A sports-car tribute can’t get much louder than Nissan’s presentation of the 2020 GT-R 50th Anniversary Edition. But in the special cop-alerting Bayside Blue, it is a formidable competitor with 565 horsepower, all-wheel drive and a can’t-drive-75 attitude.
As the icon of the company’s driving performance for the last half century, “we were highly motivated to ensure that the GT-R 50th Anniversary Edition stands out,” Shinichiro Irie, program design director for the GT-R, said in a statement.
And you will be able to see this car in Bayside Blue and the 50th anniversary 370Z next week at the San Diego International Auto Show.
The GT-R is an all-wheel-drive supercar with the humility of a daily driver … until provoked and then it’s 0-60 in 2.9 seconds in a flat-out hail of speed shifts. This car is exhilarating to drive and it doesn’t even look like a sex jet. But those who know its three initials — GT-R — honor its racing pedigree and notoriety as a star in the “Fast and Furious” movie franchise.
But the GT-R is not Hollywood performance or luxury performance; it is race performance, done right the first time.
The latest complete redesign for the GT-R was in 2008 with the now legendary VR38DETT V-6 engine, rated at 479 horsepower and 434 foot-pounds of torque from 3,200-5,200 rpm. The transmission is a rear-mounted six-speed BorgWarner dual clutch automatic, with rev-matching downshifts.
Then there was a power boost in 2010 to 523 hp and on to 545 hp in 2012.
Today, the engineers have wrung about as much power out of this 3.8-liter block as they can with electronic fuel injection and four valves per cylinder: 565 hp at 6,800 rpm and 467 lb.-ft. from 3,300-5,800 rpm.
Each engine is hand-assembled in a special clean room (NASCAR-like) by technicians known as Takumi, with an engine plaque bearing the tech’s name. The engines are built on a special line at Nissan’s Yokohama plant and the cars are built at their Tochigi plant on a shared production line.
Full-on acceleration is blistering fast in a blur of sequential shifts — and acceleration force in the midrange is just as impressive. Fuel economy is competitive with supercars: 16 mpg city, 22 highway and 18 combined on fuel. Shame on me, I only worked up to 16 mpg in a week.
The hood, trunk and door skins are aluminum, helping to hold the curb weight to what seems like a husky 3,993 pounds, with all-wheel drive, titanium exhaust system, carbon-composite driveshafts, huge and heavy steel brake rotors and all the safety features.
Body style
Its design was intended to emulate a European sports car, but its Japanese culture and work ethic are more dominant. And, no doubt, so is its reliability compared to European supercars.
I’ve tested at least three GT-Rs since its ’08 launch, including on a racetrack and the 600-hp NISMO version in 2016, and the suspension refinement has been more notable than engine power. In 2013, on a run from San Diego to the Japanese Classic Car Show in Long Beach, the Track model’s ride quality was cast-iron samurai and I exited the drive with an aching back and butt, while dreading the drive home.
But in a recent week with the 2020 50th Anniversary Model, all was forgiven. Whether in standard sport setting or track mode, the ride quality is stiff, but not punishing. The 36.6-foot turning circle is remarkably tight for an AWD car that is more than 15 feet long on a long wheelbase of 104.9 inches.
It is more of a daily driver than a commuter, especially with the Dunlop ultra-high-performance run-flat Sport Maxx GT 600 tires, which might last 10,000 miles. Sightlines are excellent at the side mirrors and small rear-quarter glass helps over-the-shoulder glances, and the rearview mirror helps when parking.
The driver area is an easy read and with open access for necessary controls. There are enough advanced tech safety features to preserve life without killing a fun run. Advanced vehicle dynamic control has modes of Normal, R and off.
I dialed in a perfect fit with the eight-way power heated seats. And while the interiors of the early models were bland, the anniversary model is Audi-like Euro. The gray interior features hand-stitched semi-aniline leather upholstery and microsuede blanketing the headliner, door s and sun visors. There is carbon-fiber trim on the shift console and anniversary logos here and there, but not overdone.
GT-R pricing is as breathtaking as its acceleration: It is available in three trim levels of , Track Edition and NISMO, with the 50th Anniversary Edition based on the GT-R . Starting prices range from $115,235 to $212,435 for the NISMO (Nissan Motorsports), including the $1,695 freight charge from Japan.
