Almost V-Spec
NISMO Releases Club Sports Package For Nissan GT-R
The future of the Nissan GT-R V-Spec is still shrouded in mystery, with rumors that the 550+ horsepower variant is due to debut later this year and go on sale in Japan in early 2009. In the meantime, Nissan's motorsports consortium, NISMO, has released the first factory-approved tuning package for the GT-R, geared towards drivers planning to attack the track.
The Club Sports package will be marketed in Japan as a complete kit, including race-tuned Bilstein Damptronic adjustable dampers fitted with 18.5 kg/mm springs in front and 9.6 kg/mm coils in the rear. NISMO's long-time partner, Rays Engineering, has been tapped to provide forged aluminum wheels, sized 20x9.5-inches up front with a +45 mm offset and 20x10.5-inches with a +25 mm offset out back. Each is wrapped with Bridgestone RE070R runflats (255/40/20 in front and 285/35/20 in the rear) and NISMO insists that the stiffly sprung suspension and grippier rubber will allow the GT-R to run through corners quicker and provide more stability at high speeds.
The rest of the Club Sports package focuses on weight reduction, with a lightweight axle-back exhaust system dropping 11 pounds off the production unit, a carbon fiber underbody diffuser that smoothes out airflow, and a set of carbon-fiber backed leather seats that retain the airbags but nix the electronic controls, saving another 13 pounds.
NISMO has yet to announce if the Club Sports pack will be available in the States, but considering the cost of entry - 5,460,000 - or just over $50,000, we somehow doubt that we'll be seeing NISMO badging on many GT-Rs in the U.S
New Ideas From Mazda Design
Mazda continues to assault show-goers with more Nagare-styled concepts, even though the automaker's "flow" theme has yet to be realized on a production vehicle.
Two new design studies are making their debut during the 2008-2009 show season, beginning with a new crossover concept unveiled in Moscow and followed by a city-car revealed in Paris.
The Kazamai concept is a two-door CUV that focuses on efficiency, with a lightweight aluminum structure and an aerodynamic body that's ten-percent more slippery than any other vehicle in its (theoretical) segment. A six-speed automatic gearbox channels power to all four 22-inch wheels via a direct injected, all-aluminum, 2.0-liter engine, equipped with a new combustion control system, variable valve timing and next-generation catalysts to reduce emissions. Safety is the order du jour, with an advanced shell design that protects both passengers and pedestrians, and will supposedly be implemented on future Mazdas.
The Mazda Kiyora, which translates to "clean and pure" in Japanese, takes the automaker's new "Sustainable Zoom-Zoom" theme to its most logical end, combining engaging driving dynamics with a small, fuel-efficient package. Again, aluminum is used throughout the Kiyora's architecture to keep weight in check and a small-displacement, direct-injected four-pot powers the front wheels, providing range-topping fuel efficiency and reduced emissions.
While neither vehicle will make the transition from show car to production model anytime soon, Mazda has released the first official image of its facelifted MX-5, which pulls a few stylistic cues from its big rotary-powered brother, the RX-8. The new fascia dons a five-pointed gaping maw flanked by redesigned fog lamp enclosures and topped off with a pair of tautly drawn headlamps. We'll have all the details on the 2009 MX-5 after it debuts in Paris, so keep an eye out in our next issue.
HKS Tunes The New HyundaiGenesis Coupe
Last month, we saw the first of three tuned Genesis Coupes set to debut at this year's SEMA show. The first rendering was the product of Rhys Millen Racing and now we've got our hands on the second teaser, courtesy of HKS.
By Damon Lavrinc
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