2021 Nissan GT-R NISMO

$97,200 is the difference in price between the base Nissan GT-R and the hardcore Nissan GT-R Nismo you see here. For that amount, you could virtually buy a new Porsche 911 Carrera, at which point the Nismo seems to lose its grip on reality as quickly as it launches off the mark. That's without mentioning the fact that the current GT-R is a relic and has been on sale for over a decade. But to judge this car by normal standards is perhaps missing the point. Following significant upgrades last year that included upgraded turbochargers, the 3.8-liter twin-turbo V6 produces 600 horsepower and 481 lb-ft of torque, enough to send this missile to 60 mph in only 2.5 seconds. It's also relatively easy for even novice drivers to unlock the GT-R's brutal performance. While it still looks appealingly raw and aggressive, there's no denying that this is a sports car from another era. If you can look past its age, far more modern rivals like the Audi R8, and a sub-par cabin, the GT-R Nismo remains worthy of its legendary status.

Godzilla is as subtle as a gun. Although the sleekness of newer competition is missing in the GT-R Nismo's more jagged styling cues, there's no doubt that this sports car has bucketloads of presence. An aggressive front end with elongated LED headlamps, along with quad-exit tailpipes and a huge rear wing, are just a few of the features vying for your attention. Compared with the standard GT-R, which we review separately, the Nismo is enhanced with a carbon fiber hood, roof, trunk lid, and vented front fenders. It rides on 20-inch forged RAYS alloy wheels wrapped in Dunlop high-performance rubber. Front fender air outlets form part of the aerodynamic modifications, while power-folding mirrors, and flush-mounted door handles are standard.

It's not just the bold styling that captures your attention when the GT-R Nismo rumbles by; this is a large car. For instance, when parked next to an Audi R8, the Nissan is over ten inches longer. Key dimensions include a length of 184.6 inches, a 109.4-inch wheelbase, a width of 74.6 inches, and a height of 53.9 inches. At 3,867 pounds, it's on the heavy side as well, although it does come in at 68 lbs lighter than the regular GT-R. That said, the GT-R Nismo is only 11 lbs lighter than the Acura NSX, even though the other Japanese supercar has the added burden of hybrid components to cart around.

The Nissan GT-R Nismo has a narrow color palette of just four colors: Solid Red, Jet Black Pearl, Super Silver QuadCoat, and Pearl White TriCoat. The first two shades won't cost anything extra, but Super Silver adds $3,000 to the bill and the Pearl White goes for $1,000, both of which probably won't matter considering the Nismo already starts at well over $200,000. Besides the black, the other three shades do a great job of highlighting the carbon-fiber adornments spread all over the body, so we'd go for one of those three if given the choice.

The 3.8-liter twin-turbocharged V6 engine under the hood of the GT-R Nismo has been tuned to deliver 600 horsepower and 481 lb-ft of torque, with power being directed to all four corners. Nissan's latest round of updates - introduced for the 2020 model - claims superior engine responses by up to 20 percent. With the effective launch control system hooked up, the GT-R Nismo will go from 0 to 60 in just 2.5 seconds and continue on to a top speed of 205 mph. This is faster than both the Acura NSX and the Audi R8, putting into perspective what a beast the GT-R Nismo is. However, these two competitors aren't as prone to turbo lag as the Nismo (the Audi is naturally aspirated while the NSX's hybrid powertrain delivers a surge of power throughout the rev range), so on the move, they are more responsive and flexible. The GT-R Nismo is perfectly capable of stunning passengers into silence with the force of its acceleration off the mark, though.

The well-known 3.8-liter twin-turbo V6 VR38DETT engine powering the Nismo uses the same turbos found in the GT3 race car variant of the GT-R. Last year, the changes resulted in a 14.5 percent drop in mass and a 24 percent reduction in inertia, which Nissan says contributes to faster responses. Peak outputs are pegged at 600 hp and 481 lb-ft. Paired with this V6 is a six-speed dual-clutch transmission with an R Mode offering more aggressive shifts. Not all Nissan's claims have translated to the real-world driving experience, though, where the GT-R Nismo remains the victim of turbo lag. When the turbos do spool up, the GT-R Nismo will thrill you with its vicious turn of speed, but you'll also spend more time than is ideal waiting for this moment to be realized. Unlike most modern dual-clutches, the GT-R's gearbox isn't as smooth when undertaking stop-go traffic conditions, but it improves when used in anger on the track or when reverting to manual mode and using the paddle shifters mounted on the steering wheel.

