2011 Nissan GT-R Facelift Shows Up in Japan, gets 530 Horsepower

Visitors to Japanese showrooms will be the first consumers to get a chance to sit in the firmer, faster, more luxurious 2011 Nissan GT-R when it hits the pavement on November 18 (it'll appear as a 2012 model for the US market and debut in L.A.). The exterior will get a light refresh to better improve its ability to slice through the air and competition with more efficiency, while the interior will also get some new appointments.

Other than the little tweaks everyone was expecting, the big news for the updated GT-R is the addition of a highly-modifiable "EGOIST" model that sits in the price realm of the Spec V and will offer a very Euro-lux feel, as well as a boost to 530 horsepower and 612 Nm / 451 lb ft (630 Nm / 465 lb ft for the Spec V) across the board thanks to revised engine tuning, larger piping, and a red engine cover. It now returns 20 mpg / 8.5-8.6 km/L and is considered a SU-LEV too, you hippies.

Other improvements include a SAVE mode for better normal driving efficiency, "improved starting" in the transmission's R mode, and lighter RAYS wheels veiling Nissan-developed 390-mm brake discs. The car, which gains two new exterior colors (Meteo Flake Black Pearl and Aurora Flare Blue Pearl), also receives a redesigned instrument panel and revised seats.

Japanese buyers of the latest GT-R will now be able to choose among six varieties of Godzilla: Pure, Black, Premium, Spec V, EGOIST, and a track-only "Club Track" version, all of which utilize the same 3.8-liter twin-turbo V6 and 6-speed dual clutch transmission. .

The bad news for the States is that Nissan is merely "considering" offering the EGOIST and Club Track models in Europe, and maybe allowing the Middle East to get a taste of the custom EGOIST as well. Did you see America in the regions listed? Neither did I, but then again, the US market may not be ready for a $150,000 Nissan (while the Middle East is ready for a $150,000 anything).

By Phil Alex

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Sheep in Wolf’s Clothing: Lexus SC gets Mercedes-Benz AMG Makeover...

I really should hate this as much as that '95 Thunderbird with the '50s Ford front end, but I don't.

Maybe it's because this Z30 Toyota Soarer, otherwise known as the first generation Lexus SC in the U.S., with a Mercedes-Benz CLK DTM-esque front end and SL AMG rear end is so well done. Heck, it's a lot more convincing than those Miata-based replicas we see so often.

Of course, it's not all good. The window line is more E46 BMW M3 than CLK and the rear end looks more like a S15 Nissan 200SX than it does a Mercedes-Benz. And there's all that jiff about besmirching the manufacturer's name with this cheap knockoff, and ruining the original car.

Though it has to be said the Z30 Soarer was kinda boring to look at. It had those rounded, utterly inoffensive designed-by-committee looks that most Japanese cars of the '90s seemed to have. So if anything, this is a noticeable improvement.

Am I a heretic? Tell us in the comments below.

By Tristan Hankins

Via: Minds Farm

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