Though the Tokyo Motor Show is still a few weeks away and the buzz of the Frankfurt auto show isn′t over, Nissan is whetting the appetite for their main announcement this year, the production GT-R. Announced today were some minimal facts and one photo, while at the same time GT-R’s own website (www.gtrnissan.com) went live. The website, though not chock full of data on the new car just yet, does give a good history lesson for those not necessarily up to speed on the various Skyline GT-R gems that led up to this generation. A longtime favorite of gamers in Gran Turismo and enthusiasts in right-hand-drive countries like Japan and the U.K., for the first time the GT-R will be found on U.S. shores.
With this generation, Nissan drops “Skyline” from the hot coupe’s traditional name, keeping only GT-R. Though Nissan considered selling this race-ready rocket through Infiniti dealers, in the end they opted for keeping its historic Nissan badge. The price for the Japanese market was among the few details announced today. Starting from “around 7.8 million yen” at home, using xe.com’s conversion tool today, means a base price in the $67,500 neighborhood. On the expensive side for any Nissan, this price point may ensure exclusivity as much as its expected low volumes will. The GT-R (expected to offer a twin-turbo engine with 380-420HP) will compete with everything from the Chevrolet Corvette Z06 ($71,000), Audi R͂ ($70,000), BMW M Coupe ($51,875) or upcoming fourth-generation ̅, and even personal-use toys like boats.
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