Forget all that you think you know. The GT-R hasn't just moved the goalposts, it's obliterated them. Bill Thomas is overwhelmed
Kazutoshi Mizuno, Nissan GT-R chief vehicle engineer, describes his car as a "new kind of supercar, one with no competitors", and I thought of Mizuno-san as I nailed the GT-R's alloy throttle pedal right to the floor in second gear coming onto a quiet section of de-restricted autobahn near Koblenz.
I'd nailed that throttle pedal right to the floor a number of times already on this day - difficult to resist - but somehow the big Nissan seemed to lunge forward with even more intensity than usual.
In my imagination, it was sniffing the long, gently curving, slightly uphill stretch of 'bahn and contemplating the lack of legal restriction on ultimate speed. The only limit would be the power of the car to overcome resistance, and the driver's ability to negotiate traffic. Long may the derestricted autobahn continue: in dry, crisp, sunny conditions, this magnificent car would be safe and composed at any speed.
A bellow from the engine, a rush of revs, a gigantic accelerative force on my neck, second is gone, a flick of the right-hand, leather-trimmed shift paddle, bang, third gear slammed home and the mighty rush intensified still. My god, this car is fast, one of the fastest production cars ever made.
And so's the gearchange. Fast, that is. I could never describe the new GT-R without giving a nod to its incredible transmission right away. Mounted on a transaxle at the rear of the car for better weight balance, it is the technical highlight here.
'I could never describe the new Nissan GT-R without giving a nod to its incredible transmission right away'
In 'Normal' mode, the shifts from the twin-clutch semi-auto gearbox are rapid, with each pre-selected gear engaging in an instant, but in R mode they're even quicker. We're in R now, and we've hit 100mph in about 10 heartbeats.
No official performance figure exists for that increment, but expect an eight second 0-100mph time. It's fast, alright - 60mph comes up in 3.5 seconds, the standing quarter mile in 11.7 seconds and it goes on to 197mph.
The GT-R's all-new VR38 engine, a 473bhp 3.8-litre V6 with twin IHI turbochargers, makes a fine noise, like a deeper, more muscular 350Z V6 howl overlaid with a harsh, white-noise static blast from the turbos.
It is quieter and more gentle in character than the classic RB26 2.6-litre straight-six fitted to Skyline GT-Rs of old, and will probably never be as fondly regarded as a result, but there can be no arguing with its ability to rev, and no criticism of its power delivery. It is entirely linear, with no lag.
Bang into fourth. What a monstrous gear this is, a killing gear if ever there was one. There's no let-up in G pressure forcing my spine rearwards as the tacho needle climbs to the 7,000rpm redline. I have no idea what speed we're doing now, probably upwards of 150mph - I daren't take my eyes off the road.