What's got six cylinders, two turbo chargers and the kind of militant all-wheel drive techno
wizardry that will leave you breathless? No, it's not a Porsche 911, it's the Nissan GT-R.
But this isn't just any old GT-R. This is the last of the current R35 bloodline for Australia,
the T-spec, which gets several upgrades to improve its appeal and lap times.
Less than 30 of these final edition T-Spec models will be coming to Australia in 2022,
making it very, very rare, but are the significant price hikes
worth the price of admission? Let's find out.
[Music]
Priced at $256,700, the T-spec is almost 60 grand more than the car it's based on,
and it's the last of its kind in Australia because the GT-R
no longer meets stricter side impact regulations here, banning it for sale.
Apart from the T-spec badges, front and rear, the most obvious visual change for
this swan song Nissan are these gold forged 20-inch alloy wheels.
They're shod with the same Dunlop SP Sport Maxx high performance tires as regular models,
measuring a whopping 9.5 inches wide at the front and 10.5 inches at the rear.
There is only one performance upgrade for this model, but it's a pretty good one. Carbon
ceramic brake rotors, larger in diameter now, and they've been stolen right off the Nismo models.
Measuring in at a colossal 410 mm upfront and 390 mm at the rear, the ventilated
cross-drill discs are some of the largest Brembo brakes ever built. And they should
deliver more stopping power more reliably at the limit. Big six-piston calipers live
upfront and four-pots at the rear. Oh, and there is also a new carbon fibre rear spoiler,
but everything else is largely unchanged, such as the tough looking blue titanium exhaust outlets.
The T-Spec runs the same engine as regular GT-Rs, so no enhancement there,
but remember, this is a hand-built engine with more than 400 kW or 550 HP on tap.
The bloke who builds the engine signs it and all GT-R models come with carbon fibre
engine chassis braces and a carbon composite front cross member too.
It's all about torsional rigidity. Power is blasted through a six-speed dual clutch
transmission to all four wheels. The rear transaxle also features
a dedicated launch control system for cheek rippling 0-100 km an hour sprints.
In the cabin, you get some extras too. You've got this quilted stitching on the Alcantara
headlining. Feels pretty good. Suede upholstery on the A-pillars, on the dash, it does have a very
premium feel to it, but there is no getting away from the fact this is an old car. It's
got a tiny screen, the controls look and feel a bit dated. Kinda want the new one to come out.
Indeed, the R35 GT-R was introduced back in 2007.
And while the small 8-inch screen feels a bit last generation, the cabin is well laid out,
and I like the power train and suspension toggle switches. Other T-spec upgrades
include new dark green upholstery on the seats, steering wheel, gear shifter and dashboard.
I'm not even gonna attempt to get in the back seat, but surprisingly,
the boot is not too bad. There's a bit of space in here and what's this... Don't mind if I do.
[pause]
[laughter] Yeah! This thing is ridiculous. First impressions,
it's a GT-R. Yes, it's big, it's wide, it's heavy, but it grips like you wouldn't believe.
Generally speaking, the driver-to-car connection is fantastic. You hit the throttle
as you straighten up the wheel out of the apex. [laughter] It's visceral, but it's not scary.
I'm not driving it around going, "Shit. I'm gonna spin out into the sand and the gravel traps."
I'm actually enjoying man-handling it. Pushing it a little further.
Getting a little bit out of the comfort zone.
[pause]
What's interesting, this race track we're driving at, Sandown
near Melbourne in Victoria, it's not a very smooth track. It's got lots of bumps, it's uneven, but
the GT-R just sort of flows through it. It just grips up, and this engine just flies. [chuckle]
The Turbo V6 developed massive thrust low in the rev range and spins to 7000
rpm with alarming eagerness. It's got the sort of mechanical muscle
that'll pin your torso into the snug bucket seats with nonchalant ease.
The six-speed automatic transmission is very handy too. Really quick shifts. You can let it
do its own thing and it does that well, or you can use the paddle-shifters like I'm doing now,
and it is fantastic. Aw those gear shifts. Crack, crack pop. Mate,
there is a lot of sounds going on here. Feels like a race car in terms of the power train.
The new carbon ceramics much bigger, much more bite and much more confidence. If you
plan on going to the race track this is definitely the model you'd wanna look at.
Compared to the standard GT-R, you've really gotta mash that break pedal hard.
It's got a lot of force behind it, but when you do those ceramic breaks really drag the
car down from speed. It's a nice feeling to have when you've got this much power underneath you.
Criticisms? I don't know. I kinda feel like I wouldn't
mind a bit of shenanigans, wag the tail a bit,
something that's hard to do in a vehicle like this because the full-drive system is so damn good.
But make no mistake, this T-spec GT-R is still a brutally potent vehicle,
and it boggles the mind to think what they're gonna do with the R36. Bring it on.