Nissan cars

Switzer Ultimate Street Edition Now Offered as a Production Model

Back in June, Switzer Performance unveiled its Ultimate Street Edition based on the Nissan GT-R, but at that point no one imagined that the model will enjoy such a great success. Switzer announced today that the tuner just moved from its 4,500 square-foot garage to a 105,000 square-foot complex in order to expand its tuning operations.

This new complex will be used to produce company’s new Ultimate Street Edition GT-R in limited-edition fashion. In the future, however, Switzer hopes to expand production to several cars per month.

The model will be available at selected Nissan dealers at an $88,990 premium over the GTR’s base sticker price. For the money you will get a GT-R powered by a heavily modified 3.8-liter V-6 engine that delivers a total of 1,000 horsepower, allowing the GT-R to sprint from 0 to 60 mph in the 2 second range. This Ultimate Street Edition GT-R will have a top speed of 200 mph.

"We took a small performance garage and turned it into a supercar factory. That’s the simplest way to put it, but we really changed everything about the way the shop operates. We have a section of the shop now that focuses on complete, ‘turnkey’ converted cars," says David Kim, CEO of Switzer Performance. "The Ultimate Street Edition GTR is that team’s focus."

Video: Nissan GTR Switzer P800 0 to 180mph, Part II

About two weeks ago, we brought you the first video showing the Nissan GT-R P800 by Switzer in action from 0 to 180 mph, but that video was filmed from inside the car. Now it is time for a second one and this time you have the chance to watch see the car in all its glory, thanks to multiple camera angles.

The video was shot on a private airstrip and it shows multiple accelerations clips from outside of the car, from a standstill. This piece of Japanese beauty manages to hit an incredible 184 mpg in an even more astounding 0.9 miles.

The P800 is equipped with Password JDM exhaust, test pipes, x-pipe, and other mods that have increased the engine’s output up to 800 horsepower and almost 700 pound-feet of torque. What an awesome vehicle.

Enjoy the video!

2013 Nissan Juke Nismo "The Dark Knight Rises"

Straight from the Cross Promotion 101 handbook comes this one-off project car from Nissan and Warner Bros., celebrating the UK release of Christopher Nolan’s blockbuster movie, "The Dark Knight Rises" on DVD and Blu-Ray.

As only Nissan can, the Japanese automaker decided to build a one-off Juke Nismo crossover solely to promote the new DVD and Blu-Ray. Appropriately enough, the crossover is called The Dark Knight Rises Juke Nismo.

The crossover features plenty of Batman-inspired details, something that you should expect from a car promoting The Caped Crusader. Matte-black paint was used to give the Juke Nismo a Batmobile-like appearance. A shark fin antenna was also installed in lieu of the traditional set-up on the Juke, and aluminum bat badges have been plastered in various parts of the Juke Nismo, including the front grille and the tailgate. Rounding out the exterior modifications is a set of 18-inch gloss-black alloy wheels with red detailing.

Moving to the interior, Nissan gave it a Batman-inspired look, beginning with Bat logos on the kick plates. Reflective Bat badges on the suede-trimmed Nismo sports seats’ headrests pays homage to the inspiration for the one-off project car. The puddle lights in the door mirrors are particularly cool because they project the Bat symbol on the floor area by the doors. The same setup can be found on the uplighter, projecting the same Bat symbol on the headlining.

Unfortunately, the Juke Nismo Dark Knight Rises will neither be sold nor be sent off to the auction block. The question of how to get it has yet to be answered, although expect the Juke Nismo Dark Knight Rises to be a prize in some sort of competition down the road.

Based on the new Nissan Juke Nismo, which goes on sale in the UK in January 2013, The Dark Knight Rises Juke Nismo features the same 200PS (197-horsepower) 1.6-liter turbocharged engine driving the front wheels via a six-speed manual gearbox, giving it a 0 to 62mph (0 to 100 km/h) time of 7.8 seconds. It also gets a Nismo body kit and upgraded suspension.

