And so I drove the GTR today (Thanks Ben!)

[murano3]

A fantastic review, thank you for sharing - has given a superb insight into the GTR.

[Blow Dog]

Originally Posted by Borsta

Love the write-up Cem!

Can you give a small comparisment to your old R34, please.

Thanks for the comments to all, it's much appreciated and makes the writing all the more fun.

Comparison between R34 and R35? They both use GTR badges.
Seriously, if we're comparing stock car to stock car, there is no similarity in anything it does. One could argue it shares the sense of greatness about it, something the R34, even in standard trim, always seemed to hint at.
But the R34 in stock trim was actually quite a slow car - it was heavy and with 320BHP, it just wasn't enough. The chassis of the 34 could handle 600BHP with ease, but the electronics started to get confused and I always remember this weird shuffling of power when on the absolute limit on the circuit.

I would love to put the 35 through its limits on track because only then can you spot the misgivings and idiosyncrasies of any car.

If I had to pick out some evidence of bloodline, it would be in the way the car is presented. It has no delusions about itself, it's a humble car that doesn't go out of its way to preach its intentions and just simply does what it intends to do, straight out of the tin.

Originally Posted by Benji Linney GTC

Seeing them both together and having driven both helps you look beyond the new rivary bigged up by fan boys and journo's. They are both the greatest driver cars on the planet at the moment and both have there own unique qualities. I prefered the weight, cage and size of the GT3 but the power, box and drive of the GT-R.

Roll on the Spec-V

Well, quite. Most people who are arguing do so utterly blindly. If anybody is quick to dismiss a GT3, whilst doing nothing other than quoting lap times, is missing the point entirely and is more suited to a game of Top Trumps than celebrating the spirit of car enthusiasm.

[m6beg]

Great write up Cem.

And you let Benny drive your GT3

Good God.


Well done Benny boy. Your a top man.

Mick

[Cardiff R33]

i wish i lived nearer you all!

[Bean]

Fantastic write up Cem.
You seriously should be writing for a magazine
Seems spot on in every respect too - congratulations!

[1POET]

"OMGGGG holy shit this thing is fast! I mean, REALLY fast".... this quote made my heart skip a beat... its is the only way to describe it and the only way you feel it in words...

[hodgie]

As with all of the above, great write up

[AJFleming]

Lucky bastard I want one!!!!

[tyndago]

Great write up. Always good to hear impressions from actual owners and not car magazine people.

Ben - if you call it a --Spec- V--- again - I put you on my ignore list. Here in the US, a Spec V is a Sentra. Japan wouldnt let the US guys call a "higher end" Sentra a V-spec, so the US guys called it a Spec V. It hurts, and makes me cringe every time I hear Spec V.

Have a chance to have a good look at some R35's here in the US, I wonder where they are going to find 150 lbs. I highly doubt its 150 kg unless the body is carbon fiber.

2009 Nissan GT-R: R35 GT-R detailed pictures

Even the factory rear bumper is swiss cheesed.

2009 Nissan GT-R: Swiss cheese rear bumper R35

[doggiehowser]

Originally Posted by tyndago

Have a chance to have a good look at some R35's here in the US, I wonder where they are going to find 150 lbs. I highly doubt its 150 kg unless the body is carbon fiber.

2009 Nissan GT-R: R35 GT-R detailed pictures

Even the factory rear bumper is swiss cheesed.

2009 Nissan GT-R: Swiss cheese rear bumper R35

The bonnet is pretty heavy. As are the motorized comfy seats.

Swap those for CF parts along with a non-reclinable carbon kevlar seat and you are on a roll.

If you really want more stuff to consider..

Get the rear seats out.. take out the leather trims, power windows, soundproofing, and use perspex windows. Can easily see some areas where weight can be shaved in my prelim look at the car today

The difficult part might be which parts to shave while maintaining a good weight distribution that seems key to the R35's performance.

[Thrust]

Originally Posted by doggiehowser

Can easily see some areas where weight can be shaved in my prelim look at the car today.

Something you're not telling us Doggie?

[tyndago]

Originally Posted by doggiehowser

The bonnet is pretty heavy. As are the motorized comfy seats.
Swap those for CF parts along with a non-reclinable carbon kevlar seat and you are on a roll.Get the rear seats out.. take out the leather trims, power windows, soundproofing, and use perspex windows. Can easily see some areas where weight can be shaved in my prelim look at the car today.

The hood (bonnet) is heavy. I doubted it was aluminum, but we did the magnet test, and it didn't stick. Same with the hats on the rotors. They feel heavy, but they are aluminum. I have had a good couple hours poking around at the cars now, and today even more.

The rear seats weigh nothing. I mean less than nothing. If they could be a negative weight, thats what they could be. They feel like they are made of titanium and air.

I am sure there is 150 lbs in the car for a Vspec model, but not 150 kg. Not something they would offer to the public.

[borat52]

Surely you could trim a fair few Kg's off the exhasut too, certainly the rear part is very complicated and its in a good place to lose the weight. If your putting on a lighter bonnet and lightweight seats, sorting out the exhaust could give you some very decent rear weight loss to balance things out. I'm sure a centre exit single pipe would be much lighter than the existing design.

[tyndago]

Originally Posted by borat52

Surely you could trim a fair few Kg's off the exhasut too, certainly the rear part is very complicated and its in a good place to lose the weight. If your putting on a lighter bonnet and lightweight seats, sorting out the exhaust could give you some very decent rear weight loss to balance things out. I'm sure a centre exit single pipe would be much lighter than the existing design.

The stock exhaust is fairly light. The section from just after the resonator where it comes back into one pipe.

Its a cluster of an exhaust, but its all thin wall stainless. Our guys here said 0.035 wall stainless. Its much lighter than it looks. The only way to make something similar, but lighter would be to go titanium.

However if you ditch all that, then the game is off.

The mid section is not light. Twin cats and a resonator, twin flex sections.

[borat52]

Originally Posted by tyndago

The stock exhaust is fairly light. The section from just after the resonator where it comes back into one pipe.

Its a cluster of an exhaust, but its all thin wall stainless. Our guys here said 0.035 wall stainless. Its much lighter than it looks. The only way to make something similar, but lighter would be to go titanium.

However if you ditch all that, then the game is off.

The mid section is not light. Twin cats and a resonator, twin flex sections.

Didn't realise how light it was:

2009 Nissan GT-R: Fujitsubo Exhaust and stock R35 GT-R exhaust weight

Looks like the cats are 13.5Kgs and the exhasut is 17.5 Kg's. (31Kg)

The fujitsubo system trims this to 20.3Kg total weight (most of this is saved on the exhaust not the Cats) and still includes the crossover 4 pipe exit. Realistically you might see another 3-4Kg saved with a straight out system.
Either way its only going to be less than 15Kg saved max which much smaller than I thought it would be. As you said, the stock system is pretty darn light already.

Better off going on a diet!