The combination of the GT-R Nismo's special Dunlop high-performance tires, the standard all-wheel-drive system, and the Nismo-tuned suspension endow the Nissan with stupendous abilities on the track. Together with numerous improvements made over the last decade, the GT-R Nismo makes average drivers feel as if they've unlocked a previously unknown level of skill. The steering is super quick and the grip is phenomenal, so the Nismo can carry great speeds into corners without it feeling as though you've approached the car's limits. Switch up to R mode, use the paddle shifters, and, with enough space, the GT-R's annoying foibles at slower speeds make way for a truly absorbing driving experience. Giant carbon-ceramic brakes do a fantastic job of bringing the GT-R down from high speeds as effectively as it gets there. On that note, the launch control system remains one of the highlights of the GT-R Nismo experience, requiring little more than planting the throttle and releasing the brake after putting the drivetrain, traction control, and transmission into R mode.

The V6 isn't the best-sounding engine ever, but its sheer volume adds to the drama, and Nissan recently improved the acoustic experience with a revised titanium exhaust system. On normal roads, don't expect a cushy ride; the Bilstein DampTronic suspension is firm and makes most surface imperfections known, even in comfort mode. There is also plenty of road/tire noise to deal with, serving as a further reminder of the car's age.

With EPA-rated figures of 16/22/18 mpg across the city/highway/combined cycles, the Nissan GT-R Nismo uses as much gas as one would expect considering the towering performance on offer. A fairly large 19.5-gallon gas tank is fitted but this will still limit the range to around 351 miles in mixed driving conditions. In our experience with the GT-R Nismo, it was pretty easy to attain the 18 mpg average. If you prefer your supercar experience blended with a more efficient approach, the Acura NSX will be happy to oblige with superior figures of 21/22/21 mpg. However, the Nismo's consumption is unlikely to deter most people interested in buying one.

It's evident that the Nissan GT-R Nismo's interior was designed many years ago, as we've found in prior reviews over the last few years. The climate controls and average graphics of the central screen are clear reminders of how much things have moved on, and there isn't the same sense of occasion you get in most other cars at this price point. That being said, the old-school layout does mean that most of what you see is perfectly logical and easy to use. The cabin was designed before screens took over, of course. The Recaro leather/synthetic suede front seats look great, too, and you get equipment like power-adjustable front seats, a Nismo-specific tachometer, and a sporty, Alcantara-wrapped steering wheel that feels lovely to hold. Yes, it's old, and yes, it's a cabin that doesn't pamper occupants, but it also allows the driver to focus on the important task of driving.

The Nissan GT-R Nismo is styled as more of a traditional coupe than a low-slung supercar, and this has benefits for interior space. Both the driver and front-seat passenger will be happy with the amount of leg- and headroom on offer, but the rear seats are far more cramped and only really suitable for smaller children, lending itself towards a 2+2 classification rather than a full four-seater. The front Recaro bucket seats are sportily styled and, although they're suitably supportive for aggressive driving, they are less comfortable on longer journeys. Wider-framed individuals may also find the side bolsters too confining. Ingress and egress are straightforward and the view out isn't as restrictive as in some other sports cars.

The racy cabin feels like the antithesis to a Lexus or Mercedes-Benz, with glossy wood and chrome largely replaced by carbon fiber, Alcantara, and leather. Interior trim includes aluminum-trimmed pedals and machined aluminum inlays, while the steering wheel is unique to the Nismo and wrapped in Alcantara with a red 12 o'clock marker. Both the parking brake lever and shifter knob are finished in leather. Nismo spec restricts the color scheme to a sporty combination of black and red, with a mostly dark environment relieved by red stitching on the steering wheel, dashboard, and door panels. Those Recaro leather/synthetic suede seats, meanwhile, have red center sections and integrated headrests with the Nismo insignia stitched into them.

