WHAT’S NEW 11
Wheels and tyres
Wheels: Lightweight nine-spoke RAYS aluminium-alloy forged
(F: 20 x 10in, R: 20 x10.5in)
Tyres: Dunlop SP Sport Maxx GT600 UHP run-flats with Nismospecific
compound (F: 255/40ZRF20 XL, R: 285/35ZRF20 XL)
November/December 2019 • VehicleDynamicsInternational.com
Stopping power
Front: Brembo six-piston monoblock
calipers, fully floating vented and drilled
rotors (410 x 38mm)
Rear: Four-piston calipers and 390 x
32mm rotors. Brake control: Active
power brake booster (double)
Suspension specifi cs
Nismo-tuned with unique shock absorber
settings and spring rates
Front: Independent double wishbone,
aluminium, integral tube-frame structure,
six-point mounting
Rear: Independent multi-link aluminum
suspension, integral tube-frame
structure, six-point mounting, aluminium
upper/lower links. Hollow stabiliser bars
(34 mm front, 17.3mm rear). Bilstein
DampTronic mono-tube shock absorbers,
computer controlled, three-position
driver adjustable. Linear springs front,
progressive springs rear). High-accuracy
alignment, fully adjustable
(16.1in x 1.5in) front and 390mm x
32in (15.3in x 0.08in) rear. Cooling is
aided by a new, optimised angle for the
air guides to funnel a higher fl ow of air
toward their centres. The carbon and
silicon carbide structure of the rotors
is described by Nissan as being “nearly
as hard as diamonds” and results in a
16.3kg reduction in unsprung weight,
and the rotors are mounted on fl oating
aluminium billet centre bells.
The rotors are mated with six-piston
front and four-piston rear calipers,
which the Nismo team describes as
being “exceptionally rigid”. An all-new
construction method improves brake
reaction time, as well as delivering a
responsive and progressive feel through
the pedal, with a shortened range of
pedal travel that is full of feedback. The
calipers are dipped in a rather fetching
yellow paint that is heat-resistant
even beyond 1,000°C, and the package
completed with specially formulated
brake pads that generate higher friction
levels across the full operational range.
An exclusive set of nine-spoke 20in
RAYS forged aluminium wheels also
help distinguish the Nismo’s looks from
the ‘lesser’ GT-R. The rims are another
example of the kaizen philosophy, as
they contribute to a combined 0.1kg
weight saving over the standard GT-R
items, as well as being more rigid.
The wheels are clad in newly designed
Dunlop SP Sport Maxx GT600 tyres
featuring a new rubber compound,
which creates a 7% increase in grip, and
a tread pattern with one fewer groove
for the fronts, which increases the
contact patch by 11% compared with
the GT-R’s rubber. The tyre’s shoulder
shape is also slightly rounder so that
when the car leans during cornering,
more rubber surface makes contact with
the ground, helping create an increase
in tyre cornering force of 5%, as well as
improving steering response in terms
of straight-line tracking and stability.
Even better, all this is achieved without
increasing rolling resistance.
Overall, the Nismo team’s painstaking
kaizen approach has resulted in a
2.5-second reduction in lap time around
Nissan’s development track, and an
improvement in high-speed stability.
That’s £36,400 (US$47,000) per second,
but for those who want the ultimate in
optimised engineering, perhaps no
other car would do.
Mr GT-R
Chief product specialist for the 2020MY GT-R Nismo is
Hiroshi Tamura, whose obsession with perfecting the
GT-R over the past 30 years has earned him the nickname
‘Mr GT-R’. Tamura’s love for Nissan’s most legendary
sports car was sparked early. At age 10, he witnessed
Takahashi Kunimitsu take his blue and white 2000 Skyline
GT-R racecar to an epic finish at a very wet Fuji Speedway,
beating strong rivals like Mazda with its RX3. Tamura
knew from that moment that he wanted to not just watch
the GT-R but also be part of its success. Today, Tamura
ensures the GT-R continues to evolve year in and year out,
staying atop a growing field of competitors, including the
most expensive crop of supercars - and in some cases
hypercars.
ABOVE RIGHT: The
GT-R Nismo-specific
wheels, tyres and
brakes represent a
major engineering
undertaking and
achievement
/VehicleDynamicsInternational.com