2015 Nissan GT-R Reviews

Twenty years from now, the carscape will be vastly different. Electric cars will be commonplace, hybrids will be universal and the Aussie V8 muscle car will be a page in history.But a handful of 2013 cars will have survived the turmoil to attain classic status just as the Ford Falcon GTHO from the 1960s is considered even more desirable today than it was when it first hit the road. Classic cars are not necessarily about horsepower or price.We know a collector who loves the humble, bumbling Morris 1100 in his multi-car garage. The first Toyota Prius is a car to keep because of its place in history. The original Mazda MX-5 from 1989 is just as “classic'' as certain Porsche 911s. The key to classic status is simple: Emotion.A car does a job in the same way as a fridge but it's much more than a machine, from the shape of its bodywork to the touch-and-feel pieces in the cabin and the way it makes you feel when you're driving. The attachment could take the form of the love you feel for a first car, even a humble '50s Beetle, or the satisfaction of finally parking a dream machine -- even a Leyland P76 -- in the garage.Classic cars don't have to be affordable on day one, because depreciation hits everything. Not enough, perhaps, to make the LaFerrari more than a dream but it could help with a Porsche 911 or an Audi R8 that's definitely desirable despite the showroom sticker.Which current cars will achieve classic status? If we really knew, the Carsguide crew would be putting them up on blocks today as investments for the future. But here are some likely suspects:Abarth 695 TributoPrice: from $69,990Engine: 1.4-litre 4-cylinder, 132kW/230NmTransmission: 5-speed sequential auto, FWDThirst: 6.5L/100Km, CO2 151g/kmThe Italian baby is outrageously expensive but this humble Fiat 500 has been touched with the Ferrari wand, which makes it special. It looks wicked and is a hoot to drive. Just plain fun.Holden Commodore SS-VPrice: about $50,000Engine: 6.0-litre 8-cylinder, 270kW/ 530NmTransmission: 6-speed manual or auto, RWDThirst: 12.2L/100Km, CO2 288g/kmThe last in the long line of truly home grown Holdens will soon be one to enjoy, thanks to improved efficiency and an Audi-style luxury cabin. The SS-V and HSV's coming F Series cars will be historic and performance icons.Range Rover EvoquePrice: from $51,495Engine: 2.2-litre 4-cylinder, 110kW/380NmTransmission: 6-speed manual or auto, FWD or 4WDThirst: 4.9L/100Km, CO2 129g/kmThis one is a fashion item, not an SUV. The Evoque is all about the looks, a lot like a Mini, but it is also a great drive and we know the all-paw drive examples will go almost anywhere.Nissan GT-RPrice: from $172,000Engine: 3.8-litre 6-cylinder, 404kW/628NmTransmission: 6-speed auto, 4WDThirst: 11.7L/100Km, CO2 278g/kmGodzilla is already a collector's car, thanks to earlier models tied to the GT-R that won the Bathurst 1000. The new model is a better car, and still great value, but collectors will need to find one that hasn't been battered and abused.Volkswagen Golf GTIPrice: from $40,490Engine: 2.0-litre 4-cylinder, 155kW/280NmTransmission: 6-speed manual or auto, FWDThirst: 7.7L/100Km, CO2 180g/kmThe German pocket rocket is a top drive and the coming model, using the Golf Mk7 body, promises to be even better. The GTI has been a cult car since the '70s and truly great since the 2005 Mark 5.Subaru BRZ/Toyota 86Price: from $37,150/$29,990Engine: 2.0-litre 4-cylinder, 147kW/205NmTransmission: 6-speed manual or auto, RWDThirst: 7.8L/100Km, CO2 181g/kmPeople who love cars have fallen for the Twins, the sports cars that won Carsguide's 2012 Car of the Year. There is a waiting list for both and the keen are paying more than the showroom sticker, because they deliver exactly what they promise at a great price. Pushed, we'd go for the BRZ in Subaru's signature blue.

