* Nissan GT-R,3.8-liter, 473 bhp, six-speed dual-clutch automated manual gearbox
Performance-flagship status is conferred by the 2.0-liter turbocharged engine under the hood, which is rated at 403bhp and 387 lb-ft of torque. The power boost comes courtesy of racing-spec high-flow fuel injectors, a new turbocharger and intercooler, and a three-inch exhaust. The ECU has been remapped to help keep the FQ-400 docile at commuting speeds. Mitsubishi reports a 3.8-second 0-62mph run, and an electronically limited top speed of 155mph (249 km/h).
Mitsubishi's rally-bred Super-All Wheel Control (S-AWC) gets the power to the road. Active stability control, center differential and yaw control are on hand to constantly monitor and enhance the EVO X FQ-400's handling. The S-AWC system has three driver-selectable modes for a choice of three different road surfaces; tarmac, snow and gravel. The FQ-400 also has a widened track and the suspension is lowered 30mm. Eibach springs and Bilstein shocks are installed. The Alcon brakes are also modified, with floating sealed discs, lightened components and high-performance pads.
The FQ-400 is set apart from the rest of the lineup visually by its lightweight 18-inch nine-spoke wheels and Toyo Proxes R1R tires. Hood vents and a composite front bumper with extra lighting and HID headlamps give the FQ-400 the look of a roadgoing rally car. The side skirts are made of composite materials. The massive exhaust exits at the center of the rear bumper's carbon fiber diffuser. The EVO's trademark roof-mounted "Vortex Generator" and a rear wing that incorporates a gurney strip are also part of the visual package.
Inside, the FQ-400 sports Recaro seats, a carbon fiber shifter and a unique handbrake handle. Standard equipment includes Bluetooth phone connectivity, a 30-gig hard drive for the sound system, DVD satellite navigation and automatic headlamps.
Nissan GT-R
We know you want the numbers and we're not going to waste your time. Neither is Nissan. Its 2009 GT-R hits 60 mph in 3.3 seconds, quicker than the last Dodge Viper, Corvette Z06 and Porsche 911 Turbo we tested. Keep your foot pinned, and after another tap on the upshift paddle it will clear the quarter-mile in 11.6 seconds at more than 120 mph.
We know this because we've just returned from Japan where we tested a privately owned Nissan GT-R on an airstrip outside Tokyo. The car we tested was a Japanese-spec example with 1,500 break-in kilometers on its odometer. It's owned by Japanese journalist Jun Nishikawa and packs the same hardware the U.S. car will get: a 3.8-liter twin-turbo V6 that generates at least 473 horsepower and 434 pound-feet of torque. It had the same six-speed dual-clutch automated manual gearbox and the same adjustable dampers which, by now, you've read plenty about.
What you likely haven't heard about is this: launch control. Despite its bold 3.5-second 0-60-mph claim, Nissan has been keeping this little bit of technological wizardry a secret. Test a GT-R in the homeland, however, and the need for confidentiality is quickly overwhelmed by the need for speed.
It's even quicker than the Porsche 911 Turbo Tiptronic, but not by much. The German hits 60 mph in 3.4 seconds and blasts through the quarter-mile in 11.6 at 118.5 mph. Due to their lack of all-wheel drive, the Dodge Viper and Corvette Z06 are held back by traction limitations. Despite its 600-hp V10, the last Viper coupe we tested reached 60 mph in 3.7 seconds and finished the quarter-mile 11.8 at 125.3 mph. The Corvette Z06 isn't even close. Once impressive, its 4.1-second 0-60-mph run and 12-second quarter-mile at 121.8 mph are now well off the pace, which is why Chevy is creating the supercharged Corvette ZR1.
It requires 15-inch rotors, six-piston Brembo calipers and sticky Bridgestone Potenza RE070R rubber to bring a 3,836-pound GT-R to rest from 60 mph in only 104 feet. That's only 1 foot longer than the Porsche 911 Turbo equipped with the $8,800 ceramic composite brake package. It's also the same stopping distance as the last Dodge Viper we tested and 2 feet shorter than the Corvette Z06.
Experience tells us that the Nissan GT-R's conventional iron rotors aren't going to endure abuse as well as the 911 Turbo's ceramic brakes, but in a one-stop scenario like this, we have no reason to doubt them. With a solid, effective and intuitive pedal, braking confidence is high. Plus, we're guessing future versions of the GT-R will get brakes as advanced as the Porsche's.
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