Nissan GT-R updated again for 2023
There’s a new Nissan GT-R! Wait, no there’s not. The R-35 lives on, having been nipped and tucked for what we’re counting as the fifth time in the model’s near 15-year term of service. It’s a fairly comprehensive change to the look on the exterior, with some mechanical touches. The only catch? It’s not likely to come here.
So what have they done to Godzilla? Well, the lighting remains the same, because that’s expensive to change but the front bumper is actually quite different. We have some Golf GTI-esque honeycomb LED day runners, while the GT-R’s signature central black grille has been split by bodywork. Semi-tusks either side of the grilles seem to link the upper and lower sections but apart from that, it’s a pretty big departure from GT-Rs that have gone before.
At the rear, a new lower-end treatment of the rear bumper houses familiar quad exhausts, sporting a blueish heat-treated look. The exhaust itself has allegedly been tuned to get the GT-R through stricter noise regulations. In other words, it’ll be quieter. The wing has received an update too, for the first time since the model’s introduction, with more of a slant and around 10 per cent more surface area for improved aero performance. The new T-Spec specification focuses on traction and performance and is available on both standard and Nismo versions, confusingly.
Speaking of the Nismo, it gets similar updates to the standard car and a number of aero enhancements, including a GT500 racer-inspired rear wing (with swan neck mountings) and carbon accoutrement out back to reduce drag. Mechanically, the quite significant addition of a front mechanical limited-slip differential in the Nismo sets it apart from any GT-R that’s come before. In terms of power though, both the standard GT-R and the Nismo retain their existing 570PS (419kW) and 600PS (441kW) outputs respectively.
There’s no change on the inside either, apart from in the Nismo, which gets some truly torturous-looking Recaro carbon shell bucket seats. There’s a new Special Edition Nismo too, which uses high-compression weight-balanced piston rings, connecting rods and crankshaft, though the figures go seemingly unchanged in spite of these. It’s notable on the outside for its aggressive carbon bonnet, for the full Fast & Furious effect.
So what do you think of the updated Nissan GT-R? Is this a worthwhile update, or should it just be allowed to die? In our mind, this car needed a replacement a while ago, though we’d respect a decision to wait if it’s a case of refining the approach of a new one. Hybridised Nissan Z engine anyone?
Nissan
GT-R
