Source: Edmunds.com
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2008 Infiniti GT-R

Date Posted 05-23-2005
The 2008 Nissan Skyline may be a couple years away, but we've got the latest spy pictures of a new prototype caught testing on the Nurburgring. Expected to come to the U.S. wearing the Infiniti GT-R badge, this super coupe from Nissan is the car that Japanese rivals like the Subaru WRX and Mitsubishi Evolution aspire to.

We've seen this prototype before, but closer examination reveals some variations that have been added since its last sighting. The rear fascia wears an extended bumper section that hints at the GT-R's longer overall length compared to the current Japanese market Nissan Skyline, otherwise known as the Infiniti G35 in the U.S. The view from behind also reveals pronounced front-quarter panels that extend beyond the G35's stock bodywork suggesting a considerably wider track up front. Same goes for the rear quarters, as the view from the front shows some wide wheelwells destined to house some serious rubber.

Regardless of whether it comes over wearing the Nissan Skyline GT-R badge or the Infiniti GT-R nameplate, expect the usual combination of serious horsepower, all-wheel drive and Nissan's latest technological hardware. Nissan CEO Carlos Ghosn suggested in a speech to expect around 400 hp from what will probably be a twin-turbo version of Nissan's VQ V6. Internet chatter has also brought up the possibility of a seven-speed sequential gearbox, but even if that doesn't come to fruition a standard six-speed manual should be part of the package.

Ghosn has also gone on record with the promise of a production version for the 2007 Tokyo Motor Show, but a recent report suggests that yet another concept version may be shown at this year's Tokyo show. Rest assured that regardless of when the Nissan's replacement for the Skyline hits the streets it will be one of the fastest supercars Japan has ever produced.

 

Source: Autoweek

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Japan's Future Rockets

"Nissan Chief Carlos Ghosn has a record for making good on his promises, and his vow to bring us a Skyline GT-R appears right on track, but Lexus may be cooking up a competitor."

At the Geneva Motor show in March, Lexus launched its new BMW fighters, the IS models, introducing the V6 powered IS 250 and IS 350. But is there another IS that will punch the performance even higher?

Rumors from Japan point to a high-performance uber IS powered by a modified 4.3 liter V8 producing 400hp, but speculation also suggests a possible 3.5 liter hybrid with equal pulling power. At the same time, the German automotive press is going gaga over word Lexus has registered the name IS 460 - suggesting the possibility of an even more powerful autobahner with a 4.6 liter V8 under the hood.

Recent photos from the Nurburgring show a disguised IS prototype with twin exhaust pipes, a hood vent and upturned trunk lid, all indicating this is the high-performance IS 430, if not the bolder IS 460.

Meanwhile the car Nissan chief Carlos Ghosn has promised in time for the 2007 Tokyo motor show - the Skyline GT-R - appears to be running through its paces in the form of a super-powered, special-bodied Infiniti G35 Coupe. The all-wheel-drive Skyline will be powered by a 450hp, twin-turbocharged V6 engine, with suspension tuned by Lotus engineers.

 

Source: Autoweek

Date: January 2005

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Should GTR be Nissan or Infiniti?

Nissan Motor Co. faces a dilemma: whether to sell the Skyline GTR sports car as a Nissan or an Infiniti when it comes to the United States as a 2008 model. The GTR is known globally as a Nissan, but Infiniti dealers here think they should get the coupe because Nissan dealers have the 350Z sports car. "It's hard to have a car as well known as the GTR sold as a Nissan in Japan and an Infiniti in the U.S.," says Patrick Pelata, executive vice president of business planning for Nissan Motor Co. "Even the Sony PlayStations have a GTR game so you can't play and cheat with that name. We've got to find a solution to that."

 

Source: Rezz and "My Car Magazine"

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SUPER SPORT SCOOP! - We'll see the prototype this autumn, and a January 2007 debut!

The Prototype to be shown at this years Tokyo Motor Show will still in fact be a 'design concept', but don't let that fool you. Development is well underway, and what we see at Tokyo in Autumn should be almost final.

The Next GT-R's base body type is actually a Skyline! We've seen the test-mule being trialled at Nurburgring in Germany which was a rebadged Nissan V35 Coupe (LHD Infinity G35), but actually the whole body will form the base of the next Skyline series 'V36'. This can be interpreted as 'the next Skyline (V36) will be designed around the GT-R underpinings, rather than the GT-R being based on the Skyline...'

