Insure.com has just announced the Top 20 Least Expensive Vehicles to Insure; however, the enthusiast in us is focused on the most expensive vehicle to insure. The most expensive vehicle to insure, which comes as no surprise to us, is the Nissan GT-R.

Nissans “multi-performance supercar” comes in at an average annual premium of $2,533. 

“Owners of the GT-R buy it for power and speed, and their driving habits are often reflected in frequent and expensive insurance claims,” says Insure.com. “GT-R owners who are young with less-than-spotless driving records could easily see their annual car insurance premiums zoom to several thousand dollars.”

The least expensive vehicle to insure is the Hyundai Santa Fe coming in at $832.

Click through for both lists.

Top 20 Most Expensive 2009 Vehicles to Insure:

1.  $2,533 Nissan GT-R Sports car

2.  $2,446 Dodge Viper Sports car

3.  $2,236 BMW M6 Sports car

4.  $2,186 Ford Shelby GT500 Sports car

5.  $2,088 Mercedes-Benz G-Class Large SUV

6.  $2,071 Audi S8 Large passenger car

7.  $2,020 BMW M5 Sports car

8.  $1,912 Hummer H2 Large SUV

9.  $1,881 Lexus IS F Sports car

10.  $1,819 Porsche 911 Sports car

11.  $1,762 Chevrolet Cobalt SS Sports car

12.  $1,717 Jaguar XK Series Sports car

13.  $1,714 BMW M3 Sports car

14.  $1,694 Cadillac XLR Sports car

15.  $1,637 Audi R8 Sports car

16.  $1,603 Land Rover Range Rover Large SUV

17.  $1,592 Cadillac Escalade EXT Truck

18.  $1,587 Honda S2000 Sports car

19.  $1,584 BMW X6 Large SUV

20.  $1,577 Mercedes-Benz SL-Class Large passenger car

Top 20 Least Expensive 2009 Vehicles to Insure:

1.  $832 Hyundai Santa Fe Midsize SUV

2.  $840 Kia Sportage Small SUV

3.  $848 Hyundai Entourage Minivan

4.  $857 Kia Sedona Minivan

5.  $870 Kia Rio5 Small wagon

6.  $871 Honda Odyssey Minivan

7.  $881 Smart Fortwo Small passenger car

8.  $911 Saturn VUE SUV

9.  $913 Mazda Tribute SUV

10.  $915 Chrysler Town & Country Minivan

11.  $921 Scion xB Small wagon

12.  $929 Mazda Mazda5 Minivan

13.  $936 Volkswagen Passat Passenger car

14.  $939 Jeep Wrangler SUV

15.  $951 Honda Accord Passenger car

16.  $954 Suzuki Forenza Passenger car

17.  $955 Lincoln Town Car Passenger car

18.  $957 Mazda Truck Pickup

19.  $959 Chevrolet Impala Passenger car

20. $960 Dodge Grand Caravan Minivan

- By: The Daily Auto Editor

Source: Insure.com

The scrappage program introduced in the UK was intended to boost new car sales while encouraging owners of 10-year old vehicles to buy more fuel-efficient cars.

According to AutoTrader.uk, two Nissan GT-R supercars have been purchased under the new scrappage program. The two buyers rushed into showrooms within five hours of the programs launch time.

Nothing says fuel-efficiency like a 480-hp supercar that goes from 0 to 60 mph in 3.5 seconds and returns an estimated fuel-economy of 18 mpg.

2009 Nissan GT-R:

- By: The Daily Auto Editor

Source: AutoTrader.uk

Update: Thanks to Damien for pointing out that we missed the 70 at the end of the 7:26. Corvette ZR1 is still ahead of the GT-R.

While Porsche is claiming that the Nissan GT-R still can’t mange to lap the Nurburgring Nordschleife circuit in a time better than 7 minutes and 54 seconds, Nissan announced today that Godzilla has improved its lap-time to 7:26.

“This record demonstrates our commitment to the continuous evolution of the Nissan GT-R,” says Kazutoshi Mizuno, Chief Vehicle Engineer and Chief Vehicle Specialist. “We would like to continue delivering the passion and pride of ownership to our customers by improving its performance every year.”

