Godzilla won't back down: Nissan puts its GT-R Nismo through a series of upgrades to face the year 2020

When we consider buying a high-performance vehicle, we tend to assume a large outlay is required, but Nissan showed us many years ago that this figure could be considerably reduced without having to give up a true sports car. That formula gave rise to what we came to know as the Nissan GT-R, or Godzilla, an affectionate nickname the Japanese supercar has rightfully earned. The name made its appearance without the illustrious Skyline badge in 2007 and, twelve years later, Nissan still keeps its favourite child intact, except for a series of important visual and mechanical upgrades to face the passage of time.

The Japanese manufacturer has taken the opportunity to unveil a new and improved GT-R Nismo, the most radical version of the supercar. Its characteristic and unique traits remain, but we can also see that a series of parts have been used that not only feed the GT-R’s aggressiveness and sportiness, but also its imposing and radical looks.

More and more carbon fibre for Godzilla

The engineers at Nissan managed to surprise us by producing a supercar capable of winning that arduous battle against a high weight, since the GT-R delivers surprising performance despite the 1,827 kilos shown on the scales. However, and although weight has never been a problem, we can see generous amounts of carbon fibre on the Japanese car’s body in this impressive update.

Front and rear bumpers, bonnet, boot, spoiler and side sill covers are some of the parts made from this lighter material. Thanks to them, the Japanese firm claims its GT-R Nismo has lost a total of 10.5 kilos, a figure to which another 20 kilos of savings from the use of new components must be added.

At the same time, the designers at Nissan have also drawn inspiration from the GT-R GT3 for the update of the road model, but not only for aesthetics. Thanks to having a reference point in the world of competition, the brand has managed to improve both the aerodynamics and the precision of its flagship supercar with elements such as the ventilation grilles, which help expel hot air from the engine bay and provide greater aerodynamic downforce on the front tyres.

Last but not least, we should highlight the wheels, which are 20-inch RAYS forged wheels. They feature a new design and are lighter than the previous ones, thus contributing to the carbon fibre diet that the Nissan GT-R Nismo 2020 has undergone.

Same V6 heart for a more refined chassis

Nissan has decided to keep the engine unchanged in this update of its GT-R but, on the other hand, we do find certain improvements both in chassis and performance. As a first point, and as we have already mentioned, Godzilla’s powerplant remains the 3.8-litre twin-turbocharged V6 capable of producing 600 CV of power and 652 Nm of torque.

However, a revision of the six-speed dual-clutch gearbox and adjustments to both the suspension and steering cause the behaviour of the GT-R Nismo to improve substantially. As the main novelty, we should make special mention of the carbon-ceramic brakes fitted to the Japanese supercar. These are 410 mm discs at the front and 390 mm at the rear, complemented by Brembo calipers.

At the same time, thanks to their silicon carbide and carbon structure, the discs offer a hardness similar to that of diamond. In addition to reducing the weight of the assembly, they have been tested under all kinds of extreme conditions, proving that they can withstand temperatures above 1,000 degrees Celsius.