R35 GTRs on eBay - Let the Profiteering Begin!

Since those few lucky bastards have begun taking delivery of the much hyped GTR stateside, the question on everyone's mind has been - "Which sucker is going to drop 100 large to be the first to own one?" There are a few listed already on eBay, the one above is at $101k, 22 bids with less than 2 days to go. The smart thing would have been to take out a 2nd mortage on the house last year, preorder 4 of these bad boys and sell 3 to pay for the 1 you keep. Why the heck didn't *I* think of that?

Guess I'll have to learn to be happy with my C6 ZR1.

Several more for sale here.

R35 GTR Runs 11.1 With Haltech ECU

The GTR Blog has details on the inroads Haltech has been making with the new R35. Apparently, after cracking the factory ECU in a matter of days, the engineers managed to prototype a full engine management system that handles ignition, timing, and fuel maps while the factory brain is relegated to managing ABS, ATTESSA awd, and various other accessories. Despite having the launch control shut down on them several times, they still managed a 1/4 mile run of 11.1@124mph! This is a standard GTR, full weight, stock exhaust with just a Haltech Platinum ECU on 93 octane pump gas. With a little more tweaking, they're hoping for a 10 second run in the near future.

Here's a video of the run:

Daily Clean - R33 GTR With Volk Racing TE37 Mag

With the upcoming R35 GTR taking top billing, this R33 isn't content to fade into obscurity. With a freshly rebuilt 500+whp mill under the hood and shod with ultra-rare-jdm-unobtanium TE-37 mag wheels, this GTR makes a timeless statement. Tons more pics posted by honda-tech.com user Hondizzle!.

More Fuel on the GTR vs 911 Fire - GTR Overhyped?

There's a twenty-six page long thread on 6speedonline with a rapidly growing amount of evidence (some of which is anecdotal) claiming that the GTR, in production trim, in real world tests does not live up to the hype that Nissan and the magazines have been drumming up. After seeing numbers that seemingly defy the laws of physics (it's hard to move 3800lbs of portly Nissan around regardless of technology), I find this thread pretty interesting. There are claims of Caymans and 996 GT3's edging out Nissan's entry to supercar territory, in addition to quarter mile claims of 12.8@112 - MUCH slower than the purported 11.9@120mph that's been popping up.

What does everyone think?

Nissan GTR V-Spec Rumors of 684hp, GTR vs ZR1?

Aussie publication Drive has some ruminations on the upcoming Nissan GT-R V-spec (victory spec). Supposed differences from the bread-and-butter GTR is a 330lb reduction in curb weight stemming from the use of carbon fiber body panels and carbon ceramic brakes. Some aerodynamic and cooling changes round out the list.

Oh yeah - they're boosting output to ~684hp. You read that correctly - a two hundred additional horsepower. That's a lot of power to be wringing from an already overworked 3.8L powerplant, so the number is a bit iffy. If Nissan pulls it off, then this would give the upcoming Corvette ZR1 some considerable competition.

Nissan GTR Runs Nurburgring in 7:29 - Let the GTR vs. Z06 Pissing Contest Continue

Just when you were ready to stop calling shenanigans on the previous time of 7:38, those everyday-everyman-supercar-wunderkinds over at Nissan take godzilla back onto the 'ring (this time on a dry track) and shave a full 9 seconds - down to 7:29. That's within a second of the Pagani Zonda and the Porsche Carerra GT - both of which cost considerably more.

For those following the GTR vs. Z06 pissing contest - the vette took 7:42 to run the same stretch of track. Lots of factors can attribute to differences in lap times - tire choice, weather, what the driver had for breakfast. If you're off by a second or two, that is. A full thirteen seconds, however, is an eternity.

Treatise on Nissan R35 GTR Powerplant

For those who want a good overview on the nuts and bolts of the new GTR powerplant, head on over to the GTRForums. A few highlights about the new VR38DETT:

• U-LEV
• Thermostatically Controlled Oil Cooler
• Twin IHI turbines integrated into exhaust manifolds
• Handmade engines and transmissions.

Pretty impressive indeed - although the nice $60,000 markup most dealers are putting on this car is sure to be a damper.

This Just In - R35 GTR next to R34. R35 is GINORMOUS

Take a look at some of these pictures over at socalevo depicting an R35 parked right behind an R34. I don't know if my eyes deceive me, but the new Godzilla is outright massive - wider stance, longer wheel base. The 3800lb quoted curb weight doesn't seem so bad considering its size.

Now, once you do a double take on that image and your brain starts to tell you its an optical illusion, realize that the R34 is CLOSER, and should appear larger than the R35 behind it - yet its absolutely dwarfed by its newer sibling.

There's also a bazillion new GTR images on that thread.

I'm announcing a caption contest for the pic on the left. Post your suggestions in the comments area.

Nissan R35 GTR Crashed Already

Well THAT didn't take long. Autoblog has pictures of what appears the be the first totaled (or at least near-totaled) production Nissan GTR. We wonder how the insurance adjuster will deal with this considering replacement parts may not be available just yet.

