Back in 2007 when the R35 Nissan GT-R first debuted in Japan, its facts and figures looked like something from a dreamscape. Its hardware tally was shocking (bespoke twin-turbocharged V6 engine, transaxle dual-clutch transmission, an active all-wheel-drive system that required two prop shafts and active differentials on both axles for total torque vectoring) – it seemed like Nissan might have gone too far, creating something synthetic and overly augmented.
It was a narrative that many claimed when it arrived in Europe in 2009, but the reality was something quite different. Yes, it was big and heavy, but totally brilliant. Immersive in the extreme and capable beyond what the figures suggested, it was anything but the anodised, characterless experience that some found it all too easy to label. In 2017 Nissan gave the R35 GT-R the biggest update since its launch, and despite never standing still in terms of development during those nine years, constant tweaks and adjustments to software and set-up, not to mention gradual increases in power have turned it into an unrivalled entity in high performance engineering.
There’s also been a couple of brilliant Nismo variants, plus plenty of limited-run specials, but the R35 has always fundamentally been the brilliant high performance coupe it was initially designed to be – a truly unique experience in the industry, and when the stars aligned a true great of the 21st century.
Performance & drive
What it’s like to drive, and how quiet it is
The Nissan GT-R driving experience has always come with a few rough edges – it’s certainly a long way from being a civilised grand tourer. Updates have given it better cruising manners and a smoother ride, but the tyres still kick up a lot of road noise and the town ride isn’t as good as in rivals. The six-speed twin-clutch automatic gearbox can snatch and clunk at low speeds too.
Nor does the V6 engine sound as sweet as a Jaguar V8 or a Porsche flat-six. There is plenty of drama about its power delivery, though. Peak horsepower is 562bhp and acceleration is huge – we timed 0-60 in just 3.4sec. The gearbox isn’t always as quick to shift as it might be, but above 4000rpm and at full stride, the car piles on speed with an entirely uncompromising urgency that only the very quickest cars on the road can exceed.
Choose your perfect carSearch our deals
The GT-R’s hydraulic power steering offers plenty of weight and feedback, and a sensible pace to the steering rack makes it easy to place on the road. You can tackle B-roads with confidence and composure, even if the GT-R’s handling isn’t as sweetly balanced or delicate as that of a Jaguar F-Type or Porsche 911. It’s secure and fast, but suffers more body lean than its rivals and can be unforgiving when you near the limits of grip.
However, that’s much less the case with the range-topping Nismo. With race-track focused Bilstein suspension, semi-slick Dunlop Sports Max GT 600 tyres, improved downforce and less weight thanks to a smattering of carbon-fibre panels, it’s impossible to get close to the car’s limit of grip on the road. That doesn’t mean the Nismo is a one-dimensional, point and squirt device. Far from it.
Where an Audi R8 or Porsche 911 GT3 RS flows with the road and responds best to delicate inputs, the Nismo GT-R is a more physical and demanding machine. On a typical bumpy British B-road, you constantly find yourself being kicked out of your seat as the suspension struggles to iron out the surface underneath, while the front end has a tendency to follow every surface undulation intently. Factor in an engine that delivers its power in one massive hit and the Nismo is a car that demands your full concentration.
For many, this kind of physicality won’t appeal, but for those looking for an old-school, interactive performance car experience, nothing else comes close to giving you the same kind of adrenaline hit.
And if you do happen to venture on to a track, all of those go-faster changes are not for show – the front-end is beautifully sharp, the chassis is surprisingly progressive once you breach its limit of grip and the Nismo’s carbon-fibre brakes are massively powerful yet easy to modulate. If your idea of a good time is turning up to your local track day and embarrassing Caterhams and GT3s, well, step this way.
INTERIOR
If changes to the exterior threaten to underwhelm, one needs only to step inside to see where Nissan’s time and money have been invested.
The driving position may be familiar – the steering column must still be manhandled into the ideal position via two separate levers for reach and rake, and the gear selector’s action remains somewhat antiquated-feeling – but practically everything else you can see or touch is new.
I understand that sports cars need bulkheads, but it’s disappointing that there’s no way to fold rear seatbacks to load longer items
Matt Saunders
Road test editor
The reasoning behind the revamp is that neither of the GT-R’s pre-facelift incarnations quite made you feel as though you were sitting in £80k’s worth of fixtures and fittings.
So Nissan has thrown leather upholstery at the problem, along with some conspicuous stitching and a much more contemporary-looking bank of climate controls.
The vents have been shifted around, too, mostly to make room for a revised infotainment display that was badly needed.
The enlarged, 8.0in unit is still a touchscreen, but Nissan has supplied a rotary knob for it as well. The dial is mounted on a modified centre console that is now clad in carbonfibre.
The updated Nissan Connect infotainment wouldn’t strike you as something that could possibly be described as new in anything other than a nine-year-old car.
Some of its now standard features (DAB radio, reversing camera) just about seem like generous inclusions on an £80,000 sports car, but mostly because such cars are almost always more meanly equipped as standard than you expect them to be.
There’s still no smartphone mirroring system included here and no readily apparent internet-connected features.
The screen is a good size, at 8.0in, and is easier to navigate now that there’s a rotary knob for the job. But you can tell that the navigation is SD-card-based, because its mapping lacks the detail and refresh rate of a proper hard-drive-based system.
The system’s responsiveness when switching between menus is also poor and its overall graphics appeal is low.
The screen is at its most useful when relaying the multitude of extra digital instrumentation with which you can customise it. But otherwise, it could and should be much better.
The net effect of the tidy-up (27 buttons have been reduced to 11) is an increase in functionality as much as it is an enhancement of perceived luxuriousness.
The overhaul hasn’t drastically altered the character of the GT-R’s cabin, though.
It still feels like a slightly graceless and echoey setting – better at mode buttons and digital readouts than cosseting and comforting its occupants, even though it’s a 2+2 with a good-sized boot and therefore more usable than plenty of sports cars in the class.
A gently progressive improvement is welcome nonetheless, even for buyers prioritising the GT-R’s other talents, but ‘idiosyncratic’ is still probably the nicest way of describing Nissan’s costliest model.
Performance
The 2024 Nissan GT-R thrills with its rapid-fire control inputs and agile handling. It’s decent enough around town or on the open road, too. It’s a perfect 10 on our scale.
Is the Nissan GT-R 4WD?
Yes, and it’s quite a system. The GT-R’s rear-mounted transaxle transfers up to 50 percent of power forward, though it can also deliver every bit to the rear wheels.
How fast is the Nissan GT-R?
It’s even faster than its power output suggests thanks to a race-grade 6-speed dual-clutch automatic gearbox.
Base versions are rated at 565 hp and 467 lb-ft of torque, while the NISMO version ups the ante to 600 hp and 481 lb-ft of torque. NISMO versions have different tuning and race-grade turbochargers that give them even faster responses, too. Either way, Nissan says they hit 60 mph in just 2.7 seconds.
Snappy steering and unflappable grip make the GT-R a joy to hustle, though these cars are somewhat big and bulky. They’re called “Godzilla” for a reason, after all. That heft can make them a challenge on a tight road course, but it’s an asset on a long trip. The suspension is firm but remarkably composed. Even at speed the GT-R is fairly quiet inside.
Braking power matches the GT-R’s brilliant acceleration. If you plan to track your GT-R regularly, the T-spec may make the most sense thanks to its Nismo-sourced carbon ceramic brakes.