Breaking news this time is that the Twin-turbo V6 configuration has had it's capacity increased to 3700cc. With the increased capacity, it further assists low down torque in conjunction with the electric motor assisted twin turbos, creating instant positive boost pressure when throttle is applied, giving a 'linear pick-up engine'. We expect the engine to produce in excess of 380hp, and although far higher figures have been quoted, we expect a conservative figure - in line with previous GT-R outputs from factory.

An 'ATTESA Frame' is the new type of 4WD system being used this time around, incorporating a hybrid drive system: an FR transaxel powering the rear wheels, and combined electric motors for the front wheels, similar to the system used on the Nissan March 'e-4WD', but designed with 'Super Sports' in mind, able to produce much more power and torque with an almost instant reaction time (when wheelspin is detected). This system will not bring shame upon the GT-R name as has been seen in public reation so far. A hybrid 4WD system will take car dynamics to the next level.

The car name will be 'Infinity GT-R'... not 'Skyline'.

 

I don't see what the problem is. Honda NSX (Acura NSX), Nissan Skyline (Infiniti G35), Toyota Altezza (Lexus IS300) and countless other cars have different brands/names here. It's a non-issue. If the car is good, people will buy it - Nissan/Infiniti have been proving that for the last few years.

I'd probably prefer it to be an Infiniti because the dealers tend to treat customers better (I'd expect damn good treatment for an $80,000 purchase).

 

Article with pics from Automobile magazine:

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Automobile: “The New Skyline GT-R Emerges”
Nissan’s supercoupe will come to America – finally – but not until 2008

The illustration above is an artist’s interpretation of what the next Nissan Skyline GT-R sports car will look like when it debuts in two years. But we won’t have to wait that long for on official glimpse of the 2008 Skyline, because Nissan will unveil a teaser concept at this October’s Tokyo show as a follow-up to the GT-R design exercise that wowed crowds at the 2001 Tokyo salon. Infiniti G35 coupes with bulging bodywork and fat tires were spotted last fall and again recently at the Nurgurgring, indicating that Nissan’s development work on the Skyline is well under way.

Officially, Nissan continues to drape an unparalleled veil of secrecy over the production Skyline GT-R, which will debut at the 2007 Tokyo show and then go on sale in Japan within days. Unlike all previous Skyline GT-Rs (sidebar), the new car will be sold in America, but not until the 2008 calendar year.

What we do know is that the GT-R will be Nissan’s modern equivalent of the mid-1980s Porsche 959; a staggeringly fast, all-wheel-drive, technology-laden flagship coupe intro which Nissan engineers and designers have poured their souls. Sources report that the 2008 Skyline will be built on a unique all-wheel-drive platform and powered by a twin-turbo version of the 350z’s 3.5 liter V-6, possibly bored out to 4.0 liters. The grapevine speaks of 450hp allied to Nissan’s next-generation, variable-torque-split, ATTESA E-TS all-wheel-drive system. We say, how about a 500hp, twin-turbo version of the 4.5 liter Infiniti V-8, instead?

Nissan’s business plan reportedly calls for the Skyline to sell for about $70,000. That’s double the price of a 350z but tens of thousands of dollars less than the expected asking price for the next Porsche 911 Turbo, against which Nissan should effectively compete. That’s a comparison test we’re looking forward to conducting

 

Import Racer has a couple interesting articles on the next GTR that I would like to share with everyone. It doesn't contain any new info that we haven't read already, but it should be interesting to read.

Here's the first one:

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Source: Import Racer

Exhaust Note
By: Tyrone Rodriguez

Call me crazy, but I had this month’s editorial done in its entirety. It was set, good to go, ready for Lan’s Quark touch. Then, I remembered something, this month’s cover car. Or should I say cover concept, the 2007 Nissan GT-R. It’s one of our less traditional cover pieces, but smokin’. I felt compelled to talk about the biggest news for Nissan in over 30 years – even better, after I finished it, Word crashed and deleted my file. I hate computer gremlins.

