Meet the new Nissan GTR. Wether you call it the Skyline GTR or just the GTR, it’s one of the most anticipated releases of 2008. Months away from its official release some Skyline GTRfans have forked ridiculous amounts of dollars trying to get their hands on the bargain super car…Unlike previous versions Nissan has decided it’s due time the Skyline brand name stretch globally, yes, global includes North America. Slated to cost around $65,000 it’s a bargain competitor to the common Z06, 911, or M3. See the GTR’S spec sheet at the end.

Compared to Corvette, Porsche or BMW

With 470 horsepower, 430 torque and a ride that will shatter your bones on the softest suspension setting, the Skyline is a pure sports car. But it does have some refinement. The way the All-Wheel-Drive is engineered makes the car very forgiving with almost no understeer. Compared to other cars with a limiter of 165mph (110mph if you’re stuck in Japan where the speed limiter is impossible to crack) the Skyline is not only a thrill to navigate but a lot faster also.

Performance is similiar to a new Z06, but it will launch faster. It’s faster than a Porsche 911, way faster. It’s faster than a BMW M3, way faster. Sure, it’s not much faster than the new 600hp Viper. But who cares. You’re paying a measely $65,000 (half of the viper) to get a fast car with refined handling and large brembo brakes. Sure beats spending double that for 150hp.

Fancy Dandy Trims

The GT-R will come in at around $65,000 (Base Version) in Japan. For $74,000 you get the V-spec variant with a seven-speed DSG, six-piston Brembos, a dual-clutch, two-pedal, and a whole slew of other goodies. For real enthusiasts or the morbidly obese, the ultra-light weight GT-R Evolution can shed some kilos off the car’s weight with carbon fibre parts that’ll cost you a cool $102,000.

Getting Your Hands on One

Sure the Skyline comes in as a bargain, but getting one can be a bit of a hassle in time for its 2008 release date. The demand for these rockets sure surpasses the supply and shortages are already causing speculation as to just how high the prices of the 1,500 GTR units designated for America will go for. Almost all dealerships in America have already accounted for their preorders but dont be surprised if a we see hawkers trying to flip a handful of the most eagerly anticipated performace car on internet auction sites for double their worth. I’ve already heard of people scalping their order for tens of thousands of dollars with no car in hand.

Spec-Sheet Overload!

If you really want to see the nitty gritty, behold, the spec-sheet!

Engine

• VR-series twin-turbocharged 3.8-liter V6.
• 470 hp @ 6,800 rpm. 430 lb-ft torque @ 3,200–5,200 rpm.
• Dual overhead camshafts with variable intake-valve timing.
• Cast aluminum cylinder block with high-endurance/low-friction plasma-sprayed bores.
• IHI twin turbochargers, one per cylinder bank.
• Pressurized lubrication system with thermostatically controlled cooling.

Drivetrain

• ATTESA ET-S All-Wheel Drive (AWD) with independent rear-mounted transaxle integrating transmission, differential and AWD transfer case.
• Rigid, lightweight carbon-composite driveshaft between engine and transaxle.
• Electronic traction control plus 1.5-way mechanically locking rear differential.
• Vehicle Dynamics Control (VDC-R) with three driver-selectable settings: Normal (for daily driving, controls brakes and engine output), R-Mode (for ultimate performance, utilizes AWD torque distribution for additional vehicle stability) and Off (driver does not want the help of the system).
• Hill Start Assist prevents rollback when starting on an incline.
DisclaimerVDC-R cannot prevent accidents due to abrupt steering, carelessness, or dangerous driving techniques. Always drive safely.

Transmission

• 6-speed Dual Clutch Transmission with three driver-selectable modes: Normal (for maximum smoothness and efficiency), Snow (for gentler starting and shifting on slippery surfaces), and R mode (for maximum performance with fastest shifts).
• Fully automatic shifting or full sequential manual control via gearshift or steering wheel-mounted paddle shifters.
• Dual clutch design changes gears in less than 0.5 second (0.2 second in R mode).
• Downshift Rev Matching (DRM).
• Predictive pre-shift control (in R mode) based on throttle position, vehicle speed, braking and other information.

Wheels and Tires

• 20 x 9.5″ (front) and 20 x 10.5″ (rear) super-lightweight forged-aluminum wheels with Gunmetal Gray finish.
• Exclusively developed nitrogen-filled Bridgestone® RE070A high-capacity run-flat summer tires, 255/40R20 front and 285/35R20 rear. • Tire Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS).
• Optional exclusively developed nitrogen-filled Dunlop® run-flat all-season tires, 255/40R20 front and 285/35R20 rear (includes Bright Silver wheels).

Brakes

• Brembo® 4-wheel disc brakes with 4-wheel Antilock Braking System (ABS), Brake Assist, Electronic Brakeforce Distribution and Preview Braking.
• Two-piece floating-rotor 15-inch front and rear discs with diamond-pattern internal ventilation.
• 6-piston front/4-piston rear monoblock calipers.

Suspension

• 4-wheel independent suspension with Bilstein® DampTronic system with three driver-selectable modes: Normal/Sport (for automatic electronic control of damping), Comfort (for maximum ride comfort), and R mode (engages maximum damping rate for high-performance cornering).
• Electronically controlled variable-rate shock absorbers. High-accuracy progressive-rate coil springs.
• Front double-wishbone/rear multi-link configuration with aluminum members and rigid aluminum subframes.
• Hollow front and rear stabilizer bars.

Body/Chassis

• Exclusive Premium Midship platform with jig-welded hybrid unibody.
• Aluminum hood, trunk and door skins. Die-cast aluminum door structures.
• Carbon-reinforced front crossmember/radiator support.

Exterior

• Wide-beam headlights with High Intensity Discharge (HID) low beams.
• LED taillights and brake lights.
• Dual heated power mirrors.
• Flush-mounted aluminum door handles.
• Body-color rear spoiler with integrated center high-mounted stop light.
• UV-reducing tinted glass.

Audio/Navigation/Performance Monitor

• Digital Bose® audio system with AM/FM/in-dash 6-CD changer and 11 speakers including dual subwoofers.
• HDD Music Box system, including hard drive with 9.4 GB for audio storage.
• MP3, WMA and DVD audio capable. In-dash Compact Flash card reader.
• HDD-based GPS navigation with touch screen.
• Driver-configurable performance monitor, developed with Sony® Polyphony, with graphical readouts of vehicle data and driving data displayed on a total of 11 screens.
• 7-inch WVGA high-resolution color-LCD display for audio, navigation and performance monitor.

Interior

• Automatic Temperature Control (ATC).
• Electronic analog instrument cluster with multi-function trip computer and digital gear indicator.
• Power front windows with one-touch auto-up/down feature.
• Intelligent Key system with pushbutton start. Power door locks.
• Cruise control.
• Tilt/telescoping steering column.
• Bluetooth® Hands-free phone system with voice recognition.

Seating/Appointments

• Leather upholstered front seats with perforated Alcantara inserts.
• 8-way power front seats with entry/exit switch for rear-seat passengers.
• Driver-shaped bucket seat.
• Dual individual rear seats.
• Heated front seats.
• Leather-wrapped steering wheel and shift knob.
• Drilled aluminum pedals.

Safety/Security

• Nissan Advanced Air Bag System (AABS) with dual-stage supplemental front air bags, seat belt sensors and occupant-classification sensor.
• Driver and front-passenger side-impact supplemental air bags and roof-mounted curtain supplemental air bags.
• Front seat belts with pretensioners and load limiters.
• Nissan Vehicle Immobilizer System.
• Vehicle Security System.