Nissan GT-R: GT-R ready to take on 911 Turbo

The wraps will finally come off the production version of the new Nissan GT-R at the Tokyo show this October, but until then there’s a good chance of catching sight of a lightly disguised GT-R at the Nürburgring as the car's dynamics undergo the final phase of fine-tuning.

Nissan has promised that the car's exterior will change very little from the GT-R ‘Proto’ it revealed at Tokyo in 2005, and from these shots of a partially disguised development car, that appears to be the case.

However, the details of the beefy GT-R’s mechanical specification and the design of its interior remain areas of speculation. Current thinking is that more than one version of the car will be offered: an entry-level rear-driver with around 350bhp, and this, the V-spec. Spotted benchmark-testing against a Porsche 911 Turbo, the choice of comparator car lends weight to the speculation that the GT-R V-spec’s twin-turbo V6 – developed with the help of Cosworth and probably 3.8 litres in capacity – will produce around 470bhp and that the car's chassis will employ an evolution of the ATTESA four-wheel-drive system from the R34 Skyline.

The R34 combined ATTESA with Super HICAS rear-wheel steering and was superb in the dry but rather tail-happy in the wet. Expect Nissan to have moved the game on with a faster-acting centre diff to involve the front tyres more, or even active electronic side-to-side torque distribution for ultimate exploitation of the traction available. Meanwhile, the grabbed interior shot shown here (right) reveals the stubby gearlever of an automated manual – a seven-speed clutchless manual with wheel-mounted paddles will be offered alongside a conventional six-speed manual.

Although it will offer 911 Turbo-matching power, the GT-R V-spec is expected to be priced closer to a regular Carrera, at around £60K, when it comes to the UK in 2008. It seems that the GT3 and GT3 RS might also be in Nissan’s crosshairs, as there have been sightings of an even more aggressive-looking GT-R with a taller boot spoiler, bolder front splitter, sculpted sills and small intakes and vents fore and aft of the rear wheels. It’s suggested that this ‘Evo-Spec’ version will be a lighter, two-seat-only GT-R with a more racer-ish interior, ceramic brakes, lightly treaded ‘Cup’ tyres and around 530bhp.