Yes, that time is officially better than the 7:26.4 seconds for the 2009 Chevrolet ZR1 piloted by GM development engineer Jim Mero. We have no word whether Chevy and Mero will be headed back to the Nurburgring to top the new GT-R time.

On a side note: In October 2008, it was reported that Jan Magnussen, a race car driver from Denmark and a General Motors factory driver, took the Corvette ZR1 around the Nordschleife in 7:22.4. However, GM nor Chevrolet ever confirmed that time so we have to count it as unofficial.

Make the jump for the press release.

Press Release:

AWARD-WINNING NISSAN GT-R ACHIEVES NEW RECORD LAP TIME AT NURBURGRING CIRCUIT

TOKYO (May 14, 2009) – The NISSAN GT-R, winner of the 2009 World Performance Car of the Year, has improved its lap time at the renowned Nurburgring Nordschleife circuit in Germany to 7min 26 seconds 70 on April 23.

This new time underlines Nissan engineering team’s commitment to constantly challenge the GT-R’s performance. Previous recorded lap times at the ‘Ring’ were:

- 7 minutes 27 seconds 56 on April 15, 2009
- 7 minutes 29 in April 2008
- 7 minutes 38 in September 2007

“This record demonstrates our commitment to the continuous evolution of the Nissan GT-R,” says Kazutoshi Mizuno, Chief Vehicle Engineer and Chief Vehicle Specialist. “We would like to continue delivering the passion and pride of ownership to our customers by improving its performance every year.”

The Nissan GT-R has won more than a dozen awards globally including Car of the Year from CAR Magazine in the UK, and Car of the Year by both Motor Trend and Autombile Magazine in the US.

While the Nissan GT-R benefits from a strong image and heritage amongst performance car aficionados, its updated 2010 version will be the first to be sold globally. It was launched:

- in Japan in December 2008,
- in the US in March 2009
- in Europe, GCC, Australia, New Zealand, and Taiwan in April 2009

Europe is currently in the process of delivering the first GT-Rs to more than 2,200 pre-order customers.

The model R35 GT-R was first launched in Japan in December 2007, selling 5,900 units until March 2009. It went on sale in the US in July 2008, where 2,100 have been sold so far.

- By: Omar Rana

Nissan today unveiled the official details and pricing info on the new 2010 Nissan GT-R. Nissan says that the 2010 GT-R features “five additional horsepower, a revised suspension, updated wheel finishes and standard front seat- and roof-mounted curtain side-impact supplemental air bags.”

The GT-R’s 3.8L twin-turbo V6 now produces 485-hp (up from 480-hp). The 6-speed, dual-clutch transmission receives a new ”Transmission Control Module (TCM) programming designed to optimize clutch engagement for improved drivability, and improve vehicle acceleration with the Vehicle Dynamic Control (VDC) on (activated)”.

The braking system has also been upgraded with more rigid brake lines and the calipers now feature both, the Brembo and Nissan logos. The suspension has been retuned with redesigned Bilstein shocks with a new valve body design and revised spring and damper rates. The 2010 Nissan GT-R is also equipped with a darker smoke-finished 20-inch RAYS aluminum alloy-wheels and a “near-black” metallic finish on the Premium model.

Pricing for the 2010 Nissan GT-R starts at $81,790 and $84,040 for the GT-R Premium model (prices include a $1,000 destination and handling charge). For 2010, Nissan is also offering a new Pearl White color while the popular Super Silver color gets a polished front bumper. Buyers can also opt for the Cold Weather Package at no charge. The special Super Silver Paint costs an additional $3000, while the iPod and GT-R floormats go for $400 and $280 respectively.

Unfortunately Nissan did not release any images of the 2010 Nissan GT-R, so you’ll have to deal with the 2009 Nissan GT-R gallery.

2009 Nissan GT-R:

- By: Omar Rana

The 2008 Nissan GT-R reported a Nurburgring time of 7:29. The 2009 model is now here and “it’s definitely faster” says Toshio Suzuki, Nissan Chief Test Driver. Recently it was reported that Nissan has officially confirmed a 0 to 60 mph time of 3.3 seconds with the 2009 GT-R – the 2008 model was clocked in at 3.5 seconds.

What’s better and faster is the Nissan GT-R SpecV. While there is no power upgrades the SpecV uses a lot of weight saving methods including carbon fiber body parts, Recaro carbon fiber bucket seats. The GT-R SpecV also has a new high-gear boost control device which increases the boost of the engine’s twin turbochargers for increased torque and a more powerful acceleration.

