Nissan Motor Company’s new version of its muscle car dubbed as GT-R hits dealerships across the United States by June, but this early it has already acquired a good number of followers from the American automobile market.

The sudden clamor for the upcoming Nissan GT-R, which is equipped with top of the line Nissan parts, has prompted Nissan dealerships nationwide to already accept orders. In the Wisconsin-based Nissan of Rivergate, there are already six customers who have expressed strong interest on the GT-R according to dealership manager Keith Reecer.

According to Nissan North America Inc., which is located in Nashville, Tennessee, the Nissan GT-R sports car will be the halo car of the Japanese automobile brand. This means that this model is targeted to draw more customers to other Nissan vehicles.

“GT-R is intended to help re-energize the Nissan brand,” said Rich Latek, who is the marketing director for crossover and sports cars of Nissan USA. “While we already have the 350Z as our iconic sports car, the GT-R gives us an entry into a place we haven’t competed before. It will go head-to-head against the new Chevrolet Corvette ZR1 and the Dodge Viper.”

Nissan might be on the right track on placing its sports car in the limelight as automotive marketing experts also think that such tactics will work to entice motorists and enthusiasts to the Japanese-built brand.

“Halo cars are worth a tremendous amount to a manufacturer even if none of them are ever sold,” said George Peterson, who is the president of the marketing research firm AutoPacific. “They can just put it in the dealership, put floodlights on it, and people will come in to see it.

With Nissan GT-R functioning as both an attraction and a promising high-performing model, people will likely visit dealerships of the company. Most of these people, however, will not buy the muscle car but will be enticed to look at the company’s other models, like the Nissan Altima and Maxima, which is geared with equally efficient Nissan parts.

“Most of them won’t buy it, but it will stimulate interest in the company’s other vehicles. Already, Nissan has done a great job of priming the media with the GT-R, and that’s exactly what they wanted to do,” said Peterson. “People will believe that the GT-R DNA also extends to other Nissan vehicles. And to some extent, they’re right. The Altima has always been a very good car, and the new one is screwed together very nicely.”

Experts also boosted Nissan’s halo car by stating that the prices of fuel will not greatly affect the release of the GT-R. Those who can afford to buy the $70,000 GT-R, which will only be available in the US for 1, 500 units annually, do not really give much emphasis on whether there is a fuel hike or so.

“I don’t know if there is ever a wrong time to bring out a halo car,” said Peterson. “Even though gas prices are way up there, to the people who buy these kinds of cars, fuel prices are irrelevant. It’s a real ego trip and image car.”

Geared with high-performing Nissan parts, the GT-R can muster up to 480-horsepower via its 3.8-liter V-6 powertrain. Complementing such powerful engine is a six-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission system and a four-wheel drive system.

Source: Tennesean.

Nissan Motor Company may have plans of adding more Nissan parts in its muscle car GT-R as the Japanese automaker is said to be looking into producing the model into a four-dour sedan but under the Infiniti brand, according to Motor Trend.

An authority from Nissan has informed Motor Trend about the plans on the Nissan GT-R. Adding two more doors on the high-performing car is not at all impossible but such move will mean a big funding from the company because the modification is not cheap. The doors, rear seats and other additional Nissan parts would ask to stretch the coupe to accommodate these changes. To make the car a full-time sedan, the body side and carbon fiber intensive front structure have to be revamped. Utilizing a steel body can be one of the options of the car maker but such material can aggravate the lightweight quality of the Nissan GT-R.

Juxtaposed with these alterations, four-door GT-R will still have the same suspension and power plant parts. A 3.8-liter VR38 engine, which can muster a good 480-horsepower, the four-wheel drive system, and the six-speed automatic transmission will still be geared in the modified performance car.