Two decades ago Jim Richards and Mark Skaife famously thumbed their noses at Aussie fans’ jibes after winning their second and final outright victory in the Bathurst 1000 in a Nissan GT-R Skyline.Since then the GT-R, which Nissan claims is the world’s most affordable supercar, has continued to take it up to the sportscar elites costing an arm, and often a leg as well, more.Now the Japanese auto maker has dropped off its latest GT-R in Australia with a bargain-basement price of $170,800. Just what does the buyer get for his or her buck?Well, there’s the powertrain for a start. The engine pumps out more power than its predecessor, while at the same time using less fuel and producing fewer emissions; transmission shift feel has been improved and specially prepared race tuned oils are used in the differential. Equipment levels have been increased and there’s a fascinating new suspension setup.The heart (and soul) of the new GT-R is, of course, the engine, which now puts out 404 kW (540 horsepower) at 6400 rpm, as opposed to 390 kW previously, while maximum torque has gone up from 612 Nm to 628 Nm between 3200 and 5800 revs. Fuel use is cut from 12.0 to 11.7 litres per kilometre, says Nissan.Each 3.8-litre twin-turbo V6 motor is put together by hand by one of a team of eight builders – each team knocking out two units a day. For example, craftsmen precisely match the ports of the intake manifold and cylinder head. So there is minimum disturbance to the airflow, thus increasing performance.Sodium filled valves mean better cooling, while the catalytic converter has been cut by half thanks to a more efficient catalyst. Engine efficiency has been further extended by using a leaner air/fuel mix and optimising valve and ignition timing.Power is put to ground via a six-speed double-clutch transmission and independent transaxle all-wheel drive system. Shift feel and quietness have been refined.An asymmetric suspension has been designed to give bias to the right-hand drive vehicle. It takes into account the weight of the driver – other occupants are ignored, balance being considered only when it really matters, at race track speeds. Also, the prop shaft driving the front wheels in the AWD system is on the right side of the car, again adding right-hand weight bias.Up front are harder spring rates on the left, while out back the rear suspension arm has been fitted upwards on the left and downwards on the right. The result is, with extensive fine tuning on the Nurburgring north circuit (where else?) vertical load on all four tyres has been equalised.Thus, steering response is improved, as is cornering and ride comfort, the last bettered even more by suspension settings switchable between ‘comfort’, ‘normal’ and ‘race track’ by the driver.The latest Nissan GT-R has a stronger body structure to take power and torque increases and improve handling. In conjunction with new Dunlop SP Sport Maxx tyres, developed especially for the GT-R, the driver gets a better feel of road grip transmitted through the steering wheel.A standard 2+2 coupe, there is little leg room in the rear but a 315 litre boot does not skimp for space. Improvements to the cabin include better looking instruments with blue lighting inside the tachometer matching the shift indicator, while a rear-view camera eases limited vision when reversing.The Bose sound system has been given a boost with woofers that were previously only available with the Egoist spec GT-R. Door speakers and woofer in the rear are now mounted on a solid aluminium panel to reduce vibration and improve sound quality.A 300 km-plus drive in Tasmania on roads including several Targa sections produced miles of smiles as the GT-R showed off its wares. We particularly liked the action of the fixed position steering wheel-mounted shift paddles.The sound coming from the dual twin exhausts perfectly matched the way the car was performing and road grip was such that there was a distinct lack of tyre distress on tight bends.All in all, the quality of the experience well matched that enjoyed in sports cars costing a great deal more, a fact backed by the claim that Nissan has found the likes of Aston Martin and Porsche 911 owners also enjoying ownership of GT-Rs. It’s that kind of car.

You can put down well over half a million bucks for a new Ferrari 458 Italia, then add a few options and it shoots over the $600K mark.