Although offering more cargo space than the likes of an Audi R8, the Nismo's trunk still measures just 8.8 cubic feet. As we found on our test drive, owners will have to contend with a high liftover height, so loading and unloading heavier items does require some muscle. On the plus side, those small rear seats can double as extra storage space for anything that won't fit into the trunk.

Interior storage space is hardly generous, though, with a smallish center storage compartment, three cupholders (two in front and one at the back), an overhead storage compartment for a pair of sunglasses, and door pockets that are also not that large.

Our Nissan GT-R Nismo review showed that, at the price, this is by no means a generously equipped car. Here, once again, the coupe's intense focus on performance is evident. Among the essential items that you do get are push-button ignition, dual-zone automatic climate control, power-adjustable and heated front seats, a tilt/telescoping steering column, and an auto-dimming rearview mirror. Most of the advanced driver-assist features you can get in a lowly Nissan Sentra are missing here, such as blind-spot monitoring and pedestrian detection. At least the GT-R's specs include a rearview camera, front/rear parking sensors, cruise control, and hill-start assist. On the performance front, the Nismo gets steering-wheel-mounted paddle shifters, downshift rev-matching, a limited-slip rear differential, and three driver-selectable modes.

The GT-R Nismo comes with the NissanConnect infotainment system that uses an eight-inch central touchscreen display, which is paired with a physical rotary knob and a couple of hard keys around the screen itself. Even though the graphics have fallen behind, the system is appreciably easy to navigate. It can also display numerous driving data information such as boost and torque split. Although these readouts aren't necessary, they somehow feel entirely appropriate in the GT-R. Standard features linked to the infotainment system include navigation, SiriusXM Traffic with Travel Link and a three-month trial subscription, voice recognition, Bluetooth connectivity, Apple CarPlay, a hands-free text messaging assistant to easily let everyone know you're taking the long way home, and twin USB ports. Notably, Android Auto integration isn't included. The default sound system is a Bose unit with 11 speakers.

The one advantage to the Nissan's age is that the GT-R hasn't succumbed to any major reliability issues through the years, despite its advanced mechanicals. The most recent recall came in 2019 and was for a rearview camera that fails to display images, consequently reducing driver visibility.

The GT-R's basic warranty isn't that generous, though, covering either 36,000 miles or three years, depending on which comes first. For example, Audi sells the Audi with a basic warranty that runs for either an extra year or 14,000 miles. GT-R owners will also receive a five-year/60,000-mile drivetrain warranty and roadside assistance for the same time period/mileage.

Unsurprisingly, the Nissan GT-R Nismo's status as a low-volume, high-priced performance car means that it hasn't been evaluated for crashworthiness by US safety authorities like the NHTSA and the IIHS. This scenario is unlikely to change for the remainder of the car's life, so don't expect an official safety rating or reviews anytime soon.

Older vehicles are less likely to be equipped with the latest driver-assist technologies and the GT-R Nismo is no different, so don't expect to find things like adaptive cruise control, blind-spot monitoring, and a surround-view camera system anywhere - and that includes the options list. Some safety items are non-negotiable, though, so the GT-R does have a rearview camera, tire-pressure monitoring, and six airbags, including curtain airbags for occupants in the front. On a performance car like this, the Nismo's traction control system and Brembo carbon-ceramic brakes are critical as well. Other standard features include hill-start assist, front/rear parking sensors, and basic cruise control.

Age is just a number, right? The 2021 Nissan GT-R Nismo defies the normal lifespan of a production vehicle by surviving to see yet another year, but the fact that it has stuck around for this long while still remaining an exceptional performance car is proof of how right Nissan got it from the start. In a straight line, it's an absolute bullet, while incremental improvements to the handling throughout the years have seen it become an even more engaging and capable track toy. In some ways, the GT-R Nismo's age is actually endearing; we love its brash, old school looks, and the fact that the interior hasn't been totally digitized. But there is no denying that it's prohibitively expensive. Rivals from McLaren, Audi, and others are more polished performers, but perhaps without the legendary status that makes the Nismo so beguiling. It's flawed, but we'll thoroughly miss Godzilla when it's gone.

