2018 Nissan GT-R Nismo GT3 racer announced for customers

Nissan has announced it will be selling the 2018 version of its Nismo GT-R GT3 racer with delivery to be expected next year.

The car has already undergone some competitive racing under teams partnered with Nissan and Nismo, but hadn’t been made ‘publically’ available for purchase.

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Now, anyone with racing intentions and the money to pay up will be able to own one.

The major change in this car as opposed to the version from 2015 is the weight distribution and centre of gravity have been altered by lowering and moving the engine mount further back in the engine bay.

Suspension, the rigidity of the front and rear of the vehicle, and the balance between downforce and drag have also been optimised, Nissan says.

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The dry sump engine is capable of over 405kw and 637Nm, though the FIA’s balance of power rules would dictate these figures are not always seen in races, especially given it weighs 1,285kg.

Nismo CEO Takao Katagiri says he’s got ‘high hopes’ the car will be seen competing for various teams around the world.

“To develop the 2018 model Nissan GT-R Nismo GT3, Nismo, as the official sporting arm of Nissan, has made full use of the advanced technology and expertise we have gained through our vast experience in racing, and this car is built to be competitive in GT3 racing around the world,” says Katagiri.

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"Whilst this is its first year of actual competition, it is already demonstrating its competitiveness, having attained achievements such as a 3rd place podium finish in the Japan Super GT (GT300 class) and a 3rd place overall finish in the Blancpain GT Series Asia.”

Nismo says the car, without taxes and delivered at the Nismo factory, will cost ¥60,000,000. This translates directly to approximately AUD$720,000, though it’s not wise to bank on getting one onto a track before having spent plenty more than that.