GT-R - just muttering this acronym is enough to bring goosebumps to the neck of most motoring enthusiasts.Nissan has had the badge in its arsenal since the late 1960s - with brief appearances here - but the Grand Turismo Racing vehicle that goes on sale this month in Australia is by far the most venomous yet.The GT-R (which also amusingly stands for Ground Transportation Request) has more power, more torque across a wider rev range but with the ability to use less fuel.The price has gone up $2000 for the model-year 2012 GT-R to start from $170,800 - still half the price of opposition equipment with the same performance potential. The latest incarnation of the GT-R has more than 420 representatives on Australian roads - and more than 20,000 examples worldwide since the model's launch in late 2007.Changes are minimal on the surface - the instruments now have blue back-lighting inside the tacho ring, there's now a standard reversing camera. The features list also has dual-zone climate control, leather trimmed and heated front sports seats, two rear sports seats, touchscreen satnav, USB input for the sound system, Bilstein adaptive dampers, Bluetooth phone link, cruise control, keyless entry and ignition.The Bose 11-speaker sound system's woofers have been upgraded to Bose Precision Sound System woofers and the door speakers and rear woofer are now mounted on a solid aluminium die-cast panel to reduce vibration and improve sound quality. The two-door super-coupe is also wearing new nitrogen-filled Dunlop SP Sport Maxx tyres that were developed specifically for the GT-R and Nissan says the updated rubber improves response and ride comfort.The magnificent hand-built twin-turbo V6 has had work done on both the intake and exhaust sides of the engine, with the intake a new resin intake duct and more precise intake system claiming reduced airflow resistance. The exhaust side now has sodium-filled exhaust valves for better cooling and a smaller, lighter exhaust catalyser.The result is a power jump from 390 to 404kW (at 6400rpm) while torque has improved 16Nm to 628Nm between 3200 and 5800rpm (the latter a 600rpm increase). The increases have not come at the expense of fuel consumption, claims Nissan - the company says the 2012 GT-R's ADR-laboratory derived figure for fuel use has dropped from 12 to 11.7l/100km.The six-speed double-clutcher has also been improved, says Nissan, with better shift feel and quietness the result of work on the shift fork arm and the flywheel housing - the drivetrain now also gets a model-specific competition differential oil.While the exterior design hasn't changed, the design of the underpinnings have - to account for the driver's weight on the righthand side, the GT-R's suspension for RHD models has been set asymmetrically, a world-first says the Japanese carmaker.Nissan says in the outgoing car there was a 50kg bias to the right-hand side with an average-sized driver, so the spring rates are slightly altered left-to-right and some components are mounted differently, all of which means an imbalanced wheel load when the car is at a standstill, but which is equalised when underway. The new GT-R is boasting improved steering response, cornering stability and ride comfort. The engineers have also reinforced parts of the engine compartment and repositioned some sensors.Godzilla gets dual front, side and curtain airbags for the front occupants, who will be strapped into the front pews with pre-tensioner and load-limiter equipped seatbelts. There's also anti-lock brakes and the adjustable stability and traction control system (which also has an R-Mode start) and the grip of all-wheel drive, which can send all drive to the rear wheels and up to 50 per cent to the front as required.Godzilla has mutated - in a good way. Nissan’s GT-R has long-worn the movie-monster nickname and the update has given no reasons for it to fade away. The 2012 update has given more power and torque to the already-awesome twin-turbo V6, enough to suggest Nissan Japan claims of 2.8 seconds to 100km/h are feasibleThe coupe leaps away from standstill, slipping quickly between gears with minimal shift shock despite the considerable force being applied through the drivetrain. There’s still some mechanical noise, but it’s more refined, with a roar that’s not ear-splitting but it is addictive. What is also addictive is the part-throttle power delivery - you don’t need to go flat out to appreciate the engine, which has a considerable mid-range. Firing along twisty bitumen, the two-door supercar corners with disdain, both for recommended cornering speed signs and surface changes.Bumps are felt but do little to change the intended line – even dust, cow manure, gravel or other extras on the road surface barely ruffle the GT-R’s composure. Changes to the suspension - designed to compensate for weight on the right hand side, says Nissan - have also had an impact on the ride quality.While it’s far from a boulevarde ride, the sharp impact from bumps felt in previous incarnations has been smoothed over – there’s still a jolt but the cutting thump has been reduced. In comfort mode the ride quality improves noticeably and for most on-road work that’s the setting of choice.Solid body control and tenacious grip mean your internal organs are going to give in before the GT-R does - it’s not hard to see (or feel) how this car gave Top Gear’s Jeremy Clarkson a crook neck.There’s also a solid, meaty feeling to the steering, which is on the heavier side but feels fitting for this beast of a machine. The awkward rear vision has been offset by the addition of a reversing camera, which is new for 2012.

