Nissan GT-R Spec V Debuts, Finally

Do you hear that? That's the sound of a planet full of GT-R fans, setting down their iPhones and throwing their hands into the air for joy, for the GT-R Spec V has arrived!

...No?  Well, perhaps that's because the Spec V isn't really what the press was making it out to be.  Rumors have been circulating around the web for about a year that the Spec V would be sporting an upgraded version of the GT-R biturbo V6, pumping out somewhere around 550 horsepower with upgraded turbos, etc.

Well, the Spec V does have some improvements, but nothing that impressive, sadly.  Exterior differentiating points are rather hard to see: a carbon fiber rear spoiler, front splitter, grille, and brake ducts.  The SpecV sits on a set of 20" Nismo forged alloys designed specifically for the GT-R; I personally am not sure they do it any favors, but they're light!

Performance modifications are minimal: the standard GT-R's ECU is tweaked to allow more boost in the midrange, for increasingly alarming overtaking maneuvers.  Nissan did not quote any power gains for this, so it's assumed the SpecV is producing the same 485 horsepower as the new GT-R's.  The SpecV gets a set of track-ready carbon/ceramic composite brakes, and a reworked, tighter suspension, as well as a titanium Nismo exhaust system to uncork the flow a bit.

Inside, two lucky passengers get coddled by carbon fiber-shell Recaro racing seats, while the useless back seat has been converted into a parcel shelf, as it should be.

That's all well and good, but here's the bad news:  The SpecV is only for sale at 7 specific dealerships in Japan, and it costs 15,750,000 yen - which is the equivalent of $170,000 US Dollars... or about £113,000! Not the greatest deal, considering a fully legal (not grey market) GT-R costs £56,795 new.  The SpecV will be even more limited production than the standard GT-R, which is about as common as an amusing episode of Australian Top Gear, so expect the market value for this rare toy to be considerably higher than sticker as well.

It seems to make more sense to send your car off to Mine's for a makeover for the same amount of cash, but who am I to judge?  The GT-R SpecV goes on sale on February 2nd, 2009 - so if you live in Japan and have a huge wad of cash burning a hole in your pocket, now's the time to get your order in!