- New Model Defies Expectations of Japanese Supercars -

LOS ANGELES (Business Wire EON) April 29, 2008 -- MOTOR TREND

Has the Nissan GT-R got Toyota running scared?

NEWS FACTS

In a new online video segment available now at www.motortrend.com, Motor Trend’s Frank Markus takes Nissan’s scorching new GT-R for one of its first official road tests.

The GT-R is Nissan’s salvo at Toyota in a competition to create Japan’s newest supercar. Nicknamed “Godzilla,” it has defied expectations and gotten tongues wagging over exactly what a supercar is capable of. And the results of Motor Trend’s first-run tests of the GT-R suggest that Toyota’s upcoming LF-A has a lot to live up to.

Visit www.motortrend.com to see video of the GT-R test RUN. And also check out Angus MacKenzie’s blog about why the GT-R may have Toyota running scared.

• Various media outlets have only been able to test well-worn engineering mule cars and Japanese-spec versions of the model, and those were held back by speed limiters. Motor Trend tests a fresh, production-ready U.S.-spec GT-R.
• Motor Trend makes a surprising find: that the GT-R, given an official 480 horsepower rating, actually delivers more than 500 horses. Motor Trend proves it by propping the model up on a four wheel chassis dynamometer.
• In acceleration tests, the GT-R had a 3.2 second 0-60 time and reached a quarter-mile in 11.6 seconds at 120 mph. The 0-60 time tied Motor Trend’s numbers for the Porsche 911 Turbo and the quarter-mile time matched the highly-regarded Mercedes-Benz McLaren SLR.
• The GT-R has videogame-like features like a screen that shows computerized graphs of acceleration, boost, engine and oil temperature levels, and more. Drivers can even save test-lap times to a flash disk.
• The overall gearing on the GT-R is among the shortest in supercardom, which means it shifts almost imperceptibly at 0.2 seconds per shift.
• In brake tests, the GT-R recorded stops from 100 mph in just 280 feet and from 60 mph in 105 feet. That ranks the GT-R as a tie for Motor Trend’s fifth-best 100-0 stop in a regular production car.

QUOTE

Attribute to Angus MacKenzie, Editor-in-Chief of Motor Trend

“The GT-R has set the performance bar incredibly high for the next Japanese supercar. Toyota’s LF-A needs to be faster than the GT-R to avoid being perceived as a failure. To Toyota, second-best to a Nissan is unthinkable.”

Attribute to Frank Markus, Technical Director of Motor Trend

“Nissan aimed to make an everyday, livable supercar, and I think they hit that target. It offers 911 performance in a realm that most people can approach. It doesn’t quite match the level of those high-end cars, but for the everyday person, this is a marvelous supercar.”

Frank Markus’ written reviews can be found here:

http://www.motortrend.com/roadtests/coupes/112_0803_2009_nissan_gt _r_dyno_test

http://www.motortrend.com/roadtests/coupes/112_0803_2009_nissan_gt r_acceleration_test/acceleration_runs.html

http://www.motortrend.com/roadtests/coupes/112_0804_2009_nissan_gt r_handling_test/

Frank Markus’ video reviews can be found here:

http://www.motortrend.com/av/roadtests/112_0803_2009_nissan_GT-R_d yno_run/

http://www.motortrend.com/av/roadtests/112_0803_2009_nissan_GT-R_t ech_first_test/

http://www.motortrend.com/av/roadtests/112_0803_2009_nissan_GT-R_t rack_test_first_drive/

Angus MacKenzie’s blog post, “Has the Nissan GT-R got Toyota running scared?” can be found here:

http://blogs.motortrend.com/6238831/editorial/has-the-nissan-gt-r- got-toyota-running-scared/index.html

(Due to their length, some URLs in this release may need to be copied/pasted into your Internet browser's address field. Remove the extra space if one exists.)

About MOTOR TREND

MOTOR TREND, part of Source Interlink Media, was founded in 1949 and has a circulation of 1.1 million and a total readership of 7.1 million. Internationally recognized as one of the leading brands in automotive publishing, MOTOR TREND comprises Motor Trend Magazine; motortrend.com; Motor Trend Radio; Truck Trend; Motor Trend International Auto Shows; Motor Trend en Espanol; and the renowned Motor Trend Car, Sport/Utility and Truck of the Year Awards program. Source Interlink Media is a division of Source Interlink Companies, Inc., (NASDAQ: SORC), a media and marketing services company. Source Interlink (www.sourceinterlink.com) is one of the largest publishers of magazines and online content for enthusiast audiences and a leading distributor of home entertainment products, including DVDs, music CDs, magazines, games, books and related items.

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