We all thought the new-generation Nissan GT-R that lobbed here a few years ago was brilliant.Super quick and fast, bristling with clever stuff. Ugly but tough looking — something to aspire to for sure.But then the bar has been raised by the R35-series GT-R, which offers more power, more down force, more grip and more excitement than its predecessors.Nissan engineers have been able to make all of this more accessible to enthusiast drivers, fulfilling the promise of `anyone, any time, anywhere' for its most sporting model.In a major evolution of the model, every aspect of the R35 has been enhanced and improved in its third iteration.Priced at $168,800 it is the most efficient yet. LED daytime running lights,  remodeled bumpers, extended diffuser, new tail-pipe finish and LED fog lamps proclaim the first major revision of the R35 model.Inside, a number of refinements have been made to enhance the sports luxury feel. They include new Recaro-designed seats with heating, new higher-quality finishes for many interior surfaces and softer seat belt material.Subtle exterior revisions have given the GT-R a new look and improved the car's already slippery aerodynamic performance. The GT-R stands out from its predecessors with its 14 per cent larger front grille opening. Downforce has improved by about ten per cent while the car's drag co-efficient has been lowered from 0.27 to just 0.26 Cd a figure most small economy cars would be proud of.Power from the 3.8-litre, twin-turbocharged, V6 engine has been boosted 33kW to 390kW, while maximum torque developed from 3200-6000 revs is now 24Nm more at 612Nm.Optimising this increased power through the R35's six-speed dual clutch transmission and permanent four-wheel-drive system by selecting R-Mode and VDC-R allows the Nissan GT-R to accelerate from 0-100km/h in a blistering 3.0 seconds.Meanwhile recalibrating the engine's control module, modifying the exhaust system and fitting a new catalyst have improved both fuel economy and emissions by 3.5 per cent.A series of subtle, but significant chassis changes to the Nissan GT-R's chassis, including new lightweight aluminium shock absorbers, have sharpened the model's already-impressive handling without any sacrifice in riding comfort.New tyres, lighter wheels and bigger brakes have also enhanced the car's unique supercar driving experience.

Mitsubishi Evo and Nissan GT-R go head-to-head in this comparative review.

It must be galling for wealthy punters who put down half a million bucks on the latest Ferrari, Porsche or Lambo to know there's a car out there, a third of the price, that blows them into the weeds in performance terms and most probably handling too.It mightn't look a sweet as the new Ferrari 458 Italia but man oh man, the 2011 version of Nissan's R35 GTR makes up for any styling shortfall in the way it goes.Nissan's comprehensive revamp of the GTR makes it the best yet in every sense.The hand-made, twin-turbo, 3.8-litre, V6 engine moves up to 390kW/612Nm output while at the same time uses less fuel rated at an average of 12.0-litres/100km. For the mechanically attuned engine detail changes are numerous but it's mostly about more turbo boost. There are larger diameter intake and exhaust tracts and the exhaust system is free flowing. This plus an engine computer re-calibration and altered valve timing.The dual-clutch manumatic transmission has been uprated for quicker shifts and "predictive" operation based on accelerator position. The all wheel drive system is improved offering a drive split of up to 100 per cent to the rear wheels and a torque vectoring function is achieved through electronic controls and limited slip differentials front and rear.Six piston front brakes measure 390mm in diameter and are squeezed by Brembo calipers. Rear brakes a four piston. Bilstein aluminium dampers offer comfort and sport modes and the 20-inch wheels weigh less than before and carry specially made Dunlop Sport rubber.Nissan matched the performance boost with new styling inside and out featuring LED front driving lights, new bumpers and a larger front grille. Aerodynamic drag is now down to 0.26 - extremely low.The interior retains all of the previous model's features including a comprehensive read-out panel offering info' right down to cornering g forces and rate of acceleration. Equipment levels are luxury car level. You get leather heated seats, big screen satnav, premium audio with a 10 gig music "box", column mounted gear change paddles in magnesium and Recaro seats among a host of goodies.What's it like to drive? Sledgehammer springs to mind. Makes mug drivers look and feel like champions. There's brutal acceleration everywhere and a redline of 7000rpm accompanied by a superb exhaust note. Testing reveals the newly tweaked GTR stops the clocks for a 0-100kmh sprint in "around" 3.0 seconds.We actually got close to that time simply by engaging the "launch control" mode that is easily accessible through the GTR's multi- mode dynamic controls. Basically you put everything in R, put your left foot on the brake, push the accelerator to the floor with your right foot then side-step the brake pedal.The effect is much like a theme park ride (the slingshot) where your eyeballs and guts are pushed back into your body and you feel queasy after the second go. We experienced no brake fade even though the discs are steel and it never put a wheel out of place.Driving this car was an awesome experience. And all for a trifling $168,800.Any downside? The hard ride would wear thin after a short while and it's difficult to get 100 octane fuel though 98 is OK. The styling grows on you but we still think the bum is too big. And you can hear the gearbox shuffling through the ratios downchanging.

