2009 Nissan GT-R

The 2009 Nissan GT-R, an all-new high-performance coupe, goes on sale next summer.
The name GT-R (for grand turismo racer) has been legendary in Japan since 1969 when Datsun applied the Skyline GT-R moniker to a four-door sedan. That car went on to win 36 races in four years, then disappeared. The name was reborn in 1989 as an all-wheel-drive production sports coupe with supercar performance. The last Skyline GT-R was offered in 2003.

Nissan will finally bring the GT-R to the United States as a 2009 model starting in June 2008. The Skyline name has been dropped (now used by Japanese home market versions of the Infiniti G35 sedan and G37 coupe).

A 2+2 coupe, the 2009 Nissan GT-R is based on a new platform Nissan calls PM for Prime Midship. Nissan says PM is an advanced version of the Front Midship (FM) architecture that is home to the Nissan 350Z and Infiniti G37 coupe, among others. Like FM, PM aims for balanced weight distribution by moving the engine back so most of its weight is behind the front axle. The GT-R rides on a 109.4-inch wheelbase.