Nissan is now ready to head back to Nurburgring to break its own and other records at Green Hell. Toshio Suzuki confirmed with GTRBlog that he and his team will be heading back to Germany in April with both – the 2009 GT-R and the GT-R SpecV.

When asked which of the two GT-Rs he thinks will post a better time, Suzuki said: “Well the SpecV is lighter, has more power, better braking. It will set a faster time…”

Nissan GT-R SpecV:

Source: GTR-Blog

For those of you angered by Nissan’s move to limit the GT-R’s rpm when VDC is turned off (otherwise known as ”launch-control”) this might cheer you up just a little – well maybe a lot. We know that the 2009 Nissan GT-R and the 2010 Nissan GT-R will have the new modification built in.

Nonetheless, other modifications like increased horsepower, upgraded handling and a revised software in the transmission control unit (TCM) were also made. With VDC mode on (and rpms limited), Nissan test drivers managed to best the 2008 Nissan GT-R 0 to 60 mph time of 3.5 seconds.

Reports say that on Feb. 15th at the Nissan Tochigi plant test track, Nissan test drivers and engineers clocked the 2009 GT-R at 3.3 seconds. That time was reported using the new limited launch control method. The 2009 Nissan GT-R was setup in R transmission, R suspension and R VDC modes.

The upgraded 2009 Nissan GT-R is on sale now in Japan with U.S. other markets to take delivery shortly.

2009 Nissan GT-R:

Source: GT-R Blog

It’s Friday so we’re taking it a bit easy and we’re sure you are too. Browsing through our Google Reader we came across this short post by our friends at Jalopnik. It’s a funny little something you might want to see before you head out for lunch (well, at least if you’re on the East Cost).

It’s a short video of what happened when Hitler found out that using launch control on the Nissan GT-R voids your warranty.

Follow the jump for the video.

Source: Jalopnik

If the 475-hp is not enough for you and your Nissan GT-R, Power Enterprise has announced two performance upgrades for Nissan GT-R owners. First up is the 35GTR 560-hp upgrade kit which includes P-Map ECU, PWR Air Impulse II air filters and intake piping kit. Next is the 35GTR 600-hp kit which adds a Supersonic Titanium 89mm diameter exhaust and upgraded wastegate actuators to the first kit.

Power Enterprise says it is also working on a Power Enterprise Four Charger System. What is Power Enterprise Four Charger System? It adds a pair of Rotrex C30-94 superchargers to the already twin-turbo V6 setup of the standard Nissan GT-R. That’s good for a total of 650-hp

Power Enterprise will show the cars at the Tokyo Auto Salon next week.

2009 Nissan GT-R:

Source: GT-RBlog

Cobra N+ is known for exclusively customizing and tuning Nissan automobiles, so it’s only fair that the tuning firm takes a shot at the new (now) 485-hp twin-turbo V6 Nissan GT-R. The Cobra N+ engineers are already hard work at the first tuning stage for the GT-R – which means there is more to come from Cobra N+ in the future.

The first stage is projected to deliver a total of 550-hp with a peak torque of 501 lb-ft. Engineers will be reprogramming the ECU, boosting pressure by 0.15 bar and modifying the air intake with sport air filters to achieve the upgrade. A Cobra N+ stainless-steel high-performance exhaust system with metal catalysts will also be fitted to the GT-R. 0 to 62 mph comes in 3.5 seconds like the production GT-R but top speed has been increased from 193 mph to 199 mph. Is it worth it? Probably not if you ask us. Nonetheless, Cobra N+ assures us that plans exist for a 620-hp in the near future.

Cobra N+ will also offers a sportier coil-over suspension, 21-inch light-alloy wheels, upgraded 8-piston brake calipers with 405-mm brake discs on the front axle, and a visually appealing aerodynamic body kit. Inside, buyers can opt for luxurious interior with sewn upholstery for the seats and doors made from a combination of leather and Alcantara or go for a more racing look with light carbon-fiber racing seats, six-point seat belts and a roll cage.

Cobra N+’s tuning program for the GT-R will be available for the European market in spring of 2009.

Click through for the high-res image gallery.