Godzilla has had its teeth and claws sharpened for a new year in Australia. There is more power and torque from its thumping twin-turbo V6 engine, a little less weight and drag, and the added bonus of more refinement inside. The 2011-model R35 also comes with bigger brakes and new tyres, some chassis strengthening, LED daytime running lamps and an extended aero diffuser under the tail.The upgrade work is all designed to make the car quicker and more responsive - and shave time off its laps at the Nurburgring in Germany - as well as re-igniting passion for the car among Australia's keenest drivers.That passion was reflected in a giant turnout at Phillip Island to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the GT-R's first Bathurst win, at an event attended by Mr GT-R - Katzutoshi Mizuno - and Aussie racers Fred Gibson and Jim Richards. "The GT-R is really the heart-and-soul of Nissan," says Dan Thompson, managing director of Nissan Australia.The downside on the third version of the R35 is a starting price that has blown out to $168,800, and a more extreme driving experience that could be too much for some people in day-to-day conditions. But get it on a track, like Phillip Island . . .The GT-R has been a bang-for-your-buck winner from the beginning, even back in the days of the R32 model that introduced the car to Australia as an official Nissan. But things have slipped this year, with the decision to drop the entry- grade car and tougher opposition from the German supercar bunkers.It's still a massively impressive package, but the $168,800 bottom line comes in well above the starting price for a BMW M3 at $152,300 and the Mercedes-Benz C63 AMG from $152,800, and also available with a Performance Pack tweak and an extra 22 kiloWatts.The GT-R is better equipped for 2011 - with everything from Recaro- designed sports buckets to seat belts made from softer material - but the bottom line is still a $13,000 jump from the previous starting mark for Godzilla. And it doesn't get the capped-price service protection of the rest of the Nissan family."It still is much cheaper for the performance that it gives," says Nissan's local product specialist, Darren Holland. "The money has gone into performance improvements. The power, the torque, and the engineering that's gone into the car."The GT-R has always been a techno treat and this time around is no different, with the 3.8-litre V6 engine tweaked to release 390 kiloWatts and 612 Newton-metres - up by 33 and 24 respectively - while also cutting fuel economy to a claimed average of 12.0 litres/100km.The suspension has been tweaked with alloy shock absorbers, a strengthening bar across the front-suspension towers, and a support panel on the dash ahead of the passenger. The Brembo brakes are now a monoblock design, there are forged alloy wheels from Rays, and the startline ability of the GT-R has been boosted by a system - engaged through R-Mode and VDC-R - that promises consistent 0-100km/h sprints in around 3.0 seconds. Although you do have to cool the transmission after four consecutive runs.Only a GT-R fan - and there are plenty - will pick the differences for 2011. The basic body shape is unchanged and the tweaking is all in the details - like LED daytime lamps, a large grille, the rear diffuser and what Nissan calls a two-level 'rectifier' to channel air around the nose.Inside, there is real carbon fibre in the dash, the new seats and belts, and a soft-touch panel on top of the dash that gives a more upmarket look and feel.There are no real changes to the safety package, although the latest Dunlop Sport Maxx tyres and bigger brakes are claimed to give better grip in all conditions and much better braking on wet roads. Mizuno says the GT-R generates more wet braking grip than a 370Z on a dry road. Of course, it comes with a six-airbag cabin, ABS brakes and ESP stability control.The GT-R has always been an extreme machine, and the tweaking to the 2011 model makes it even more of a love-or-hate machine. We love its punchy performance and the admiring glances from rival drivers, as well as the knowledge that any stop-light contest is a no-contest.And it is brutally quick. But the suspension is brutal too, even with the adjustable settings switched to comfort. And the amount of noise and slap and harshness from the transmission system rivals a World Rally Car on the way to a special stage.It's not a car to drive if you want a quiet or easy life. But GT-R fans will love the improvements, which make it brilliantly better when you want to goooooooooo. The launch control system is stonkingly good and truly the best Carsguide has sampled - with the ability to turn stomaches to mush.The extra power and torque means the car is going fast for more of the time, with better response and less lag. The chassis feels a little more responsive on the road, and when we get to Phillip Island it really shows its best side. The GT-R can run without fear or favour on a racetrack, and easily tops 260km/h down the front straight, with incredible cornering grip and slingshot exists from all corners.It's not as finely edged as a Porsche, and overheats its tyres quickly if you push hard, but it will get away from an M3 or C63 with a sympathetic and talented driver. The Series III GT-R is even better than before and incredible fun, provided you can put up with the ride and wide turning circle and restricted three-quarter vision and difficulty in parking.At Phillip Island, all that day-to-day stuff is just fluff. And the GT- R is brilliant.

