Nissan reveals 2017 GT-R NISMO

Nissan has debuted its upgraded 2017 GT-R NISMO at Germany's famed Nürburgring – where it was developed -- on the eve of this weekend's 24-hour endurance race.

The bad news is that -- unlike the standard MY17 GT-R, which debuted at the New York motor show in April with a power hike from 404kW/628Nm to 419kW/637Nm – the hotter NISMO version sticks with 'just' 441kW, or 600hp.

It does, however, bring all of the MY17 GT-R's enhanced visual impact, including sharper new front-end styling led by a larger V-shaped dark-chrome grille and a thoroughly revised interior.

However, unlike 'mainstream' GT-R models, the facelifted NISMO flagship's new front bumper is made from carbon-fibre, and its bonnet has been reinforced to "avoid deformation at extremely high speeds, allowing it to keep its aerodynamic shape at all times".

In combination with aerodynamic 'canards' that improve airflow around the vehicle and direct air around the wheelhouses, Nissan claims the latest GT-R NISMO "generates more downforce than any other Nissan production car to date, which in turn results in exceptional high-speed stability".

Inside, there's the same more upmarket interior design as seen in the 2017 GT-R, which comes with a redesigned dashboard, steering wheel and centre armrest all covered with artificial Alcantara suede.

It also scores the GT-R's simplified central dash layout, which distils the number of navigation and audio controls down from 27 in the previous model to only 11, and adds bigger 8.0-inch touch-screen monitor with larger display icons.

Nissan says a new display command controller on the carbon-fibre centre console allows easy operation without having to touch the monitor – "a feature that comes in handy when traveling at high speed".

Unique new GT-R NISMO cabin features are limited to leather-appointed Recaro carbon bucket seats with red Alcantara inserts, although it also gains the garden-variety MY17 GT-R's new steering wheel-mounted (as opposed to column-mounted) shift paddles, which like the ventilation controls are claimed to offer improved feel.

Other minor running changes carried over from the MY17 GT-R (pictured) include refinements to the six-speed dual-clutch rear transaxle, which is now claimed to deliver smoother shifts and less noise, and new titanium mufflers with Active Sound Enhancement (ASE) that are claimed to produce better noise.

And while the top-shelf NISMO model's VR38DETT twin-turbo 3.8-litre V6 – which continues to be hand-built in Yokohama -- remains unchanged, the all-wheel drive Japanese supercar also benefits from the standard car's significantly reinforced body.

Nissan says the stiffer structure allowed its engineers to further tweak its specific Bilstein DampTronic driver-adjustable shock absorbers, as well as its springs and stabilisers – "all of which, when combined with the car’s added downforce, result in a better handling car than the previous model".

The company points to two per cent better slalom and cornering performance as evidence that the 2017 GT-R NISMO "boasts better overall balance than before, evolving into a car that can be enjoyed on a winding mountain road as on the local race circuit".

No firm specs list has been released for the 2017 GT-R NISMO, but it should ride on the same 20-inch alloys, consume the same 12.0L/100km and weigh the same 1752kg as the regular MY17 GT-R.

And although its top speed should be higher than the 315km/h of standard models, it's unlikely to accelerate any quicker than its predecessor, which is independently claimed to have hit 100km/h in as little as 2.5 seconds.

“The GT-R NISMO emphasizes the ‘R’ in its nomenclature,” said Hiroshi Tamura, the Chief Product Specialist of the GT-R NISMO and the standard GT-R.

"Its direct ties with racing makes it at home on any racetrack, providing the highest levels of excitement and exhilaration for the driver. With the 2017 GT-R as a starting point, the new NISMO version has become a more well-balanced machine, with not just increased performance, but a heightened premium feel overall. It is the result of our relentless pursuit of ultimate driving pleasure."

Produced in Tochigi, Japan in five different exterior paint colors, the refreshed NISMO super-coupe could be the final version of the current sixth-generation R35 GT-R, which went on sale in 2007, before the all-new R36 GT-R appears around 2020.

It will also be the first GT-R NISMO available to Australians. While the standard MY17 GT-R arrives in local showrooms in September, Nissan Australia has said this vehicle will be the first NISMO model officially sold here.

As we reported in March, the GT-R NISMO is likely to be launched Down Under at the 2017 Bathurst 12-hour next February, when Nissan will again campaign a factory GT3 GT-R race car, following the long-awaited announcement of a three-car NISMO model range by the end of this year.

Full Australian pricing and specs for the regular MY17 GT-R range won't be announced until closer to its launch in September, but Nissan has said that while the Premium Edition will continue on, it will replace the current Black Edition for the even more focused ‘Track Edition engineered by NISMO’ for the first time in Australia.

Watch this space from Friday, June 3 for resident motoring.com.au racer Luke Youlden's first drive of the wicked new 2017 GT-R at the legendary Spa-Francorchamps circuit -- home of the Belgium F1 Grand Prix.