The anniversary model starts at $123,735 and the test car was $125,160 with options for Bayside Blue paint, $1,000, and GT-R logo floor mats, $425. Standard equipment includes smart-key entry with push-button ignition, eight-way heated power driver seat, four-way heated front enger seat, hand-stitched leather-and-microsuede upholstery throughout, rearview monitor, 11-speaker Bose audio system with active noise cancellation, Bluetooth phone and audio, 8-inch touch-screen NissanConnect with navigation, LED headlights-taillights-running lights, 20-inch RAYS alloy wheels with Dunlop Sports Maxx ultra-high performance run-flat tires (255/40ZR, 285/35ZRF), carbon fiber underbody spoiler, aero-blade front fenders with vents, laminated UV-reducing windshield and anti-chip paint.
There are three anniversary edition paint schemes to represent the GT-R’s liveries from the Japan GP series — for which the original GT-R was born to dominate. Choose from white with red racing stripes, silver with white stripes or the tester’s Bayside (Wangan) Blue with white stripes (retired since the previous-gen GT-R “R34”). It is a four-coat, double-heat treatment process for vivid colors. There also are blue accents on the wheel spokes and the exhaust tips.
Hardware
Among the GT-R’s rarefied content are Brembo six piston monoblock calipers with full-floating, vented and drilled 15.3-inch rotors in front and Brembo four piston monoblock calipers with full-floating vented and drilled 15-inch rotors in the rear. Bilstein DampTronic shock absorbers are driver-adjustable.
Active sound enhancement pipes engine tunes to the cabin, but the runflat tire noise drowns it out on the freeway.
Do not underestimate the GT-R’s capabilities and do not overestimate your driving ability, and the relationship between car and driver will remain intact.
2020 Nissan GT-R 50th Anniversary Edition
- Body style: compact, 2+2 AWD coupe with midship engine placement
- Engine: 565-hp, turbocharged VR38DETT 3.8-liter V-6 with 7,100 rpm redline; 467 lb.-ft. torque from 3,300-5,800 rpm
- Transmission: 6-speed dual-clutch with rev-matching downshifts and R mode; magnesium paddle shifters; mechanical limited slip differential
- Fuel economy: 16/22/18 city/hwy/combined; fuel
SPECIFICATIONS
- Fuel tank: 19.5 gal.
- Trunk space: 8.8 cu. ft.
- Front head/leg room: 38.1/44.6 in.
- Rear head/leg room: 33.5/26.4 in.
- Length/wheelbase: 185.4/109.4 in.
- Curb weight: 3,933 lbs.
- Turning circle: 36.6 ft.
FEATURES
- Standard equipment includes: smart-key entry with push-button ignition, 8-way heated power driver seat, 4-way heated front enger seat, leather-microsuede upholstery, hand-stitched leather throughout, 11-speaker Bose audio system with active noise cancellation, Bluetooth phone and audio, 8-inch touch-screen NissanConnect with navigation rearview monitor, LED headlights-taillights-running lights, 20-inch RAYS alloy wheels with Dunlop Sports Maxx ultra-high-performance run-flat tires (255/40ZR, 285/35ZRF), carbon fiber underbody spoiler, aero-blade front fenders with vents, laminated UV-reducing windshield, anti-chip paint
- 50th Anniversary Package – Bayside Blue with white stripes: unique blue on wheels and exhaust tips; anniversary logos in the gauge cluster and steering wheel; stitched Alcantara headliner sun visors; anniversary shift knob; exclusive gray seat and trim color with contrast stitching; 50th Anniversary logo embroidery on front seats; unique 50th Anniversary interior badges; 50th Anniversary kickplates
- Safety features include: 6 air bags, advanced vehicle dynamic control (with modes of Normal, R and off), brake-force distribution, brake assist, hill-start assist, snow mode
PRICING
- Base price: $115,235, including $1,695 freight charge; price as tested $125,160
- Options on test vehicle: 50th anniversary package, $8,500, includes Bayside blue paint, alloy wheels with blue accents, anniversary white stripes and 50th anniversary logos, semi-aniline leather upholstery, Alcantara headliner and sun visors
- Where assembled: Tochigi, Japan
- Warranty: 3 years/36,000 miles bumper to bumper; 5 years/60,000 miles powertrain
