Three years ago, Nissan made a decision to bring back the revered GT-R for another generation of production. Nissan also promised that the GT-R would be a world-class supercar, capable of competing with the very best that the world had to offer. Nissan promised that the car they delivered would be the start of a series of mind-blowing cars that would be sold under the GT-R nameplate. Three years down the road and Nissan has just delivered on its last commitment with the heavily revised 2012 Nissan GTR.
Nissan provided a couple of sample 2012 GT-R's in full US specification, for the media to play with. The aftermath of this media introduction were dropped jaws and sore necks, generally the resulting from the numerous 2.7 second 0-60 mph blasts. The sore neck part was actually something that Nissan engineers took into consideration. They actually devised a limit of 4 consecutive launches per every 1.5 miles of casual driving and justified their actions by citing wear and tear on the drivetrain and the occupants neck.
The 2012 Nissan GT-R's official specs have been public knowledge for several weeks now. The engines power increases to 530 from 485, and the torque grows to a stout 448 ft-lbs, up from 434 ft-lbs. There was even talk of the aerodynamics producing a whopping 10% more downforce yet offering a superior drag coefficient of.26.
On the inside, the 2012 Nissan GT-R definitely seems to be more in line with its $89,000 base price, for the first time. The 2012 GT-R sports improved interior materials, similar to the ones found on various Infiniti models. The gauges are better lit and the colors of the dials and interior trim are more pronounced. The seats are aggressively bolstered and just as comfortable as before. The 2012 GT-R also benefits from better chassis rigidity and can actually withstand an astonishing 11,000 lbs of stress. This increased rigidity results in a better on road feel with slightly less road noise.
There are numerous suspension modifications in the 2012 Nissan GT-R such as an increased front caster that grows to 6 degrees. Nissan also modified the rear suspension to improve its weight distribution and lower the center of gravity for the car.
