$38m in gold - Bolt's new Nissan GT-R added to black model

Mel Cooke, Gleaner Writer

The gold-coloured Nissan GT-R handed over to sprinter Usain Bolt last Sunday is worth approximately $38 million, a representative of Fidelity Motors, Jamaica's Nissan dealer, has told Automotives.

Even with the Jamaican currency selling at over $99 to the US dollar and using the prices for the latest model of the car, the 'Boltmobile' is substantially more expensive than what is available to a purchaser in the US. The website autoblog.com gives a price range of US$99,590 (Premium edition) to US$115,710 (Track edition) for the 2014 Nissan GT-R. In between is the US$109,300 for the black edition. The gold car Bolt received is based on the 2013 model.

While import duties would naturally push up the sticker price, the vehicle's special features may have a lot to do with its high value. A press release from Nissan said the "uniquely gold-painted Nissan GT-R features a flamboyant white interior, BOSE audio system and 10-spoke RAYS aluminum-alloy forged wheels. These specially-fitted, hyper-titanium colour-coated wheels add extra flair to an already bold exterior that is highlighted by an exclusive 'Spec Bolt' emblem".

Last week's handover was held at the Usain Bolt Track, University of the West Indies (UWI), Mona Campus. Bolt arrived in a black Nissan GT-R and, in accepting the car, spoke about his affinity for the brand. "For me this is for special occasions. I have a black one, so I will use that one for moving about," Bolt said. Still, when the time came to move from the Bowl, Bolt was driving the gold GT-R, the black one third in the caravan of vehicles.

He noted that the gold GT-R was done to his dictates. "We sat down and decided what I would want, down to the white interior," Bolt said. And it has been customised in more than its appearance. The Nissan release said "it has been customised to suit Bolt's driving style, based on the data Nissan engineers recorded during his test drive of the GT-R line-up when he visited the company headquarters in October 2012".

Plus, it said, "under the hood, the gold GT-R will feature many of the same engine improvements and other performance enhancements seen in the 2013 Nissan GT-R". The website topspeed.com gives a power output of 542 horsepower and 466 foot pounds of torque, from 3,200 rpm to 5,800 rpm. The car can potentially go from zero to 60 miles per hour in under three seconds. It has a fuel economy of 16 miles per gallon in the city and 23 on the highway, for a combined figure of 19 miles per gallon.

The Fidelity Motors representative said the gold GT-R's performance figures are better than those for a GT-R which is available to the customer. However, it is not yet available at Fidelity. While this means that Bolt will be a rarity with the black GT-R, it is also hardly likely that the two gold-coloured Nissan GT-Rs in existence will ever be together. The one auctioned last year to raise money for the Usain Bolt Foundation went to an Australian.

Long before he actually got into the car, initially with Nissan Latin America and Caribbean vice-president Jose Ramon, Bolt ran a finger along the roofline lovingly. He promised obliquely that he would take care of it. "I will drive as slow as possible, as the car will take me, but I will enjoy it," Bolt said. There was some laughter, what with memories of two motor-vehicle accidents with the double world-record holder and six-time Olympic champion at the wheel. The first was in April 2009 when his BMW M3 overturned on Highway 2000. Then last June, a BMW he was driving slammed into guard rails on South Odeon Avenue in St Andrew.

Nissan Motors Ltd is responsible for servicing Bolt's gold GT-R.