Nissan GTR 2020-2023

True, the Nissan GT-R won’t be winning any beauty pageants as it doesn’t have the exquisite bodywork that is seen on cars from, say, Ferrari and Aston Martin. However, that doesn’t rob the GT-R of any street presence as its imposing stance and angular bodywork are quick to grab a lot of eyeballs. There is actually a lot to like with the way this car looks – from huge end-cans and the wide track to the giant spoiler and the stylish mag wheels. As time is passing, GTR is reaching its end. The car is already outdated and Nissan has further plans to revive it with a completely new-generation.  

Among our favourite bits is the multi-LED set of headlamps that offer a “lighting” motif. Even the tail lights are quite stylish and pay homage to the original GT-R. Meanwhile, the Gold Flake Red Pearl paint that was added later has turned out to be the signature shade for this model. The silhouette that’s created by the long hood, highly raking A-pillars, and a short tail has become instantly recognizable and gives the GT-R a distinct identity that none other has been able to match. Overall, the current-gen GT-R looks as exciting as it did when it was first introduced over a decade ago.

Source: Nissan GTR

In case you found the exterior a bit uninspiring, the interior will be a bigger disappointment. Things are pretty drab over here and you might be even reminded of supercars from a couple of decades ago. There are even a lot of parts sharing with less expensive Nissans. The key fob, for example, looks almost exactly like what you get on the Micra. The interior doesn’t really gel well with the kind of physics-bending performance that the car offers. The Nissan GTR holds the Japanese design philosophy accurately. The interiors do lackluster in terms of executive appeal but the functionality and usability remain top-notch among its rivals. 

However, where the cabin really scores is with things like ergonomics. One sits low but thanks to the seat adjustment controls, anyone of any height will be quick to find a driving position that suits him the best. Even the greenhouse is quite large and in spite of the low seating, one gets a good view of the surroundings. And then, there’s a large screen that will show you enough formation on various aspects of the vehicle. 

Let’s now come to the meat of the matter. The latest iteration of the Nissan GT-R comes kitted out with a 3.8-litre twin-turbo V6 that outputs a staggering 562 hp and 637 Nm. The supercar can sprint from 0 to 100 kmph in less than 3 seconds and go on to achieve a top speed of 214 kmph. There’s even an ‘R mode’ that this car comes with that allows you to unleash all the performance and shatter some personal land speed records. This car is scarily quick and much of this is because of the excellent 6-speed dual-clutch transmission that powers all four wheels. However, the performance of GTR has now started to grow old. How? Well, the competition has updated itself with new tech and power increments. GTR is still due for a proper engine and chassis upgrade. 

What makes things even better is that the exhaust note of this car is pure music to an enthusiast’s ears. But one of our favourite bits about this car is that while it can put to shame most other cars on a race track, it’s very easy to drive it in the traffic – It’s just that one needs to be mindful of the low ground clearance to avoid scraping the underbelly on the speed breakers. But overall, the GT-R is a technological tour-de-force like none other and that’s what makes it the favourite of many supercar buyers. 

It is not just the performance of the engine that will leave you impressed. The latest version of the GT-R comes with an updated suspension setup with new dampers to make this car ultra-stable in the corners. Over the years, the R35 GT-R has also received stronger brakes, sharper steering, and softer tires to help it stick to the tarmac like glue. In fact, the GT-R is so good in this department that it can make any rookie look like a pro in the corners. And all of this is due to the precision engineering and abundance of technologies that have gone into the making of this Japanese monster. The ride and handling have been a forte of the GTR. Even after being outdated, the GTR remains nearly unbeatable by many of its competitors. 

There is a lot of grip on offer no matter what speed you’re at and how tight a corner you’re in. There’s absolutely no body-roll and one can easily make last minute corrections to the cornering line – yes, the GT-R is also even a bit forgiving. The steering wheel is well weighted and very precise. To sum it up, the GT-R is the God of corners and what makes it so special is that it even makes you feel like one. The ride isn’t too bad either. It’s definitely very firm but unless you’re going through a really bad stretch of tarmac, you shouldn’t get uncomfortable.

With great power comes great responsibility and that’s something that the makers of this supercar surely understand. No wonder, then, that the GT-R features many active and passive safety features to ensure the safety of the occupants. One of these features is the zone body construction that has combined impact-absorbing structures with a strong cabin to offer great protection in an event of a mishap. Nissan has fitted the GTR with the utmost quality of build and safety tech possible. 

Also, even though the GT-R is a two-door coupe, it gets as many as six airbags. Also, these airbags aren’t your normal ones as their inflation is done going by the severity of the crash and the performance of the seatbelt. This has been done to make sure the occupants don’t get hurt from the high temperature of the airbags and the intensity with which they deploy. The car even offers a Tire Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS), which is hugely required if you take into account the speeds you would be doing in this car.  Other safety features include an advanced Vehicle Dynamic Control (VDC) system, traction control, ABS with EBD and super-wide headlight beam from the all-LED units.