MANILA, Philippines – Among the biggest noise-makers to come out of this year’s Philippine International Motoring Show (PIMS) is the 2017 Nissan GT-R, a design and engineering marvel with a reputation as big as its “Godzilla” moniker. The GT-R has historically pushed automotive performance and technology for the Japanese car-maker, and the 2017 model shows little signs of slowing down. 

The 2017 model is momentous for Filipino enthusiasts as it marks the first time that Nissan is officially making it available in the Philippines. It’s set to go for P7.35 million including taxes, shipping and handling. (READ: Lexus, BMW showcase hybrid supercars at PH auto show) 

What does the hefty price tag buy you? 

First: considerable attention.

It’s not meek. 

Next: top-tier technological refinements. Expectedly, the car is engineered to be better than the daily driving set. Here are some of those figures according to Nissan:

• A claimed 0.26 Coefficient of drag (Cd) rating, a measure of how well air flows through the car as it runs. BMW’s hybrid star, the i8 has the same published Cd rating as does the Mazda 3 sedan. Topping them are cars such as the hybrid Toyota Prius (0.24) and tech darling Tesla’s Model 3 (0.21).
  
  
• A lightweight exhaust made of titanium that’s said to assist in cooling the car.

• Handling enhancements brought about by repositioning the engine and the transmission farther back, therefore reducing the weight in front. The novel setup makes for novel weight distribution, said to have a positive effect on the car’s handling, braking, traction, and cooling. 
  
  
• A transmission that “pre-selects” an even-numbered gear (2,4,6) when the car’s in an odd-numbered gear (1,3,5), which Nissan said quickens the shift time of the car. The longer the interval is in between shifts, the slower the acceleration. The GT-R’s transmission is a display of Nissan’s efforts to get that number down.
  
  
• A 570-horsepower 3.8-liter twin-turbocharged V6 engine hand-assembled by one of 5 master Nissan craftsmen known as “Takumi.” Each GT-R engine is said to bear a plaque carrying the Takumi’s signature.

• An electronically-controlled all-wheel drive system that can distribute power to all four wheels equally to maximize control over the car or send all the power to the rear wheels for a racecar feel. 
  
  
• A dashboard display that offers an insane amount of data from the amount of g-force generated when the car accelerates or corners to the specific amount of braking you’re applying. It’s a would-be F1 mechanic’s dream.

• A built-in stopwatch so drivers can easily measure how fast they can go with this thing.

Make no mistake about it, the Nissan GT-R is a toy. But what a toy it is. For the gadget-addicted, the car is likely the equivalent of a gold-encrusted iPhone 7 Plus. It’s shiny, engineered to a fault, amusingly impractical, and packed with features average buyers will rarely use in their day-to-day.

Why did people applaud and hoot when Nissan pulled the blanket off the car at PIMS? Insane stunts have always drawn crowds. The 2017 Nissan GT-R is Nissan’s idea of one: a design standout that shows that technological development can come out of an obsessive love for something as much as it can be fueled by necessity. – Rappler.com