These modifications will clearly cost a lot as about $3000 to $5000 will be added to the current price of the GT-R. The possible four-dour sedan version of the muscle car from Nissan can carry a hefty $85, 000 with these planned changes. A good note though: with the sedan under the umbrella of luxury brand Infinity, parent company Nissan will finally have a performance car to go against rival muscle vehicles AMG and M autos from German car companies Mercedes-Benz and BMW, respectively. Moreover, this could also help boost Nissan to become a global player in the volatile automobile industry

Source: Motor Trend

The Japanese automaker Nissan is keen in putting a stop in some independent dealers that buy brand-new Nissan GT-R vehicles overseas and put these on sale in the United Kingdom even before the official release of the said muscle car from the company. For those who will be found guilty of selling these kinds of GT-R, Nissan will bring the case to the English courts for the necessary legal actions.

Despite sufficient warnings, there are still those private dealers that are engaging in such arrangements, thus Nissan plans to take the matter to the higher authorities. Doing this will allow potential customers to just purchase the legitimate Nissan GT-R vehicles, which are those for the motorists in the United Kingdom or other countries across Europe.

“We have been made aware of a significant increase in activity in the import trade of certain vehicles, particularly the Nissan GT-R, which warrants immediate action,” said Gary Frigo, who is the managing director of Nissan Motor in Europe.

The Nissan UK is closely monitoring any activities that are related to it. Moreover, the company is confident that the courts in Europe are there to back the automobile company in its pursuit to only sell the Nissan GT-R cars, which are laden with top of the line Nissan Parts, from legitimate dealers across the continent.

“Nissan’s number one priority is to ensure that the GT-R and its dealer network are in optimal condition to facilitate and support our customers,” said Frigo. “It will take until start of sales in March 2009 to do this. Until that time the UK will have no GT-R trained technicians, no established GT-R parts supply and, most crucial of all, the GT-R will not be covered by a manufacturer’s warranty.”

Source: Auto Industry.

The specifications are important for any upcoming vehicle model, like the 2009 Nissan GT-R. These are crucial because these Nissan Parts and features help market the product at hand to potential customers. As important as the specs are, the Japanese automobile company has yet to dish out the final horsepower output of this upgraded muscle car slated for release in the United States early next year.

As of posting, the only specs available are for the Nissan GT-R vehicles that are allotted for the Japanese market release next week. This model, which is equipped with precision-engineered Nissan Parts, is capable of as much as 473-horsepower. The US version of the Nissan GT-R, however, is going to be more powerful according to the company’s project chief Kazutoshi Mizuno. A whopping 480-horsepower is the targeted strength of this latest find of Nissan.

Slated to hit dealerships across America in January, the Nissan GT-R, which has a projected total units of more than a thousand cars annually, will be carrying a burning tag price of $69,850.

Source: Edmunds.

Although Infinity is Nissan’s luxury division, it will not include the new high-end sports car from its parent company christened as the GT-R.

The muscle GT-R car, which is geared with high-performing Nissan parts, is set to invade Europe early next year with a burning tag price of around £60,000. This luxury sports car, which has a twin turbocharged engine, will not be part of any Infiniti dealers because it will have a store of its own. The Japanese automaker’s latest high-end powerful vehicle, which is available in both the left and right hand drive markets, is set to be sold solely in its ‘boutique’ all over Europe by next year.

“The Infiniti network will be completely separate,” said a spokesman from Infinity, which is Nissan’s luxury division, which is well established the USA and will appear in Europe in 2008 with the Geneva Motor Show launch of the Infiniti SX.

Details from Motor Trader.

Finally, one of the few anticipated stars in this year’s Tokyo Auto Show has been unveiled for all eager Nissan enthusiasts to see.

Dubbed by Nissan as “an ultimate supercar for anyone, anywhere, at anytime”, the GT-R is groomed as the latest technology flagship of the Japanese automobile company.

It seems Nissan made sure that the 2009 Nissan GT-R gets only the best and topnotch quality Nissan parts available. This new Nissan car is powered by an all-new 3.8-liter twin-turbo V6 engine that generates 473 horsepower. It also offers specially crafted 20-inch racing tires and a twin-turbo exhaust system.

According to Nissan, a special car like the GT-R underwent a special production process. The Japanese automaker added that the car’s aluminum, steel, and carbon-fiber components are created with a “special high-precision process” that involves a lot of vibration tests. On the other hand, engines and transmissions are built in a “clean room environment.”