Cobra N+ Nissan GT-R:

Source: autoblog.nl

When you think of the word “Hennessey” you’re most likely to think of the prominent French winery. However, when you think of the words “Hennessey Performance” you’re most likely to think of a Dodge Viper or crazy amounts of horsepower in a true American muscle car. Well the company that’s 45 miles west of Houston, Texas is about to change all that with their latest performance upgrade offerings for the new king of Japan - Nissan GT-R – otherwise known as Godzilla.

The first performance upgrade package is called the Godzilla 600 and offers the Nissan GT-R 600-hp with a maximum torque of 570 lb-ft. The second package, the Godzilla 700, gives the GT-R 700-hp with a peak torque of 630 lb-ft.

Of course all this extra power is going to come at some extra cost. Besides the arm and leg that you’re going to pay for the Nissan GT-R, Hennessey is asking for $14,500 (installed) for the Godzilla 600 package and $24,500 for the Godzilla 700 package.

Click through for the high-res image gallery of the Nissan GT-R.

Nissan GT-R by Hennessey Performance:

The 2010 Nissan GT-R will lose the wonderful yet controversial launch control; however, Nissan announced today that the extra horsepower and a couple of other add ons should make up for the loss… at least in Europe. Production of the Euro spec GT-R begins in Japan this month and Nissan will add some “small but significant changes” to the car.

The 3.8L V6 twin-turbo engine has gained an extra 5-PS for a total of 485-PS (or 478-hp on the stateside). Additionally, Dunlop SP Sport 600 DSST tires will be fitted as standard, offering GT-R owners more grip and durability (same tires used on its not-so-much-record Nurburgring lap).

What else does the European Nissan GT-R get? Storm White (Pearl) will replace the original pearl white exterior color and the Gun Metal RAYS Alloy wheels will now be fitted on the GT-R and Premium editions. Pricing has also been increased and will now start at £56,795, £58,095 for the Premium Edition and £59,395 for the Black Edition (an increase of 3.8 percent).

Nissan said that it has an excess of 2,500 customer orders in Europe with 1,200 coming from the UK alone. The Japanese automaker said that any new customer should expect delivery of their GT-R in mid-2010.

Nissan GT-R:

It seems just like yesterday that the Nissan GT-R was revealed. Just to put it into perspective, the car made its stateside debut at the 2007 LA Auto Show and next week is the 2008 LA Auto Show. Either way, believe it or not it’s time for an upgrade.

Known as the Series II Nissan GT-R R35, the car will debut as a 2009 model year with:

    - Engine output up 5-hp to 478-hp
    – White body colour changed from paint code QX1 to QAB (Storm White)
    - Brembo brake calipers rebadged to Nissan
    – Front License plate base removed (JDM falls into line with the USDM here)
    - Gas tank size expanded, 71 liters – 73.8 litres
    – Slightly tweaked fuel economy 8.2 km/L to 8.5 km/L
    - Another 5% price increase

The Series II will first take over the JDM market followed but other markets around the world once the inventory has been depleted.

Nissan GT-R:

Source: GT-R Blog

It was previously reported that we’ll get to see the Nissan GT-R Spec-V at the 2008 Paris Motor Show. Guess what? It wasn’t there. According to new reports, the GT-R Spec-V will most certainly be on hand at the 2008 NISMO Festival that starts on Nov. 30th.

The official release date is set for January 2009 with the first deliveries beginning in February 2009. Nissan will only make 10 units a month, thus we don’t expect many of them to make it to our side of the world. Pricing is estimated to start at 15,000,000 yen ($153,625 USD).

The Nissan GT-R Spec-V will make around 580-hp and is rumored to drop weight by 200-lbs. Yesterday, we heard rumors of a 600-hp Nissan GT-R LM. Whether or not the LM Edition is a rumor – we’ll leave that up to you. However, we’ll just tell you that it’s rare that an automaker will create a special-edition model that boosts output by just 20 horses over another special-edition model.

Nissan GT-R:

Source: GT-RBlog

We haven’t heard anything about the Nissan GT-R V-Spec for a while and quite frankly after learning what we just did  – we could care less. According to Best Car, Nissan is working on a Le Mans edition of the GT-R R35 that will be called ‘LM Edition.’ The car will be extremely exclusive and extremely expensive with very limited production.

