What's the news?
Nissan has had another one of its near-annual fettles of the mighty GT-R and the 2017MY edition promises more power, more comfort and more, er, handling. It makes its debut at the New York International Auto Show.
Exterior
Nissan calls the restyle of the GT-R's conk a 'complete makeover', but you'll perhaps notice that it's not quite that drastic. Key elements to note include a chrome matte finish V-motion grille with a mesh pattern, which is enlarged to allow better cooling, a new bonnet which continues that V-shape up towards the windscreen, and a fresh front splitter with a redesigned bumper. The 'lightning bolt' headlights make it through the cut, though.
Along the flanks, the side sills have been widened to improve airflow, while at the rear there's reshaped bodywork that does the same job, while side air vents are situated next to the quad exhaust pipes. The four-ring rear lights remain, the lower black section of the bumper has been heightened to give the car a more aggressive look (as if it needed that), and there's a fresh colour for the angular bodywork: multi-layered Katsura Orange, the hue you can see in the pictures.
Interior
Another one where Nissan says the entire dashboard and instrument panel have been changed, although from our memory, the cabin of the 2017MY doesn't look hugely different to the 2015MY. The carmaker claims the dashboard's shape promotes horizontal flow, although perhaps the more pertinent updates here related to the navigation and audio controls. Now integrated into the eight-inch touchscreen, it means there are now only 11 buttons on the GT-R's console, as opposed to 27 before. Further details are paddle shifts mounted on the steering wheel instead of the column, allowing for mid-bend up- or downshifts, the haptics have been improved on both said paddles and the climate control switchgear, and the Prestige Edition offers a new colour to go with Red, Ivory and Black - Tan can now be specified and, once again, it's the cockpit you can see in the pictures.
Mechanicals
The Nissan's monster 3.8-litre biturbo V6 has been tweaked again, now developing 570hp at 6,800rpm and 637Nm of torque; that compares to 550hp and 632Nm before. Driving through a 'thoroughly refined' six-speed dual-clutch transmission, the performance should be startling - but Nissan hasn't yet quoted the stats. A titanium exhaust and Active Sound Enhancement claim to enhance the driving experience further, although - again - the driving experience is not an area where the GT-R has ever been lacking.
Also for the 2017MY cars, the Japanese outfit has made the body structure more rigid and it has fiddled with the suspension too. Y-spoke forged aluminium alloys wrapped in 20-inch tyres are said, along with the torsional rigidity and suspension changes, to make the GT-R ever more stable through quick, lateral transitions. These alterations also allow for higher cornering speeds. But Nissan says the comfort that it engineered into the 2015MY car has not been compromised, as the ride quality is even smoother for 2017MY, while more sound absorption materials keep the cabin quieter.
Anything else?
Nissan's 2017MY GT-R will be on sale this autumn, following the New York debut. Hiroshi Tamura, the chief product specialist for the GT-R, said: "The new GT-R delivers a heart-pounding driving experience at all times and on any road for whoever sits in the driver's seat. We have continued to push its performance boundaries to the outer limits - it's even more potent than before. At the same time, more refinement has been added to take the entire driving experience to an entirely new level. We're proud to bring you what we feel is the ultimate GT that possesses amazing performance, newfound civility and a rich racing history."