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The go-fast Nissan Skyline GT-R, the muscular hustler christened "Godzilla" by Australian motoring magazine Wheels, is no more - the carmaker has dropped the Skyline moniker for a new global audience.
The Japanese carmaker officially unveiled the new R35-series GT-R coupe - to give it its in-house handle - at this week's Tokyo motor show, saying it will come with three specification levels: standard, GT-R Black Edition and a GT-R Premium Edition. Starting price in New Zealand when it gets here next year is expected to be around $150,000.
The all-wheel-drive GT-R promises an almost ridiculous bang for your buck from its twin-turbocharged 3.8-litre V6 engine. Nissan claims a top speed of 310km/h (190mph) and a zero to 100km/h sprint time of 3.6 seconds - that's similar numbers to the $300,000-plus Porsche 911 Turbo.
Nissan used the Porsche as a performance benchmark. Both cars have been photographed following each other around Germany's tortuous Nurburgring circuit for the past couple of years.
The GT-R's engine delivers similar power to the Porsche, 353kW (473bhp), but its peak torque of 588Nm is down by around 32Nm.
Nissan says the GT-R lapped the 22.8km Northern Loop of the Nurburgring in 7min:30sec. A readout on the instrument panel measured g-forces of 2.0 while cornering and 1.8 under brakes.
The official lap record for a road-going car on the Northern Loop is said to be the 6min:55sec set by Dutchman Michael Vergers in a lightweight Radical sportscar in September, 2005. You can watch his lap on YouTube.
A supercar in Nissan-speak is one that has a power-to-weight ratio of 4kg/hp (0.75kW), a top speed of more than 300km/h and gets around the Nurburgring in under eight minutes.
The GT-R uses Nissan's all-new VR38 60-degree V6 of 3799cc capacity, a compression ratio of 9:1 and a bore/stroke of 95.5 x 88.4.
Its 353kW peaks at 6400rpm, with the rev limiter cutting in at 7000rpm. The 588Nm maximum torque is available between 3200rpm and 5200rpm.
Its integrated twin-turbocharged induction system features electronic boost pressure control and a secondary air-injection system for cleaner emissions and better fuel economy.
Town and around fuel consumption is said to be 12.2 litres/100km, or 23mpg.
The GT-R has a kerb weight of 1740kg. Weight is distributed 53:47 front to rear and the car's aerodynamic drag factor is 0.27cd.
Nissan says that despite its supercar performance, the GT-R remains a technological showcase for future models. Like the previous R-34, it is docile and can be driven by your grandmother.
That it is easy to drive, says Nissan, is due partly to the car's new gearbox, a dual-clutch six-speed unit called the GR6 and developed jointly with Borg Warner.
It is a multi-mode transmission, offering three modes in automatic and two in manual.
Nissan is talking go-faster shift times via paddles or gear lever of 0.2 seconds.
Under normal road conditions, power goes 100 per cent to the rear wheels via the carmaker's Attesa all-wheel drive system, but up to 50 per cent can be sent to the front wheels.
Attesa features an electromagnetic clutch instead of a hydraulic one, a heat exchanger for reduced heat build-up and lower friction, a mechanical limited slip differential, and dry-sump lubrication.
The GT-R rides on 20-inch wheels linked to an independent double wishbone suspension set-up at the front and a multi-link arrangement at the rear.
Electronically adjustable Bilstein dampers are there to improve the ride. Six-piston Brembo brakes sit at the front, four-piston units at the rear.
The car is a mix of steel, aluminium and carbon fibre. Aluminium is used in the bootlid, bonnet, front suspension strut, seatbelt housings, door panels and underbody brackets.
Carbon fibre is used for the front underbody.
Inside, Nissan has placed instrument displays at the driver's eyeline.
The multi-function monitors sit at eyeline too and were built by the Sony PlayStation people.
