There's no reason to substantially alter the 4WS and 4WD systems for the new model, as they combine awesome cornering prowess with synapse-tingling driver involvement. But the engine? For three generations of GT-R, that power has been provided by an indefatigable twin-turbo straight-six of 2.6 liters, limited by a voluntary agreement to a notional 280 horsepower (in reality it was emphatically more). Nissan tells us that engine is now history and those hood bulges clearly point to a V engine. Most likely is a V-6 twin-turbo, with race-oriented development by England's Cosworth engineering. That would be a light and responsive powerplant ideal for the hard-core nature of the car.
But Nissan wants to keep its options open and might sell the GT-R as an Infiniti in the U.S. If that's the case, there's a chance the engineers are actually working on a V-8 for marketing reasons. But it wouldn't be so good for weight distribution. And did having just a six ever hurt the 911?
It's confirmed the final car will use the photo car's 20-inch rims, wearing 255/40 tires at the front and 285/35 at the rear. That's a sure sign of big power coursing down the road. So what number are we talking? No one at Nissan who knows the project ever tries to restrain any journalist who mentions 400 horses. Ghosn has hinted at more. It's a bigger-than-Corvette car, capable of seating small adults in its rear seat, and will likely weigh 3600 to 3900 pounds; but with a turbo-shaped torque curve and all-wheel traction, acceleration won't be a problem.
The GT-R's platform is modified from what's beneath Nissan's RWD/AWD longitudinal-engine cars, including the Infiniti G series. The G-cars are called Nissan Skyline in Japan, and, for all its previous generations, the GT-R was part of the Skyline range and shared its basic body panels with it, albeit adding over the years more outlandish fender extensions and wings. This time it's different. The GT-R is a stand-alone model, and Nissan's design staff has seized the chance to make it a special halo car. But it's equally clear they've not made a cliched exoticar.
Nissan design chief Shiro Nakamura insists there's no way a GT-R should follow the pack. "No need for it to be a sleek-looking car," he says. "The strength of a GT-R is its presence. It has a substantial volume. That gives it a unique positioning among Porsches and Lamborghinis and Ferraris. The styling comes from the history, because the GT-R line didn't start out as a pure sports car. Anyway, the slight boxiness is a Japanese characteristic. It challenges the history of European and American sports cars. In fact, the message of the new GT-R is challenging."
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