Nissan is already responsible for giving us the GT-R, one of the most impressive performance cars in the world. So with that in mind, Nissan collaborated with World Drone Prix Champions Tornado Blades Racing to create a drone that could give the GT-R a run for its money. The result is the GT-R Drone, a first-person racing drone equipped with the latest in performance-enhancing technology that enables it to sprint from 0 to 62 mph in a ridiculous 1.3 seconds. Considering that an electric racer just set the fastest 0-to-60-mph sprint for an EV with a time of 1.5 seconds a few days ago, the fact that a drone can do it two-tenths of a second quicker is incredible.
To break in the GT-R Drone, Nissan invited 2015 British National Drone Racing champion James Bowles to drive the GT-R Drone against Nissan NISMO driver Ricardo Sanchez and Godzilla itself at the Silverstone circuit in England. The race was chronicled in this expertly done video by Nissan showing the supercar and drone engage in a highly entertaining race. The result is what you’d expect. The drone immediately shoots out of the line only to be caught up the GT-R in the circuit’s twisting corners. Ultima 
tely, the GT-R’s 196 mph top speed also flexed its muscles, outgunning the 115-mph GT-R Drone to the finish. Surprisingly, the drone actually did well for itself considering the circumstances, proving that, while it may not be able to match the GT-R in a lap around a track, it’s got the tech to leave the car in the dust in an acceleration race.
The whole thing makes for a very entertaining race and it shows because anybody who watches it will likely end up wondering what it’s going to take to own the GT-R drone. Trust me. I’ve thought about it myself. It’s unlikely that it’s going to go up for sale anytime soon, but hey, people can dream, right?
Continue after the jump to read the full story.
Why it matters
The name of the GT-R Drone may grab the headlines, but the specs of the thing are actually what drives it to become the impressive piece of technology that it is. According to Nissan, the drone’s acceleration is largely due to its race-specification Sky-Hero quadcopter frame, which is able to house four propellers that are mated to 2000kv XNova motors. That allows it to perform the way it does and, if you’ve watched the video, it is incredible to see something like that travel so quickly in the air. Now I know why drone racing has become a big thing all over the world.
But other than the GT-R Drone, which is incredible, I can’t help but wonder if the whole purpose of this whole commercial is to subliminally showcase the 2017 Nissan GT-R and highlight it’s own awesomeness. Not that Nissan needs to do such thing because the GT-R is already regarded as a specimen of a performance car. But, you know, it doesn’t hurt to be reminded, right?
After all, the 2017 GT-R is a fresh facelift that not only offers improved looks in the body and the cabin, it also comes with a surprising bump in power, an uncommon occurrence for a facelifted model. The 3.8-liter twin-turbo V-6 engine is still around, only this time, Nissan’s engineers increased the output by 20 horsepower, bringing in a total of 565 horsepower and 467 pound-feet of torque. Nissan hasn’t elaborated on the car’s performance numbers, but with the increased power, a sprint time to 60 mph of under three seconds is a possibility, although top speed will likely remain at 196 mph.
Those are amazing numbers, but the numbers don’t lie. If the GT-R and the GT-R Drone ever did an acceleration race, Godzilla is going to get waxed.
Nissan GT-R
Read our full review on the Nissan GT-R here.