Topic: Nissan releases GTR Spec V for 72% price hike, no more power

[The Mighty Duck]

Translated into US dollars, the GTR is around $160 000 at recent exchange rates.  And what do you get for your price hike?

The GT-R SpecV's new exterior features include a carbon fiber rear spoiler, a carbon fiber grille, and carbon fiber brake ducts. The SpecV is available exclusively in Ultimate Black Opal (RP) body color. Inside, the SpecV's unique two-seat interior (non-SpecV GT-R models also include a two-place rear seat) offers special Recaro carbon fiber bucket seats, while carbon fiber insets embellish the rear center storage box, instrument panel and other trim areas.

Performance is enhanced with a new high gear boost control device, which momentarily increases boost of the engine's twin turbochargers for greater torque in the intermediate-to-high speed ranges to provide a more powerful feeling of acceleration, while also allowing the engine to operate at a lower speed for improved fuel economy. Other modifications include a titanium-coated exhaust system and carbon-ceramic brakes that provide powerful stopping performance.

So: no more horsepower, no more real torque, and lots of tacky add-ons.  Doesn't sound at all to me like the super-GTR we were expecting.

[Erik]

Awesome!

Sign me up for two.... 

Seriously tho, did all that extra carbon fiber result in a weight decrease? I really don't see the point of this otherwise.

[initial_D]

V ery special decals, worth every penny.

[vdk]

Get a regular GTR and dump the rest in add-ons, maybe a stick too.

[Jaeger]

First of all - I DON'T think the V-spec is worth the extra dough.

That said - I'm sure that most here are not so naive as to think that the only way to boost performance is to add power.  "Adding lightness" has long been a proven strategy - and one that can be quite costly.  From that brief extraction, it sounds like that has been the primary aim of the Spec V.  As it stands, the GTR is outrageously fast for what is a very heavy car.  If they make it lighter, the existing ponies get a lot more frisky.

Jaeger

[Snowman]

What they are not telling you is it cost $72k/unit to engineer and fabricate a new gearbox.

[KRS]

  it appears the V spec is all about weight reduction. the carbon ceramic brakes won't be inexpensive. I believe if you were buying a 911 and wanted to option for the carbon composite brakes it's an $11,000 + option, and  i don't know if I'd refer to the new carbon fibre bits tacky add-ons since the biggest bits are replacing existing heavier pieces. It seems to me that Nissan is doing the same as i've read Jaguar and Lamborghini and Porsche have done and are offering a marginally lighter model for substantially higher price.
 
  I doubt it's more then $20k/per unit for engineering and fabricating the new box after they paid a couple of thousand for the few ounce lighter brake ducts.
 

[The Mighty Duck]

Seriously tho, did all that extra carbon fiber result in a weight decrease? I really don't see the point of this otherwise.

Apparently it is about 100kg lighter, which is not insignificant.

The thing about the GT-R is that it's not a Porsche or Lambo.  People are willing to pay ~$90k for it, but $160k (or whatever the US model costs when it comes)?  That's a lot of coin for something with a Nissan badge.  And unless it performs substantially better than the regular GT-R, who will be willing to drop that much on a Nissan?

I'm not sure I would...

[vdk]

Are they even importing it? A small run will sell.

[Erik]

Seriously tho, did all that extra carbon fiber result in a weight decrease? I really don't see the point of this otherwise.

Apparently it is about 100kg lighter, which is not insignificant.

The thing about the GT-R is that it's not a Porsche or Lambo.  People are willing to pay ~$90k for it, but $160k (or whatever the US model costs when it comes)?  That's a lot of coin for something with a Nissan badge.  And unless it performs substantially better than the regular GT-R, who will be willing to drop that much on a Nissan?

I'm not sure I would...

I heard they were aiming for a 330 lb weight reduction. Did they miss that mark?

In their defense, it is damn expensive to correct weight issues when the car is in production already. Much cheaper to design them in the first place.
Again, the question becomes who the heck would pay that kind of money for a Renault?

[Iso Octane]

Seriously tho, did all that extra carbon fiber result in a weight decrease? I really don't see the point of this otherwise.

Apparently it is about 100kg lighter, which is not insignificant.

The thing about the GT-R is that it's not a Porsche or Lambo.  People are willing to pay ~$90k for it, but $160k (or whatever the US model costs when it comes)?  That's a lot of coin for something with a Nissan badge.  And unless it performs substantially better than the regular GT-R, who will be willing to drop that much on a Nissan?

I'm not sure I would...

