It looks like Godzilla is set to storm ensure responsible conduct on Aussie race tracks this year, with the news today that the 2009 Nissan GT-R will star as the safety car for this year’s V8 Supercar Championship.
Specially fitted with high visibility safety lights and decked out in the appropriate ‘caution’ livery, the GT-R fits the bill perfectly.
While the Safety Car position is generally held for brand new cars to get plenty of on-screen exposure, the GT-R isn’t struggling to capture the eye of potential suitors: Going on sale in April, Nissan’s new hero has already found approximately 150 new driveways to guard.
Nissan Australia Managing Director, Dan Thompson, said the decision to provide a GT-R to the V8 Supercar Series was a popular one within the company (and a bit of a given, you’d think).
“Australian Touring Cars have enjoyed immense popularity through the years and Nissan is delighted to become a corporate partner from this season,” he said.
“As most Australian race fans know, Nissan has enjoyed a very successful track record in the past and this year we are very excited at again being part of the support action.
Ironically, the GT-R’s presence on the track won’t be its first in Australian top-tier racing. It last appeared in the guise of the R32 GT-R Skyline; the one that Mark Skaife and Jim Richards drove, handing all-comers their own arses all around the nation.
“Just this week we heard about a new plan by the GT-R team to return to Germany’s Nurburgring in April where the GT-R already holds a lap record for the fastest production car at the circuit – a scorching 7m 29 secs.
And with the latest 2009 GT-R now in play, Nissan’s Chief Test Driver Toshio Suzuki will have his sights set on an even faster lap time,” said Thompson.
Nissan will also provide a new AWD Murano crossover at major Touring Car rounds as a Course Car.
V8 Supercar Series, CEO Cameron Levick said Nissan has a proud history in Australian Touring Cars particularly through the 1980s and early 1990s so it is
a welcome return for the manufacturer.
“There were certainly some mixed emotions back then and plenty of passion surrounding the GT-R. Now almost 20 years later Nissan is back again as a valuable addition to the sport and a fantastic new partner,” he said.
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that…is one nice looking car.
A Nissan leading the way in the Touring Car series again… I like it
Regardless of rather is a safety car or racing…it would still be in front!
Although that is one good looking safety car.
Looks magnificent and brings back a bit of nostalgia of the group A Touring car days, when there was actual flavour and excitement, not just 2 brands of cars with no mechanical resemblence to their road going counterparts swapping blows.
Better get a cage for the whole car as beer cans and bottles be pelted at all angles, these hates keeps a grudge like Comanii
I was thinkin something similar… A lot of the fans at V8 Supercars are full on drongos
Imagine if they had the GT500 GT-R as a pace car instead!
i might just go to see this car instead of the v8s !
they should have a race between the v8s and the safety car !
I think the GT-R should be not just this year’s safety car but the safety car for many years to come!
Finally V8 “SuperCars” will have a … well atleast one supercar on the tack.. even if it is only when taxi cabs crash out. PS: why would you bring GT500 GTR when the stock V spec out of factory, with some minor track modification (remove seats, add racing tyres) would tear V8 cast apart. We are talking here aerodynamicaly about car with lower drag coeficient than 911.. on the other side with have family wagons.
I think that’s a bit optimistic Geordie, remember the R35 GT-R in stock trim set a production car record at Bathurst last month but still 18 secs off V8 supercar record. A spec V with mods would get close but not ‘tear them apart’. Still it shows even a road registered GT-R is an amzing pieve of work. The GT500 car is a different story, Nissan NEED to bring one of those out here. Actually we should host one round of the Japanese GT Championship here, that would spice things up abit.
Ok i might have been bit overzelous.. BUT.. Vspec from my sources will be much better out of corners and gain bit of a boost under bonnet. So say its 3-5 sec faster arround Bath than normal. Do some weight reduction, seats, unnecessary pannels etc.. another 2 sec, Racing slicks.. this is the one with most difference.. 3-5 sec. All of a sudden we are shaving off those 18 seconds :)))
nice photoshot!thx..