Nissan GT-R tones it down a bit, with a quiet(er), softer, more luxurious angle

Nissan SA has released information and availability on the new MY 2017 GT-R.  The Model Year 2017 was turned into the most powerful and most refined GT-R.

Shown at the recent SA Festival of Motoring, first deliveries are starting, for those who want the latest update to the near-annual change of Nissan’s flagship sports car, with a range of styling, mechanical, luxury and performance upgrades said to make it a more accomplished supercar.

Updates

Everyday driveability and more power on tap at mid- and high engine speeds, new bonnet, grille, bumpers and side sills, upgraded interior materials, simplified controls (with a tactile design for a more upmarket feel) and new gear shift paddles round up the string of changes.

The front view is now a deeper “V-motion” grille with new matt chrome trim and a redesigned mesh pattern, for an updated look and better air flow for enhanced cooling.

The bonnet has deeper character lines, reworked in unison with the front bumper, bottom lip and sills – these are said to aid air flow for greater stability at very high speeds.

The GT-R for 2017 has a new shoulder line, now higher and slightly wider.

The interior has Nappa leather and real carbon fibre.  The dashboard has been simplified to be less button-overload, down from 27 to 11 buttons, thanks to a larger touch-screen which adopted some hard buttons (physical) into new soft buttons (touch screen) which make it more elegant and easy on the eye.  New sound dampening and an acoustic glass windscreen reduce unwanted cabin noise.

Gearshift paddles now turn with the steering wheel, allowing for easier driver-instructed shifts while turning.

Power of the 3.8 V6 twin-turbo engine increases from 397 to 408 kW (the current GT-R started out with 357 kW in the year 2009) and torque nudged up from 628 to 632 Nm, though over a narrower torque band.

The 4-wheel traction and 6-speed dual-clutch automatic gearbox remain.

Nissan still does not claim the GT-R acceleration, stating only “less than 3 seconds”, which seems to be chickening out if you want to call your car a supercar.  Is it 2.9 seconds 0-100 km/h?  Why not give it the exact tested sprint figure?

The top speed is quoted:  it stays at a proper fast 315 km/h.

Toned down

The 2017 GT-R also gets a new titanium exhaust system, tuned for “a more appealing mechanical sound”.  Thank goodness, as the GT-R vuvuzela exhaust can certainly be an earful – it would certainly not have passed European noise regulations.  “Lose the noise, not the soul” is how Nissan marketing puts it.

This is enhanced through Nissan’s Active Sound Enhancement system (fake engine sound played through the speakers, as done by other car companies – this is not right in a sports car, which ought to have genuine mechanical sound).

Nissan has made its top sports car more powerful and more refined at the same time, widening the appeal of the GT-R to a less hardcore audience.  It is faster, but more comfortable and has a simplified, smarter interior.  Toned down.

Prices have gone up a lot.  There is still a 2-model choice of the Premium Edition (up from R 1 620 000 to R 1 950 000) and Black Edition (from the previous R 1 725 000 to the first Nissan to go over the R2m mark, priced at R 2 050 000).  Nissan SA fails to show the differences between Premium Edition and Black Edition on its website or brochure.  The Premium Edition has a 2-tone interior.

The updated Nissan GT-R is not available from your regular Nissan deaelr, but only from dedicated Nissan High Performance Centres, who have facilities to sell and maintain/service the GT-R.