What relevance does this Japanese supercar have to Import Racer? A ton. Upon its worldwide release the GT-R will redefine Nissan. It was herald the return of the Japanese super sports cars and change imports forever. The moniker GT-R might be worthy of more admiration then even the Nissan brand itself. If so, the automotive world will be shell-shocked when the AWD, two-door masterpiece makes its grand appearance.

A remarkable amount of speculation from fans and insiders has fueled the Internet for some time. Do a quick search on GT-R Concept and you’ll see exactly what has been brewing on this future monster. It was huge news when Nissan retired the Skyline GT-R (R34, for short) and Silvia (S15) simultaneously in 2002. Along with the chassis went the fearsome inline-six, twin-turbo engine (RB26DETT). Word is that increasingly strict Japanese emissions led to the demise of the engine. A few bolt-ons and the engine wouldn’t pass the sniffer test. In the long run it would cost Nissan more money to detune, reengineer and redesign a power plant that was developed in the mid-80s. All that effort would be better spent on furthering development of a newer, cleaner running engine, one that could last another 10 years. One of the biggest questions remains. What power plant will the next GT-R use?

Advancements in technology have led to engines that have the ability to produce 300 horses and still earn 30 miles per gallon. Most future GT-R owners would be happy with 20 miles per gallon and another 100 ponies. With so much cash infused into the Super GT racing project it would make a whole lot of sense to use that as a test bed for future production cars. That was the cause when Infiniti developed the 4.5L V-8 for IRL. The mill later appeared in the FX45, M45 and flagship Q45. It was believed that the GT-R would get the V-8, but the Skyline has never had that many cylinders and, unless it comes in as an Infiniti, it doesn’t fit the formula. Check out the Nismo cars, they all run a double-boosted VQ engine. It has less displacement than the current 350z, but the RB26DETT also had less displacement than the 3.0L V-6 (VG30DETT) used in the final 300ZX. A sophisticated yet de-tuned derivative of this engine might be the one for the GT-R.

Nissan prez Carlos Ghosn gave his word; the world will see a GT-R in 2007. Thus far the man has an impeccable track record, bringing Nissan into the black ahead of schedule, while improving brand image and producing better vehicles. Okay, so answer us this, is that calendar year 2007 or model year? If it’s calendar year, we’re still two years away and the GT-R will bow in as a ’07 or early 2008 model. However, if it’s model year 2007 then the GT-R could appear next year. That’s not likely, but still possible. VP of Design Shirow Nakamura admitted to us that design on the GT-R is nearly complete; even so, Nissan needs as much time as possible to put the wraps on this beast. If the project is nearing its end then Nissan will be ready to show the vehicle very soon.

My guess for the world debut of the GT-R, or some GT-R Concept, is the 2005 Tokyo Motor Show. This biennial show has to be the place to display the car, it makes too much sense. Only Geneva or Frankfurt holds more clout when it comes to the world of concept cars. Geneva would be the obvious choice, but not here. The GT-R is very close to the hearts of Japanese enthusiasts. Revealing the supercar outside of Japan would be a straight-up insult. Okay, we have it established that TMS would be the ideal place for royalty to return. If TMS is the show then 2005 has to be the year. 2007 will be almost over by the time the next Tokyo Motor Show occurs. That will work only if Nissan launches the GT-R as a 2008 model year vehicle, but so far 2007 has been the year that echoes over and over again. 2007 makes more sense due to vehicle lifecycles, typically around four years. Automakers have pushed complete model changes (versus minor changes) to the five, six, and seven-year range to save money by cutting development and manufacturing costs. The 350z and G35 appeared in 2003. Fast forward four years and both vehicles will be in need of a facelift. That could mean that the next Z and G will be based on the same revised platform intended for the R. The wide-bodied and aero-clad G35 spotted on Nurburgring could be serving triple duty, running test for all three sports cars.

No matter what, the GT-R will rock hardcore. What you see on the cover is our take on a possible direction on the part of Nissan designers. We also have some extremely exclusive information on the Nissan supercar. That’s worth a read, starting on page 34 with the new Nissan Concept Coupe. But there is more going on, take a look at this month’s feature cars, no less than seven rides you would kill to own. Whether you like pistons or rotaries, rear-drive, front or AWD, it’s an eclectic mix of monsters.

