Florida Man Cancels Nissan GT-R Order Due to "Black Box"

A Florida man named Scott Weires has canceled the order for his long-awaited Nissan GT-R. Why? It's not that he was disappointed in the car's performance credentials, far from it. The problem is that the GT-R is equipped with a 'black box', similar in theory to the kind found on airplanes to help determine what went wrong in case of an accident or breakdown. By the end of 2012, car buyers won't have a choice as to whether their new car is equipped with a 'black box,' or Electronic Data Recorder -- they will be federally mandated to carry one. These devices track information that could be useful to the manufacturer in determining exactly what is, or has been, going on with a car. There are a few worries, though, that warranty claims could be denied if the automaker, Nissan in this case, deems that the car was being raced or abused in some way or by police or lawyers to determine culpability. Nissan's GT-R carries an on-board recorder that keeps track of the past few day's worth of driving and cannot be disabled. In the case of Scott Weires, an attorney no less, that was enough to look elsewhere. Would it be for you?

Nissan GT-R Tuned by PowerHouse Amuse

A few months ago I was told that the Japanese tuner Amuse, broke the 600 hp barrier with the Nissan GT-R but without any extra information. Today, the technical information was revealed by Amus themselves. With a new name, called the GT-R Phantom, the upgrade includes a new ECU software boosting the engine to incredibly satisfying yet ratifying number of 611 hp at 6560 rpm and 775 Nm of torque.

Due to the light materials used, the vehicle also lost some weight, now it is only 1674 kg! The tuner also added a new exhaust system as well as a new adjustable suspension and standard brakes. For the exterior, the GT-R Phantom received a carbon fiber front lip spoiler, new side skirts and a carbon fiber rear wing spoiler. In the interior, everything remains the same, com except the addition of the stylish Recaro sport seats. No info for the price yet.

Nissan GT-R Nismo Kit

This is a fully NISMO-kitted Nissan GT-R and lord, do we want one. Bad.

Called the Club Sport, the NISMO (Nissan Motorsport International) GT-R comes with Bilstein Damptronic adjustable dampers, stiffer Nismo springs and 20-inch Rays forged aluminium wheels fitted with Bridgestone RE070R run-flats (255/40 front and 285/35 rear).

It's thought the exact same Rays/Bridgestone combo will feature on the upcoming V-Spec GT-R.

Other goodies include a pair of carbon-backed, leather Recaro buckets which retain the side airbags yet lose the electric motors, saving six kilograms per seat.
A lightweight titanium exhaust is also available (dropping five kilos) as is a new carbon-fibre undertray.

The bad news? The package costs nearly £30,000 (about $42,500) and it's only available in Japan. Nissan will honour warranties on NISMO-equipped GT-Rs but only if the car is inspected by NISMO following any forays onto the track.

Source: Top Gear

Nissan Raises GT-R MSRP By Нearly $7,000

Nissan announced today a price increase for the 2009 GT-R, raising the MSRP nearly $7,000 from $69,850 to $76,840. The price for the Premium model has been increased even more, going from $71,900 to $79,090 in one fell swoop. Fortunately, the adjusted prices do not affect customers who placed their orders with dealers before September 5. Nissan cited increased material costs as the reason for the adjustment.

Since the GT-R is already one of the best performance bargains on the market today and customers are paying a premium to own one, we doubt that the price increase will have any effect on sales. Still, $7,000 is a serious chunk of change that could go towards aftermarket toys from Cobb Tuning or HKS.

Nissan GT-R R35 Convertible Concept

Check out these interesting and unofficial Nissan GT-R R35 Convertible Renderings which recently showed up on AutoJunk.nl and DeviantArt.com. With all the hype surrounding the recently released Nissan GT-R and the sold out level of demand it has endured, it’s hard to fathom that Nissan would contemplate a convertible version.

I know most purist or GT-R cult leaders would drop their jaws if a convertible version would ever make its way out of momma Godzilla’s womb. Either way what do you think of the renderings? I think they are pretty slick, however I wouldn’t be caught dead owning or driving one (unless it was the GF’s).

Source: Zimbio