Nissan GT-R: Godzilla Lives

When the R35 GT-R launched in 2007, it broke the laws of physics. It was heavy by sports car standards (1,740 kg), front-engined, and relatively inexpensive by supercar measures ($70k). Yet, it lapped the Nürburgring Nordschleife in a time that matched or beat sports cars costing two to three times as much — including the Porsche 911 Turbo. The automotive world was confused, impressed, and slightly alarmed. It earned the nickname “Godzilla” — a reference to the giant Japanese monster that destroys everything in its path regardless of what stands against it. Appropriate.

The Nismo version takes the R35 platform to its ultimate expression — the most powerful, most track-focused, most technically extreme version of a car that has been continuously developed for nearly twenty years.

The R35: Background and Context

The GT-R lineage begins with the Skyline GT-R of the 1960s — a Japanese touring car that developed into a homologation special for Group A touring car racing in the 1980s and 1990s. The R32, R33, and R34 Skyline GT-Rs were iconic performance cars that achieved legendary status in Japan and in the modified car community worldwide through Gran Turismo video games, The Fast and the Furious film franchise, and the inherent drama of a twin-turbocharged inline-six with all-wheel drive.

The R35, launched in 2007, was not called a Skyline GT-R. It was simply the Nissan GT-R — a clean break from the previous generation, a completely new car on a new platform. Nissan’s engineers, led by chief vehicle engineer Kazutoshi Mizuno, set an extraordinary target: create a car that could match or beat the Porsche 911 Turbo in every measurable performance metric while costing approximately half as much.

They succeeded, and in doing so, created one of the most significant performance cars of the early 21st century.

The Engine: Takumi Craftsmanship

The VR38DETT — Nissan’s internal designation for the 3.8-liter twin-turbocharged V6 — is assembled entirely by hand in a clean room facility in Yokohama, Japan. This is not a marketing claim; it is a documented manufacturing process that directly influences the engine’s performance and consistency.

The Takumi: Only five master craftsmen — each holding the title of “Takumi,” the Japanese term for master artisan — are permitted to assemble VR38DETT engines. Each engine bears a metal plaque attached to the engine block engraved with the name of the Takumi who built it. The number of qualified Takumi was deliberately limited to maintain quality consistency; adding more builders would require accepting lower standards.

The Construction Process: Each engine takes approximately four hours to assemble by hand. During this process, the Takumi measures, fits, and verifies every component to tolerances tighter than the manufacturing specification requires. Pistons are matched to their cylinders by measuring the bore precisely and selecting the piston with the best fit. The Takumi builds the engine from a pile of components to a complete, tested unit without assistance.

The Nismo Turbos: The Nismo specification uses larger Garrett turbochargers sourced directly from the GT3 race car program. These units provide faster spool-up and higher peak boost than the standard GT-R’s turbos, contributing to the Nismo’s 600 hp figure versus the standard GT-R’s 565 hp.

Power (Nismo): 600 hp at 6,800 rpm, and 652 Nm of torque from 3,300 to 5,800 rpm. The power figure is verified at the engine dynamometer before installation.

ATTESA E-TS: The Grip King

The GT-R’s all-wheel-drive system is called ATTESA E-TS — Advanced Total Traction Engineering System for All Terrain with Electronic Torque Split — and it is the car’s secret weapon.

Standard Operation: In normal driving, the ATTESA E-TS system operates as a pure rear-wheel-drive car — all drive torque goes to the rear wheels. This is deliberate: rear-biased drive provides more steering feel and driver feedback than all-wheel drive, because front-wheel involvement creates understeer that masks cornering information.

Response Under Wheel Slip: When the system detects rear wheel slip — through comparisons between front and rear wheel speed sensors, and lateral acceleration data — it can transfer up to 50% of drive torque to the front wheels in approximately 50 milliseconds. This response time is fast enough to be proactive rather than reactive — the system begins transferring torque as slip is developing rather than after it has occurred.

