Nissan GT-R – MY11 specs released

Nissan has just confirmed details of the MY11 changes made to its all-conquering GT-R. No car can show its face these days without LED daytime running lights, you see.

Of course, Nissan’s engineers went further than that, also trimming 10kg from the GT-R’s portly weight. Fuel consumption has been improved, along with a reduction in CO2 emissions. Minor tweaks have also been made to Godzilla’s suspension and brakes. These are complemented by new forged alloys from Rays.

Inside gets a once over, as well. Usual stuff like a revised instrument panel and nav display have been thrown in. But there are big changes, too. The steering wheel emblem now has “a new velour-like coating, expressing a glossy texture”. Amazing!

Outside has seen some cosmetic tweaks, notably the front spoiler can now feed in more air. These revisions also increase downforce by about 10%. Two new exterior paint colours—Jet Black and GTBlue—have been added to the colour palette.

However, the big news is more power. Quite a bit more actually. At its initial launch the GT-R had 353kW/588Nm. Well, now the little (big) Nissan that can boasts 390kW/600Nm. That’s quite a significant increase.

Australian deliveries for the MY11 model are expected from March next year.

MY11 Nissan GT-R – Details Released

Nissan Motor Co., Ltd. today announced the launch of the MY11 Nissan GT-R, which goes on sale in Australia next March.

For MY11, GT-R features improved engine output and torque, greater fuel efficiency, revised handling, a refreshed exterior with improved aerodynamics, revised interior treatment and new wheels and tires. The large number of enhancements for the new model year is part of the continuous advancement of the GT-R design, technology and performance since its debut in Australia early last year. Nissan has also enhanced the level of after-sales support for GT-R owners, providing even greater value for customers.

MY11 Nissan GT-R Overview
Developed under the theme of offering the “world’s best multi-performance and responsive driving pleasure,” every area of the GT-R has been carefully rethought or retuned for MY11. The changes range from greater body stability and strength and improved aerodynamics performance to a sportier interior and enhanced performance. Following are the key enhancements of the creative GT-R design.

1. Mechanism

Engine and Transmission Enhancements

• By modifying the boost pressure of the turbocharger, valve timing and air mixture ratio, reducing intake air resistance by enlarging the inlet pipe diameter, and reducing exhaust air resistance through use of an enlarged section of exhaust pipe, fuel economy is improved to 12.0 litres/100 kms (previously 12.5 litres/100kms).
• At the same time, the engine output is significantly improved to 390kW(523hp)/6,400rpm with maximum torque of 612Nm from 3,200 to 6,000 rpm.
• Cleaner emissions are realized through adopting an ultra-low precious metal catalyst and ECM with high-capacity microprocessor – achieving SU-LEV certification levels.
• A new SAVE mode is adopted, which optimizes driving torque and modifies the shift schedule to improve actual fuel economy when driving highways or open roads
• Starting performance while selecting “R mode” for the transmission and VDC-R is improved.
• A weight saving of 10kg has been achieved.
• To control tight corner braking, which can occur when starting the vehicle while turning the steering wheel, 2WD mode is added to temporarily shift to 2WD driving. (When the vehicle speed is below 10km/h and the steering wheel is turned more than halfway.)

Body Strengthening

• A highly rigid, lightweight strut supporting bar, made of carbon composite with aluminum honeycomb material, is installed in the partition wall of the engine compartment. By linking the right and left struts to quickly receive suspension input, the vehicle body’s responsiveness to driving operation is enhanced.
• An additional support member is installed in the passenger side of the instrument panel. Responsiveness of the vehicle body is further improved by enhanced rigidity for connection with the engine compartment.
• For further production accuracy, the fitting precision of the body panels is enhanced and a higher-precision G sensor is utilized in checking the instrument panel during the vibration testing of each vehicle body.

Suspension and Braking Modifications

• For the front suspension, the lever ratio of the springs, shock absorbers and stabilizer bar is modified to improve the vertical load response of the tires. Front caster angle is increased from 5°35 to 6°00 to improve tire road holding ability when turning and stability while driving straight.
• For the rear suspension, toe performance is modified by changing the roll center height to a lower position in order to improve tire grip while making turns and to better communicate driving feel.
• An aluminum free-piston shock absorber design is newly developed which generates more precise damping force to constantly provide stable road holding and a load shift that quickly responds to driver’s intention. Reduced friction in the shock absorbers provides high quality, smooth ride comfort.
• A thin, large-diameter rotor (now 390mm) developed uniquely by Nissan is adopted to improve braking force, fade resistance, pedal control ability and extend brake rotor life for sporty driving.

Wheels and Tires

• The MY11 GT-R also features newly designed, lighter weight and more rigid forged aluminum-alloy wheels. Made by Rays, the wheels help improve tire responsiveness to vertical load. Knurling inside the wheel is modified to avoid deviation of tire rotation direction caused by the higher engine output. On the wheel surface, a new Hyper Blue Black Chrome color is adopted, which expresses high quality and high-performance feel. The wheels’ deep gloss is created by utilization of a five-layer coating process.
• The Dunlop SP SPORT MAXX GT 600 DSST CTT tires have a new compound to improve tire grip. With renewed structure and improved tread and sidewall rigidity, straight-line stability in rutted roads is enhanced.

2. Design

Exterior and aerodynamics

• Even with GT-R’s already intense and stable form, its world-leading aerodynamics performance is further improved through a number of significant enhancements. Downforce is increased by about 10%, while the coefficient of drag is further reduced from 0.27 to 0.26.
• Stability is improved by enlarged bumper and grille openings
• The front bumper is newly designed with double rectifier fins and Hyper Daylight with a large-diameter reflecting surface and high intensity white-color LED lights. The design increases front downforce by about 10%, while also reducing air resistance inside the engine compartment. The volume of air that passes through the radiator and cools down the front brakes is also increased.
• The redesigned rear bumper features a lower center of gravity than the previous design, created by a sculptured lower portion and extended length. Underfloor cooling performance is enhanced with air resistance reduced by extending a rear diffuser.
• Cooling performance for the muffler is improved and rear downforce is increased by about 10% through use of a new rear bumper air outlet, which helps remove air in the rear wheelhouses.
• A newly designed tailpipe finisher with enlarged diameter is adopted. Rear high intensity LED fog lamps are provided as standard equipment to help improve visibility from vehicles behind in rainy or snowy conditions.
• Six exterior colors are available, including two new colors: Jet Black and GT Blue.

Interior

• A newly shaped instrument panel pad and navigation system display finisher are adopted, with stitch lines changed to express an enhanced quality feel.
• Real carbon center cluster finisher is used, along with matte black finished switches.
• The GT-R emblem at the center of the steering wheel has a new velour-like coating, expressing a glossy texture. For the paddle shift, a coating exposing the magnesium base material is applied.
• Chrome-plated rings in the console and air-conditioner outlets are finished with a new black smoky coating, expressing greater sportiness.

Seats

• New seats provide an improved level of comfort and safety while cornering. In addition, fatigue levels are reduced for the thighs and lower back by changing the shape, extending the length of seating surface and refurbishing the cushion stroke. A new seatback design seatback is adopted to improve fit.