At a Glance: 2009 Nissan GT-R
2009 Nissan GT-R
The all-new 2009 Nissan GT-R, the fifth-generation of the legendary Nissan supercar, will be available in North American beginning in Summer 2008. No longer the unobtainable object of desire on a video game or in the movies, the new Nissan GT-R will be sold through nearly 700 official “GT-R certified” Nissan dealers across the United States.
The Nissan GT-R is a multi-dimensional performance machine that lives up to the concept of “the ultimate supercar that can be driven by anyone, anytime, anywhere.” During development, it achieved a lap time of 7:38 around the famed Nürburgring Nordschleife, one of the fastest times achieved by a production-spec vehicle to date.
Under the hood, the Nissan GT-R features an all-new 3.8-liter twin turbo V6 producing 480 horsepower and 430 lb-ft of torque (estimated), while meeting ultra-low emission vehicle (ULEV) standards. The engine is backed by an all-new, paddle-shifted, sequential 6-speed dual clutch transmission.
The new Nissan GT-R is built on an exclusive, all-new Premium Midship platform. This new platform enables the use of a world’s first independent rear transaxle ATTESA E-TS all-wheel drive system, which places the transmission, transfer case and final drive at the rear of the vehicle, optimizing weight distribution and maximizing handling capability.
The GT-R suspension is a special Bilstein DampTronic system, and the braking system consists of Brembo full-floating drilled rotors, low steel high stiffness brake pads and Brembo mono block six-piston front and four-piston rear calipers. Tires are nitrogen-filled high-performance summer run flat or optional high-performance all-season tires, on exclusive GT-R 20-inch wheels.
The Nissan GT-R’s functional styling utilizes advanced aerodynamics, evoking the lines of a well-trained athlete. GT-R’s hybrid body construction combines steel, carbon fiber and die-cast aluminum, and features a low coefficient of drag of 0.27, while achieving high front and rear downforce. Styling cues include front fender “aero-blades” and vents, an aggressive front end design with a large hood budge and single central air intake, and “super wide beam” headlights. GT-R’s four-passenger cabin features a sloping “aero blade canopy” roofline and curved C-pillar “sword edge,” as well as GT-R’s hallmark four-ring taillights, functional rear carbon fiber underbody diffuser, rear spoiler and large, integrated quad exhaust tips.
GT-R’s interior balances functionality with a sense of ease and comfort. It features sculpted performance bucket seats for an optimal driving position, a cockpit-style instrument panel with a large center-mounted tachometer and multi-function display – which includes mechanical and driving information, as well as an on-board driving recorder.
Total vehicle adjustability is provided by a “set-up switch” located in the center of the instrument panel, enabling the driver to adjust transmission shifts, shock absorbers and the Vehicle Dynamic Control (VDC-R) in three settings – Normal, Comfort or “R,” for ultimate handling. Premium models include a specially designed 11-speaker Bose® sound system with speakers mounted in rigid aluminum die cast panels, which provides sound quality suitable for a supercar.
Highlights of the 2009 Nissan GT-R include:
Body
- Purposeful, cutting-edge styling with a Cd of 0.27, while achieving high front and rear downforce
- Hybrid body construction of steel, die-cast aluminum and carbon fiber
- GT-R’s aggressive styling evokes the lines of a well-trained athlete, combining strong character lines with smooth and solid areas
- Front fenders express power and stability, “aero-blades” on fenders’ leading edges provide optimum air flow around the tires and along the body; vents in the fenders’ trailing edges assists in providing front downforce and optimization of side air flow
- Aggressive front end styling, large hood budge and single central air intake for undisturbed air flow for power and cooling
- “Super wide beam” headlights featuring three additional sub-reflectors (compared to conventional lights) to give a wide illumination spread
- Four-passenger cabin with sloping “aero blade canopy” roofline and curved C-pillar “sword edge,” which facilitate air flow around the rear of the vehicle
- GT-R hallmark four-ring taillights; air flow above and below the vehicle is managed by a functional carbon fiber underbody diffuser, rear spoiler and large, integrated quad exhaust tips
- Durable chip-resistant paint with “double clear coat” process; available seven-coat silver paint hand-polished by craftsmen
Platform, Engine and Driveline
- All-new advanced Premium Midship platform, enabling the use of a world’s first independent rear transaxle all-wheel drive system, which places the transmission, transfer case and final drive at the rear of the vehicle, without traditional torque tubes, allowing the suspension to operate completely independently
