Rated M for "Matured" - Nissan readying kinder, gentler GT-R Spec M?

[VH_Supra26]

by Chris Paukert on Mar 24th 2009 at 1:28PM
http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2009/03/nissan-gt-r-red-garage-drew.jpg

So, you've fallen in love with Godzilla, but the bumps and bruises of everyday life with a stiff-riding supercar matched to a dour (if tech-happy) interior might be too much to bear over the long haul. Well, if new rumors are true, Nissan may have just the car for you – a softer-sprung, lux'd-up GT-R dubbed "Spec-M."

According to the folks at Pistonheads, Nissan is preparing this new model featuring a recalibrated suspension setup for greater compliance, including what it calls "ripple control shock absorbers." On the inside, more upscale trimmings are also expected, with new seat color choices, as well as optional aluminum and woodgrain(!) finishes available. No drivetrain or exterior modifications are mooted, and if that's the case, we'd expect very similar performance figures.

No word yet on what markets the rumored Spec-M will be sold in, but we can see a business case being made for the U.S. at Nissan HQ in light of America's often questionable road surfaces and stereotypically softer posteriors.

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http://www.autoblog.com/2009/03/24/rated-m-for-matured-nissan-readying-kinder-gentler-gt-r-spe/

[andrews]

cool

[dailong06]

*shivers* woodgrain interior in a GT-R

[CZero]

*shivers* woodgrain interior in a GT-R

x2, that does not belong in a gt-r at all.
Screw mature spec, give me the victory spec.

[inhale]

this is houston. i'd love to rock a gtr with woodgrain on the wheel. they should include some chrome wheels as an option as well.

[inhale]

this is houston. i'd love to rock a gtr with woodgrain on the wheel. they should include some chrome wheels as an option as well.

[CZero]

this is houston. i'd love to rock a gtr with woodgrain on the wheel. they should include some chrome wheels as an option as well.
I didn't realize the spec-m was a special houston edition...:facepalm:

[s2krazy]

Sounds like another way for nissan to increase the price of a gtr

[eN_2_Oh]

^thats about right.

[dantheman]

Sounds like another way for nissan to increase the price of a gtr
yep, then the M model becomes standard and the V spec becomes the performance one.


nissan loves you everyone! pay them more money for crap. they love you!

[White94CX]

x2, that does not belong in a gt-r at all.
Screw mature spec, give me the victory spec.

Those tits in ur avi belong in my face lol....

[Hyper]

Those tits in ur avi belong in my face lol....

:thumb: Everytime he post I can't help but pause and admire them.

[Replica]

How many times can the repackage this car?

[Hames]

How many times can the repackage this car?

lets see 26 letters in the alphabet and there is already a V-spec and now this M-spec so that leaves 24 more combos :thumb:

spy shot of interior in P-spec
http://i324.photobucket.com/albums/k353/btroll/Supra/012909/DSC_8157.jpg?t=1233468174

[CZero]

lets see 26 letters in the alphabet and there is already a V-spec and now this M-spec so that leaves 24 more combos :thumb:

spy shot of interior in P-spec
http://i324.photobucket.com/albums/k353/btroll/Supra/012909/DSC_8157.jpg?t=1233468174
in that case sign me up for the XXX spec

[LabtopThief_jr.]

woodgrain...............woodgrain in a god dam high performance car, whoever thought of that should be shot in the face with a potato gun.

[rompeculo]

woodgrain...............woodgrain in a god dam high performance car, whoever thought of that should be shot in the face with a potato gun.

lmao.... just pictured it... but i agree BIG :nono:

[White94CX]

woodgrain...............woodgrain in a god dam high performance car, whoever thought of that should be shot in the face with a potato gun.

Why so serious?:eek9:

[LabtopThief_jr.]

Why so serious?:eek9:

everyone always says that :facepalm:

[SilverIonJohn]

Four fours I'm tippin'
Wood grain I'm gripping
Catch me lane switching with the paint dripping
Turn your neck and your dame missing

[94egg]

woodgrain, lol and vogue tires too

[VQuick]

It'll be a little more cushy, just like the old R34 GT-R M-Spec.

[Poptarts]

woodgrain...............woodgrain in a god dam high performance car, whoever thought of that should be shot in the face with a potato gun.

Benz AMG and BMW cars offer woodgrain and finished interior as optional packages on their high performance models. I understand this is Nissan and woodgrain should be reserved for Inifiniti, but if it helps Nissan make a few extra $$$ then why not? I would hate to see Nissan go down with the other auto giants, after all their profit figures are already down farther than they should be.

Idk current figures but this article in USA Today says they are looking at a 30% profit drop from March 31,2008 to March 31,2009

TOKYO — Nissan reported a big jump in fiscal fourth quarter profit Tuesday compared with the previous year. But like other Japanese automakers pinched by a strong yen and soaring oil and material costs, it forecast a tough year ahead.
Nissan Motor Co.'s January-March profit rose 67 percent to 137.6 billion yen ($1.3 billion) from 82.2 billion yen in the same period the previous year.

Those figures included one-time "fifth-quarter" numbers from overseas subsidiaries that were added to the previous year's fourth quarter to make the cutoff for fiscal years the same globally.

Without those numbers, Nissan said, the profit surge calculated to a 95 percent increase.

Nissan expects profit for the fiscal year ending March 31, 2009, though, to plunge 30 percent on year to 340 billion yen ($3.3 billion) because of unfavorable currency swings, rising material costs and higher oil prices.

The same problems have hammered the forecasts of the other major Japanese automakers.

Battered by a slumping North American auto market and unfavorable currency swings, Toyota Motor Corp. is forecasting its first slip in annual profit in seven years. It says profit for the year through March 2009 will tumble 27 percent to 1.250 trillion yen ($12 billion).

Honda Motor Co., which reported record profit for the year just ended March 31, 2008, expects its profit for the current fiscal year to slip 18 percent to 490 billion yen ($4.7 billion).

Ghosn brushed off fears that Nissan car sales may be slumping, even in the problematic credit-crunch-plagued U.S. market.

The sales were just fine, he said, and the profit dip merely reflects currency fluctuations that erode the yen value of Nissan's overseas earnings.

Nissan's sales recently rose 3 percent in North America while the region's overall auto market declined by about the same rate, Ghosn said.

"In a challenging and volatile environment, Nissan demonstrated that it has reached the maturity to deliver a high level of performance," said Ghosn, who also heads Nissan's French partner Renault SA.

Renault owns 44 percent of Nissan.

Article continued...

Copyright 2008 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.


http://www.usatoday.com/money/economy/2008-05-13-4199282966_x.htm