"The New GT-R" minor update...

[funkymonkey]

Japan's GT-R owners are vastly different to car buyers here. They are very passionate about their car and its heritage, and will give the new GT-R a go before they decide against it.

This whole electric hybrid development is a direct result of Japan's strict emissions law changes (which is why it is across the board at all manufacturers). The slower family cars don't have to worry about emissions as they usually fall well within the limits.

If you want to push the limits without stepping outside your envelope, then you have to embrace new technologies. With oil prices going up and pollution rampant this is possibly the best motoring trend ever.

I remember reading a article some british motoring magazine saying "The KPGC211 does not live up to the heritage of the KPGC10"... this was because it had supposedly a completely new way of powering the car (transmission change + a turbo), and it speculated that no one would embrace the new 2000GT. lol... boy were they wrong... and history tends to repeat itself... you'll be looking back in a few years in your MechaGTR's n go "d'oh!"

[Rezz]

  The_Paladin said:

hmmmmmm......so they make a car completely different from its past models and try and market it to the people who actually liked the past models?? sounds like a massive f£$k up in waiting.......

not that i own a gtr or anything, but i cant see gtr owners liking it.......

Paladin, you're a top bloke 'n all, but thats just like looking at mum's original apple and raisin scones recipe and saying "People in Japan'll think these taste like crap"...

[The_Paladin]

hahahahaha yeah good point, i went to write 'but then again, maybe jap gtr owners have different tastes' but it didnt let me post untill after 30 sec, and i couldnt be buggered waiting...........

hmmmmmm........i remember reading in a car mag that one of the defining features of the new skylines is that they are going to be marketed worldwide........is this true? locally delivered skylines??

[Duncan]

I reckon most of you guys are being too negative about the new GTR.

Consider back in 1988 when R31 GTSRs with rb20 and rwd roamed the earth. How did a 4wd twin turbo look then? Or what about when EFI was first being used, everyone said carbies were still better. Or how about when porsche introduced *gasp* water cooling about 5 years ago.

Nissan need to build new cars, not re-hashed 15 year old ideas. The trick is keeping the "spirit" of the car the same.

So, bring on a great driver's car, pref 4wd and turbo to keep a similar feel, 4 seat 2 door coupe.

[Bullet-32]

Well, now that we have the V35 in produce and still working under way , there has been plenty of BS stories flouting around and even in japanese magazines there has been plenty of made up stories and some maybe not made up, i think the E-4wd will not be able to power as much HP then the ATESSA .. mechanical and electrical.. mechanical has always been stronger.. but maybe weel have to see ?

[Rezz]

  Bullet-32 said:

i think the E-4wd will not be able to power as much HP then the ATESSA ..

...They have the technology... e-4WD will be able to handle big power. Thats what the article was on about...

[red900ss]

It seems they are either:

a) thinking outside the square and implementing new technologies in order to get performance and compliance with euro and california emissions regs., or,

B) putting up so much smoke and mirrors we won't know wtf it'll be until they hit the car show circuit.

[Bullet-32]

  Duncan said:

I reckon most of you guys are being too negative about the new GTR.

Consider back in 1988 when R31 GTSRs with rb20 and rwd roamed the earth.  How did a 4wd twin turbo look then?  Or what about when EFI was first being used, everyone said carbies were still better.  Or how about when porsche introduced *gasp* water cooling about 5 years ago.

Nissan need to build new cars, not re-hashed 15 year old ideas.  The trick is keeping the "spirit" of the car the same.

So, bring on a great driver's car, pref 4wd and turbo to keep a similar feel, 4 seat 2 door coupe.

There is another good quote , as long as they keep them in the same spiriit (Turbo and "Straight 6" or even V6) ... its a good thing and the 4 Seats and 2 doors. but they goota actually be able to modify really well aswell as we have seen all those japanese designed cars are now flying.

