Realize the Dream of Everybody Interview with the Father of GT-R Mizuno Mizuno

Whether you like the Japanese product brand, you can not deny GT-R's legendary status in the car industry. From 1989 to 2002, the GT-R, which appeared as a high-performance version of the skyline at the time, has already established the image of the "God of War" in people's minds with its outstanding performance and near-infinite conversion potential. In 2007, the new Nissan GT-R R35, which was detached from the Skyline, was completely transformed from a "high-performance sedan" to a true supercar, and in a few short years it defeated many of the top-line superpowers and became new. Performance benchmarking.

I think everyone will remember a classic line in the movie "Initial D" adapted from the Japanese animation: "In fact, God is human, but he did something that some people couldn't do, so he became God." Logically speaking, then the father of God of War and the chief engineer of Nissan's GT-R project, Mr. Mizuno Mizuno, should be regarded as God-like figures.

In reality, Mizuno Mizuno is a very kind old man who always smiles and faces everyone around and never refuses to sign or ask for photos. However, in his conversation with him, he always feels the perseverance of his temperament. "In fact, GT-R has no real competitors." Being a discreet and humble person, being able to say something like this is bound to The product has full confidence. Immediately afterwards, Mr. Mizuno raised a question: "Is there a car with the same performance as the GT-R, and it is very suitable for everyday driving. Is it still so cheap?" In his mind, GT- R is irreplaceable.

Looking back, the birth of the Nissan GT-R is a typical inspirational story. Twenty years ago, when Mr. Mizuno was still at the NISSAN International Racing Department, he found that all the competitors around the stadium were expensive top-level super races, and their own GT-R cars were less than one-tenth the price of their opponents. Still able to compete against opponents and compete.

Why not create a super sports car that is inexpensive and that everyone can drive? As a result, the idea of ​​creating "a civilian supercarriage" gradually took shape in his mind. As he said at the talks, “It's everyone’s dream to experience driving experience at all times. The reason why I made this car is to realize everyone’s dreams.”

Mr. Mizuno Mizuno integrated this wonderful wish into the character of GT-R, which is the biggest difference between this car and other super runners. Most of today's old supercars carry a noble aristocratic temperament, as Enzo Ferrari said: "I don't need a tractor builder to tell me how to do a sports car?" Although this may be just a legendary story, But it is a good example of Ferrari’s arrogant attitude. The GT-R, on the other hand, was different. It was originally created for civilians. Although it hasn't been as cheap as it is, at least it is working toward that goal. Less than half the price of the opponent in China is enough to illustrate the problem.

GT-R boasts outstanding performance. However, its design reflects the approachable approach. Measured by the super running standard, it has a spacious interior space and a comfortable ride. The trunk can also put down golf gear. This makes it a truly “dashing car” that can be used for everyday driving instead of being placed in a garage. Crafts.

There is also an impressive place where the noise of the GT-R is so low that no matter how you step on the gas pedal, there is no other kind of shocking noise. This is also the place where domestic car owners are most dissatisfied. Many people buy back GT-R. The first is to change the arrogant exhaust system.

Mr. Mizuno clearly stated that he did not agree with the owner of the conversion. As the chief engineer of the project, he devoted a great deal of effort to this car. Every detail was pursued, and even the matching tires were personally involved in the design. In addition, from the mechanical structure, this is a highly sophisticated sports car, for example, it is equipped with VR38DETT engine, is a completely clean environment, "one person a machine" manual assembly.

It is conceivable that any modification may destroy the balance of the vehicle, so that the overall performance will not rise, and even affect the service life. This is why during the period when GT-R was just launched, many owners complained that the restrictions on the conversion of new cars are too difficult to start. It is not a matter of cars, but people have not realized that the current Nissan GT-R is no longer R32. Street car to R34 era.

Of course, as I mentioned in the test article, GT-R is not perfect either. For everyday driving comfort, it squeezes out too much space for seating and storage and the mechanical structure has to be compact, so the problem of heat dissipation in the drive system is difficult to cure. Fortunately, compared to the previous 2010 models, the 2013 GT-R's gearbox has been greatly improved, so that the ejection mode can finally be used many times.

Regarding the launch mode, Mr. Mizuno emphasized that the design life of the Nissan GT-R is 400,000 kilometers, which is twice that of ordinary cars. Both new and old models have high reliability and the new models can be used normally. In ejection mode, the key is to optimize the control program of the transmission, and the hardware changes are minimal.

As for the problem of transmission failures that have occurred in China, the explanation given by Mr. Mizuno and Mr. Min is that products in different regions will be specially tuned according to the local environment. Previously, consumers had purchased US regulatory models from unofficial sources. The octane number of gasoline in the United States is different from that of domestic gasoline. After using domestic gasoline, the ECU of the vehicle will experience slight errors, affecting the shift timing, and the GT-R's dual-clutch gearbox shifts extremely quickly. The fastest is 0.1 second. Even small deviations can damage the gearbox. The new 2013 China version of the GT-R has been properly tuned according to China's road conditions, fully adapting to the requirements of domestic oil products (nominal power is also less than 10 hp).

It is gratifying that GT-R never stopped its evolution. Since its launch in 2008, the car has undergone two mid-term changes, with engine power from 480 hp to 530 hp and 550 hp. The cash GT-R has reached the peak of performance, so we have Have to wonder, in which direction will the future GT-R work?

Mr. Mizuno told a number: 5 years. According to him, in the next five years, GT-R will continue to evolve based on the existing platform, there is still room for improvement in performance. The GT-R has been in existence for nearly 5 years. For cars, 10 years seems to be a good life cycle. From another point of view, this also includes another meaning: After five years, will there be a brand-new superrun that surpasses the existing technology to replace the GT-R position and become the new god of war? The father of GT-R just smiled and gave no clear answer. What we can do is just wait and see if Mr. Mizuno can give us surprises.