► 50th Anniversary edition available in Bayside Blue
► More intuitive shifts in full-auto
► £92,995 in the UK
Nissan revealed a 50th anniversary edition of its iconic GT-R at the 2019 New York motor show, and now we know how much it'll cost in the UK. According to a new release by Nissan, the exclusive edition of the GT-R will cost £92,995 in the UK – around £10k more than the standard car.
And while 50 of the cars will be made availible for Europe, only 18 RHD models will reach British shores. Expect that to be towards Q4 of this year, in late August.
Nissan GT-R anniversary edition: what you need to know
It’s always great to see how far engineers can go with existing cars, but it’d be nice to have seen Nissan celebrate an anniversary with an all-new car perhaps? Nevertheless, the Japanese manufacturer has also revealed an awesome-looking NISMO version of the GT-R, and we’re talking about that first.
‘The 2020 GT-R NISMO has evolved into a balanced, yet extreme, performance car,; said Hiroshi Tamura, chief product specialist for the supercar. ‘Pursuing driving pleasure is the most important concept behind GT-R, and the new NISMO’s performance suggest it is a car that belongs on the race track – but is also at home on the open road.’
It may be legal to use on the open road, but everything about the new GTR NISMO for 2020 looks made for the track. This is a simple facelift for the GT-R, but it’s draped in lashing of carbonfibre, all designed to reduce weight. Nissan says the lightweight bodywork alone saves 10.5kgs, while other reductions bring weight down by another 20kg.
The front-end looks more like the GT3 GT-R, with Porsche 911 GT3 RS style louvres designed to improve high speed stability and increase cooling for the engine.
What about the engine?
The 3.8-litre V6 in the NISMO makes 600hp, and it also uses the same turbochargers at the GT3 car – with less blades – and that reduces what little turbo lag there is by 20%. The six-speed box it’s attached to has been revised, too. R mode features even more aggressive downshifting and gear selection happens at the same time as ABS systems are deployed. That way, the car feels more intuitive to drive in full-auto, and does pretty much what a driver would do manually.
20-inch RAYS allows with an 11% larger contact patch make it easier to put the power down, and a revised suspension means there’s more stability in corners all the way to the 186mph top speed.
The interior is pretty much the same as before, although this time, paddles are now mounted to the wheel – not the steering column. That means drivers will be able to take advantage of the increased stability, and shift up or down within corners.
Carbon brembo brakes make sure you actually get through the corners, too.
What about the Anniversary edition then?
Externally, the GT-R will use the iconic Bayside Blue – a must for Gran Turismo fans – and Nissan says the paint requires a four-coat, double-heat process for the most vivid hue. However, Nissan has also covered the car with white racing stripes, in a homage to the car’s liveries in the Japan GP series – though we’d just be happy with the blue.
There are a further two liveries: Pearl White with red stripes and Super Silver with white stripes, and all three also feature blue highlights on their allows.
Inside, you’ll find a special grey interior, with a the usual mix of Alcantara, and 50th Anniversary badges – again, like the 370Z.
What about the other models?
The 50th Anniversary edition uses the 2020 GT-R as a base, and although it features the same 3.8-litre V6 with 565hp as the previous car, new turbochargers make the car 5% more efficient at lower RPMs. That makes for sharp response on corner exits; not exactly a weak point on last year’s car. It’ll use the same gearbox as the Nismo, car.
And...
Want a little more power, and you can get a Track Edition, which also borrows the engine from the NISMO model, and the same carbon brake as the NISMO are an optional extra.