[dropcap]O[/dropcap]ne of the automotive world’s fastest and most iconic families will meet at the inaugural Festival of Motoring at Kyalami Grand Prix Circuit later this week.
After confirming that it will launch the all-new Nissan GT-R at the Festival of Motoring (FoM), Nissan on Monday announced that it will showcase the most comprehensive range of GT-Rs ever on show in South Africa. This includes several custom models and every generation of GT-R ever built.
Taking centre stage will be the new 2017 Nissan GT-R in the exclusive new Blaze Metallic Orange. The new model will arrive in South Africa only days before the FoM, and the first shipments to local customers and collectors will start immediately after the show.
“This will be the only opportunity to view the next generation GT-R up close,” explained Xavier Gobille, Director of Sales, Marketing and Aftersales at Nissan South Africa,“as the first shipment of models has already been sold.
“The good news is that a few lucky visitors will not only be able to see and touch the new GT-R, but will experience the car as a co-driver at race speeds around Kyalami.”
The tyres for the GT-R Track Experience – Dunlop SP Sport 600 DSST ultra-high performance tyres with RunOnFlat technology – have been specially developed for the GT-R to cope with the car’s blistering on-track performance and handling.
Joining the 2017 GT-R is a very rare selection of pristine heritage models spanning every past generation of this famous car, stretching back to the first KPGC10 Hakosuka model.
In addition to the GT-R Hakosuka, the Heritage Display will also feature an R32, R33 and R34 GT-R, all in race-ready condition. This is the first time that all of these models will be on display next to the new generation R35 model in South Africa.
“To view every generation of GT-R together is a unique opportunity for car enthusiasts and it allows visitors to see the design and engineering DNA that has been carried over from the first KPGC10 model, which launched at the end of the Sixties,” says Gobille.
Also on show are a couple of very special Liberty Walk GT-Rs from the experts at Race!, a local high-end vehicle conversion specialist that has received global acclaim for their work.
Liberty Walk is a Japanese supercar specialist that practices “kaiza” or remodelling. This means that Liberty Walk GT-Rs do not simply look different; they are reborn into wider, lower and even more impressive supercars than the standard model.
“The Liberty Walk GT-Rs on show at the FoM will be truly special. Apart from the upgrades and customary flared fenders, they have custom-designed additions, such as unique bonnet designs and Race!’s own hydraulically adjusted coil-over suspension,” says Marco Casciani, founder and owner of Race!
Visitors to Nissan’s display will not only be able to experience the GT-Rs in the metal, but will be able to race around some of the world’s best race tracks in virtual reality. To do this, Nissan has created a virtual racing experience, where visitors can put on a digital headset and get behind the wheel of an R35 GT-R. Samsung is the proud sponsor of this Virtual Racing Experience.
Nissan will also use the FoM to celebrate its global 8-year sponsorship of International Cricket Council (ICC) tournaments and have invited their Ambassadors of Excitement, Kagiso Rabada and Dale Steyn, to join the festivities. Guests will be able to chat to the stars about their cricketing careers, while Dale Steyn, himself a GT-R driver, will be on hand to talk about his love for this supercar.
