Willall Racing Australia have been hard at work developing some very well researched high quality parts for the R35 GT-R, The latest product to go into production is their two piece billet aluminum oil pan. The VR38DETT comes with a 5.8 quart engine oil capacity and works the engine oil hard with big temperature loading and [...]

Filed under: Gadgets, Videos, Toys

Fans of Gran Turismo are rejoicing over the fifth edition of the legendary racing series that was shown at the E3 gaming expo last week. The world-renown racing sim will also debut a new version for the Sony PSP Go this October, and it It boasts 60 frames-per-second rendering, 800 cars, 35 tracks and the ability to play against three friends over wi-fi - pretty good specs for a portable game.

Last week we showed you a trailer of GT5 for the decidedly non-portable PS3, and now we've got actual running footage of the portable game being played. Hit the jump to view a Nissan GT-R taking on all comers in the newest and smallest edition to the Gran Turismo franchise. You can also see some sweet screen shots of the new GT by viewing the gallery below.



[Source: GT Planet]

Continue reading VIDEO: Gran Turismo PSP footage gets out

VIDEO: Gran Turismo PSP footage gets out originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 10 Jun 2009 11:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Videos, Toys

The holidays come for auto freaks several times a year, and we call those times auto shows. But with the motor show calendar on break for the summer, we got an unexpected injection of octane from this year's E3 video game expo. As if it weren't enough to catch a glimpse at such promising upcoming releases as Forza Motorosport 3, Gran Turismo 5 and Codemasters' FUEL, we've now got another one to add to our shopping lists: Need for Speed SHIFT.

Although previous installments of the NFS franchise focused on outrunning the po-po and tricking out imports, as our thumb-cramped compatriots over at Joystiq found out just this past March, SHIFT promises to deliver a pure racing simulator. EA has now released the full list of cars (including such highlights as the Lexus LF-A, Pagani Zonda R, Nissan GT-R SpecV, BMW M3 GT2 and Audi R8 LMS) and tracks (including the Nürburgring, Laguna Seca and Willow Springs) that'll be included in the game, along with a pair of videos that we've posted after the jump. Check 'em out, and prepare to lose sleep.

Continue reading VIDEOS: Need for Speed SHIFT includes Lexus LF-A, BMW M3 GT2, lots of awesome

VIDEOS: Need for Speed SHIFT includes Lexus LF-A, BMW M3 GT2, lots of awesome originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 05 Jun 2009 11:27:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Government/Legal, Green, Supercars, Nissan, UK

When legislators in the United Kingdom decided to introduce its Cash for Clunkers program, it was widely suggested that older, fuel-guzzling vehicles would be removed from the road in favor of the latest crop of clean, green, fuel efficient cars and trucks. As is often the case, reality isn't so cut-and-dry.

According to Auto Trader UK, two of the first new vehicles purchased under the UK's new scrapping scheme were Nissan GT-Rs. Much has been written about Godzilla's ability to navigate the famed Nurburgring in Germany, but those stories never described the giant-killing GT-R as eco-friendly. What gives?

It seems that the rulebook in Merry ole' England doesn't include provisions limiting the scrapping program to vehicles with low carbon emissions. Most other countries with scrapping programs - including the proposed plan in the U.S., in case you were wondering - require the new vehicle to be significantly more fuel efficient than the car that's being scrapped.

In related news, at least one enthusiast's plans to trade in a slightly used '99 Oldsmobile Alero for a shiny new Nissan GT-R have summarily been placed on the back burner. Tip o' the cap to Keith and Demstel!

[Source: Auto Trader UK]

REPORT: Nissan GT-Rs being purchased under UK Cash-For-Clunkers provisions originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 19 May 2009 11:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Aftermarket, Tuners, Sports/GTs, Japan, Supercars, Nissan

Beginning June 1, NISMO will begin taking pre-orders on a new ECU and Transmission Control Module (TCM) for the standard GT-R and its SpecV sibling. According to Nissan's motorsports arm, the ECU increases maximum boost pressure by 0.1 bar (1.5 psi) to crank-up low-end torque and enhance throttle response. The TCM tweaks supposedly deliver quicker downshifts and the speed limiter on the street (i.e. when not running on a GPS-approved race track) has been raised to 320 km/h - or just one tick shy of 200 mph.

But as you'd expect, there's a hitch. Aside from the sizeable buy-in (294,000 yen, or just over $3,000 US), NISMO will only rent the duo of upgraded controllers for a 24-month term. After which, you either return the ECU and TCM units or shell out an additional $329 per year to keep them on board. Both modules are covered by NISMO's warranty and deliveries begin on June 24.



[Source: GTRBlog]

NISMO renting GT-R engine and transmission computers in Japan originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 18 May 2009 15:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Japan, Nissan, Earnings/Financials

Carlos Ghosn became Nissan's chief operating officer in 1999, initially declared that he would remain in the job for a maximum of ten years. At the time, Nissan had $13 billion in debt, a history of losses, and an almost completely forgettable product lineup. Now, on the eve of his ten-year anniversary and after a success story that few expected, Ghosn says he won't step down until Nissan is clearly profitable again.