Video: Nissan GT-R will be featured on National Geographic Megafactories

National Geographic’s Megafactories series has been featuring some of the most amazing supercars out there: Aston Martin One-77, Bugatti Veyron and much more.

And now the TV station is moving its attention to Japan, as the Nissan GT-R will also be featured in the next episode of "Megafactories" series. The episode has been filmed at Nissan’s factory in Tochigi, Japan, where the GT-R is being built. You will learn everything there is to know about the GT-R, including the incredible work needed to develop such an amazing sports car.

The GT-R is currently the most affordable supercar on the market - starts under $100K and delivers an incredible power: 3.8 liter V6 with 545 HP!

This episode will be aired on December 13, 2012, so be sure you won’t miss it! Until then enjoy this very cool teaser video released today by National Geographic.

Nissan DeltaWing Included in Popular Science’s "2012 Best of What’s New"

Though the Nissan DeltaWing has not done too much in the racing world yet, it certainly has gained its share of notoriety. The latest notoriety is likely one of its biggest achievements, as it was named to Popular Science’s "2012 Best of What’s New" list, which is included in the December 2012 printing of the magazine.

Popular Science releases this list every year, which contains 12 different categories and covers 100 new technologies, so making the cut is quite the achievement. We have certainly enjoyed watching the DeltaWing grow ever since it was just an unusual concept on a piece of paper, so its inclusion comes as no surprise to us. Even with its unusual proportions and relatively low power output, the DeltaWing has already run in the 2012 24 Hours of Le Mans, the Petite Le Mans and is set to run as a classified car in the 2013 American Le Mans Series.

While the 24 Hours of Le Mans race didn’t turn out too well, the Petit Le Mans ended very well, with the Delta Wing placing in the top five.

A belated congratulations to the DeltaWing crew on its fifth-place finish at the Petite Le Mans and a huge congratulations to it for this awesome recognition!

Click past the jump to red Nissan’s full press release on the award.

Nissan Releases Details on Nissan GT-R Usain Bolt Edition Ebay Auction

The gold-painted Nissan GT-R Usain Bolt Edition is headed to auction, but this time, Nissan’s not going for the usual setup. Instead, it’s bringing the car to eBay where interested folks can have a chance to make a bid for the car.

The auction will run from November 22nd to December 2nd, 2012 and, according to Nissan, the winning bidder will have the car built specifically to conform to regulations in the bidder’s area. Delivery date has been scheduled for March 2013.

In addition to the "Bolt Gold" GT-R, which predictably is the crown jewel of the auction, Nissan will also auction off a number of other Bolt-signed items, including clothes and racing helmets. All of the proceeds from the auction will be given to the Usain Bolt Foundation, a charity that the record-setting sprinter established to lend support, and give educational and cultural opportunities to young kids in Jamaica.

It certainly goes without saying that the event holds special meaning to the Olympic champion’s heart, particularly because the people that it will benefit are young children from his home country. "This project excites me because it brings together my passion for speed and excellence, and my desire to help kids and young people," Bolt said.

So if you’re interested in owning a one-of-a-kind GT-R and knowing that the money you paid for it will go to a worthy cause, this is the auction for you.

Video: Nissan GTR Switzer P800 from 0 to 180 mph

The folks over at Switzer Performance have developed some of the most amazing tuning packages for the Nissan GT-R. The latest of its creations was the Ultimate Street Edition. Today, however, is time to watch the P800 GT-R in action.

With Brian Zuk behind the wheel, the P800 GT-R went from 0 to 180 mph in just a matter of seconds. Is not a surprise considering all of that power beneath the hood: an impressive 800 horsepower and almost 700 pound-feet of torque. In order to deliver this amazing output, the GT-R has received a new pair of turbochargers, monster intercoolers, a new fuel-management computer and the catalytic converters has magically disappeared. The P800 GT-R also received a new titanium exhaust system, an upgraded suspension system and, of course, a new brake system to drag it to a halt.

In the end all of that work worth it! Check the video if you don’t believe us!

