Nissan will compete in the 2012 Nürburgring 24 Hours endurance race using one of its stock 2013 GT-R supercars, albeit a race-ready Club Track Edition. The team fielding the car will be the GT-R’s own development team, headed by none other than the car’s chief engineer Kazutoshi Mizuno. During last year’s event, a race-prepped GT-R fielded by Schulze Motorsport won the SP 8T class and finished 36th overall. Nissan is now looking to see how one of its regular customer GT-Rs will compete against the field of fully-fledged race cars that typically tackle the Nürburgring-Nordschleife during the event each year. Speaking at the announcement of the GT-R’s participation in this year’s race, Mizuno explained the experience gained will allow engineers to further fine tune the car over the next five years so in its current form. He added that it’s not just about the performance of the car but also its reliability and durability that needs to be looked at. “This is the reason we chose to enter the Nürburgring 24 Hours: to perform harsher endurance tests for future performance improvements,” Mizuno said. As mentioned, the car being used is a Club Track Edition. It features a stripped interior, some minor aero mods, and a standard roll-cage but its engine, transmission and suspension are all stock. However, some changes were made including the change from tires that are 10 inches in width, up from 9.5 inches, as well as slightly more rigid suspension, bigger brakes, and a bigger fuel tank. The 2012 Nürburgring 24 Hours takes place from May 17 to 20.
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