2008 Nissan GT-R

Nissan unveiled its GT-R Proto at the Tokyo motor show, a "concept" that design chief Shiro Nakamura says is 80 to 90 percent of the 2008 production model that'll be launched at the 2007 Tokyo show.

The first concept version of this global GT-R, codenamed R35, appeared at the 2001 Tokyo show. Lack of engineering resources in the face of Carlos Ghosn's rapid turnaround of Nissan stretched its development to seven years. The R35 is the first GT-R with its own sheetmetal, and it's the first built to accommodate left-hand-drive markets, including ours.

Nissan has confirmed that North America will get the same powertrain as the rest of the world, rumored to be a twin-turbo, 450-horse, 3.7-liter V-6 (there was talk our market only would get a 4.5-liter V-8).

Officially, Nissan brass says it hasn't decided whether to sell the GT-R in Nissan or Infiniti dealerships in the U.S., but we hear it'll be sold through selected Infiniti dealerships (they have the experience and facilities to handle high-priced vehicles), and there'll be no Nissan badging on the car--only GT-R.

• Single center-front air intake is for optimal airflow and connects the R35's styling with the 1999 Skyline GT-R's (R34). The front of the car is the least production-like, Nakamura says.
• Designers used analysis of airflow around the front fenders to develop their shape.
• Body sides are sculpted toward the rear fenders to express "the power and dynamic tension of the car."
• C-pillar crease is designed for optimum aerodynamics.
• Like previous GT-Rs, the R35 has ring-shaped taillamps.