Nissan’s been in the midst of some major changes in recent years, but it revealed it also knows when to leave well enough alone Thursday night with the reveal of the 2024 Nissan GT-R.
The Japanese automaker redesigned the front and rear fascias as well as offering new rear wing options aimed at improving the popular sports car’s aerodynamic performance. However, the tweaks were minor, leaving fans plenty of what they love.
The 2024 Nissan GT-R is offered in three grades, starting with GT-R Premium. Next comes the T- spec with 565 horsepower, followed by the 600-hp GT-R Nismo with engineering drawn directly from motorsports applications.
More speed please
The changes to the new model are mostly aimed at improving the aerodynamics of the car, especially the downforce. Keeping it glued to the road means improved handling and better assurance of all those ponies actually getting from the wheels to tarmac with minimal slippage.
The enhancements include redesigned front and rear fascias, optimized bumper sides, revised grille shapes and reshaped rear wings, further increasing the car’s aerodynamic performance, Nissan officials noted.
Demonstrating the team’s attention to every detail, engineers even closely scrutinized the mesh used in the front grille and employed a thinner mesh to further enhance cooling and reduce drag. Impressively, GT-R’s drag coefficient is unchanged at 0.26 Cd despite the increase in downforce.
The Nismo variant boasts a new wing design with swan neck-style supports that handle the nearly 10% larger surface area, which along with a new curvature, optimize drag and downforce. The brand also updated Nismo’s front lip, rear diffuser and canards in the pursuit of better performance.
Not all the changes on the Nismo make the car go faster or handle better. Some just make it look like it does all that. A new Nismo Appearance Package includes an exclusive, red-accented version of the car’s RAYS forged 20-inch wheels, a unique clear coat applied to the carbon fiber hood and an exclusive engine cover design. Plus comes in a new color — Stealth Gray — just for the Nismo.
However, powered by same 3.8-liter, 24-valve twin-turbo V-6 as the other models, the Nismo powerplant pushes out 600 hp and 481 lb-ft of torque with “significantly enhanced engine responsiveness.” Of course, going fast means stopping fast is a must, so Brembo brakes with enlarged, carbon-ceramic rotors — 16.1-inch fronts and 15.3-inch rears — make sure to get the job done.
The rest of the family
The other variants also enjoy the twin turbocharged V-6 as it puts out 565 hp and 467 lb-ft of torque.
GT-R channels its power through a standard ATTESA ET-S all-wheel-drive system that can vary its front-to-rear torque split, depending on driving scenario, for peak driving feel and performance. The standard 6-speed dual-clutch transaxle is rear-mounted to optimize vehicle weight distribution, and offers aggressive downshifts as well as steering wheel-mounted paddle shifters for manual control.
In GT-R Premium, braking is provided by a Nissan and Brembo jointly developed braking system with six-piston front calipers and four-piston rear calipers. Lightweight RAYS 20-inch wheels on Dunlop high-performance summer tires.
GT-R T-spec uses the Brembo brakes with enlarged, carbon-ceramic rotors from the GT- R Nismo, along with a gold-painted version of Nismo’s RAYS wheels wearing Dunlop SP Sport Maxx GT600 ultra-high-performance run-flat tires with a Nismo- specific compound.