Body Styles, Trim Levels, and Options
The 2009 Nissan GT-R is a high-performance sports car available only in coupe form with a 2+2 seating layout. Two trim levels are offered: base and Premium. The base model comes standard with 20-inch alloy wheels, xenon headlights, Brembo brakes, a rear spoiler, an electronically adjustable suspension, leather upholstery, power front seats, aluminum-trimmed pedals, a leather-wrapped steering wheel and shift knob, Bluetooth, keyless entry/start, automatic climate control, a six-speaker sound system, XM Satellite Radio, a multifunction driver-configurable information monitor, an in-dash Compact Flash card reader and a navigation system with a 30-gigabyte hard drive, 9.4 gigabytes of which can be used for audio storage.
The Premium model adds higher-performance tires, an 11-speaker Bose audio system with two subwoofers, heated front seats, front passenger side airbags and full-length side curtain airbags. Notably, side and side curtain airbags are not available on the base model.
For more Style information, see our Compare Styles page.
Powertrains and Performance
The 2009 Nissan GT-R is powered by a 3.6-liter twin-turbocharged V6 engine that generates 473 hp and 434 pound-feet of torque. A six-speed dual-clutch automated manual transmission routes this prodigious power to the ground via an advanced all-wheel-drive system.
In our instrumented testing, the 3,836-pound GT-R teleported to 60 mph in a drama-free 3.3 seconds, thanks to its launch control function, and turned in a blistering 11.6-second quarter-mile at nearly 121 mph.
For more Performance Data, see our Specifications page.
Safety
Standard safety features on the 2009 Nissan GT-R include massive Brembo brakes with antilock capability, stability control and traction control. Front-seat side airbags and full-length side curtain airbags are standard on GT-R Premiums but unavailable on the base model.
For more Safety information, see our Safety page.
Interior Design and Special Features
The 2009 Nissan GT-R's interior is a somber but appropriately driver-centric environment in which to make haste. Snug sport buckets and a high center console envelop the driver and front passenger, and rear passengers won't complain as long as their legs aren't long enough to dangle off the seat cushions -- which is to say, as long as they're under the age of 3. Ingress and egress -- for the front passengers, at least -- is a piece of cake by exotic-car standards.
The GT-R also boasts a trick multifunction performance monitor that features 11 different informational displays. The monitor was developed in consultation with Polyphony Digital, which created the Gran Turismo video game franchise.
For more Interior Features information, see our Specifications page.
Driving Impressions
Nissan enthusiasts were dismayed when the company revealed that the new GT-R would employ a V6 in place of the iconic inline-6 from previous Skyline GT-Rs. They needn't have worried. This engine makes big power everywhere, and displays none of the coarseness that afflicts other Nissan V6s at higher rpm. Moreover, the 2009 Nissan GT-R is as graceful as it is powerful. When we drove a GT-R at Nissan's test facility in Japan, we were amazed at how easy the car was to drive at the limit. The GT-R also felt incredibly poised both in tight corners and on high-speed straights, an impression supported by the otherworldly 7:29 lap the GT-R has turned in at the Nürburgring's famed Nordschleife loop. Its Teutonic target's best time, by the way, is 7:40.
As capable as the GT-R is at the racetrack, it nonetheless manages to be bearable on the street, even if no one will mistake it for a luxury coupe. The transmission's automatic mode is surprisingly civil, and although the GT-R's ride is never less than stiff, the suspension settings can be fiddled with so pavement imperfections need not be treated like land mines. We still yearn for a stickshift, but we know a good thing when we see it -- and the 2009 Nissan GT-R is unquestionably one of the best performance cars ever.
Source: edmunds.com
