Nissan GT-R Nismo review

Attention, chunky-walleted folk who’ve been denied the chance to purchase German track-ready sports cars because they were only produced in small batches. Nissan isn’t limiting production of the GT-R Nismo.

Factory capacity dictates it can only build 400 per year, but if you’ve got the reddies (set to be over £150k) then you can have one. No nods and winks to dealers or having to buy thirty-seven X-Trails first. Just be prepared for a waiting list that could be as long as 18 months. Japan’s the biggest market, but Germany, the UK and the United States also love their GT-Rs. 

There’s only one spec, and as we’ve said, it’s pretty well kitted out for a hardcore special. Choose from white, grey or black paint, and that’s about it. Ceramics, the lightweight wheels, the titanium exhaust and so on are all thrown in. It’s not going to be a difficult car to spec. And Mr GT-R himself Hiroshi Tamura-san happily admits that the GT-R is a trusted base-car for tuners. So, chances are if you’ve got ideas to haul out more weight, or make more power, then there’ll be a tuning shop very happy to help you push the boundaries of Nissan’s foundation. 

Although the engine is relatively teeny for a 600bhp super-coupe, at only 3.5-litres and six cylinders, GT-Rs do like a drink. When we ran a MY17 car a couple of years ago, it averaged similar mpg to a V8 C63. The Nismo’s weapons-grade aero pack isn’t going to help. But if you charge for every selfie the car appears in, you’ll soon be in the black.