Did Nissan send a ringer GT-R to run the 'Ring? [w/video]

Mon, 25 Nov 2013

It turns out that after toting a 7:08 time around the fearsome Nürburgring Nordschleife for the new Nismo-tuned GT-R, Nissan might not have been entirely honest about the car it was using. From what we've been hearing from a few different publications, the GT-R featured in the video isn't what we're going to see on the production model.

PistonHeads reported on the so-called "Time Attack" GT-R while it was in Japan for the Tokyo Motor Show, going so far as to detail the differences between it and the standard GT-R Nismo. And friends, this isn't just a matter of swapping tires. The mods made to the Time Attack car are far more comprehensive.

For a start, the TA produces more downforce thanks to larger aerodynamic pieces. It's some 110 pounds lighter than the standard car, thanks to new bucket seats. The ECU and dampers have been swapped for new units, and the brake pads are different as well. If you've read this far, you might be feeling slightly angry or betrayed that Nissan is toting numbers for a modified car. Don't be.

These items will be offered on customer-spec GT-R Nismos, so really, Nissan withheld rather than outright misled. And as it turns out, those new dampers are actually softer than the standard Nismo, thanks to the bumpy track surface in Germany. Still, it kind of shows off the fact that Nürburgring times shouldn't be taken as gospel, at least on new models that haven't even gotten into the hands of customers or independent testers. Buyer beware - if you're basing your entire purchase on some arbitrary time from a strip of asphalt on the other side of the planet - we guess.

Scroll down for a "revised" video of the GT-R Nismo's development story. The meat and potatoes of the video, the 'Ring run, kick off around 16:40, although the entire spot is worth a watch.

By Brandon Turkus