The 2024 Nissan GT-R has been revealed, with Nissan giving yet another facelift to the super sports car that's nearly old enough to drive. At the 2023 Tokyo Auto Salon, where Nissan will also showcase a new special edition Nissan Z, the Japanese automaker took the wraps off the latest facelift of the R35 GT-R, with a newly designed front end inspired by the R34 Nissan Skyline GT-R and the return of the T-Spec.
What hasn't changed is the VR38DETT engine under the hood, which displaces 3.8 liters in a twin-turbo V6 configuration and generates up to 600 horsepower and 481 lb-ft of torque in GT-R Nismo and JDM-only Nismo Special edition guise, with the Nismo Special claiming to use high-precision weight-balanced piston rings, connecting rods, crankshaft, and other engine parts. In lesser trims, the motor is detuned to produce 565 hp and 467 lb-ft, which is slightly less than the base version of the GT-R in the US at present.
Power is sent to an all-wheel-drive system via a six-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission.
The new face features a split front bumper with a narrow upper grille reminiscent of the R34 Skyline GT-R's. This has been shrunk in size without impacting the rate of airflow. Fully redesigned LED headlights change up the aesthetic substantially, too, as do new hexagon-graphic LED fog lights. Aerodynamic efficiency has been prioritized, with various elements tweaked to enhance airflow. NACA ducts are standard on the hood of the 2024 GT-R, as is a prominent rear wing - newly designed on even the base model and positioned further back.
The Nismo variant is the most striking by a mile, featuring a massive swan-neck carbon fiber rear wing. Available to the US audience as part of the Nismo Appearance package, buyers can spec a carbon fiber hood, red-accented 20-inch RAYS wheels, extra carbon fiber aero pieces, and a special engine cover. The Nismo also has a new paint option called Stealth Gray.
The T-Spec name has been continued with this facelift, with these models once again sporting Millenium Jade paintwork and gold RAYS forged aluminum wheels wearing Dunlop SP Sport Maxx GT600 run-flat tires. Midnight Purple will also be available as a heritage color.
Mechanically, while the engine remains unchanged, Nissan has enhanced other aspects of the GT-R. Noise, vibration, and harshness have been improved - typically considered a weak area of expertise for the R35 GT-R - and the sound has been "carefully tuned to enhance onboard comfort," with a new muffler design featuring a unique Y-split pipe ahead of the enlarged resonator that muffles the low-resonance range and lets the engine sing when you drive in a sporty manner.
The T-Spec benefits from more mechanical upgrades and now boasts special suspension tuning and carbon ceramic brakes, emphasizing handling. These features also find their way to the GT-R Premium Edition trim.
For the Nismo models, enhanced suspension and a mechanical limited-slip differential for the front axle help maintain grip and put down the extra power, resulting in what Nissan dubs the "highest-performance GT-R ever."
No acceleration figures have been claimed, but we don't expect any changes from the current model.
An R34-inspired exterior may look good, but the interior enhancements made to the Nismo trims are spectacular. Immediately noticeable are carbon fiber Recaro bucket seats. These carbon-backed buckets feature minimal padding and various areas of exposed carbon, with black leather and Alcantara-clad padded areas trimmed in deep red. Naturally, Nismo and Recaro badging features on the seatbacks.
Woven carbon fiber is the order of the day, featuring prominently on the center console. Combinations of leather and Alcantara are used to trim the cabin, with the upper dash and steering wheel wrapped in the latter and red contrast stitching continued throughout. The red highlights continue with red leather on the shift knob, a red engine start button, and a red 12-o'clock marker on the steering wheel.
The T-Spec features special Mori Green upholstery with semi-aniline leather and suede upholstery on the regular Premium-style bucket seats.
Disappointingly, Nissan has not updated the infotainment system, which remains an eight-inch touchscreen with navigation, Apple CarPlay (no Android Auto), and an 11-speaker Bose sound system.
The reveal of the 2024 Nissan GT-R was initially the JDM (Japanese Domestic Market) version with eight variants available. This convoluted trim structure is simplified for the American audience who will have access to the GT-R Premium, GT-R Nismo, and GT-R T-Spec.
The facelifted GT-R will arrive at dealers this spring, with Nismo models following in the summer.
Last year, the GT-R's future was up in the air after Japanese production ended early, with the T-Spec signifying the end of production. However, it's now clear this was just to allow time for MY23 orders to be concluded and retooling to take place for the updated version.