The Nissan GT-R has had one of the longest production runs in the sports car segment. The GT-R, in its current form, first appeared in the mid-2000s and was last updated in 2019. After vanishing from the U.S. market in 2022, Nissan brought it back as a 2023 model (skipping the 2022 model year outright) and has now used the 2024 model year to reveal the most significant updates that the GT-R has received since a similar suite of tweaks back in 2017.
New Suit Of Clothes Makes This GT-R Better Than Ever
While the core shape of the GT-R remains unchanged, the front fascia is all-new, with the V-Motion grille being replaced by a larger opening that has a broader look and does remind us of older Nissan Skyline models. The front bumper has also been reworked and now features new lighting that have a hexagonal look to them. Nissan apparently thought of the little things too and revealed that the grille mesh has a thinner lattice material that’s supposed to help improve cooling while also reducing drag.
The rear design is also reworked, and the rear bumper helps eliminate some of the blocky angles that defined the old car. The taillights also have new lenses, but you’ll have to look very hard to spot any differences between the old and new ones. Nissan says that these changes help improve downforce and that they managed to achieve that without altering the 0.23 drag co-efficent that the 2023 model has. Nissan is also using the new model year to bring the T-Spec model back to life.
The T-Spec serves as a Nismo Lite model and it borrows the Nismo’s carbon ceramic brake rotors as well as the wider front fenders. The 20-inch gold forged Rays alloy wheels are also carried over and are shod by Dunlop SP Sport Maxx GT600 tires that were made with a Nismo-specific tire compound. Several retro colors will also be on the menu, including Millenium Jade and Midnight Purple.
Nissan says that this iteration of the T-Spec will also be a limited production model but stopped short of whether they will surpass the 100-unit production run that defined the T-Specs last outing in production. The interior will feature dark Mori Green accents with semi-aniline leather trim being used in some places.
Carryover GT-R Performance Hardware Still Plays The Classics
With all the changes that the GT-R as a whole has experienced over the years, the one core element that the company has left largely alone (save for the occasional tweak) is the 3.8 liter twin-turbocharged hand-built V6. It still makes 565 hp and 467 lb-ft of torque with a standard all-wheel-drive system along for the ride. A six-speed dual-clutch transmission continues to defy the trend of increasing gears and is still good at what it does best. A titanium exhaust system is also standard and comes with pre-blued tips.
While some might wonder why the Nissan GT-R still likes to party like its 2009 in this regard, this is still a very potent performance setup, and the sheer amount of G-forces and handling on hand can still deliver plenty of fresh thrills and chills for the lucky owners that get to slip behind the wheel. The Nismo naturally takes things up a notch and gets a newly added front limited-slip differential, while a bigger front splitter, rear diffuser, and a swan wing style wing enhance downforce even more. The engine is unchanged from the 2020 model and still makes 600 hp. The Nismo also sheds plenty of weight thanks to numerous lightweight components.
When Can I Buy One?
The 2024 Nissan GT-R is slated to enter showrooms this spring, with the Nismo variant lighting up the track later this summer. Nissan revealed that it is working on a successor to the GT-R, but this model will reflect the recent industry changes and feature electrification. It’s unknown if Nissan is willing to go all-in and make it a pure EV, or if it will perhaps make it a hybrid offering with a gasoline engine that will be mated to an electric powertrain.
Nissan is in no rush to release it and is taking its time to ensure it gets all the details right. Until it decides that the world is ready to see it, look for the current generation model to hold down the fort for a few more years. That’s fine with us, the classics linger in the memories of consumers for a reason, and the current generation GT-R still has enough tricks to appeal to loyalists and new buyers.
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