By Otsile Kadiege

Earlier on this week Nissan shared a teaser post of a “Nissan GT-R 2024” on their YouTube channel. Most of us got excited thinking the 16 year old R35 GT-R will finally be replaced with an all-new model. Sadly, our dreams for an all-new GT-R were shattered when we found out the 2024 model is actually another facelift with a new aerodynamically optimised body kit, the return of the T-Spec model derivative and revised packages.

New looks, less drag and more downforce

 All 2024 Nissan GT-R grades have been extensively revised to increase downforce and reduce drag. The enhancements include redesigned front and rear fascias, optimized bumper sides, revised grille shapes and reshaped rear wings. Engineers further closely scrutinized the mesh used in the front grille and employed a thinner mesh to enhance cooling and reduce drag. Despite the increase in downforce, the GT-R’s drag coefficient is unchanged at 0.26 Cd.

The GT-R Nismo is fitted with a new swan neck-style rear wing design. With an almost 10% larger surface area, the wing’s curvature has been specifically designed to optimize drag and downforce. The team also revised GT-R Nismo’s front lip, rear diffuser and canards. Newly available on GT-R Nismo is a Nismo Appearance Package, which includes an exclusive, red-accented version of the car’s RAYS forged 20-inch wheels, a unique clear coat applied to the carbon fiber hood and an exclusive engine cover design. GT-R Nismo also offers a new Nismo-exclusive paint color: Stealth Gray.

The GT-R T-spec builds upon the already capable Premium with many visual and mechanical enhancements, including GT-R Nismo carbon-ceramic brakes, a gold-painted version of the Nismo’s RAYS 20-inch forged wheels, Nismo-tuned Vehicle Dynamic Control and wider front fenders. Visually, T-spec wears special badging. It is available in two exclusive colors, namely Millennium Jade, which pays homage to one of the rarest GT-Rs ever, the R34 GT-R V-Spec II Nür and Midnight Purple, a modern interpretation of the Midnight Purple III color made famous on the R34 GT-R V-Spec.

Refined cabin

Inside, the GT-R sports lightweight seats and a “horizontal-flow” dashboard design swathed in Nappa leather appointments. Standard features include an 8-inch multi-touch display running on the NissanConnect infotainment system which features GT-R-specific menus, Apple CarPlay, Nissan navigation system, Bluetooth, HD Radio, SiriusXM Radio, SiriusXM Traffic, and SiriusXM Travel Link.

Convenience features include an 11-speaker Bose audio system, Active Noise Cancellation, dual-zone automatic climate control and heated front seats. GT-R T-spec elevates the car’s interior design with an exclusive dark Mori Green upholstery throughout, with a combination semi-aniline and suede treatment for the front seats. Unique logos on the console and kick plates further identify the T-spec.

Performance

The GT-R still uses a  hand-assembled 3.8-liter V6, 24-valve, twin-turbocharged engine which was refined back in 2020. It develops 565 horsepower (421 kW) and 467 lb-ft of torque (633 Nm). It channels its power through a standard ATTESA ET-S all-wheel-drive system that can vary its front-to-rear torque split, depending on driving scenario and paired to a rear mounted  6-speed dual-clutch transaxle.

As standard the GT-R features a titanium exhaust system. The GT-R’s dynamic ride and handling is brought to life thanks to the expertly tuned independent double wishbone front and independent multi-link rear suspensions. Standard Bilstein DampTronic shock absorbers offer three driver-selectable settings for GT-R’s suspension: Normal, Comfort and R. These three modes are said to allow the driver to combine varying levels of driving comfort with the sport-like responsive handling that GT-R is known for. The engine, transmission and suspension’s settings are controlled by large, tactile switches located on the car’s center console.

In GT-R Premium, braking is provided by a  jointly developed (Nissan and Brembo) braking system with six-piston front calipers and four-piston rear calipers. Lightweight RAYS 20-inch wheels are shod with Dunlop high-performance summer tires.

The GT-R T-spec uses Brembo brakes with enlarged, carbon-ceramic rotors from the GT-R Nismo, along with a gold-painted version of Nismo’s RAYS wheels wearing Dunlop SP Sport Maxx GT600 ultra-high-performance run-flat tires with a Nismo-specific compound.