The days of the Nissan GT-R being untouchable in a straight line are long gone as the R35-generation car edges towards its second decade of production.
Nevertheless, Godzilla remains exceptionally potent in a straight line and around a circuit, particularly in GT-R Nismo guise. However, is the Nismo really worth it or is it smarter to simply purchase a used GT-R and upgrade it to 660 hp?
In the latest Car Throttle track test, these two different takes on the GT-R were pitted against each other on a damp Silverstone circuit.
Despite having a 60 hp advantage, the tuner 2009 GT-R couldn’t keep up with the Nismo around the track, clocking a time 2.75 seconds slower than its more modern sibling. That isn’t the full story however.
The tuned GT-R benefited from a much drier circuit during its flying lap and when the Nismo hit the track in the same conditions, its time plummeted to just 2:44.88, light years ahead of the 2009 example.
As impressive as that time is, we expect it to pale in comparison to what the R36 GT-R can achieve. If it is a hybrid hypercar-killer as believed, the GT-R may be on the verge of reclaiming its performance car throne.