Rajiv Ruparelia’s Nissan GT-R. PHOTO | COURTESY OF X
For years, Japanese automaker Nissan has manufactured quite several fast cars. In Uganda and Africa, the most commonly seen sporty car is the Nissan Skyline, which also passes as a luxury saloon car, alongside others such as the Nissan Fuga.
However, the Nissan GT-R, which is similar to the one that claimed the life of city businessman Rajiv Ruparelia, is sportier than most, if not all, Nissan saloons. Both Rajiv’s mechanics and contacts at Nissan were unavailable to offer information of year of manufacture and the cost. But sites put the price at Shs250m for one manufactured between 2013 and 2015. By design, the Nissan GT-R is aerodynamic. In terms of performance, the beauty of cars with this sharp-shoe-like design is that they swiftly and easily cut through any kind of wind, although primarily, the speed of cars is determined by how powerful the engine is. According to group1nissan.co.za, an online portal, the top speed of the Nissan GTR is 315km/hr and a horsepower of 550.
Combo: The wreckage of the car (R) in which businessman Rajiv Ruparelia (L) died at the Busabala Flyover traffic lights in Makindye-Ssabagabo, Wakiso District. Photos/Courtesy
It accelerates from zero to the 100km/hr mark in approximately three seconds and comes with a 74-litre fuel tank. The portal adds that Japan’s Nissan Motor Company has produced several different models over the years, including the Nissan Skyline R32, Nissan Skyline R33, Nissan GT-R R34, Nissan R35 and the R36 Skyline GT-R. However, they also produced the epic GT-R 50 concept car and a beautifully modified version of the Skyline GT-R R34 for the Fast and Furious movie series. Unlike most sports or rally cars that have one or two exhaust mufflers, most GT-Rs are engineered with four. If you’re a fan of speed, you’ll hear the sound and power of the engine through the exhaust mufflers, with most of them enlarged at the tail-end, compared to the narrow start at the engine where emissions are produced after complete fuel and air combustion. Like most sporty cars, the seats of the Nissan GT-R are bucket seats by design. When in the driver’s seat, they give you a firm grip and control of the car through the steering wheel. This car was primarily meant for on-road or urban drives because of the very low ground clearance.
According to evo.co.uk/Nissan/gt-r, another online portal, back in 2007 when the R35 Nissan GT-R first debuted in Japan, its facts and figures looked like something from a dreamscape – an ensemble of tech that took seven years of development for Nissan to realise from approval to debut. It adds that the GT-R’s hardware tally was shocking (bespoke twin-turbocharged V6 engine, transaxle dual-clutch transmission, an active all-wheel-drive system that required two prop shafts and active differentials on both axles for total torque vectoring) – it seemed like Nissan might have gone too far, creating something synthetic. “The GT-R served for many years, picking up numerous upgrades along the way, as is the Japanese way, as you’d hope for a car that would see opposition from no less than three generations of Porsche 911 Turbo. Changes were made for almost every one of its 13 model years,” the portal says. According to caranddriver.com, also an online portal, the 2023 GT-R’s standard twin-turbo 3.8-litre V-6 makes a mighty 565 horsepower and 467 pound-feet of torque. It hooks up to a six-speed automatic transmission and all-wheel drive that conspires to put all that power to the pavement.
Engine and performance
The GT-R’s quick steering, rigid structure, and adjustable suspension can make even amateurs feel positively heroic from behind the wheel. “Inside, the GT-R’s front seats are plenty roomy, but the rear seats are places only small children could find comfortable. The interior is nicely appointed and offers a host of standard features, but those seeking a high-end interior such as those of the Audi R8 or the Mercedes-AMG GT will be disappointed,” the portal says. Meanwhile, mechanics who work for the Ruparelia family declined to provide details on the year of manufacture and its price for Rajiv’s Nissan GT-R.
