10 Things You Need To Know About The 2014 Nissan GT-R

When the Nissan GT-R first exploded onto the scene in 2008 it was priced and positioned as a Corvette-killer, an alternative to the domestic sports car that had traditionally balanced performance with affordability.  Six years later, the Nissan GT-R's price tag and capabilities have grown into supercar territory, staking out a claim on a segment of the market previously only tread by semi-exotics like Porsche.  The 2014 Nissan GT-R represents the ultimate evolution of an unlikely contender in the blue chip coupe sweepstakes.

Let's take a look at 10 things you need to know about the 2014 Nissan GT-R.

01. The 2014 Nissan GT-R Is A Two-Door Coupe

The 2014 Nissan GT-R is a chunky take on the two-door coupe concept, a tall, wide, and thick vehicle that makes no attempt to hide its muscularity behind flowing lines or subtle touches.  The Nissan GT-R is in your face, all of the time, and it stands apart from most other coupes in its price range based on its plus-size dimensions and aggressive looks.  Interior room doesn't match its bigger-than-life persona, however: while the Nissan might offer a pair of accommodations behind the two front seats, they are better suited for hauling small packages rather than full-size human beings.

02. The 2014 Nissan GT-R Provides An Updated Interior

The 2014 Nissan GT-R has been given several tweaks inside its passenger compartment in order to help set it apart from the preceding model year.  The Nissan GT-R now features a new instrument panel that tilts the middle console towards the driver and which offers a tachometer front and center in the gauge cluster directly behind the steering wheel.  Carbon fiber is the standard trim of choice throughout the GT-R's interior, and the LCD screen mounted at the top of the center stack offers 11 pages of vehicle-related information, including a long list of performance indicators.

03. The 2014 Nissan GT-R Delivers Outstanding Power

The 2014 Nissan GT-R is known as 'Godzilla' to its fans, and a big part of that nickname has to do with the Tokyo-stomping power put out by its 3.8-liter V-6 engine.  Featuring twin turbochargers in order to squeeze out as much grunt as possible, the unit gains an oil-stabilizing baffle pan, new fuel injectors, improved turbo lubrication, and a wet-and-dry sump oiling system.  Total production stands at 545 horsepower and 463 lb-ft of torque, and Nissan has added a special aluminum plaque to the engine block that lets owners know which engineer hand-assembled their motor.

04. The 2014 Nissan GT-R Features An Advanced All-Wheel Drive System

The 2014 Nissan GT-R makes the most of its twin-turbo engine output by making use of the brand's ATTESA E-TS all-wheel drive system to get it all to the pavement with a minimum of drama.  The Nissan GT-R's all-wheel drive feature defaults to sending 100 percent of engine torque to the rear wheels during normal driving in order to preserve handling dynamics, but at launch - or when cornering, or dealing with treacherous road conditions - ATTESA E-TS can divert as much as 50 percent of the car's power to the front wheels.  This ensures that the GT-R maximizes available grip at all times without contributing to the numb feeling or understeer that can sometimes plague all-wheel drive vehicles.

05. The 2014 Nissan GT-R Comes With A Dual-Clutch Transmission

Linking the 2014 Nissan GT-R's gravity-warping engine to its traction-inducing all-wheel drive system is a dual-clutch transmission.  This automated manual unit - when set to R-mode - can swap cogs in as little as 0.15 seconds, which is infinitely faster than a human driver operating a traditional manual box could ever hope to achieve.  The transmission, which can be set to full automatic for comfortable around-town cruising, is able to 'pre-select' gears based on the current gear being used, which allows for rapid changes up or down.  A rear transaxle helps the Nissan GT-R to achieve excellent weight distribution using the six-speed automated manual setup.

06. The 2014 Nissan GT-R Delivers Exceptional Performance

It's clear that the 2014 Nissan GT-R is fast, but let's quantify that for you: this coupe can leap to 60-mph in just 2.7 seconds.  Beyond that blink-of-an-eye performance, the Nissan GT-R is also a very capable handler thanks to extensive attention paid to its aerodynamic package, the use of Brembo adjustable shock absorbers (with revised geometry for 2014), a reinforced dash panel bar, and enormous brakes.  The GT-R might weigh close to 4,000 lbs, but it's almost impossible to tell when looking at its lap times at the Nurburgring, which has become the de facto test facility for supercar tuning.

07. The 2014 Nissan GT-R Can Be Ordered In Two Trim Levels

The 2013 Nissan GT-R 'base' model is labeled the 'Premium' trim, and it offers up features such as 20-inch rims, heated leather seats, a CD player, dual automatic climate control, Bluetooth connectivity, a navigation system, a hard drive for storing digital music files, HID headlights, and keyless entry.  The 'Black Edition' is the next, and only, step up on the standard list of Nissan GT-R trims and it ups the performance ante with the addition of a rear wing made out of carbon fiber, Recaro sport seats, and special wheels that have been lightened to reduce unsprung weight.

08. The 2014 Nissan GT-R Features Two Options Packages

If the 2014 Nissan GT-R's equipment specs just aren't enough to get you excited, it's also possible to enhance the vehicle's comfort via a pair of options packages.  The Premium Interior package upgrades the vehicle's leather upholstery to semi-aniline and dyes them a rich red while simultaneously giving the rest of the interior the red leather treatment (complete with hand-stitching).  The Cold Weather package adjusts the Nissan GT-R's coolant mix to 50:50 water/glycol, and adds all-season run flat tires in place of the high performance summer rubber that comes stock.  There is also a special Super Silver metallic paint option that includes a triple coat of clear that is then hand-polished to perfection.

09. The 2014 Nissan GT-R Is A Safe Sports Car

The 2014 Nissan GT-R doesn't sacrifice safety for performance, as the coupe comes with all of the expected modern passenger protection features.  The Nissan GT-R provides dual forward airbags, seat-mounted side airbags, and side curtain airbags that even reach back into its tiny backseat to keep everyone out of harm's way in the event of an accident.  Electronic stability control, an anti-lock braking system, traction control, and a back-up camera are also standard with the GT-R, with the latter a necessity given the limited rear visibility imparted by the Nissan's body shape.

10. The 2014 Nissan GT-R Straddles The $100k Barrier

The 2014 Nissan GT-R is priced on either side of the mythical $100,000 MSRP.  The Nissan GT-R Premium costs $99,590, while the Black Edition will set sports car fans back a cool $109,330.  This is a marked increase from the just-under-$70k price tag that the vehicle originally wore when it was introduced in 2008, and while the GT-R's performance has certainly grown alongside its price, the car can no longer be looked at as an achievable halo model in the Nissan lineup.  Instead, the GT-R has now graduated onto the world stage as a genuine exotic aimed squarely at hunting down the likes of Ferrari and Lamborghini on a race track.