Car Auto Magazine

Quickly propelling almost two tons requires muscle, and the GT-R has plenty: 480 horsepower at 6400 rpm, 434 pound-feet of torque from 3200 to 5200 rpm—not quite as much torque as Porsche’s 3.6-liter flat-six, but abundant nonetheless and available across a broad range.

The source for all this thrust is a twin-turbo 3.8-liter DOHC 24-valve 60-degree over-square aluminum V-6 (VR38) with variable valve timing on both cams and plasma-applied coating on the cylinder walls rather than steel liners. Nissan insists this engine is all-new and unrelated to the VQ sixes that propel the Z car, Infiniti Gs, and others, which is interesting since the bore (95.5 millimeters) is exactly the same. The new six is force-fed by a pair of IHI turbos via an air-to-air intercooler. Max boost is 10.2 psi.

This is the first V-6 in the modern GT-R series (the three preceding cars employed inline-sixes), and we think it won’t disappoint anyone except maybe tuners. We say that because the Nissan development team proudly claims it has made the car’s ECU tamper-proof. The objective seems to be to portray the engine as environmentally friendly. Yeah, right. And with a little training, tigers make terrific house pets. But tuners always manage to crack the codes, so for those GT-R owners who will inevitably want more, hang in there.

Power finds its way to the ground via a rear-mounted Aichi Kikai six-speed dual-clutch automated manual transaxle with triple cone synchros. The rear diff is a mechanical limited slip; the front is operated by an electronically controlled clutch. Stability- and traction-control systems are, predictably, standard equipment. The transmission has full automatic and manual modes, and the paddle shifters operate in both, a difference being that in manual mode the selected gear remains engaged until the driver selects another.