There is more power and torque from its thumping twin-turbo V6 engine, a little less weight and drag, and the added bonus of more refinement inside. The 2011-model R35 also comes with bigger brakes and new tyres, some chassis strengthening, LED daytime running lamps and an extended aero diffuser under the tail.The upgrade work is all designed to make the car quicker and more responsive - and shave time off its laps at the Nurburgring in Germany - as well as re-igniting passion for the car among Australia's keenest drivers.That passion was reflected in a giant turnout at Phillip Island to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the GT-R's first Bathurst win, at an event attended by Mr GT-R - Katzutoshi Mizuno - and Aussie racers Fred Gibson and Jim Richards."The GT-R is really the heart-and-soul of Nissan," says Dan Thompson, managing director of Nissan Australia.The downside on the third version of the R35 is a starting price that has blown out to $168,800, and a more extreme driving experience that could be too much for some people in day-to-day conditions. But get it on a track, like Phillip Island .The GT-R has been a bang-for-your-buck winner from the beginning, even back in the days of the R32 model that introduced the car to Australia as an official Nissan. But things have slipped this year, with the decision to drop the entry-grade car and tougher opposition from the German supercar bunkers. It's still a massively impressive package, but the $168,800 bottom line comes in well above the starting price for a BMW M3 at $152,300 and the Mercedes-Benz C63 AMG from $152,800, and also available with a Performance Pack tweak and an extra 22 kiloWatts.The GT-R is better equipped for 2011 - with everything from Recaro-designed sports buckets to seat belts made from softer material - but the bottom line is still a $13,000 jump from the previous starting mark for Godzilla. And it doesn't get the capped-price service protection of the rest of the Nissan family."It still is much cheaper for the performance that it gives," says Nissan's local product specialist, Darren Holland."The money has gone into performance improvements. The power, the torque, and the engineering that's gone into the car."The GT-R has always been a techno treat and this time around is no different, with the 3.8-litre V6 engine tweaked to release 390 kiloWatts and 612 Newton-metres -up by 33 and 24 respectively - while also cutting fuel economy to a claimed average of 12.0 litres/100km. The suspension has been tweaked with alloy shock absorbers, a strengthening bar across the front-suspension towers, and a support panel on the dash ahead of the passenger.The Brembo brakes are now a monoblock design, there are forged alloy wheels from Rays, and the startline ability of the GT-R has been boosted by a system - engaged through R-Mode and VDC-R - that promises consistent 0-100km/h sprints in around 3.0 seconds. Although you do have to cool the transmission after four consecutive runs.Only a GT-R fan - and there are plenty - will pick the differences for 2011. The basic body shape is unchanged and the tweaking is all in the details - like LED daytime lamps, a large grille, the rear diffusor and what Nissan calls a two-level 'rectifier' to channel air around the nose.Inside, there is real carbon fibre in the dash, the new seats and belts, and a soft-touch panel on top of the dash that gives a more upmarket look and feel.There are no real changes to the safety package, although the latest Dunlop Sport Maxx tyres and bigger brakes are claimed to give better grip in all conditions and much better braking on wet roads. Mizuno says the GT-R generates more wet braking grip than a 370Z on a dry road.Of course, it comes with a six-airbag cabin, ABS brakes and ESP stability control.The GT-R has always been an extreme machine, and the tweaking to the 2011 model makes it even more of a love-or-hate machine. We love its punchy performance and the admiring glances from rival drivers, as well as the knowledge that any stop-light contest is a no- contest. And it is brutally quick. But the suspension is brutal too, even with the adjustable settings switched to comfort. And the amount of noise and slap and harshness from the transmission system rivals a World Rally Car on the way to a special stage. It's not a car to drive if you want a quiet or easy life.But GT-R fans will love the improvements, which make it brilliantly better when you want to goooooooooo.The launch control system is stonkingly good and truly the best Carsguide has sampled - with the ability to turn stomaches to mush.The extra power and torque means the car is going fast for more of the time, with better response and less lag. The chassis feels a little more responsive on the road, and when we get to Phillip Island it really shows its best side.The GT-R can run without fear or favour on a racetrack, and easily tops 260km/h down the front straight, with incredible cornering grip and slingshot exists from all corners.It's not as finely edged as a Porsche, and overheats its tyres quickly if you push hard, but it will get away from an M3 or C63 with a sympathetic and talented driver.The Series III GT-R is even better than before and incredible fun, provided you can put up with the ride and wide turning circle and restricted three-quarter vision and difficulty in parking. At Phillip Island, all that day-to-day stuff is just fluff. And the GT- R is brilliant.

