Nissan GT-R gets its own showroom

Business Times - 22 Jul 2009

The centre will also supply genuine parts for servicing

By SAMUEL EE

THE Nissan GT-R has sped into Singapore through authorised distributor Tan Chong Motor Sales - and will be housed in a dedicated showroom created specially for it.

The Nissan High Performance Centre has been set up for the iconic sports car at a cost of about $300,000, complete with a work bench and custom diagnostic equipment. Also supporting it are trained sales staff, after-sales managers and technicians.

The centre will also supply genuine parts for servicing and replacement.

'GT-R owners can now have peace of mind to fully enjoy this legendary Japanese super sports car,' said Ron Lim, general manager of Tan Chong Motor Sales.

Servicing has been a big headache for owners of parallel imported GT-Rs due to a lack of trained personnel and equipment to handle the car properly, Mr Lim said.

Since its introduction in Japan in December 2007, the highly acclaimed GT-R has only been available here as a parallel import, with more than 222 units registered so far.

But last month, Tan Chong began offering it as an official import. The Black Edition GT-R has a list price of $299,500 with COE. Its supercar performance includes a 485hp, 3.8-litre twin-turbo V6 engine, all-wheel-drive and acceleration from zero to 100 kph in just 4.1 seconds.

One big difference with Tan Chong's official export model is that it has an extra 5hp. Another is that it comes with a three-year manufacturer's warranty and an English vehicle information system.

Parallel imports use some Japanese script on screen, while the hard buttons are also in Japanese. And as a Japanese domestic model, the parallel-imported version has a speed limiter.

So why did it take Tan Chong more than 18 months to introduce the GT-R? 'Being the official distributor of Nissan cars here, Tan Chong has to ensure that all vehicles brought in meet the requirements of the market and the manufacturer so our customers can enjoy the car with an assurance of proper pre- and after-sales support,' Mr Lim said.

The Nissan High Performance Centre is at the main Nissan showroom on Bukit Timah Road. With dedicated staff and the 'necessary facilities and equipment to take care of the car', Mr Lim is confident that prospective customers will see the advantage of buying a GT-R from Tan Chong.

He declined to reveal the sales target but said: 'We believe there is still demand for the vehicle and hope to sell as many as possible.'

Existing GT-R owners are welcome to 'buy another Nissan GT-R or even a 370Z from us', he added.

Tan Chong unveiled its GT-R at last month's Formula Drift, where the official safety car was a Nissan 370Z. The company also invited existing GT-R owners to the motorsports event.

Formula Drift was perhaps the perfect platform to engage Nissan aficionados and build a bigger fan base, as two-thirds of the 37 participants were competing in rear-wheel-drive Nissan cars.