For fiscal 2008, Nissan suffered an operating loss of 100 billion yen ($1.03 billion U.S.) on sales that were down 9.5% from 2007. For Ghosn to leave in the aftermath of that showing would be, in his words, "deserting." As one of the industry's few major execs upon whom praise is regularly lavished, we imagine many employees at Nissan and Renault are pleased to see him remain at the controls.

[Source: Reuters | Image: AFP/Getty]

Carlos Ghosn vows he won't depart Nissan until it returns to profitability? originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 12 May 2009 18:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Motorsports, Sports/GTs, Nissan, Porsche

For the first time in the modern incarnation of One Lap of America, a Japanese car has claimed the top spot. After a grueling 3,400+ mile, nine racetrack odyssey around the United States, veteran "Lap Dog" Steve Rankins and "Lap Puppy" Will Taylor captured the overall trophy in their 2009 Nissan GT-R this weekend. The victory marks the first for a Nippon car since the event's 1986 running, when rallyist Karl Chevalier's Toyota Celica beat out fellow racer John Buffum's Audi 5000S wagon. OloA's timing and scoring procedures were markedly different at that point, however, as from 1985 to 1991, One Lap was essentially a time-speed-distance (TSD) rally.

With five-time defending champion Mark Davia and Drew Wikstrom taking the year off in their Porsche 911 Turbo, a new winner was assured, but for quite a while, it looked like another Stuttgart powerhouse would take the podium, as the 996 GT2 of Peter Lier and Ian Stewart held down the top position for much of the event. In the end, the consistency of the #3 Team Cannonball GT-R outlasted all comers - including the green #2 GT-R of Derek Whitis, Tom Long and Mark Pombo, which fell by the wayside when it was beset by gremlins (faulty boost controller pushing the ECU into limp mode, overheating, etc.). Along the way, the #3 GT-R was a consistent performer all week long, setting OloA's best-ever wet skidpad performance, a tidy 0.953g and winning events at Turfway Park, Talladega Grand Prix Raceway, Daytona International Raceway, Carolina Motorsports Park, and the BMW Performance Center. While stockpiling that many victories may make this year's race sound like a walk-off, tight competition from Lier and Stewart's 996 GT2 and the aforementioned #2 GT-R meant that the issue was in doubt almost until the very end.

Check out the high-res gallery below for more shots from this year's event, the full results here, and comprehensive wrap-up coverage courtesy of Motor Trend here.



[Sources: One Lap of America; Motor Trend]

Nissan GT-R wins 2009 One Lap of America originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 11 May 2009 19:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Best Car does it again and shows us what the 2010 (JDM) Nissan GT-R will look like without the zebra mask as it was seen while testing at the Nürburgring on April 23rd. The changes to the GT-R are most obvious from the front with a second “winglet” added to the front bumper. GTRblog.com’s article on [...]

Filed under: Car Buying, Sports/GTs, Auction Action, Etc., Supercars, Nissan

Here's your chance to put Godzilla in your driveway for a discount! Of course, this GT-R that's headed for the block at Matley's Richmond Auto Auction today in Virginia will likely not go for much of a discount. Barring a transmission that's been launch-controlled into oblivion, this 3,011-mile repo-special appears virtually showroom-fresh. Carfax says this car is a clean, one-owner affair, and the auction company hasn't put it in the "inoperative vehicle" group, so we're guessing it's another case of financial over-reach brought back down to reality. If it were us, we'd be hiding this thing in a garage more secret and secure than Dick Cheney's undisclosed location while we sold an organ or two on the black market to pay its bills. You've got a spare kidney, but it's not like the GTR comes along every day. If you've actually got the finances to purchase a GT-R and think this one may be a bargain, you'll have to move fast - the auction is today. As long as you can make one or two payments before you start selling off pieces of yourself, you'll be fine. This tip comes to us from our friends at Hemmings, who also hooked us up with the Carfax, posted after the jump. Thanks David!



[Source: Richmond Auto Auction]

Continue reading Now's Your Chance: Repo'd Nissan GT-R up for auction

Now's Your Chance: Repo'd Nissan GT-R up for auction originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 08 May 2009 11:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Spy Photos, Supercars, Nissan

One way to win races is to bury the pedal and never lift. It would appear Nissan may be following the same plan with the development of its GT-R. Rather than sit around and let the car's development go cold, Nissan is continuing to refine its bargain supercar slayer.

Nürburgring watchers have noticed a seemingly base model GT-R lapping the track lately. There's camo on the front and rear fascias - somewhat strange for a car that's been released for public consumption - so the folks at gtrblog took a closer look.

While it may look innocuous enough, the latest GT-R o be snapped on its German vacation has aerodynamic pieces that are subtly different, leading gtrblog to come to the conclusion that this is probably thee 2011 version of Nissan's Godzilla. Thanks for the tip, Jim!


[Source: gtrblog.com]

Spy Shots: 2011 Nissan GT-R spotted testing at Nürburgring? originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 29 Apr 2009 10:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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