The price of a Nissan GT-R Nismo starts at an MSRP of $210,740 in the USA, putting it in some truly exceptional company. For instance, the near-perfect Porsche 911 Turbo S starts at $203,500 and the accomplished Audi R8 starts at well below $200,000. The Nissan's price excludes tax, licensing, registration, and a shipping/handling cost of $1,795. Fortunately, by virtue of its lack of options, even a fully-loaded Nismo won't exceed $220,000.

Undoubtedly Nissan's halo model, the high-performance GT-R Nismo sits above the standard GT-R and comes in just a single trim, so there's no need to go sifting through multiple configurations. It's powered by a 3.8-liter twin-turbocharged V6 engine with peak outputs of 600 hp and 481 lb-ft of torque. Paired with all-wheel drive and a six-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission, the GT-R Nismo can reach 60 mph in a mere 2.5 seconds.

The Nismo comes with a specially tuned suspension, a black/red interior color scheme, and various carbon-fiber body panels to save weight, such as the hood and roof. Riding on aggressive 20-inch RAYS forged-alloy wheels, the GT-R Nismo comes with LED exterior lighting, power-folding mirrors, and quad-exit exhaust outlets. Inside, a mix of leather, synthetic suede, and Alcantara lines the cabin. Standard features include heated and power-adjustable front seats, an eight-inch central touchscreen, an 11-speaker Bose sound system, dual-zone climate control, and front/rear parking sensors.

There are very few options available for the Nissan GT-R Nismo, so it's pretty much a case of what you see is what you get at the (considerable) base price. A few of the random extras that can be tacked on include a chrome license plate frame ($35), premium sport floor mats with carbon-fiber inserts ($1,085), and a choice of exterior paint. That is pretty much it.

A single powertrain and almost zero available upgrades mean that the biggest decision you'll need to make is picking the exterior paint. A more pertinent question is this: should you spend close to double the price on a GT-R Nismo over the regular GT-R? Logically, it's difficult to justify the considerable price difference between the two. Then again, if it's the ultimate Nissan GT-R you want, only the Nismo will do.

At $97,200 less, the base model Nissan GT-R appears to be an absolute bargain alongside the Nismo. While both share a 3.8-liter V6 engine, the regular GT-R Premium produces 565 hp and 467 lb-ft compared to the Nismo's 600 hp and 481 lb-ft. However, the Nismo is only about two-tenths quicker to 60 mph by comparison, which hardly justifies the premium. To experience the benefits of the Nismo's slightly lighter weight and uniquely tuned suspension, you'll have to drive both cars at truly extreme speeds. There are some definite benefits to the Nismo, though, such as the carbon-ceramic brakes that make it better-suited to punishing use on track. The liberal use of carbon-fiber elements outside the Nismo also make it the more exotic option between these two, while the cabin is upgraded with those Recaro leather/synthetic suede sport seats and a bespoke steering wheel that make it feel even more special. But the standard GT-R is a special car too, so if you don't have an extra $100k just lying around, it'll provide most of the thrills at half the price.

If you think that the Nissan GT-R Nismo is expensive, think again. At virtually twice the price, the Lamborghini Aventador is a piece of automotive exotica that is more commonly associated with A-listers. It's an extraordinary machine to look at, both inside and out, and is one of the few cars on the road that can steal attention away from the Nismo. Although both cars are similarly quick up to 60 mph, the Lamborghini's atmospheric 6.5-liter naturally-aspirated V12 is possibly the best engine currently in production. There's no turbo lag here - just a crushing wave of power that never stops building, along with the most intoxicating noise. Although the Nissan feels more spacious inside, the Aventador feels more special, but the GT-R is the one to get if you need more space for people and luggage. It's difficult to compare two cars with such different characters and at vastly different price points, but if money were no object, it's hard to say no to one of Lamborghini's most extreme supercars.