By Khulekani Dumisa

The legendary GT-R has landed in South Africa and will come in two trim levels: GT-R Premium and GT-R Black Edition. A 50th Anniversary Edition will also be on offer and that will surely be the star of the show.

50th Anniversary Edition in colour

The special edition car will come in three heritage-era, two-tone exterior colour combinations meant to represent the GT-R’s liveries from the Japan GP series – of which the original GT-R was born to dominate in. Buyers can even look forward to the Bayside (Wangan) Blue colour which hasn’t been seen for a while. This colour will come complete white racing stripes. That’s not all, blue accents on the wheel spokes are among several fine touches made to celebrate the GT-R’s milestone. The other colours for the 50th Anniversary Edition will bePearl White with red stripes and Super Silver with white stripes round out the 50th Anniversary liveries.

Inside the 50th Anniversary Edition is a special grey interior colour scheme, which gives the cabin a sense of luxury, reminiscent of the atmosphere of the night sky after the twilight hour. Additional 50th anniversary features include unique steering wheel and shift knob trim, special seat embossing, an Alcantara headliner with unique stitching, Alcantara-wrapped sunvisors, and more.

Power and performance

The GT-R pushes an enhanced 3.8-liter V6 24-valve twin-turbocharged engine with a whooping 410kW and 632Nm.  This is paired with a revised 6-speed dual-clutch transmission with a refined “R mode,” made for both road and track.

The new GT-R is said to emit and an even sweeter exhaust note thanks to a new titanium muffler, featuring titanium finishers with burnished blue tips.

A better drive? Nissan says that, “the electronically controlled suspension has been tuned to provide better cornering stability and a smoother ride. The steering is more linear and precise than ever, requiring minimal corrections at speeds of up to 300 kph (186 mph). A new brake booster increases the initial braking response by engaging with less pedal stroke, resulting in enhanced stopping power and feel.”

New Cabin

As you would expect, Nissan has upped the ante with the interior as the dashboard comes wrapped in a single, seamless piece of hand-selected Nappa leather, artfully stitched with takumi-style precision. The centre dashboard integrates navigation and audio controls and an 8-inch capacitive touch-panel monitor.

Pricing

Premium Edition:        R2,250,000

Black Edition:              R2,360,000

GT-R 50th Anniversary Edition – Pearl White with Red Decals: R 2,405,000

GT-R 50th Anniversary Edition – Ultimate Silver with White Decals: R2,405,000

GT-R 50th Anniversary Edition – Bayside Blue with White Decals: R2,415,000