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2014 Changes
For 2014 there were several minor changes to the Nissan GT-R. Amber Red interior became an available option on the Premium Edition. Mightnight Opal exterior paint became a special edition offering on only 100 vehicles globally.
At the Chicago Auto Show Nissan released some information on the 2014 Track Edition (aka Track Pack) Nissan GT-R. The Track Edition received different suspension, new front seats/seat materials, deleted rear seats, front brake ducts and air guides. There were only 150 cars offered for the year and they launched back in May 2013.
POS (Performance Optimization Services)
The first GT-R service interval is at 1,000 miles. The next point is at 12 months, then 24 months and 36 months all complimentary from the Nissan dealer. There is a page in the service and maintenance guide to record the settings and services. Failure to have the required services done at the intervals noted may void any remaining Nissan warranty coverage. Oftentimes weird driving behaviors can be fixed with POS due to the transmission service procedures.
The design of the clutch and transmission requires inspection and adjustment of the clutch and shift forks by a GT-R certified Nissan dealer at the recommended intervals. Depending on driving conditions, more frequent adjustments may be necessary to help maximize vehicle performance. Alternatively in the aftermarket, the Cobb AccessPORT with TCM support can do a clutch relearn and adjustment.
Each cylinder bank of the GT-R’s VR38 engine operates independently due to its twin turbocharger design. Each side of the engine must continue to operate at the same level of performance. The air flow of each bank must be checked and adjusted as necessary by a GT-R certified Nissan dealer.
This vehicle is equipped with a high performance suspension. As the suspension components “break-in” the vehicle's wheel alignment needs to be measured and adjusted by a GT-R certified dealer at the recommended intervals.
The GT-R’s brake system is another controversial and expensive maintenance item on the vehicle. It is controversial because Nissan's official stance during 2009 and 2010 was to replace the brake rotors and brake pads as a set. Any time you needed to replace them an entire set was 4 rotors and 4 sets of pads. When priced out accordingly most guys came up with a brake change in the $7,000 range. In 2011 Nissan changed their service process from replace everything at once to recommending inspection of the brake components with individual replacement as necessary. The brakes are another item on the GT-R that also makes some noise. A certain amount of noise is normal due to the high performance brake pads and the floating rotors.
Since 2008 plenty of people have replaced the factory Brembo rotors that cracked from the cross drilled holes. Many owners have gone with aftermarket rotors and pads when replacing their brake system components. Brake rotors are a wear item and are not likely to be covered under any warranty.
Wheels and Tires
Questions that come up often around the Nissan GT-R community are – Do I have to use stock tires? What diameter wheels fit over the brakes? Which are best for the street? Which tires are best for the track? This section covers the stock 18 inch, 19 inch, 20 inch, and even 21 inch wheels and tires for the R35 GTR.
When the Nissan GT-R originally ran the 7:38 Nurburgring time in September 2007, Mizuno mentioned that the time was NOT on a cut slick tire despite rumors that was the case. In fact, the OEM tires are a standard compound. They are the lowest treadwear of 140, a far from any kind of competition special tire. From the factory there were three runflat tire choices filled with nitrogen. Front tires are 255/40/20 and Rear tires are a 285/35/20. For 2009 through 2011 the Premium trim tire was the Bridgestone Potenza RE070, which is a 140 treadwear tire. The Bridgestone tires run about $1700 a set. The Base trim tire for the same period was the Dunlop SP SPORT 600 DSST CTT. It is a 200 treadwear tire. The Dunlop 600s run about $1780 a set. The Dunlop is also the quick tire for the Nissan GT-R on the track. It will have a little more road noise than the Potenza, but on a track it will be a few seconds a lap faster than the Potenza. The last choice, which might be your first choice would be the all season Dunlop 7010 tires with a 240 treadwear rating. They cost about $1816 per set. The all season Dunlops came standard with the cold weather package.
Overall tire height is important to a GT-R because of the all-wheel drive system. If you change tires or wheels pay attention to the heights. If you do not, you could damage the all-wheel drive system and have a non-functioning ABS/VDC. According to the service manual the vehicle should have no more than 12 mm of difference in height front to rear. Actual tire life depends on the tire, wheel alignment, and how the car is used. Some GT-R owners have mounted 285/35/20 tires to the front of their GT-R and it works out well.
For 2012, 2013, and 2014 Nissan swapped tires to a single option, the Dunlop Sport DSST 600 MAXX. In the owner’s manual they also relaxed some of the requirements related to the tires. Here are the sections:
When tire replacement is required, replacing tires as a set of four with new tires is recommended. However, if a tire is punctured or damaged, it may be possible to replace only the damaged tire. Determining whether one tire or a complete set of tires should be replaced is based on a number of factors including tire wear and condition. Contact your GT-R certified NISSAN dealer. They can recommend if an individual tire or a complete set should be replaced.
It is only possible to reuse the tires when they have no cracks and/or deformations on the bead portion of the tire.
