Limited production Nissan GT-R is coming to the Big Apple.
Nissan designed the 2017 GT-R Track Edition to be fast and fun…and to fit between the GT-R Premium and GT-R NISMO models.
Given its place in the GT-R lineup, you might imagine that the Track Edition borrows elements from the two other GT-R variants. If so, your line of thinking makes sense. To build the Track Edition, engineers make the body stiffer than the Premium’s by using more adhesive bonding, then give the 4-wheel independent suspension a NISMO tune, bolt on 20-inch NISMO forged aluminum-alloy wheels wrapped in NISMO-grade rubber, and install a dry carbon-fiber rear spoiler.
Behind that “V-motion” grille, the twin-turbo 3.8-liter V6 pumps out the same 565 horsepower and 467 lb-ft that it does in the GT-R Premium. That hopped-up six breathes through a Titanium exhaust; a 6-speed dual-clutch gearbox helps the ATTESA E-TS all-wheel drive system put the Track Edition’s power to the street…and, of course, track.
The black and red cockpit features leather Recaro seats up front, as well as a simplified center stack with just 11 switches and an 8-inch capacitive touchscreen, which shows the feed from the standard RearView Monitor. Other equipment includes “standard NissanConnectSM with Navigation, Mobile Apps and Services, which allows users to use a smartphone to remotely lock or unlock the car doors, activate the alarm, summon emergency services or track the car if it is stolen,” according to Nissan. Despite being a track-focused car, the Track Edition has a Bose audio sound system with Active Noise Cancellation, Active Sound Enhancement, acoustic glass, and strategically placed sound deadening to shut out wind and road noise.
If you can’t make it to the New York auto show, you might not see the limited production 2017 Nissan GT-R Track Edition at your local dealer, either. It’ll be available late summer for a base price of $127,990, but only by special order.
Derek Shiekhi's father raised him on cars. As a boy, Derek accompanied his dad as he bought classics such as post-WWII GM trucks and early Ford Mustang convertibles.
After loving cars for years and getting a bachelor's degree in Business Management, Derek decided to get an associate degree in journalism. His networking put him in contact with the editor of the Austin-American Statesman newspaper, who hired him to write freelance about automotive culture and events in Austin, Texas in 2013. One particular story led to him getting a certificate for learning the foundations of road racing.
While watching TV with his parents one fateful evening, he saw a commercial that changed his life. In it, Jeep touted the Wrangler as the Texas Auto Writers Association's "SUV of Texas." Derek knew he had to join the organization if he was going to advance as an automotive writer. He joined the Texas Auto Writers Association (TAWA) in 2014 and was fortunate to meet several nice people who connected him to the representatives of several automakers and the people who could give him access to press vehicles (the first one he ever got the keys to was a Lexus LX 570). He's now a regular at TAWA's two main events: the Texas Auto Roundup in the spring and the Texas Truck Rodeo in the fall.
Over the past several years, Derek has learned how to drive off-road in various four-wheel-drive SUVs (he even camped out for two nights in a Land Rover), and driven around various tracks in hot hatches, muscle cars, and exotics. Several of his pieces, including his article about the 2015 Ford F-150 being crowned TAWA's 2014 "Truck of Texas" and his review of the Alfa Romeo 4C Spider, have won awards in TAWA's annual Excellence in Craft Competition. Last year, his JK Forum profile of Wagonmaster, a business that restores Jeep Wagoneers, won prizes in TAWA’s signature writing contest and its pickup- and SUV-focused Texas Truck Invitational.
