Test
The Nissan Skyline GT-R, a 3.8 litre monster of a sports car, is now available in Malaysia, courtesy of Naza World, the leading importer of exotic cars. At a preview organized for the media a couple of days ago, Naza World proudly displayed one such unit at the Tropicana Golf and Country Club in Petaling Jaya.
I would have given almost anything to have a go at it, but sad to say, the car was so precious that if you so much as walked near the car, someone would be peering over your shoulder to see that you didn’t accidentally scratch it or something.
Well, I must say that it is a beauty of a car, looking really masculine, and mean to boot. It is a two plus two, with a tiny boot at the back, maybe enough to carry a medium sized suitcase and an overnight bag, but that’s about it. Anyway, the Nissan GT-R isn’t about boot space, and neither is it about seating capacity.
It is all about performance and handling, about driving pleasure and getting the most out of life, that is, if you don’t lose it by having an argument with a wall or something like that, which is what will probably happen if an untrained driver leaves his brains at home and goes out with the GT-R. Somewhere else on this site, you can catch a glimpse of one that lost an argument with a solid and immovable object, thanks to one of our readers who posted it for all to see.
With a 3.8 litre V6, variable valve timing, and twin turbochargers, the GT-R is all muscle where it matters. It translates into 480PS at 6,400 RPM, and enormous torque of 588Nm at between 3,200 and 5,200 RPM. With full-time 4WD, acceleration from zero to 100 km/h is done is 3.5 seconds, and top speed is rated at 310 km/h. The engines are all built by hand, and the aluminium pistons are size-matched to each cylinder bore. The lubrication system is a high-performance pressurized system that ensures consistent oil pressure at all times. (For the uninitiated, a normal car has a pump that pumps oil to the top of the cylinder head, and gravity brings it down to the sump again).