2013 Nissan GT-R JDM Spec

Here in the U.S., we have had the 2013 GT-R for a pretty long time, but the Japanese Domestic Market (JDM) had yet to receive its version yet. Just today, Nissan officially unveiled the all-new-for-the-JDM 2013 Nissan GT-R in Sugo, Japan. Along with this media circus came a short presser outlining the basics of this new model.

While this is not the 2014 U.S.-spec model, like some mistakenly thought at first, this may give us a small glimpse into the future of the U.S.-spec 2014 GT-R. Just like the 2013 GT-R here in the States, the 2013 JDM GT-R will receive some upgrades to its engine to help bump its already-stout engine up a few ponies and increase its responsiveness.

As expected, when we reached out to Nissan about this being related to the 2014 U.S.-spec GT-R, we were quickly met with the canned “we don’t comment on future vehicles.” According to the PR rep, who rejected us in the kindest way possible, “what’s in the press release is all the information there is.”

To read more about these improvements to the 2013 JDM-spec GT-R, click past the jump.

2013 Nissan Nismo GT-R GT3-Spec

The 2012 Nissan Nismo GT-R GT3, which Nissan launched at the beginning of the year, scored some amazing results during this year’s racing season. Now Nismo is getting even more powerful for the 2013 racing season with the unveiling of its new 2013 GT-R GT3-Spec - a model that adds improvements to the engine, suspensions and aerodynamics. Orders will be accepted beginning on November 13, 2012. Each unit will be developed on demand.

Under the hood, the 3.8-liter V-6 twin-turbo engine has received new camshaft timing and reinforced moving parts. The engine delivers a total of 550 horsepower at 6,500 rpm and a peak torque of 439 pound-feet at 5,000rpm.

In order to improve the car’s aerodynamics, Nismo adds canards to the front and the front fender louvers are enlarged. The positioning of the rear wing is also optimized. These changes improve aerodynamic balance between front and rear, and increase downforce, which enhances overall aerodynamic performance.

In Europe, the model will be priced at £270,000 - about $430,000 at the current exchange rates.

Click past the jump to read the full press release.

2013 Nissan Altima V8 Supercar Series Race Car

For the first time in 20 years, Nissan is set to compete in Australia’s Supercar V8 Series and they’re doing so with the 2013 Nissan Altima V8 Supercar.

The car was unveiled at a special event in Melbourne and marks one of the first vehicles that aren’t Ford Falcons or Holden Commodores to compete in the V8 Supercar Series.

Together with its partner Kelly Racing, Nissan is planning to bring four of these models to compete in the 2013 season under the Nissan Motorsport banner. As far as modifications are concerned, the Altima V8 Supercar will get a NISMO-developed 5.0-liter VK56DE V8 engine. Incidentally, this Nismo-sourced V8 powertrain is the same engine that powered the Nissan GT-R FIA GT1 to the FIA GT1 World Championship title back in 2011. To comply with the V8 Supercar regulations, the engine’s displacement was actually reduced from 5.6 liter to 5.0 liters.

Talking to Australia’s Herald Sun, Kelly Racing co-owner and overseer of the Nissan Altima project Todd Kelly has high hopes for the Altima V8 Supercar leading up to its run in the 2013 season of the V8 Supercar Series.

"Factory support is the key to teams winning Bathurst and V8 Supercar championships," Kelly said.

"There’s nothing more exciting for a drive than to unveil a car with a brand new chassis that takes it to a new level.’’

UPDATE: 11/05/12: A week after Nissan pulled the covers off of the Altima V8 Supercar Racer, the automaker finished its first run of testing at Calder Park Raceway. At the end of the test session, the team seemed happy with the results, although they also cautioned that there’s more work that needs to be done to make the Altima V8 Supercar racer up to speed. Check out the video of the car’s test run by clicking on the photo above!

UPDATE 02/13/13: A few months after unveiling the Altima V8 Supercar Series Race Car, Nissan took it one step further with the debut of the actual race cars with their liveries in tow to go with the driver announcements for the two teams the Japanese automaker will be fielding in the V8 Supercar Series. Check out the fresh batch of pics in the gallery below!