Nissan GT-R updated for 2013

The continuing racetrack focus for the car called Godzilla means the upcoming model is a little bit quicker, has a little more responsiveness and strength, and even picks up a tiny change with a new oil baffle in the sump.

It's all about on-track speed and according to GT-R engineers, the end result is a 2013 GT-R that is two full seconds faster around the Nurburgring racetrack in Germany.

"They are definitely learning a lot from the Nurburgring 24-hour race," says Peter Fadeyev, spokesman for Nissan Australia. The end result also picks up the price pace, as the updated GT-R will list for $172,000.

That's only a little up from the $170,800 of the current car, but considerably more than the $155,800 sticker when the car first hit Australia in April 2009 and slammed a range of highly-rated rivals including the BMW M3 and Mercedes-Benz C63 AMG.

The 2013-model GT-R is the first update for two years and the last of the minor tweaks before a big revision, most likely with the first body changes since the GT-R was announced, sometime in 2013.

The car was an instant hit with 238 deliveries in the first year, although that dropped to 77 in 2010, followed by 87 in 2011 and 68 so far this year. But Nissan says its GT-R owners are a committed group and many like to push their cars.

"The majority of Nissan GT-R owners are skilled professionals and independent business owners. Many are performance car enthusiasts who choose it as a personal reward," says Fadeyev. "It appears close to half of all Nissan GT-R owners would attend a track day at least once a year.

Nissan is planning a special arrival in Australia for the 2013 car but is unlikely to repeat the Phillip Island drive day in 2011 that drew dozens of GT-R owners to the track and a meeting with its 'father', Kazutoshi Mizuno.

"We'll have the car on the first of February," says Fadeyev. The technical detail of the changes include extra response from the twin-turbo V6, suspension tweaks claimed to improve ride comfort, and slightly sharper handling. The engine gets new fuel injectors and a relief value in the turbocharger bypass, as well as revised springs, dampers and front anti-roll bar.