Well, after the flurry of rumours and speculation, the Spec V finally made its appearance in the week of Tokyo Auto Salon 2009... BUT it did not make it to the Makuhari Messe, where TAS was held. Instead 2 cars sat rather quietly at Nissan's 2 Ginza showrooms (and another 2 in Nagoya and Fukuoka), while the GT-R Nismo Clubsport Package and the assortment of Z cars stole the limelight at the Auto Salon.
(Nismo Clubsport GT-R for comparison)
And for the R35, it's now referred to as Spec V, rather than V Spec, which would have been more familiar to devotees of Godzilla. Well you get lots of delicious dry carbon bits (higher rear wing, front grille and front brake ducts),
... as well as a Recaro OE reclinable c/f seat that is identical to the one in the Nismo Clubsport, albeit with an embossed 'GT-R' rather than 'Nismo' badge:
Here is a back-shot of the c/f reclinable seat (nissan press room):
One of the special colours for the new Spec V is Ultimate Black Pearl, which actually comes across more as Purple. However, it is dependent on the kind of light one views it in.
To save even more weight, the Spec V ditches its two rear seats,
... has two c/f reclinable Recaro OE front seats vs. the really heavy ones in the standard/black/premium editions. An Overboost function has been integrated into the steering wheel that 'boosts' mid-range torque for about 80 seconds when it's engaged (Photo from Nissan Press Room).
Great news for track-day enthusiasts are the carbon ceramic brakes (front 6-pot) that come on the Spec V, a first for a Nissan production car. Although brake-disc diameter has grown in size, it's actually lighter compared to the regular items.
Personally, I'm not so sure about the Spec V.
As much as i've been waiting for the Spec V to be launched, actually seeing it in person was quite an underwhelming experience. For starters, the tail-pipes, Ultimate Black Pearl 'special colour' and the seemingly hastily tacked-on 'Spec V' tag don't quite do it for me.
My ideal GT-R (from factory) would be a mix and match of parts and styling bits from the Spec V and the Nismo Clubsport package with the power hikes of a MY09 car. And another question, why wasnt the Spec V displayed at the Auto Salon where it could have basked in the adulation it deserves?
In any case, the GT-R Spec V is certainly back with a vengeance!
For more equipment details:
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