We test drive a Nissan GT-R Premium Edition T-spec in Japan

Join us as we drive a premium super sports car with a price tag of 19 million yen.

For a few years now, our reporter Masanuki Sunakoma has been wanting to live like a celebrity, seeking out glimpses of the high-life in golden toilets and golden escalators.

When the desire to indulge his fantasy lifestyle struck yet again, he decided to pick up the phone and speak to Nissan, asking them to introduce him to a car like no other — a car that would turn heads, purr like a kitten, and drive like a dream on the roads.

They knew exactly what he was after, telling him to pop by for a test drive of their Nissan GT-R Premium Edition T-spec, a world-class luxury sports car.

▼ So Masanuki popped on a shimmering gold number befitting the occasion, and headed out to Nissan.

On his way there, he did a little reading-up on the car and found that this GT-R had been lauded by many as being the ultimate of the most ultimate of sports cars, and Masanuki, who has close to zero knowledge about cars, began to feel flutters of nerves and excitement at the chance to test drive such a vehicle.

▼ When he arrived, the new GT-R was gleaming, and ready to be driven.

Masanuki might not know a lot about cars, but he knows beauty when he sees it, and this model was absolutely stunning.

According to staff, this colour is called Millennium Jade, and the car itself has a design that improves aerodynamic performance and makes full use of the latest technology.

Specifically, a newly designed front bumper and rear wing have been utilised in order to increase downforce (the force that presses the car body to the ground and stabilises it) without increasing air resistance.

▼ What Nissan staff really wanted to draw his attention to, however, was the beauty beneath the hood.

One of the key features of this new model is the sound. Masanuki remembers that in 2022 Nissan had to stop production of the GT-R for European markets as it exceeded engine noise regulations. However, by taking design cues from the turbine blades of an aircraft jet engine and enhancing the noise reduction effect, it has now been possible to reduce unnecessary noise and vibration during driving while maintaining maximum output.

GT-R engines are known for being assembled by a single “takumi” or “craftsman” in a dedicated clean room. Of the 3,000 or more people working at the Yokohama factory, there are only a few takumi, and the engines installed by them display a plate with the craftsman’s name on it.

After learning about some of the car’s impressive features, it was time for Masanuki to slide into the driver’s seat.

The interior was super gorgeous, with high-class seats tailored by craftsmen to gently hug the body. The seat itself felt like pure luxury, and everywhere Masanuki looked he could sense the attention to detail.

▼ The leather-covered steering wheel smelled like a luxurious baseball glove.

Looking at the speedometer, Masanuki’s heart began to race when he saw the display went all the way up to 340 kilometres (211 miles). The 100-kilometre mark was so low on the scale it was at the 8 o’clock position.

With his nerves and excitement now rising to an all-time high, it was time for Masanuki to get this beauty out on the road. Though he really wanted to press the pedal to the metal and test the limits of the car, he was out in the busy streets of Yokohama, so he kept to the speed limit.

As it turns out, the GT-R was well-suited to city roads, offering the driver a wide field of vision and handling tight turns with ease. Masanuki had been worried that the steering wheel might feel heavy under his hands, like it does when he plays arcade racing games, but it was incredibly easy to manoeuvre. There was very little noise or vibration, making it a car that you could drive in the city every day without feeling any stress.

Of course, the only problem was the traffic, which meant Masanuki ended up driving at around 40 kilometres an hour.

Oh well, that just means more people on the streets could get a better look at the car as he drove past. And if they peeked inside, they could get a good look at his golden outfit too.

Stepping out of the car, Masanuki wanted to yell “I’ll take it!” to the Nissan staff member who’d accompanied him on this journey, but he decided to enquire about the price first, to which staff replied:

“It’s 18,960,700 yen (US$129,454.62)”.

With that, Masanuki smiled to hide his disappointment as he realised he would never have enough money to splurge on such a luxury vehicle. The only thing he could say was:

“Well, please let me just take a commemorative photo.”

He may not have the car, but he now has the photo, and the experience of driving it as well. In the end, though, owning the car isn’t just an impossible dream for Masanuki, it’s impossible for everyone right now, given that Nissan told him the model was produced in such limited numbers that it can’t be purchased at the moment.

This information helped to soften the blow for Masanuki, but then it just made him more curious as to how such an expensive car can be snapped up so quickly by customers. Were there really so many rich people in Japan, and if so, who were they? More importantly, how did they embark on their road to riches? As a wannabe rich man, Masanuki is keen to find out, so he can one day own a GT-R Premium Edition T-spec, which is now the car of his dreams.

Related: Nissan GT-R
Photos ©SoraNews24
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