2014 Nissan GT-R Preview: 2012 LA Auto Show

Serving as the only Japanese supercar sold in the U.S., the 2014 Nissan GT-R matters because it exists within an organization ruthlessly managed by numbers on spreadsheets, because it serves as a halo performance car not just for a nation but for an entire region, and because it often appears to defy the laws of physics. The Nissan GT-R matters because it is iconic.

2014 Nissan GT-R Preview: 2012 Los Angeles Auto Show

• Name of engine builder affixed to car
• Improved mid-range throttle response
• New oil pan baffle to stabilize oil pressure when driving hard
• Suspension modifications lower center of gravity
• Upgraded interior materials
• New Premium Interior Package option

2014 Nissan GT-R Preview: 2012 Los Angeles Auto Show

For 2014, Nissan continues to sell the GT-R in Premium and Black Edition trim, and the car looks just like the 2013 model, retaining its hybrid blend of steel, aluminum, and carbon fiber construction as well as its slippery 0.26 coefficient of drag. For 2014, the GT-R is offered in Deep Blue Pearl, Jet Black, Solid Red, Gun Metallic, Pearl White, and a limited production Super Silver Metallic that costs $3,000.

Inside, the GT-R Premium model benefits from upgraded materials for a higher quality look and feel, and the GT-R Black Edition gets an extra splash of panache in the form of red accents on its steering wheel. Nissan also reports that body flex is reduced in the 2014 model.

Nissan is also offering a new Premium Interior Package option for 2014 (right-hand drive shown). The Premium Interior Package adds premium semi-aniline leather seats in a Red Amber color, with matching accents on the GT-R’s dashboard, door panels, steering wheel, and shifter knob.

2014 Nissan GT-R Preview: 2012 Los Angeles Auto Show

For 2014, the Nissan GT-R continues to offer a twin-turbocharged 3.8-liter V-6 engine generating 545 horsepower and 463 lb.-ft. of torque, now equipped with new fuel injectors to improve throttle response between 4,500 rpm and 6,000 rpm. An oil pan baffle is also added to the engine to better stabilize oil behavior and pressure during high-performance driving, and to reduce rotational friction in order to make the engine more responsive.

Each GT-R engine is hand-built by a single technician. Starting with the 2014 model, owners will know who that person was, thanks to a new engraved name plate affixed under the hood.

The GT-R’s 6-speed dual-clutch automated manual gearbox carries over, as well as its rear drive-biased ATTESA ET-S all-wheel-drive system. Nissan does tweak the 2014 GT-R’s suspension, relocating the front suspension link bush, improving front suspension alignment maintenance, modifying shock and spring specifications to lower the center of gravity, and installing a new anti-roll bar to reduce front roll center height.

2014 Nissan GT-R Preview: 2012 Los Angeles Auto Show

Equipped with what Nissan claims is the world’s first independent rear transaxle all-wheel drive system, the GT-R’s ATTESA E-TS is designed to optimize weight distribution and handling capability, and can vary power distribution from 0:100 to 50:50 depending on several factors such as speed, lateral acceleration, steering angle, tire slip, yaw rate, and more.

The GT-R provides its driver with a choice between Comfort, Normal, and R driving modes, settings that calibrate transmission shift behavior, the Bilstein DampTronic adjustable shock absorbers, and the stability and traction control system. The GT-R is also equipped with Brembo monoblock six-piston front and four-piston rear calipers clamping 15.35-inch front and 15.0-inch rear full-floating cross-drilled two-piece rotors with low-steel high-stiffness brake pads. Nissan claims the braking components provide “intense stopping performance.”

2014 Nissan GT-R Preview: 2012 Los Angeles Auto Show

Rumor has it the Nissan GT-R may be living on borrowed time, but its clear that the company continues to work to extract every possible ounce of performance out of it. There are few more satisfying ways to spend a hundred grand on a new set of superfluous wheels.