A notable aspect of the GT-R is that Nissan collaborated with other companies that provided the car with the latest automotive technologies in the market. For instance, Nissan teamed up with BorgWarner in crafting the dual-clutch transmission for the GT-R. Called the DualTronic technology, the dual-clutch transmission is intended to give a feel of driving a sports car. This is a combination of the efficiency of the manual gearbox with the functionality of n automatic transmission, and enhanced fuel economy, according to a CNN report.

“The Nissan GT-R is a great driving machine and one that is a superb platform for experiencing the full range of dual-clutch transmission efficiency, responsiveness, and versatility. We feel privileged to have worked with Nissan on this milestone vehicle, the first GT-R engineered for sale in global markets. [The DualTronic technology] is also the world’s first transaxle dual-clutch transmission—front engine and rear transmission — the perfect balance for sports cars,” said Bernd Matthes, President and General Manager of BorgWarner Transmission Systems, as cited by CNN.

In addition, the GT-R features other Nissan parts such as Brembo brakes, Bilstein DampTronic suspension, and run-flat tires.

The GT-R’s unique powertrain system supports the engine over the front axle and the transmission over the rear axle to minimize vibration at the maximum speed of 180 miles per hour.

On the safety side, the GT-R is equipped with a pop-up engine hood system designed to ensure safety of pedestrians. Optional safety features include driver’s- and front passenger’s-side airbags and side curtain bags.

The Nissan GT-R will hit the Japanese market on December 6 through Nissan High Performance Centers. In the United States, the new Nissan model will be available on sale in June next year. There is no official announcement yet as to the price of the GT-R, but Edmunds.com pegs it at $67,000.

Sources: CNN, Edmunds.com

The long wait is over as the first official details and photos of the much-anticipated Nissan GT-R have just been released.

Nissan originally intended to release the specs of the GT-R when it debuts at the Tokyo Motor Show in late October. However, an auto magazine in the U.S. has lifted the agreed photo embargo and published them before the target date.

The Nissan GT-R has an advanced dashboard with switches that control the four-wheel drive system, suspension, and traction control systems. The new Nissan model has two doors and two compact rear seats.

Sale of the GT-R will start next year. It will have a 3.8-liter twin-turbo V6 engine rated at 470 horsepower. To provide the new model with a supercar performance, Nissan equipped it with an all wheel drive and the most recent differential technology.

The GT-R’s drivetrain comes with advanced Nissan parts such as a transaxle at the rear integrating the utility of a conventional center differential. The GT-R runs at a speed of 100 kilometers per hour.

Other technological features on the new Nissan GT-R include Nissan parts like a multifunction display, satellite navigation system, and onboard entertainment system. The multifunction display detects oil and engine coolant temperatures, and transmission oil pressures.

“Today’s technology allows us to make a high performance car, a flagship car for Nissan that can be adapted to all the driving conditions across the globe, said Nissan top executive Carlos Ghosn, as cited by Autoexpress.com.

The concept of this car was brought to life when it was announced at the Tokyo Motor Show in 2001.

Sources: Autoexpress.com, Wheels24

The Japanese automaker Nissan keeps the buzz going on its much anticipated latest muscle sports car branded as the Nissan GT-R, which will be formally introduced in the upcoming 2007 Tokyo Motor Show slated on October 24, by coming up with a purposeful website for the four-wheel machine.

Basic details, such as the specs or Nissan Parts, hottest news, and dealers of the Nissan GT-R, will be available in the official website, which is  www.gtrnissan.com. Moreover, aside from Japan’s vernacular and English, the site will cater four more languages, including French, Italian, German, and Spanish.

Months ago, the sports car was called Nissan Skyline GT-R, but according to the automaker, the production name will no longer include the word Skyline. Geared with the top-caliber Nissan Parts, the new Nissan GT-R has already divulged the essential details of the car and how to order in Japan yesterday. To date, the Nissan GT-R, which will come out first in the automaker’s homeland, will carry a price tag of roughly 7.8 million yen.

To aid the future owners of the Nissan GT-R, Nissan Motor Company has provided ample Nissan High Performance Centers across Japan. The alloted 160 Nissan centers have been tasked to give out service assistance as well as Nissan GT-R sales representatives.