The car comes with premium hardware over the regular GTR.   Criticizing the premium Nissan is charging because of the development cost or performance delta is reasonable.

But criticizing the cost because of the badge?

"Spec V" not good enough?

[TopGun]

...
a carbon fiber grille
...

I'm sure the carbon fibre makes it a higher-functioning piece...unlike those do-dads on the G8.   

[rrocket]

Are you kidding me?  I LOOOOVE the GT-R, but this Spec V isn't worth $hit.  That's just stupid money to ask for it IMO.  Part of what makes the GT-R such a stupendous car is value/performance quotient.  Sure the carbon will make it a tick quicker.  But not quick enough to justify the cost.  The new HKS 570 kit costs $10,700 and pushed the power of the GT-R to...570HP.  Several of the owners who have the kit are hitting 10.7s-10.8s at the track, just to give you the kind of pull this kit ads to the car.  The only new cars that pull that fast are Veyrons and the Saleen S7R TT.  I don't think any other cars are that quick.  And this kit STILL keeps the car well under $100,000.


Oh and the tranny issues have been resolved.  The new program for the tranny shift ALMOST as fast as with launch control and shifts much quicker than the "old" program with launch control de-activated.  So that's good news.  Edmund's did the test on their GT-R with the new software installed on it.  Aslo, according to the articles at Edmunds, there was only a total of 16-19 GT-Rs with bad tranny's.  Nothing to sneeze at, but like they pointed out, not epidemic.  It was roughly 1% or production.  I still condemn NIssan if they made anybody pay for a new tranny out of pocket.

http://blogs.edmunds.com/roadtests/2009/02/2009-nissan-gt-r-reprogrammed-our-gt-r-gets-quicker.html

[The Mighty Duck]

The car comes with premium hardware over the regular GTR.   Criticizing the premium Nissan is charging because of the development cost or performance delta is reasonable.

But criticizing the cost because of the badge?

"Spec V" not good enough?

  Sorry, are we no longer allowed to hold our own opinions?

$160 000 for a Nissan would be absurd.  I think the regular GT-R is fantastic value and worth every penny.  But once you get into the $150 000+ range, it's just not worth it.  There's not enough added performance to justify the price, and if I'm spending that kind of coin, yeah, I want some badge recognition.

What, pray tell, is wrong with that?

[safristi]

 ............. GEE TEE ERR!!!!!

[Iso Octane]

The car comes with premium hardware over the regular GTR.   Criticizing the premium Nissan is charging because of the development cost or performance delta is reasonable.

But criticizing the cost because of the badge?

"Spec V" not good enough?

  Sorry, are we no longer allowed to hold our own opinions?

$160 000 for a Nissan would be absurd.  I think the regular GT-R is fantastic value and worth every penny.  But once you get into the $150 000+ range, it's just not worth it.  There's not enough added performance to justify the price, and if I'm spending that kind of coin, yeah, I want some badge recognition.

What, pray tell, is wrong with that?

You're absolutely entitled to your opinion.  I'm just criticizing it.   This is a car forum after all.  And this whole thread is criticizing Nissan's opinion that they can charge $160,000 for their GTR.  Nothing wrong at all.

[Squishy]

Didn't people pay big bucks for a Honda/Acura badge with the NSX?  It was also a modestly powered supercar that made up for it in engineering and weight savings.

[Shnak]

Didn't people pay big bucks for a Honda/Acura badge with the NSX?  It was also a modestly powered supercar that made up for it in engineering and weight savings.

At least the NSX LOOKED exotic... no one could mistake it for a Civic like someone can easily mistake a GT-R for a Z...

[Jaeger]

Didn't people pay big bucks for a Honda/Acura badge with the NSX?  It was also a modestly powered supercar that made up for it in engineering and weight savings.

At least the NSX LOOKED exotic... no one could mistake it for a Civic like someone can easily mistake a GT-R for a Z...

And now the NSX looks.... extinct.

I very much doubt if anyone in Nissan's target market for the GT-R would mistake it for a Z.  Much easier to confuse, say, a ZR-1 with a base Corvette.

Jaeger

[The Mighty Duck]

Didn't people pay big bucks for a Honda/Acura badge with the NSX?  It was also a modestly powered supercar that made up for it in engineering and weight savings.

And by the end of its life, nobody was buying it.  When it was first released it was relatively well positioned power-wise and worth the money.  By the end of its life, the Accord V6 had nearly as much power, and the NSX was overpriced and underpowered.

And Acura has (arguably) more brand prestige than Nissan, anyway.