MOTORING | Ten years after it first roared from blueprint to bitumen, Nissan's musclebound coupe has been sent to finishing school.
Fortunately, this hasn’t meant the finish of the GT-R’s days as a high-performance sports car. There’s just a new sheen of sophistication above the snarl.
The 2017 GT-R retains its distinctive no-nonsense look, crouched and waiting for somebody to put match to touchpaper.
A recast front-end and oversized maw signals speedway DNA, but it’s not just about looks – the larger grille channels more air over and around the 3.8-litre twin-turbo V6 powerplant.
Trace the gran turismo’s raked haunches to the tail and there’s more in the same vein, with side air vents flanking four titanium exhaust tips for better heat management.
Add stylish ‘Y-spoke’ machine-forged alloy wheels, wrap it all in the new eye-catching ‘Katsura orange’ finish and the 2017 GT-R is all your boyhood Christmases come at once.
Yet it’s inside the upscale cabin where you’ll really notice – and appreciate – Nissan’s mannered make-over.
Upgraded leather trim and a cleaner, less cluttered dashboard layout help give this hotrod a more premium feel.
An upsized 8-inch touchscreen drives the car’s extensive ‘infotainment' system – and while it’s not compatible with either Apple CarPlay or Google’s Android Auto, you’ll get a kick out of the real-time g-force readout.
It’ll also be easier to enjoy music booming through the 11-speaker Bose surround sound system.
Improved sound-absorption material lines and cocoons the cabin from the roar of the engine, a more muted exhaust system and the thrum of the road.
Nissan’s then gone one better, turning the entire cabin into an active noise-cancellation zone fitted with strategically-placed microphones and speakers to mask unwanted low-frequency sounds – it’s as if you’re sitting inside a pair of Bose QC headphones.
That’s if a pair of BOSE QC headphones could go screaming from zero to 100km/h in under three seconds.
Nissan’s 2017 GT-R spans three models: the $189,000 Premium Edition; a $195,000 Premium Edition with Luxury Trim package; and the Nismo-engineered Track Edition super-racer for $227,000.
Follow Australian Business Traveller on Twitter: we're @AusBT
David Flynn is the Editor-in-Chief of Executive Traveller and a bit of a travel tragic with a weakness for good coffee, shopping and lychee martinis.