Due to the lack of numbers on the street it is hard to believe the GT-R is now in its fourth year of North American sales. Maybe it's the economy, or maybe it’s the competition, but the GR-R is hard to find on the road or parked among fellow go fast cars in the Paddock and corals at your local road course. Only 22 were sold in January 2011 and only 877 all of 2010.
With virtually every automobile manufacture offering some sort of boy racer version of everything they build it is understandable that a real gem of a car can get lost in the crowd.
This appears to be the case with Nissan's under loved super car, the 2012 Nissan GT-R and its special "Black Edition".
That's too bad because the 2012 version of the GT-R has a new look, new colors, new wheel design and, most importantly to fans of pure power, 35 more horsepower under the hood. In addition, a new “Black Edition” is equipped with options including a unique seat design, interior colors and wheels.
The 2012 Nissan GT-R’s VR38DETT 3.8-liter twin turbo V6 now produces 530 horsepower and 448 lb-ft of torque. That compares to last year’s 485 horsepower and 434 lb-ft of torque. The extra power is a result of modifying the boost pressure of the turbocharger, valve timing and air fuel ratio, and through reducing intake air resistance by enlarging the inlet pipe diameter. In addition, exhaust air resistance was reduced through use of an enlarged section of exhaust pipe.
To help get the increase in power more efficiently through the atmosphere aerodynamic performance has been improved for 2012 with down force increased by about 10% and the coefficient of drag reduced to 0.26 from last year's 0.27. Enlarged fascia and grille openings also help reduce air resistance inside the engine compartment. The volume of air that passes through the radiator and cools the front brakes is also increased. These aerodynamic and engine improvements have also resulted in improved fuel economy estimates 16 city and 23 highway compared to 15/21 last year.
In front, the new fascia features aggressive double aerodynamic fins and new integrated high intensity LED running lights. Additional plated parts are used for the headlight inner panels, enhancing the car’s strong visual presence. In the back, a redesigned rear fascia features new venting and incorporates a sculpted lower section and extended length. Under floor cooling performance is also enhanced and air resistance reduced by extending the rear diffuser. In addition, cooling performance for the muffler is improved and rear down force is increased by about 10% through use of a new rear fascia outlet and new vents on the lower rear fenders that help remove air from the rear wheel wells. Newly designed larger diameter tailpipe finishers are also adopted.
For 2012, the GT-R has newly designed lighter weight and more rigid forged aluminum 20-inch wheels manufactured by RAYS® that help improve suspension response. Knurling inside the wheels helps keep the tires from slipping around the wheels under heavy acceleration or braking. The wheels feature a dark finish aimed to provide a high quality, high-performance look. The Black Edition features special metallic black six-spoke RAYS® lightweight wheels in place of the Premium model’s 10-spoke design.
Cockpit revisions for 2012 include new carbon fiber trim and upgraded materials. The Black Edition adds custom red and black Recaro® leather-appointed seats, red and black interior trim and a dark headliner.
The 2012 Nissan GT-R is available in two models: GT-R Premium, which comes fully equipped with a 530-horsepower engine, dual clutch rear transmission, Nissan Navigation System, custom-designed 11-speaker Bose® audio system, premium near-black finish wheels, and heated front seats; and the new GT-R Black Edition, with special lightweight metallic black aluminum-alloy forged RAYS® wheels, unique red and black interior, Recaro® leather-appointed seats and a dark headliner.
The starting MSRPs for the 2012 Nissan GT-R are $89,950 USD and $95,100 USD for the Premium and Black Edition respectively.
The Nissan GT-R is sold and serviced through nearly 700 Nissan dealers that have attained “GT-R Certification” status by meeting a number of strict sales, service and facilities commitments – including dedicating a master technician to GT-R service, special training for service managers and technicians, and designating dealer principals, executive managers and general managers as the primary communicators and negotiators in sales transactions. The names and locations of local GT-R Certified Nissan dealers are available to consumers on NissanUSA.com.