 

Second Artilce from Import Racer

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Source: Import Racer

Godzilla_Returns

By: Tyrone Rodriguez and Jackie Ling

The race for the GT-R is nearly done. According to Shiro Nakamura, the design for the first global GT-R has almost been finalized. It’s a little known fact that Nissan regularly has its camps battle it out for the design. If you didn’t know, that’s what happened with the current 350z model, with a collaborative effort from Nissan Japan and NDA being the car we drive now. Although not publicized, this is undoubtedly the case for the most important GT-R of all. Sources close to the GT-R suggest that the design is being helmed by Nissan’s European design studio with supervision coming directly from Japan. 2007 is the year, Carlos Ghosn has promised that. Coincidentally, or maybe not, that happens to be four years after the debut of the 350z and G35, leading many to believe that the new GT-R may have little in common with the current G35/Skyline (V35). A test mule has already been spotted in Germany as reported by Sport Compact Car and a few Japanese and European magazines.

The vehicle seen at the famous Nordschleife F1 track was a modded G35. Spy photographers noted the vehicle’s enlarged front and rear fenders along with variant aerodynamics and a larger brake package. What was seen at Nurburgring is far from being a final product and probably the first steps in testing the next Skyline and GT-R. Carbon fiber, aluminum and mild steel will be used where possible to keep curb weight under that of the current 350z and G35. Carbon fiber will be used for the driveshaft, rear diffuser and other parts, possibly the hood, too. A more plausible material for the hood is aluminum, which will also be used for suspension components, trunk lid, roof, and door panels.

While the design for the next Nissan supercar may be complete, there is still little information on the chosen power plant. One thing is sure, to be true to GT-R heritage; the next GT-R must be all-wheel drive and must be rear-drive based. That is, the engine should be mounted longitudinally like the R34 and not transversely like an Evolution. In this day of automotive technology anything less than a six-speed is a no-no. Getrag did up the previous transmission and transfer case, no reason it shouldn’t follow suit. But Nissan has already developed its own seven-speed gearbox; it’s currently being used in limited numbers in the current Japanese Skyline. The G35 already offers AWD with the same electronically controlled system (ATESSA) that made the GT-R a, well, GT-R. The revised computer system might feature an entirely new microprocessor and design. A bit of research reveals that Nissan does have multiple AWD patents and trademarks; one of these existing systems would likely end up on the 2007 GT-R.

Rumors abound of collaboration between British tuners, Cosworth for engine and Lotus for suspension. One thing is certain, nothing is certain when it comes to the engine. We’ve heard it all, 3.0L, 3.2L, 3.3L, 3.5L and even a 4.0L V-6 – all which would have twin turbos. The other, now, less likely option is the VK45DE, used in the FX45, Q45 and M45. The engine was developed in part to compete in IRL. Some tuners have already taken to the mill, proven it can make far more than the factory numbers. Take note, with a little work the VK can easily rev into the 9000 RPM range. If that isn’t a screamer we don’t really know what is. As mush as a V-8 would rock, Carlos Ghosn is known as a hard-***; the V-8 is a lower volume engine, probably lower volume than even the GT-R. The GT-R has traditionally been a six-cylinder vehicle. Upping the cylinders would only make sense in the American market where it serves as a yardstick to some. That means that we’ll end up with some form of the VQ35DE, already used in nearly every Nissan in the U.S. market. Super GT (formally JGTC) drivers, Richard Lyons and Satoshi Motoyama are already intimately familiar with the VQ30DETT, the boosted 3.0L V-6 powers the Z that replaced the legendary Skyline. Rumors abound that a 3.2L version of this race engine will be the chosen power plant come 2007. The idea of Nissan using racing series to test the mettle of an engine intended for its golden sports car is far from farfetched. Many automakers use motorsports as a quasi cost-effective way to experiment. The electronically controlled twin turbo system produces just short of 500 horsepower in race form. Nissan will detune the engine down towards the 400 horsepower range to meet emissions and keep costs down.

The clock is ticking away. 2005 is drawing to an end and 2007 is closing in on Nissan. The maker of the Z, G, Silvia, and GT-R is set for its first globally launched GT-R. Godzilla’s return could be the biggest news in Nissan history. More information will be available at this year’s Tokyo Motor Show with a potential appearance of another GT-R concept. We better book our tickets now.