After an hour or so enjoying the ghostly
atmosphere of the mist-shrouded old circuit, we type in ‘Nürburg’ and set the
satnav to shortest route. It’s not the greatest drive to be honest, but even
when cruising along there are aspects of the Nismo that impress, like the way
it pulls so hard in sixth that I frequently assume I’m in fourth or fifth and
try to changeup. Near the Belgian/German border we also encounter a stretch
that resembles a British B-road with all the associated imperfections. It takes
a firm grip with both hands to hold on to the Nismo’s wheel as the car hunts
out cambers and generally wrestles with itself along the road, hopping and
skipping like a scratched CD. It’s slightly alarming just how little travel the
wheels seem to have, but there’s also a wonderful sense that it only needs one
wheel in contact with the surface at any time to continue clawing its way
rabidly forward.
The
Nissan GT-R Nismo's Recaro seats are carbonfibre-backed
Four days before the N24 race is due to
start, the countryside surrounding the Ring is already crammed with people
setting up camp for the N24. You’d think the white plastic sheds on wheels had
been occupying the whole car park at Brünnchen for weeks. We decide to leave
the hordes behind for a while and head a few miles away to some corners that
photographer Dean Smith knows. I’ve never been to this particular road before,
but it looks like the sort of archetypal German asphalt that has a complexion
smooth enough for a cosmetics commercial. However, the first time I go through
the right/left second-gear kink I find myself practically bounced out of my
seat and gathering up a spike of oversteer on the exit. It seems there was a
bump on the inside of the corner. I can’t say it had caught my eye as I
approached the bend the first time, nor even when I was looking for it the
second time through, but the Nismo’s suspension (still in its middle setting)
picked it up like I’d run over a small incendiary.
Increased
rigidity in the bodyshell is achieved using adhesive bonding in addition to
spot welding
If the stiffness of the Bilstein Damptronic
dampers is a concern, the agility of the chassis on turn-in is a source of
sheer delight. The alacrity with which the whole car dives into bends is
stunning, and it really is the whole car, because although inevitably you
notice the way the nose darts initially, it’s what the rear does that completes
the picture. Turn in hard and the Nismo sets you up so that if you can see the
exit you can get back on the power really early in the corner and drive through
hard with a mildly oversteering balance. Clearly the weight savings at the back
(there’s a carbon bootlid) combined with the new, 17.3mm, hollow rear anti-roll
bar have made a big difference.
New
skirts and spoilers increase the amount of downforce produced by this GT-R
There are some great roads around the Ring
and I particularly love the one from Adenau up to Hohe Acht, which is where we
head after filling up at the Döttinger-Höhe petrol station. The first section
is fast and owing as it climbs gently and, with a bit more elbow-room than on
the previous road, the new high-flow, large-capacity turbochargers attached to
the 50bhp-stronger 3.8-litre V6 can really be unleashed. The throttle response
feels sharper than ever, the rush at the top end is ballistic and at times
you’d swear the engine was putting out much more than 481lb ft of torque, such
is the shove in the back.