Nissan had a LM Edition of the GT-R in the 1990’s that it offered in limited units. Like its predecessor, the new GT-R LM Edition will honor the 24-hours of Le Mans.

Official details are not yet available but sources say that the car will be powered by a modified version of the 480-hp 3.8L twin-turbo V6 from the standard GT-R. Output is expected to come in at 600-hp. The Nissan GT-R LM Edition will also get larger brakes, lighter wheels and some suspension and transmission tweaks. A new bodykit and aerodynamic upgrades are also in the works.

There is no word on when the car will be revealed.

Nissan GT-R:

Source: Best Car (via CarScoop)

Zele International’s orange Nissan GT-R has made its way to the U.S. and is now on display at the 2008 SEMA Auto Show. The Zele Nissan GT-R  shows off a variety of carbon fiber body parts for Godzilla and a few performance modifications.

The car features a Lamborghini Arancio Atlas Metallic Orange paint job, black forged standard wheels, carbon fiber NACA ducts, front lip spoiler, side skirts, a rear lip and Recaro seats which are lowered by 14mm. The Zele Nissan GT-R also features a lowered suspension and a modified front bar with front air ducts. The parts are available in the U.S. through GT Motoring, Tomei Powered USA Inc. and BulletProof Automotive. Prices range anywhere from $500 to $1,000.

Zele also offers ECU upgrades that allows for a rev-limit increase to 7,200 rpm and a top speed of 211 mph.

Zele Nissan GT-R:

While Motor Trend was hanging out at Chrysler’s Arizona Proving Grounds in over half a million dollars worth of the world’s hottest cars, they decided it was the perfect opportunity to take each vehicle to its top speed. Check out these videos of the Chevrolet Corvette ZR1, Porsche 911 GT2, Ferrari 599 GTB Fiorano and the Nissan GT-R as 24 Hours of Daytona winner Didier Theys takes them around a five-mile oval.

Refresher:

2009 Chevrolet Corvette ZR1: LS9 supercharged 6.2L V8 engine producing 638-hp and 604 lb-ft of torque.
2009 Nissan GT-R: 3.8 L twin-turbocharged DOHC V6 engine that produces 473 horsepower and a peak torque of 430 lb-ft.
2008 Porsche 911 GT2: 3.6 liter 6-cylinder producing 530-hp with a maximum torque of 505 lb-ft.
2007 Ferrari 599 GTB Fiorano: V12 producing 620-hp with and 448 lb-ft of torque.

Follow the jump for the videos.

2009 Chevrolet Corvette ZR1:

2009 Nissan GT-R:

2008 Porsche 911 GT-2:

2007 Ferrari 599 GTB Fiorano:

Source: MotorTrend

The on and off again rumors of a four-door Nissan GT-R are still out there. Just earlier this year we saw a photo rendering depicting what a four-door GT-R would look like with an Infiniti badge. Nonetheless, Carlos Ghosn has repeatedly denied a GT-R based sedan for Infiniti.

Well, here is some inside information or rumors, or whatever you want to call it. According to AutoExpress, sources in Japan tell them that Nissan is working on a supercar that will have four-doors and a Infiniti badge. The car, which will be a rival to the Porsche Panamera and an answer to the BMW M5, will use the four-wheel-drive chassis and twin-clutch gearbox of the GT-R coupe.

Rather than focusing on performance, the car will emphasis comfort and luxury with a longer wheelbase. And instead of the 3.8L V6 twin-turbo from the GT-R we’ll see a 5.0L V8 from the Infiniti FX50 SUV making some 420-hp. 0 to 60 mph is expected in under 5 seconds with a top speed of 170 mph.

The Infiniti sedan is expected to arrive in 2011 but we’ll believe it when we see it.

Source: AutoExpress

Get ready to spend 47-mins on eGMCarTech this morning. National Geographic has just released their 47-minute special on the new Japanese supercar and we’ve got the full episode right here. You can always read up on the Nissan GT-R over at Wikipedia, but you’ll never get the complete history behind one of the greatest supercars ever built until you watch this documentary.

The 47 minute documentary gives us an inside look at the GT-R’s background, its underground racing history, Nissan’s CEO Carlos Ghosn and Nissan itself.

Follow the jump for the video.

Nissan GT-R:

Source: NAGTROC