Nissan GT-R Engine Specs Revealed

With the embargo on photos of the Nissan GT-R breaking wide open yesterday, it was only a matter of time before more details on the car would emerge.  MotorTrend and Motor Authority let the first official pictures fly, and Edmunds brings us details on the engine.

The all-wheel-drive 2009 Nissan GT-R will be powered by a 3.8-liter twinturbo V6 engine churning out 473 horsepower with capabilities of 434 ft-lb of torque.  Driving on a rear-mounted transaxle, the car will only be available with a GR6 dual-clutch six-speed automatic transmission.

Nissan will give the driver use the same leather-wrapped aluminum paddle shifters currently used on the G35, according to Edmunds.

The massive engine is alleged to propel the GT-R from zero to 60 mph in 3.5 seconds, with a quarter-mile time of 11.7 seconds.  If accurate, that would put the car's weight at about 3075 lbs., thus having a power-to-weight ration of .154 (339.5 bhp per tonne).

Base price of the Nissan GT-R is expected to be under $80,000, which should make it a prime target for stealing away potential Porsche 911 Turbo buyers.

With a bit of luck, the full details of the car will come out sometime between now and October 24, when Nissan shows off the GT-R at the 40th Tokyo Motor Show.

Either it's cold in the room, or we're really excited about this car.