Video: Nissan tests 2013 GT-R’s performance in snow

We all know what the mighty Nissan GT-R is capable of. With all-wheel drive and a stonking twin-turbocharged V6 engine, it seems there is nothing the GT-R can’t do…. or is it?

What if you live in Iceland, where the roads are covered in snow half the year and you had to have a GT-R? How would the supercar perform in such snowy conditions? Nissan had just such a person in mind when they produced this video to answer the question.

In the video, Nissan took the latest iteration of the 2013 GT-R to the company’s testing ground in Hokkaido, Japan. It is pitted against the maker’s 370Z and the Infinity FX all-wheel drive. For consistency, all cars are fitted with the same Dunlop stud-less tyres.

The GT-R Project Chief, Kazautoshi Mizuno, explains:

“I want to show you how GT-R performs on snow-covered roads, which is the key essence of Multi Performance. I will explain how the four tires always grip the surface of the snow, how the car controls the stud-less tires produce maximum gripping power. This is very important under snowy road conditions. We thought it may be difficult to understand with just the GT-R, so we brought two cars for comparison, the 370Z, atypical 2-wheel drive with low center of gravity with relatively good manoeuvrability in the snow, and the Infiniti FX, an SUV with a sporty feel with great manoeuvrability on snowy roads.”

He continues: “We will take this sporty 4-wheel drive SUV, the FX, and the 370Z, the 2-wheel drive with a low center of gravity, and GT-R on the Nissan Hokkaido Proving Ground and on Dunlop’s tire test course. In these two locations we will introduce to you what Multi Performance is all about.”

We’ll let you find out the results. If you are in a hurry, fast forward to 5:00 where Mizuno San talks about the tests.