THE NISSAN GT-R IS TOO LOUD FOR EUROPE, APPARENTLY
THE NISSAN GT-R IS TOO LOUD FOR EUROPE, APPARENTLY
Posted on June 5, 2024
Thanks to its ridiculous potential, the Nissan GT-R has received many nicknames over the years, such as – The Japanese Missile or Godzilla. Nevertheless, it's an impressive car, even its most basic form. The Nissan GT-R is fast, good-looking, obnoxious, and very loud. These factors have always been considered something positive, but things are about to change, or at least it will be the case for the United Kingdom.
As you read in the title, the Nissan GT-R is about to be banned from Europe, but not for what you think. Pollution and safety are not an issue here. Perhaps the noise is for the UK, which voted a new regulation for car noise. The limit will now cap at 72 decibels, and the GT-R is as loud as 77 decibels with its stock exhaust. Of course, Nissan tried to solve this with a new exhaust and other modifications. However, it turned out nothing could be done in order to meet the new regulation, which will undoubtedly lead to the GT-R not being sold in the UK.
We haven't had any updates from other countries in Europe, but we know the same regulation will eventually apply to all countries in the European Union. I know; that's sad news even if the GT-R career is almost over.
What About the Z
The news isn't good for the completely redesigned Nissan Z, which will not be sold in Europe either, confirmed Nissan to the CarThrottle magazine in a recent interview. I haven't driven the new Z yet, but I can imagine it will be lots of fun, according to the pleasure I had behind the wheels of the 350z and the 370z. The new Z is looking sharp on paper, and I bet it is indeed in reality.
The Legend
Each era of the car industry has some models we can relate to, and the Nissan GT-R is definitely among the best car of its generation. It was introduced on the market in 2007 following the Skyline GT-R path five years after this other Japanese legend was taken out of the market.
For the new GT-R, Nissan came up with a totally different concept and dissociated the Skyline from the GT-R badge. In case you didn't know, the Skyline was offered in Japan after 2002 and sold under the Nissan brand using the same platform as the Infiniti G35.
When it was first introduced in the market, the Nissan GT-R made roughly 480 horsepower which was ridiculous in 2007. Today, numbers surrounding the GT-R aren't so impressive anymore, but it's not all about what's under the hood. The way the car is built and driven is what makes it too fast and so fun to drive.
In its base form, the Nissan GT-R is now powered by a 3.8 liters twin-turbocharged V6 producing 565 horsepower and 467 foot-pounds of torque. Again, as I said, this might sound not that incredible, but the GT-R is able to reach 100 km/h in only 3.4 seconds and tops out at 315 km/h. If you reach for the Nismo version, things get a little bit more spice with 600 horsepower and 481 foot-pounds of torque. 0-100 now takes 3.2 seconds, and the car is able to reach somewhere around 333 km/h, which is quite fast for a vehicle so practical.
The Nissan GT-R is still available for the rest of the world, waiting to be replaced by a new car. Hopefully, for the UK and the rest of Europe, this new sports car will be able to meet noise regulations.
Jean-Sébastien Poudrier