A saturated Phillip Island circuit is a long way from the Nurburgring, but for Nissan test driver Tochio Suzuki it's just another demonstration of how good the GT-R is.Suzuki set the production car lap record at the famous German track in 2008, but today he's chauffeuring journalists on a series of hot laps on Australia's best bit of bitumen in weather that even has the Cape Barren geese grounded.Hot laps in these conditions is a succession of high-speed drifts and even higher plumes of water as Suzuki prods ridiculous speeds from the twin turbo 3.8-litre V6, then overcomes the grip of the four-wheel drive machine with a flick of the wheel. The conditions are, frankly, crap, and it's in situations like this the GT-R proves its worth.There's already 270-odd Australian owners of Nissan's $160,000 supercar - 30 per cent above sales estimates - and the 2010-11 update has a host of small refinements to improve the experience.Chief among them are revised suspension settings which Nissan says improve steering stability and ride comfort. A modified exhaust system boosts low and mid-range engine response, though there's no change in the 357kW/588Nm outputs.The wipers now adjust according to the speed, the headlights are automatic, the navigation system is stored on a hard drive and the Nissan now accepts Bluetooth and USB/iPod connections.Nissan communications head Jeff Fisher admits the improvements are incremental, but notes so much work went in to developing the GT-R that there's little to be done."The MY10 GT-R is an update in line with Nissan's normal model evolution,'' he says. "Remember, we're talking about a car that has won 66 awards in the two years since it was launched. There isn't a lot of room for improvement with the current model."It's a sentiment echoed by the man responsible for creating the GT-R, Kazutoshi Mizuno, who says the project brief was to create a supercar literally from the ground up. Mizuno replaces marketing spin with maths and science as he explains how the car's weight (at 1470kg it's heavy by supercar standards) is a direct function of the need to maximise grip in all situations.Following the "give Godzilla grip" formula led him to install a V6 rather than a V8, 10 or 12-cylinder engine."The most important performance essence and a key element to car design is tyre grip force," he says. "Rear tyre grip decides front tyre grip, which decides weight centre... and then engine specification. Normally supercar designers decide on the engine specifications separately although I can't understand why.''Anyone who drives the GT-R, especially in the wet, will be inclined to agree with him.NISSAN GT-RPrice: from $158,800 (plus dealer delivery and statutory charges)Engine: 3.8-litre twin-turbocharged 24-valve V6Power: 357kW@6,400 rpmTorque: 588Nm @3,200-5,200 rpmTransmission: 6-speed Dual Clutch, auto shift or full manualEconomy: 12.4 litres/100kmFuel: Premium unleaded, tank capacity 74LSusupension: Double-wishbone w aluminium upper arms (front), multi-link w aluminium upper links (rear)Brakes: Nissan Brembo 4-wheel disc brakes - 380mm front and rearDimensions: Wheelbase 2780mm, length 4650mmm, width 1895mm, height 1370mmWheels: Lightweight forged-aluminium wheels, 20" alloys in black or chromeTyres: Dunlop SP Sport 600 DSST (GT-R), Bridgestone RE070R (GT-R Premium)Safety: Dual-stage driver and passenger front and side-impact and roof-mounted curtain airbags, pretension seatbelts, front and rear crumple zones, Advanced Vehicle Dynamic Control, Anti-lock Braking System, Electronic Brakeforce Distribution, immobiliser and security System.