New R35 Nissan GTR Dynoed - It's Potent!

Nagtroc user Chuck H (thats National GTR Owners Club to you) has posted what may be the worlds first GTR dyno in private hands. Using a dynapack dynamometer, the new GTR put down 482hp and 428 ft/lbs at the hubs. (Figure maybe -5% for a measurement at the wheels - 460hp?).

For reference, C6 Z06 vettes have been known to put down 550hp to the WHEELS. This is consistent with the 10mph trap speed difference between the GTR and the Z06 (with the Z06 being faster).

Conventional wisdom dictates that the turbocharged vehicle will be more amenable to aftermarket upgrades - however this does not appear to be the case with the GTR. Rumor has it that an overly strict onboard computer will narc on you to the dealer when it detects "oddities". Furthermore, turbos that are integrated with the exhaust manifold make it difficult and not very cost effective to upgrade.

GTR vs. Z06 vs. 911 - Let the Pissing Contests Begin

Nissan's highly anticipated ultra-bang-for-the-buck supercar slayer hasn't even rolled off the trucks and fanboys everywhere are doing what they do best - staging an all out hide-behind-your-computer pissing contest. With 470+ hp and a price tag sitting right between the Z06 and the 911, Nissan has clearly defined its targets.

However, until these cars make their way into the hands of enterprising individuals to perform their own benchmarking, this conundrum will devolve into a veritable blood feud - speculation and preliminary magazine reviews be-damned.

Whet the appetite of your inner fanboy, and take a gander at what they're saying. (Choice snippets and links after the jump).


At GTRForums.com, they've got their panties in a bunch...

i have a hot news flash for corvetteforums:

a 5 year R&D program, rumoured to have an international team of engineers assembled, is not a thrown-together car.

next point: the GT-R ethos is to be a race car first and foremost, as it is homologated for street use for this very purpose to comply with regional and international sanctioning requirements for GT racing.

next point: the memories of many are evidently very short as only 3 years ago Nissan reissued the R34 in a limited edition road-going form called the Z-Tune. do you know what that car did? it became the fastest production car built at the time, destroying McLaren F1.

what do you think the Z-Tune was built to prove? it was created to foreshadow what direction the next generation of GT-R would take. why would Nissan R&D the GT-R for as long as they have to not beat the old-news Z06 benchmarks? or worse, "barely hang" with Porsche? such an ethos is not whatsoever what the GT-R is about --the GT-R is about domination and total victory to the extent of overkill.

next point: Corvette is a relative newcomer to international motorsports compared to Nissan and definitely compared to Porsche. why would Nissan overlook Corvette and only focus on Porsche, particularly when Corvette has been beating Porsche? the fact is that Nissan cannot be taken out to the cleaners by ---> an "American" car. that would be a total and absolute failure of mission for the GT-R ----- to beat Porsche but lose to a Corvette! the symbolic consequences of Corvette dominating the GT-R would be tantamount to death for Nissan's image and reputation on the world stage.

realistic is that the GT-R will outperform not only Porsche 997tt and Z06, but as well beat Porsche GT3 and possibly Carrera GT. the GT-R is an exotic-level performance car and is engineered for the long-haul warfare that is being fought as we speak in the new-era-reanaissance of horsepower and performance battles.

Meanwhile, the good ol' boys at corvetteforums have relegated themselves to making disparaging remarks about the GTR's appearance and dishing out choice rhetoric like the following:

I suspect most of the fanboy nation across the US will not be buying one as it's way out of their price range. However, be prepared for the massive swelling of their collective (bird) chests as they proclaim "their GTR" as the be all, do all, of past/present/future automative engineering

I already experience this: GTR Kook was telling me how the GTR was going to wipe the street with my Z06 - I simply said "well, when YOU get one to race against the Z06 that I actually OWN, I will conceed it's better if you win". I'm assuming the 2020 model years will be available when this actually happens...

Porsche owners, (especially the ones over at 6speedonline) who generally like to keep the piss off their hands at a minimum, had some jabs at the GTR's portliness..

The New GT-R weighs 3800 + lbs and likely will have under 500 hp. It's the usual overhype, I dont see why people wont just let the car establish itself before they go around blabbing about it killing corvettes and 911's. Let it do something first. You couldnt tell the fanboys it wasnt going to beat the CGT at the ring (it was difficult to tell them not possible for the 7:15 rumor), then when the weight specs came out there was a wave of silence. Then back to the usual "it doesnt matter" when it comes to specs.


Overall, I like the car, but some of the fanboys make it hard to enjoy with the "godzilla" killing everything etc etc etc. If the specs motortrend released are accurate (because they had interior and engine shots never released before, so it's very possible), 0-60 in 3.5, 11.7 1/4 mile and 192 top speed @ 38000 lbs they'd better be coming with a sequel.

So what do you guys think? Which cuisine...er..supercar, will reign supreme?