the roadcar spectrum, Nissan (and Bilstein) has managed to tame the sharpness of the initial suspension response and deliver a degree of refinement. The Comfort setting is still far from soft and perhaps a touch lacking in rebound damping control but the default 'Normal' setting is well resolved. We found we spent most of our Tassie miles -- even the fast ones -- in this setting.

The R setting is suited to very smooth roads and seriously fast motoring. It was too harsh for most of the test loop's surfacing but offered an added level of control during a few quick laps of Symmons Plain racetrack.

The chassis inherent limits are such that the traction and stability control systems are rarely bothered in even very sporting driving. Indeed, the amount of drive the car can generate actually requires you to retune your own 'computer'!

On the track, the R setting for the drivetrain and stability control combine to allow almost silly levels of commitment. It's easy to understand why this car has taken out most bona fides performance car awards over the last few years.

Cabin changes for the new model year include an upgrade in some cockpit materials. There have been ambient lighting and instrument panels changes and the 11-speaker BOSE sound system has been tweaked. A reversing camera is also now standard. None of which matters a jot!

If you're worried about mere details like these, the GT-R is not your car. If, however, you want the very fastest, most nutter road car -- and don't fancy spending $400K on the next generation 911 Turbo S -- then step this way. From $170,800 (a $2000 increase on the outgoing model) it's still the performance bargain of the year.

More photos of the Nissan GT-R MY12 at motoring.com.au

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