For the uninitiated, Nissan's GT-R is a bit of an unusual proposition. It's a big car with a compact cabin, room in the rear seats only for small children or legless adults. It's a heavy car, but one that feels light and nimble, more at home on the track than the road. And it isn't a particularly aggressive-looking car, yet it's faster than damn near anything else out there.
It's also something of an old car, entering its eighth model year for this, the 2016 GT-R. That it's still a contender in the ultracompetitive performance scene is a testament to how impressive that first, 2009 model was. It's also a sign that perhaps it's time for some changes.
Despite looking largely the same it has for the better part of a decade, Nissan has continually evolved and changed what's under the skin. 2012 saw the biggest leap, jumping from 485 horsepower to 530 while receiving a raft of internal and exterior changes. Since then, the tweaks have been far more incremental. 2016's updates are perhaps the slenderest yet, with very little changing since we reviewed the 2015 GT-R.
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Owners will find this latest GT-R rolling on new 20-spoke, 20-inch Rays wheels that are forged, and in my opinion, quite striking -- though last year's 10-spoke design was far from frumpy. Tires are still Dunlop Sport Maxx on all four corners, filled with nitrogen as before. This not only prevents thermal expansion, it gives you a fun conversation starter that will make you the life of any party.
Beyond that...nothing has changed. There is a new color, a sort of Champagne gold Limited Edition designed to commemorate the GT-R's 45th anniversary. Before you fret about why Nissan didn't save this for the 50th anniversary, know that fewer than 30 gold cars will come to the US, so it's unlikely you'll be troubled by one in the real world.
Thankfully, the GT-R is available in a swath of other hues. For those going for a sophisticated, somewhat understated look, the Deep Blue Pearl color in our test car would be a good choice. It's darker than it looks in photos but lives up to its name with a subtle metallic luster that really only shines in direct sunlight. It's one of seven standard colors available (including two reds, black, two silvers, and a white), all of which carry over from last year.
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The interior remains unchanged, and that's a real shame because it's beginning to feel a bit dated in here. What was once hailed as a high-tech car for the PlayStation generation is now teetering dangerously close to Gen-X obsolescence. You can pair your phone to the car for hands-free calling and music streaming, but that's about as advanced as it gets. Owners will find no app integration of any kind, and neither Android Auto nor CarPlay are available. Those fancy, Polyphony Digital-crafted series of virtual gauges are still here, including G-force and throttle position and such-like, but given they were created in the PlayStation 2 era, it's definitely time for a refresh.
Thankfully, the performance is still decidedly next-gen, particularly the launch control. Uncorking the rush is a three-step affair. First, hold the transmission-control switch up for a few seconds until an ominous red light comes on. This makes the shifting particularly brutal, while the light seems to ask "Are you sure about this?" Next is the suspension switch, which sits just to the right. Hold that switch up and you get a much firmer ride and another red light, asking "Does your chiropractor know what you're about to do?" Then comes the traction-control switch, with a final menacing light.
Nissan's GT-R is an icon, but one that's definitely in need of a refresh.
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