The Nissan GT-R is a two-door sports car with a coupe body style. Not yet released in the United States, the GT-R has already made headlines in Japan after being unveiled in late 2007. Its sleek exterior is only overshadowed by its impressive power. However, while the coupe will certainly turn heads, its base price of $69,850 will put the majority of potential buyers out of range. But, when consumers got a taste of the concept GT-R at the Tokyo Motor Show in 2005, their mouths were already watering for what the finished product would look like.

Scheduled to hit American sales lots later in 2008, the Nissan GT-R has made an impression on the Japanese auto market already. With its sleek, aerodynamic exterior and powerful turbocharged 3.8L V6 that generates up to 480 horsepower,. it's no wonder that Nissan is hoping this model will give the maker an entirely new reputation. Long known as the maker of run-of-the-mill sedans like the Sentra and Altima, the release of the GT-R is meant to usher Nissan into a new age.

Two trim levels, the base model and Premium, will be offered on the GT-R. Though both include the same engine, it is unclear at this point what added features the Premium model will have. Nissan has released information that they plan to introduce a high-performance GT-R for the 2010 model year. The Spec-V (name not finalized) will get 520 horsepower and a lighter frame. This will put the GT-R Spec-V in the running to be one of the most powerfully equipped sports cars on the American market.

The manufacturer also intends to put the Nissan GT-R in the racing circuit, to both prove what it can do and also to provide it with a widespread audience. The GT Race is set to be its racing debut. Recently, spies have caught the GT-R tooling around the track at the Fuji Speedway in Japan preparing for upcoming events.

Another of the standout features of the Nissan GT-R is that it is easily customizable. Nissan has developed the coupe so that aftermarket modifications can easily be performed, giving the GT-R the ability to be individualized for each buyer. Nevertheless, some are still disappointed with the GT-R, claiming that its 16 city MPG and 21 highway MPG could be improved on, but others are willing to sacrifice a bit of gas mileage for super power.