Gold, gold gold for Nissan GT-R bidder

AN Australian mystery buyer who forked out $US187,100 ($A177,544) for a one-off ‘Bolt Gold’ Nissan GT-R in a charity online auction for the Usain Bolt Foundation paid just $544 more than the standard list price for the upcoming GT-R Premium Edition in the 2013 range in Australia.

While the winning bid was vastly more than the showroom price in the United States and other markets, it was line ball with the $177,000 (plus on-road costs) that will be charged for the leather-trimmed GT-R Premium Edition once the refreshed 2013 range arrives Down Under in February.

In the United States, the GT-R Premium is priced at $US97,820 ($A92,800), plus taxes.

It is unclear what taxes and duties will be payable on the Bolt GT-R when it arrives Down Under next year.

Nissan Australia said the Australian bidder had decided to remain anonymous for now.

“Nissan will confirm further details in 2013 when the car is delivered to Australia and presented to the winning bidder,” the company said in a statement.

Left: 2013 Nissan GT-R.

However, the buyer was quoted as saying: "The Nissan GT-R just gets better and better and more refined each year, and the fact that this gold GT-R also celebrates the incredible achievements of the great Usain Bolt makes it something very special indeed."The buyer should have no trouble registering the GT-R in Australia, as the car delivered Down Under will be built in right-hand drive to Australian design Rules.

Nissan, which supplied the car to the Olympic gold-medal-winning sprinter’s charity that assists children in his home country of Jamaica, said competition for the GT-R was fierce, with offers coming from around the globe.

The auction started on November 22, about a month after the six-time gold medalist was appointed Nissan's honorary “Director of Excitement” as a brand spokesman for the company's new "What if_" global brand campaign.

Apart from its unique gold paint job, the Bolt GT-R has a gold plaque bearing the track star’s signature.

Bolt is on the record as saying he wants one too ...

The online auction also netted several thousand dollars for other items, including racing helmets, driving suits and boots.

The latest 2013 Nissan GT-R variant arrives in Australia in February, and is said to be capable of launching from standstill to 100km/h in just 2.7 seconds – one tenth faster than the 2012 version.

While the GT-R 3.8-litre twin-turbo six-cylinder V6 is unchanged at 404kW and 628Nm, new high-output injectors improve response across the rev band.

Further improvements for MY13 include extra body rigidity via reinforcements to the dash panel bar and instrument panel member and new cam bolts to the front suspension to improve camber accuracy and cornering stability.

The company also tweaked the dampers, springs and front anti-roll bar to lower the centre of gravity, while the torque-carrying capacity of the driveshafts to the hub bearings has been increased to improve reliability in high-stress situations such as track driving.