5 Of The Fastest Nissans Ever Made, Ranked By Top Speed
Throughout its long history, Nissan has made some very fast cars. One of the first was the famed Skyline, a nameplate originally acquired when Nissan merged with Prince in 1966. The first performance-oriented version was the 1969 2000 GT-R, with its 160-horsepower DOHC inline-six engine and fully independent suspension. That car competed in Japan’s domestic touring car races and won 52 races during its initial three years. The Skyline GT-R went on to become a performance legend in Japan, evolving into the Nissan GT-R that now faces an uncertain future.
The Nissan Fairlady Z (in Japan) and Datsun 240Z (in the U.S.) debuted for the 1970 model year and were Nissan’s attempt at a modern coupe. Nissan has also had an illustrious racing history, excelling in road racing and rallying competitions going back to 1958, when a Datsun 210 “Fuji” won its class in the Mobilgas Around Australia trial. More recent victories include numerous wins in Japan-based series, as well as 1992 and 1994 victories at the 24 Hours of Daytona. Here, from slowest to fastest, are five of Nissan’s fastest cars.
2002 Skyline R34 GT-R Nür - 165 mph
First up is the 2002 Nissan Skyline R34 GT-R Nür, a special edition that was the final R34 ever made. It had a claimed top speed of 165 mph and was named for the Nürburgring, the famed German track where it was extensively developed. Powered by a 276-horsepower version of Nissan’s RB26DETT N1 inline-six racing engine, the Nür featured an upgraded engine block, pistons, connecting rods, and larger turbos for more boost.
A total of 1,003 examples of theSkyline R34 GT-RNür were produced for the 2002 model year. These were comprised of two different sub-types, the M-Spec Nür and V-Spec II Nür, which had different suspension and interior specifications. While the M-Spec Nür came with an aluminum hood and leather interior, the V-Spec II Nür included a weight-saving carbon fiber hood and a cloth interior. There were 285 M-Spec Nür models and 718 V-Spec II Nür models made.
2024 Z NISMO - 165 mph
Next up is the 2024Nissan Z NISMO, also rated at a top speed of 165 mph. Representing the latest evolution of the Nissan Z, the NISMO variant packs a 420-horsepower turbocharged 3.5-Liter V6, giving you 20 horsepower more than the standard Z’s engine. As the most track-capable version of Nissan’s mainstream sports car, the NISMO comes with several performance enhancements developed for its cousin, the GT-R NISMO. These upgrades include a larger oil cooler, a new wastegate on the turbo, and improved ignition timing and cooling capability.
One thing that’s not available on the Nissan Z NISMO is a manual transmission. A nine-speed automatic is your only choice, but this unit has received some NISMO upgrades that allow it to shift in half the normal time and give you a more intense launch control experience.
Other upgrades on the Z NISMO include aerodynamic enhancements front and rear, aggressive dry-track tires, larger brakes, and stiffer suspension bushings. These all contribute to the Nissan Z NISMO’s high level of comfort in a track setting, although the car may be a bit too hardcore for everyday driving situations.
2015 Juke-R 2.0 - 200 mph
The 2015Nissan Juke-R 2.0was the second iteration of the original 2011 Juke-R, for which someone at Nissan had the remarkably bold idea of transplanting the R35 GT-R’s sophisticated high-performance innards into the mild-mannered Juke. The most recent result of this Frankenstein-like process created the Juke-R 2.0, an even more powerful, yet still matte black version capable of a 200 mph top speed. Appropriately enough, this unreal vehicle debuted at the 2015 Goodwood Festival of Speed in the UK.
The Nissan Juke-R 2.0 is based on the more recent version of the standard Juke, which features Nissan’s “V-motion” grille and is mostly irrelevant to this discussion. What is important is the fact that the Juke-R 2.0 now has the 600-horsepower version of the most powerful GT-R NISMO engine under its ventilated hood, driving all four wheels just as in the GT-R. Engine cooling capability has been greatly increased in line with its higher power output, while a variety of carbon fiber body parts keep the vehicle’s overall weight down.
Nissan never intended for the Juke-R or Juke-R 2.0 to be cars for the masses. A total of six examples of the Juke-R have been hand-built and sold for around $590,000 each. The Juke-R 2.0 was reportedly produced in a quantity of either four or five. One was available for sale in Germany in late 2021 at a price equivalent to about $280,000. None were ever intended to be sold in the U.S. Sorry.
2024 GT-R NISMO - 200 mph
The 2024 Nissan GT-R NISMO is the top performer in the Nissan lineup. It has a top speed of 200 mph, thanks to its 3.8-Liter twin-turbo aluminum V6 engine that produces 600 horsepower. A six-speed DCT transaxle with paddle shifters sends the power to all four wheels though its ATTESA E-TS all-wheel drive. The GT-R rides on its own unique platform (known as PM, or Premium-Midship) that is not used by any other Nissan vehicle.
The name NISMO stands for Nissan Motorsports, and is usually reserved for the most extreme performance-oriented version of each Nissan model. The most recent GT-R NISMO upgrades came along in 2020, when several performance enhancements were adopted. These included improved shifting for the transmission, upgraded turbos from the GT-R GT3 race car, reduced weight, improved body rigidity, more use of carbon fiber, along with better tires, wheels, and brakes. More horsepower was also a byproduct of these improvements.
Supporting the GT-R NISMO’s engine performance are larger, lighter-weight, carbon-ceramic Brembo brakes to slow it all down, along with carbon-fiber body parts that include fascias front and rear, hood, roof, rear wing, and trunk lid. These function to increase cooling and lower the GT-R’s center of gravity. The interior features synthetic suede Recaro seats, Alcantara-wrapped steering wheel, and red stitching.
1998 R390 GT1 Sport Prototype - 220 mph
This 1998 Nissan R390 GT1 Sport Prototype is a very rare vehicle — only one of them was ever made. This single R390 GT1 was produced in order to get it a type-approval as a GT Car that could then be entered into the24 Hours of Le Mansrace in 1998. This car currently resides in Nissan’s Heritage Collection. With a claimed top speed of 220 miles per hour, the R390 GT1 is probably Nissan’s fastest car ever.
The Nissan R390 GT1 is powered by a 3.5-Liter DOHC V8 with an output of 345 horsepower (350 PS). Power flows to the rear wheels through a six-speed sequential gearbox.