[red900ss]

It'll be like modding your Tamiya r/c car. You just go for the RS-540 Mabuchi 'Black Motor" or re wind the exising ones. Sales of copper wire will skyrocket at Tandy! :uh-huh:

[Duncan]

Yeah, I totally agree, the easy power to be gained modifying these cars is a huge part of their cult following, thats why I think keeping tubros is essential - its good to hear they arent talking about that nasty na v8 anymore

[25GTT]

So what ever happen to the original looks of the r35 GTR that was at the auto shows about 1 - 2 years ago.... the grey one? have the just completely scrapped the looks of that or redone it? so much planning went into the shape of that but now i am seeing different pics of it now everywhere... i remember speed mag wrote an article with the pics all about it... each week diffferent pics and different ideas? so is the original car i saw from the auto show (it was a grey looking GTR kinda looked half 32 half audi) not being used anymore?

[Zagan]

If the GTR is going to look like that then, I would like to buy one.

If it's going to have eletric mototrs in it then it'll have heaps of torque.

[Bullet-32]

weel have to wait and see what happends .

[Rezz]

Some of you guys sound like you're confusing yourselves...

It's pretty simple:

V3* GT-R is likely to be 3 - 3.2L Twin turbo six powering the rear wheels, with the "e-4WD" system powering the front wheels with an electric motor controlled by an "ATESSA-esque" control unit. Thats the hybrid part. It's also likely that Nissan will make the overall power output calculation with the electric motor and the VQ outputs combined... so all that talk about 480ps might be within ballpark afterall.

The look of the new GT-R is anyones guess, but just remember that no one has said "this is what the next GT-R is going to look like". All the illustrations, CG and mock-ups are heresay at best, but what you can count on is that the new GT-R will be heavily based on the V35 Coupe. It's been said before, but by 2007, the V35 will be ready for an upgrade, nay, model change, so even saying that the the new GT-R will be based on the V35 is pushing it a bit...

One thing is for sure though, the Japanese GT-R enthusiasts and GTROC will NOT let Renault, or anyone else for that matter, f*ck up the next GT-R.

Have some faith in your Japanese Skyline loving bruthas...

[knore]

Well said rezz,

'Do well daniel sons, make vewy vewy good GTR!!'

If its sold here or not, im selling everything i got to get one lol

[predator]

Just reading an article in this morning's paper. Apparently one the upcoming Alpha Volta (which will be powered by Toyota's performance hyrbrid technology) will have a hybrid-electric 3.3L 6 cylinder pumping out 300kw and performance of 0-100km in 4.06 seconds.. and able to push 700km from a 52L tank. Now wouldn't we all like *that* from our current skylines?

So seeing as that will be a similar benchmark for the GTR (if not higher), its easily possible with current technology. So i guess my concerns for "can it be done" are out the window. 400kw and 8L / 100km anybody?

Here is a short writeup of the Toyota technology.. some parallels it looks like with what Nissan is planning:

The Hybrid Synergy Drive is a series/parallel system which uses two powerful electric motors and a highly efficient petrol engine in tandem. This significantly improves low to mid-speed acceleration, braking performance and fuel efficiency and minimises carbon dioxide emissions. Using an electric motor at the rear provides the car with four-wheel drive capability.

In addition to the dual power sources, the system also features a generator and a high-performance nickel-metal hydride battery. A power split device combines and re-allocates power from the engine, motors and generator, according to where it is needed in the drivetrain, and a power control unit governs the high-speed interaction of the system’s components.

For the driver, a single gearshift on the dashboard engages the drive system, which operates as a seamless, continuously variable transmission.

In the course of any journey, the Hybrid Synergy Drive system will operate in several different modes to maximise the all-round efficiency of the vehicle. The motor driving the rear wheels introduces four-wheel drive performance at appropriate times, such as when starting up, accelerating, turning and driving on slippery surfaces.

Improvements to the efficiency of the V6 petrol engine and a transmission system with a torque-increasing deceleration gear, allied to a more efficient regenerative braking system, all serve to optimise the Hybrid Synergy Drive system’s energy management qualities.

Note specifically:

  Quote

For the driver, a single gearshift on the dashboard engages the drive system, which operates as a seamless, continuously variable transmission.

-- basically the manual as we know it is pointless in a vehicle such as this. As the torque is continually being adjusted internally via the electronically controlled balance of the electric and petrol engines. Basically applying a traditional manual gearbox technology would give more harm to performance than not.