The Transaxle Layout: The GT-R uses an unusual mechanical architecture — the dual-clutch gearbox is mounted at the rear of the car, adjacent to the rear differential, rather than behind the engine as in conventional front-engine, rear-drive cars. This requires two driveshafts: one running forward from the engine to the front differential and front wheels, and another running rearward from the gearbox (at the back) to the rear wheels. This arrangement places the gearbox mass at the rear for weight distribution, but it also means that the car has driveshafts running in both directions simultaneously.

The result of this layout is a 53:47 front-rear weight distribution — exceptionally close to ideal for a front-engine car. The GT-R handles as though it were a mid-engine car, primarily because the heavy drivetrain components (gearbox, rear differential) are distributed to counterbalance the front-heavy engine position.

Launch Control: The Physics of Acceleration

The GT-R arguably invented the modern “launch control” competition among high-performance cars. When the GT-R was introduced in 2007 with a verified 0–60 mph time of 3.5 seconds (later versions achieved 2.7 seconds), the methodology for achieving this time — launch control with the dual-clutch gearbox — became a template that every subsequent high-performance car adopted.

The Launch Procedure: The driver activates launch control through the car’s computer systems, engages Sport or Race mode on the VDC (Vehicle Dynamic Control) switch, brings the transmission to ready, and applies full throttle. The computer system holds engine revs at approximately 4,000 rpm — above the turbochargers’ peak efficiency range but below the point where excessive wheelspin would be problematic — and manages clutch engagement and torque delivery to maximize acceleration without losing traction.

The Nismo Result: 0–100 km/h in 2.5 seconds in the Nismo specification — a figure that, even in 2024, places the GT-R Nismo among the top performers in straight-line acceleration. This is achieved without the benefit of hybrid torque-fill, without the power of a V12, and without the traction advantage of much wider tires than the GT-R’s P01 original-equipment units.

The Nismo Specification: Track Focus

The Nismo designation means Nissan Motorsport — Nissan’s in-house racing and performance division. The GT-R Nismo is not a cosmetic upgrade package; it represents genuine technical development informed by Nissan’s GT3 and Super GT racing programs.

Body: The Nismo body features a full front splitter, front canards, revised front and rear bumpers, and a large carbon fiber rear wing. These elements are aerodynamically functional: the Nismo generates more downforce than the standard GT-R while maintaining competitive drag.

Suspension: Eibach springs and Bilstein dampers calibrated to Nismo’s track-optimized specification. The suspension geometry is revised to provide sharper initial response and more consistent behavior near the limit.

Carbon Fiber: The Nismo uses carbon fiber for the roof, hood, and front fenders — reducing weight in the highest positions in the car’s structure and lowering the center of gravity.

Weight: Despite all the additional aerodynamic and mechanical equipment, the Nismo version weighs approximately 1,720 kg — comparable to the standard GT-R and significantly lighter than many contemporary performance cars.

Aging Gracefully? The R35’s Long Production Run

The R35 GT-R has been in production since 2007. As of 2024, it has been manufactured continuously for seventeen years — an extraordinary production run for a performance car in an era of rapid technological development.

This longevity is simultaneously impressive and revealing. The GT-R has been updated continuously — engine output has increased, suspension has been revised, the interior has been refined — but the fundamental architecture remains the 2007 design. In a market where rivals have introduced two or three generations of products in the same period, the GT-R’s continued relevance despite its age reflects the strength of its original engineering.

However, the gaps have become apparent. The interior, refined as it has been, feels dated next to competitors built in the 2020s. The gearbox, which was smooth and fast in 2007, now feels clunky at low speeds compared to more recent dual-clutch developments. The ride quality — always a compromise for track capability — remains harsh by road car standards.

On a track, none of this matters. The GT-R’s mechanical grip, its all-wheel-drive traction, and the violent thrust of the boosted V6 make it a weapon regardless of its age. At legal road speeds, it remains one of the most confidence-inspiring fast cars available. It is only in the context of daily use — in traffic, on damaged roads, in the urban environment — that the seventeen years of its design age become apparent.

Nissan has announced plans to electrify the GT-R nameplate in the coming years. Whatever successor appears, it will carry the weight of the R35’s history — the Nürburgring laps, the Godzilla nickname, the Takumi-built engines, and the memory of a Japanese car that, for a decade and a half, embarrassed the finest European supercars at a fraction of their cost.