Late in 2013, a Nissan GT-R NISMO lapped the Nürburgring in 7:08.679, the fastest time posted by anything other than the most exotic of supercars. But the car that achieved that record wasn’t quite the same as the GT-R NISMO that (a lucky few) customers can actually buy.
That’s because it was equipped with the N-Attack Package, a collection of upgrades that make super-fast laps of Germany’s most infamous racetrack possible. The N-Attack Package wasn’t offered in the U.S. when the GT-R NISMO launched, but that’s about to change. The U.S.-spec 2016 Nissan GT-R NISMO N-Attack will debut at the 2015 SEMA show next month.
The N-Attack Package includes more aggressive aerodynamic bits, stronger suspension, and bucket seats designed to help the driver cope with more g-forces. The most noticeable difference is a rear wing that’s even larger than the one on the “standard” GT-R NISMO. It will be interesting to see if these upgrades make a noticeable difference in situations other than a Nürburgring hot lap.
In Japan, the N-Attack Package is installed at NISMO’s Omori factory, but Nissan is contracting that work out for U.S. cars. It will rely on tuner Steve Millen Sportsparts (a.k.a. Stillen) as the “official installer and certified sales agent” for the N-Attack Package. Stillen has a long history of Nissan tuning, and its engineers were sent to the Omori factory for training to install the package and to service cars equipped with it.
Besides, the GT-R NISMO N-Attack, Nissan will also use SEMA to promote its 2016 Titan XD full-size pickup truck. Introduced earlier this year at the 2015 Detroit Auto Show, this new model is a sorely-needed replacement for Nissan’s decade-old first-generation Titan. Its calling card is a 5.0-liter Cummins turbodiesel V8, making the Titan one of only two half-ton trucks offered with a diesel. The other is the Ram 1500 EcoDiesel, which uses a smaller 3.0-liter V6.
There will be one modified truck, plus two equipped with accessories available from the factory. It seems like a fairly restrained display, compared to the armadas of over-the-top customized trucks that tend to populate manufacturer booths at the Las Vegas show.
