The 2011 Tokyo Auto Salon->ke1834 is just around the corner and and we are just twitching with excitement for the vehicles being displayed at the event, especially the new Nissan GT-R. We already know that Axell Auto is tuning up the star of the show with their own little package, but now we hear that Nissan and Nismo have joined together to bring a customized GT-R->ke1592 sports coupe specially developed for circuit driving to Tokyo as well. This new model is going to be called the Nissan NISMO GT-R RC and will be able to compete in various production races held around the world. Sweet!

The NISMO GT-R RC is based on the Nissan GT-R and features a slick tire-compatible suspension, lightweight components, and special safety equipment and devices. Among the safety equipment added is an FIA-approved welded roll cage, a 120-liter ATL safety fuel tank, and air jacks.

More details Nissan NISMO GT-R RC after the jump.

Exterior and Interior

The GT-R RC uses its fair share of carbon fiber on the car’s bumper, hood, trunk lid, and rear wing, as well as an acrylic rear window that makes the car much lighter than the stock version at just 1,520 kg.

On top of that, Nismo also went ahead and modified the car’s suspension with a height adjustable suspension system and a stouter braking system that makes use of 410 mm rotors on the front and 380 mm rotors on the rear.

As standard for all RC-spec race models, the GT-R RC was also fitted with a set of ADVAN 290/710 R20 slick tires.

Finally, as a race car, the GT-R RC was also given all the FIA standard safety features, including an FIA-compliant weld-in roll cage, a bucket racing seat with a driver safety harness, a fire extinguisher, a 120-liter ATL safety fuel cell, and air jacks.

Performance

In terms of sheer performance, the Nismo GTR-R RC is based on the R35 GT-R, which means that it comes with the VR38DETT 3.8 liter twin-turbo V6 engine that produces well over 357 horsepower at 6,400 rpm and over 588 Nm of torque at 5,200 rpm and is mated to a GR6 dual-clutch transmission. Though its not as menacing as the refreshed production GT-R - that one hits 530 horsepower – the GT-R RC does come with a lighter bodyweight of just 1,520 kg, making it a much more agile Godzilla out on the race track.

Pricing

The GT-R RC is going to be eligible for production car series and is being offered with a price tag of 20.8 million yen or somewhere around $250,500 based on current exchange rates.

Competition

One racing series where the Nismo GT-R RC has already competed in is at the Super Taikyu 2010 Championship where it has gone head-to-head with some stiff competition that includes BMW Z4Ms, Mitsubishi EVOs->ke2426, and Porsche 911 GT3s.