Even in standard form, the Nissan GT-R is a car which can out-perform and embarrass much more expensive and exotic supercars. In Nismo GT-R form, it’s even faster again. The Nismo GT-R smashed almost every other road car that has ever lapped the Nurburgring circuit, with a time of 7 minutes and 8 seconds. Only the bonkers Porsche 918 Spyder, Lamborghini Aventador SV, Radical SR8 and SR8 LM are faster then that.
But it wasn’t just any Nismo GT-R. It had a brand new set of go-fast parts which Nismo offers as a bundle called the N-Attack Pack. Far more than being just a few spoilers and an ECU re-tune, the N-Attack Pack can only be purchased by Nismo GT-R owners who have less than 15,000kms on the clock. There’s only a handful of specially trained engineers around the world who can fit it, and they’ll fly anywhere in the world and spend 2 to 4 weeks fitting the parts to your vehicle.
Below are photos taken by the Top Gear team when they checked out one particular Nismo GT-R which was about to receive the full N-Attack treatment, to see what exactly is involved.
New ECU and traction control system
The GT-R Nismo N-Attack doesn’t ramp up the power levels massively over the standard GT-R Nismo. The 3.8L twin-turbo V6 with its GT3 racing-spec turbochargers remains the same, pumping out 441kW (591hp) and 652Nm (481lb-ft). But there’s a new map for the boost pressure to improve responsiveness out of medium speed corners, plus a reconfigured traction control system to help get all that power down to the road.
Carbon intercooler piping
The N-Attack’s new carbon fibre intercooler piping serves two purposes – A) they’re lighter, and B) they look fantastic.
New rear wing
In the world of cars, bigger is not always better – but the N-Attack’s new rear wing is wider and taller than the standard Nismo GT-R’s. There’s no downforce specs as such, but Nismo say it provides even more downforce than the 100kg provided by the Nismo GT-R’s standard rear wing. It’s also modelled off the GT500 race cars, so has cool ‘shark teeth’ cutouts that slice through the air on the end plates.
Adjustable spoiler mounts
At its highest setting, the GT-R N-Attack’s rear wing sits 135mm taller than the one on the regular Nismo GT-R. That’s tall enough to position it directly in the airflow coming off the roof of the car, and promises In its highest setting, the whopper of a wing is 135mm higher than a normal Nismo. All N-Attack cars will have their wing setup for the Nurburgring, but it can be adjusted twelve different ways.
Carbon front fenders
The N-Attack package includes a brand new pair of carbon fibre front fenders for your Nismo GT-R. Once they’ve had a QA check, they’re sent off to colour matched to the colour of your car, before being fitted up.
Front brakes
The N-Attack still uses steel brake discs, however the front pads are swapped out for brand new Brembo’s, which are softer and offer increased braking performance in higher load conditions.
Front chin spoiler
The N-Attack package includes a new rubber chin spoiler with special Nismo bolts to attach below the existing bumper. It helps direct air into the venturis in the flat carbon bottom of the car to make sure Nismo stays stuck to the track. It also offers a bit of additional protection for the carbon underbody panels and also for the front bumper when being driven on the road.
Front and rear limited-slip differentials
Arguably the most serious parts of the kit, the front and rear limited-slip differentials can only be fitted after the engine and gearbox have been removed from the car. Once in, they’re optimised for front and rear balance. They’ll make a real difference though as they’re extremely good at transferring all that torque to the ground via the trick four-wheel-drive system. Compared to the normal Nismo, they promise to be a lot better at putting the power down out of tight corners.
Suspension
The N-Attack brings with it a brand new Ohlins suspension setup, which itself is based on the GT3 race car’s suspension system and optimised specifically for the Nurburgring. Because the Nurburgring is so bumpy, the damping has been completely reworked to help aid traction and steering stability. It’s also four-way adjustable.
Anti-roll bars
Rounding off the new suspension is a pair of new front and rear anti-roll bars. They’re fully adjustable and make sure the car stays flat and level while punishing your organs with unbelievable grip levels.
Titanium exhaust
The new MY2017 GT-R, revealed last week at the New York Auto Show, had a brand new titanium exhaust setup – and naturally the N-Attack benefits from the same technology. If you bought a Nismo and did not select the new exhaust as an option when originally ordering the car, it’s fitted as part of the upgrade.
Carbon bucket seats
Recaro have also chipped in with a pair of new lightweight bucket seats. They’re fully fixed (no shift forward, back or recline) and are positioned perfectly to the driver’s optimum seating arrangement.
Carbon rear bulkhead
In Kit B form, the N-Attack package removes the back seats and replaces them with a brand new carbon fibre bulkhead. This sheds a load of weight while increasing torsional rigidity.
Rear seat finishers
Instead of leaving the bare carbon bulkhead on show, the rear deck is then clad in this diamond stitched cover. The centre armrest is also replaced with a carbon variant.
Carbon fibre speaker surround
The rear speaker surround is also carbon and looks great, but this leaves me wondering why they even left it in the car at all. Surely they could have removed it for even more weight savings?
Optional extras
The N-Attack package has two more options available, simply because they’ll make the car non-road legal. The first is a carbon fibre bonnet gurney. It’s a carbon fibre strip that surrounds the bottom of the windscreen to help downforce. Due to pedestrian safety legislation, it’s not fit for the road.
The second option is a track-focused six-point safety harness. If optioned, the road legal standard seat belt is retained in the car but the fixation points for the harness are installed for circuit use.