- All-new hand-assembled twin-turbo VR38DETT 3.8-liter V6
- 480 horsepower @ 6,400 rpm, 430 lb-ft of torque available from 3,200 to 5,200 rpm (estimated); ultra-low emission vehicle (ULEV) rating
- Plasma-sprayed bores for reduced friction, lighter weight, enhanced cooling, power output and fuel efficiency
- Symmetrical independent intake and exhaust manifold system featuring twin IHI turbochargers
- Secondary air management system for improved cold-start emissions performance
- Thermostatically-controlled oil cooling system; oil scavenger pump to maintain oil flowing to the turbochargers; lateral wet and dry sump oiling system
- All-new paddle-shifted sequential six-speed dual clutch transmission; manual and automatic modes
- Rear transaxle features separate clutches for the odd (1,3,5) and even (2,4,6) gears; sequential shifting; gear pre-selection for immediate shifts
- Hill Start Assist for easy starts on an uphill incline
- Electronically-controlled ATTESA E-TS all-wheel-drive system specifically developed for GT-R
- Rear-drive bias, up to 50 percent of torque can be transmitted to the front wheels when needed, torque split continuously variable depending on speed, lateral and transverse acceleration, steering angles, tire slip, road surface and yaw rate
- GT-R specific yaw-rate feedback control, measuring differences between the target yaw rate calculated from steering angle, actual yaw rate detected by the yaw-rate sensor and G sensor to adjust torque bias
Suspension and Braking
- Special “set-up switch” located in the center of the instrument panel; adjusts transmission shifts, shock absorbers and the Vehicle Dynamic Control (VDC-R), three settings – Normal, Comfort or “R,” for ultimate handling
- 4-wheel independent suspension mounted to six-point front and rear subframes
- GT-R specific adjustable Bilstein DampTronic suspension system utilizes multiple vehicle information systems to provide appropriate damping forces for all situations and a high level of control for a variety of driving situations
- 15-inch Brembo full-floating cross-drilled two-piece rotors, low steel high stiffness brake pads, radial-mounted Brembo mono block six-piston front and four-piston rear calipers, which in combination minimize fade and provide intense stopping performance
- GT-R-specific lightweight forged 20-inch wheels, with special knurling to assist with securing the tires during hard acceleration or braking
- Nitrogen-filled Dunlop (GT-R) or Bridgestone (GT-R Premium) high-performance summer run-flat tires – 255/40ZRF20 front, 285/35ZRF20 rear; all-season Dunlop tires available
Interior Features
- Interior designed to balance functionality and comfort
- Usable passenger and luggage space – four passenger seating and trunk capacity of two golf bags or suitcases
- Optimal driving position provided by rear transaxle layout, with flat floor and narrow center console
- Driver-surrounding instrument panel, with all meters and multi-function meter at a uniform height to minimize the driver’s head movement
- Large center-mounted tachometer, with gear display on its upper right, as well as the easy-to-read graphics of the multi-function display, give the driver instant detailed information
- Interior design cues include “dial plate” meter-surround design that evokes the idea of engaged gears, large, metallic-framed center console featuring ergonomically designed shift lever and a red “engine start” button
- Sculpted performance bucket seats
- Soft pads located on the dash panels in front of the passenger and on both doors to give an extra level of comfort
- A video game-inspiredmulti-function display with eleven pages of mechanical and driving information available, including acceleration, brake pedal pressure, steering angle and a recording function with playback
- Navigation system featuring easy-to-use touch pad, as well as traditional navigation switches; screen interface also features enriched entertainment system with a Music Box Hard Drive, CD player controls and Bluetooth® Hands-free Phone System
- Available specially designed 11-speaker Bose® audio system, two forward-facing woofers in rear center armrest area; speakers mounted in rigid aluminum die cast panels
Safety
- Nissan Advanced Air Bag System for driver and front passenger
- Front seat belts with pretensioners and load limiters and tension reducers
- Three-point ELR/ALR rear seat belts
- Available driver and front passenger SRS Side Air Bag System and SRS Curtain Air Bag System
Manufacturing
- Vehicle assembly in Tochigi, Japan; engines hand-built in Yokohama, Japan
- Available in two models: GT-R and GT-R Premium
*** Information received from Nissan Press Event, April 2008, Reno, NV
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