Nissan GT-R Laps Nurburgring in Under 7:30

Since the days of the R32 Skyline GT-R, Nissan’s wolf-in-sheep’s-clothing has been dubbed by the media as a supercar slayer. The latest GT-R may not wear the Skyline name and looks more like the wolf, but it’s no less impressive in living up to its storied predecessors’ reputation.

For automakers and enthusiasts alike, the old Nurburgring racetrack in Germany is a benchmark for testing, as it puts all characteristics of a vehicle to task - acceleration, handling, stability and braking, and it does so for 14 miles. Nissan honed the GT-R to perfection on the Nurburgring, and while it is known for being extremely quick around the circuit, exactly how quick had not been established.

Late last year, Nissan’s test driver Tochio Suzuki lapped the circuit in 7:38, a particularly quick time, putting it on the level with the Porsche 911 GT3, and the ultimate Mercedes-Benz, the SLR. However, the conditions weren’t perfect as parts of the circuit were wet. On a dry track, with Suzuki at the helm, Nissan was able to record a track time of 7:29 - nearly ten seconds faster than originally. It should be noted that the car that achieved this figure did this on its Japanese-market tires, which are slightly different than the shoes it wears for the North American market.

To think that Nissan’s GT-R, a car that costs slightly less than $75,000, is capable of besting vehicles two, three, and even four times its price is amazing, and proof that Japan can produce a car that can run with the world’s fastest production vehicles. Furthermore, with the upcoming lighter and more powerful V-Spec model, things are set to get even faster…