Twelve years is a long time, but more so in the fast-paced world of performance motoring. Yet, the Nissan GT-R looks to be taking things in stride, adding a bit of performance (and price increase) here and there. Well, for those who want what could be the ultimate swansong for the R35 model, there’s the 2020 Nissan GT-R NISMO. And yes, you can get one for the Philippine market.

Before discussing its availability, it’s best to discuss first what’s new. Well, Nissan says the GT-R NISMO represents “50 years of history, pedigree, success in racing, and a global fan following” for the GT-R. As such, Nissan Motorsports aka NISMO concentrated on making sure the latest GT-R NISMO achieves total balance. And with that, they added race-proven technology, reduced the weight, and upgraded the handling. Basically, they’ve reengineered the car inside and out.



Though overall power remains the same—600 horsepower, the 2020 Nissan GT-R NISMO gets the turbochargers from the GT3 racecar version of the GT-R. These employ a 10-vane turbine wheel (one fewer vane than the current model), where the vanes are 0.3 millimeters thinner. This accounts for a 14.5 percent reduction in mass, and therefore inertia (24 percent), allowing for an increase in transient response. NISMO says there’s 20 percent improvement in throttle response resulting in a sharper feel. Together with the new turbos, a revised titanium exhaust system brings out a more “empathic” sound, while the 6-speed dual clutch automatic gets a new shifting algorithm.

Designed with aerodynamics in mind, the 2020 Nissan GT-R NISMO improves on the cooling of vital areas such as the engine bay and brakes without negatively impacting the impressive co-efficient of drag (0.26).


Hand-in-hand with the aero, it receives a diet courtesy of plenty of carbon fiber components. Most components are lighter compared to the current NISMO model. This includes the front and rear bumpers, front fenders (less 4.5 kilograms), hood (less 2 kilograms), roof (less 4 kilograms), side sill covers, trunk and rear spoiler. Combined, these exterior parts alone have resulted in a total weight saving of 10.5 kilograms, joining the nearly 20-kilogram reduction through upgrades and new components.

The most significant piece of carbon fiber application is the roof. New for 2020, the carbon fiber roof removes a substantial amount of weight where it counts most, lowering the car's center of gravity for improved handling and feel. The roof panel itself is made by using a world-first technique of combining a Prepreg Compression Molding process with a carbon plate and lightweight hard foam sandwich structure. This gives the carbon structure a tighter and lighter weave, improving sound insulation and a striking appearance. Other changes in the carbon fiber construction are the NACA ducts on the hood, which are now incorporated into the composite structure.


Nissan also collaborated with Brembo for an all-new brake package on the GT-R NISMO. Special large calipers join carbon ceramic rotors, the biggest ever fitted to a Japanese performance car at 410 mm (16.1 inches) in the front and 390 mm (15.3 inches) at the rear.

The 2020 GT-R NISMO also benefits from a new suspension tuning that improves cornering stability (lateral G), with enhanced yaw-rate response, and smoother ride quality. The Bilstein DampTronic shocks now offer 20 percent softer rebound and 5 percent softer compression. Meanwhile, the steering features better linearity and precision than ever, requiring minimal corrections even at speeds reaching 300 km/h. The new suspension goes hand-in-hand with the exclusive 20-inch RAYS forged aluminum wheels and new Dunlop tires with boosted levels of grip (7 percent more) and increased contact patch (11 percent).

Inside the cabin, the 2020 GT-R NISMO features revised Recaro seats with a carbon fiber sandwich in its three-layer structure that helps increase the rigidity of the seats (helps fight against flex and gives better support while braking) while keeping the weight down.



Now, onto the best piece of news.

Nissan Philippines, Inc. is indeed offering the 2020 Nissan GT-R NISMO on an indent order basis. Available solely through the Nissan High Performance Center (Nissan Quezon Avenue), the sole sales and service center for the GT-R in the country, it comes in four colors: Solid Red, Jet Black Pearl, Super Silver Quadcoat, and Pearl White Tricoat. All color schemes feature black side mirrors that differentiate the car from other GT-R models.

Nissan Philippines, Inc. says they cannot quote a price until a firm order has been placed (they have actually sold three Nissan GT-R NISMO so far). That said, expect yet another hefty price jump for this all-out version of the GT-R. In other countries, the price is up around P 1.81 million pesos so realistically, expect to get a 2020 GT-R NISMO for around P 15 million.