It sounds a bit pompous, what with a name like that, but there’s nothing wrong with being self-involved, especially if it’s exclusivity you’re looking for.

Aside from the usual fare editions that have come about with Nissan’s facelifted GT-R, there’s the Egoist version, which the company says is an exclusive luxury edition ‘created by Takumi, or “master with greatest skills.”‘

The Egoist allows each customer to tailor his ride according to indvidual taste. It starts with a combination of interior colours to choose from – there are 20 selections in all, with four upper area interior colors and 10 lower area interior colors. Once you’ve selected the colour scheme that you want, the parts of the interior are shipped off to leather specialists Seton Company in Germany, where master craftsmen sew and stick carefully selected leather by hand.

The seats in the Egoist feature an exclusive quilted design with single and double stitching combined in a reticular pattern. Enhanced body grip performance, smoothness and fit are all provided for in the design.

Next, there’s a Bose precision sound system that’s tuned to you, quite litreally – the sound quality is adjusted exclusively for each owner, depending on individual driving position. The model also gets specially developed carbon composite-based woofers, which offer high rigidity and damping.

The car also features a Wajima lacquer (Maki-e) steering wheel GT-R emblem, created by Sakae Kubota, an accredited traditional Japanese lacquer craftsman. The emblem’s deep coloring and glaze will deepen and richen as time goes by, which shouldn’t be a bad thing if you view it every day.

Of course, the flashy bits don’t get left out in all this exclusivity, with some common-to-SpecV parts strapped on for the ride. The Egoist adopts the dry carbon rear spoiler from there, as well as the latter’s Rays forged alloy wheels, though here it’s finished in a new five-layer Blue Sword Chrome shade. A titanium exhaust system completes the list.

Gallery after the jump.
[Read more...]

Nissan has announced the details on its model year 2011 DBA-R35 GT-R, which features a large number of enhancements as part of its mid-life facelift. The list includes a refreshed exterior and revised interior as well as improved engine output and torque, greater fuel efficiency, revised handling and new wheels and tyres.

Six versions of the GT-R will be available in Japan – the Pure, Black and Premium editions as well as a SpecV version. Also in the lineup is a new racing circuit use-only Club Track edition and an ultra-exclusive Egoist version that can be custom-ordered according to each individual customer’s tastes.

Mechanically, the VR38DETT’s output has now been bumped up to 530 PS (523 hp) at 6,400rpm, with maximum torque of 612 Nm available from 3,200 to 6,000rpm, and it wears a new red colour engine cover to denote that. The output increase is accomplished from upping the turbo’s boost pressure, reworking the valve timing and air mixture ratios as well as from improvements to air inflow and gas outflow – the air intake inlet and sections of the exhaust feature larger diameter piping.

All this, with improved fuel economy – the car gets 8.5km per litre in 10-15 cycle mode, the claim goes – and cleaner emissions to boot. Transmission-related changes include a new SAVE mode to help improve fuel economy by modifying the shift schedules. Elsewhere, the car gets a 2WD mode to help facilitate easier exits from tight parking lots – the system only works at speeds below 10 kph and with the steering wheel turned more than halfway.

Outside, the car features a new front bumper with double rectifier fins and high intensity white LED lights, which are also to be found at the rear as fog lamps. The bumper helps to increase front downforce by about 10%, while also reducing air resistance inside the engine compartment and improving the radiator’s cooling efficiency.

Cooling in other areas has improved as well – that for the underfloor and exhaust is enhanced by extending the rear diffuser and the inclusion of a new rear bumper outlet to allow improved excavation of air.

The facelift gets a new aluminium free-piston shock absorber design, offering more precise damping force, faster load shifts and reduced friction, the last to give improved ride comfort. Other suspension changes include revisions to the spring rates and stabiliser bar at the front, along with a reworked caster to offer better straight line stability and improved cornering ability. A new 390mm rotor also gets included in the mix, offering improved braking force and fade resistance as well as extended rotor life.

The car sits on new, lighter forged aluminum-alloy 10-spoke wheels made by Rays, finished in a new deep gloss Hyper Blue Black Chrome colour, which has five-layers of paint coating. The new wheels work with Dunlop SP Sport MAXX GT 600 DSST CTT tires, which features a new compound to offer improved tyre grip.

To enhance rigidity further, the car gets a lightweight carbon composite/aluminium honeycomb strut bar in the engine compartment and an additional support member in the passenger side of the instrument panel.

Not much in the way of change for the interior, with dress-up items being the main draw. Besides a newly shaped instrument panel pad and new material stitch lines, the centre console cluster gets the carbon treatment, and there are matte black-finish switches and smoked chrome-plated accent rings for the console and air-conditioner vents.

Meanwhile, the GT-R badge on the steering wheel gets a new velour-like gloss coating and the magnesium paddle shifters now have a finish that highlights the base material. Improved seats are also to be had – revisions have been made to the shape and cushion stroke, while seat surface length has been increased to provide better support and a new seatback design offers improved fit. The Black edition features leather bucket seats using a Recaro design based on the structure of the Pure and Premium edition seats.

Six exterior colours are available, with two being new – Meteo Flake Black Pearl and Aurora Flare Blue Pearl. The GT-R will begin selling in Japan on November 17, and will make its way to other global markets after February next year.

Gallery after the jump.
[Read more...]