Unmatched performance to cost ratio makes GT-R a firm favourite among enthusiasts
Rosslyn, South Africa, 24 April 2017 – The Nissan GT-R looks set to keep its title as South Africa’s best-selling supercar, after sales for the new MY17 – launched late 2016 – got off to a flying start.
The first consignment of 2017-spec Nissan GT-Rs were made available in 2016 and was sold well before it landed in South Africa. To date over 500 GT-Rs have been sold in South Africa, making it the country’s most popular supercar.
“We often quip that the GT-R defies the laws of the vehicle market in much the same way as it defies the laws of physics,” says Hugo Richards, General Manager at BB Motor Group. Richards and his team sold their first consignment of eight GT-Rs at BB GT-R Hatfield as soon as the vehicle was launched.
For 2017, the new GT-R order book is filling up fast with special orders from customers with particular needs, while both Nissan High Performance Centres in South Africa have ordered a few standard versions for new customers or occasional impulse buyers.
“It seems as though the GT-R Black Edition, with its new red and black interior and Recaro sport seats, is the most popular model. At R2 250 000 the GT-R surely offers the best ratio of power and performance for your money,” says Richards.
According to Donovan Lötter, New Vehicle Sales Manager at Melrose Nissan, most of his new 2017-spec models were sold to current owners, many of whom did not trade in their existing models: “One of our first 2017-spec models was sold to a fourth-generation GT-R owner. It seems that once you have owned a GT-R, you remain a loyal fan and customer for life.”
Lötter says that the GT-R is supported by a strong community of fellow owners, conversion specialists and enthusiasts. “This community often discusses available models among themselves on social media and WhatsApp groups. Often, a customer’s trade-in model is already spoken for by a fellow enthusiast within the GT-R community.”
One of possible reasons for the strong market for new and used Nissan GT-R models is the vehicle’s bulletproof mechanics. Says Richards: “Once owners and prospective customers realised that it is virtually impossible to break the engine and gearbox, the demand for used GT-Rs became stronger than ever.”
Another reason for its success, says Xavier Gobille, Director for Sales, Marketing and Aftersales at Nissan Group of Africa, is the fact that the new model features the most dramatic upgrade since its first introduction in South Africa in 2009.
“The MY17 GT-R offers the most brutal acceleration of any production GT-R to date, but it now has a much more luxurious interior with its leather-clad dashboard and redesigned controls. Its re-tuned suspension also makes it a more comfortable everyday-drive, without losing any of its handling prowess.”
Gobille explains that this refined interior, combined with over 400 kW and breath-taking acceleration time, has attracted new customers who value luxury and high performance equally.
“Ultimately, a GT-R owner makes both an emotional and a financial investment when he buys this supercar,” says Mario Casciani, the owner of Race! in Kyalami, who are world-renowned for their Liberty Walk Conversions of the GT-R.
“At Race! it is not uncommon for an owner to double his investment in his GT-R with performance and aerodynamic additions, yet we have never seen any Liberty Walk GT-R come back on to the market. The owner simply does not want to part with his GT-R.”
And while the pre-owned GT-R market may be limited by owners loath to part with their supercars, some do trade in their cars and almost always for a new GT-R.
“We do get used GT-R models to trade,” says Richards, “and we usually sell them right away. One recent trade-in was from a customer who’s buying his fourth GT-R and trading in another R35 model, purely because he lacked the parking space to store them all!”
The Nissan MY17 R35 GT-R is available from both High Performance Centres; Melrose Nissan and BB GT-R Hatfield at R2 150 000 for the Premium edition and R2 250 000 for the Black Edition.
