- "A GT-R with a low centre of gravity and superior aerodynamics, due to its reduced engine height."
- ―In-game catch text for the car, from GT6's Dealership
The Nissan PENNZOIL ZEXEL GT-R '01 is a race car produced by Nissan. It first appeared in Gran Turismo Concept and has been featured in all subsequent mainline games up to Gran Turismo 6.
The car appears to be the #23 driven by Frenchman Érik Comas and Japanese Masami Kageyama, who achieved a 4th place finish overall in the GT500 class of the 2001 JGTC season.
Description[]
After making dramatic changes to the Skyline GT-R R34 race car for the 2000 Japan Grand Touring Car Championship (JGTC), Nissan made even more refinements to the car, including a five percent reduction in engine height that improved the car's center of gravity. The R34's aerodynamic were also improved via reshaped rear fenders, in line with new regulation allowing upgrades below the wheel center. Although the new car looked more imposing on the outside, it still couldn't match the speed and reliability of its main rivals.
But the Nissan team endured with clever strategy and better preparation and setup of the car. For example, at the fourth race at Fuji Speedway, a track well suited for the GT-R, the car performed admirably in unexpected weather conditions, leaving its rivals, who struggled to get the right setup in its wake. At the first corner of the race, the No. 23 Pennzoil Zexel GT-R, driven by Erik Comas and Masami Kageyama, took the early lead as the No. 22 Xanavi Hiroto GT-R, driven by Michael Krumm and Tetsuya Tanaka, followed closely behind. In the end, Tanaka dodged past Kageyama to take the lead, as the GT-Rs finished 1-2. Based on this win, both GT-Rs became championship contenders until the last race where the Comas-Kageyama team fell a bit short of recapturing the crown.
Acquisition[]
| Game | Purchase location | Credits | Other methods |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gran Turismo Concept | --- | --- | 2001 Tokyo: Win a Professional Level race at Tahiti Maze 2002 Tokyo-Geneva: Complete the Course License #1 with Bronze |
| Gran Turismo 4 | Nissan New Car Dealership | 1,350,000 | Available from the start in Arcade Mode |
| Gran Turismo PSP | Nissan Dealership | 1,000,000 | --- |
| Gran Turismo 5 | Used Car Dealership (Lv. 18+) | 731,680 | --- |
| Gran Turismo 6 | Nissan Dealership | 750,000 | --- |
Trivia[]
- This car also appears in Gran Turismo 4 Prologue, albeit unplayable through normal means; it can only be seen as a CPU car in the Arcade Mode races and in School Mode lessons.
Pictures[]
