TOKYO — To understand the devotion commanded by the Nissan GT-R, one of Japan's top performance cars, talk with Shin Inoue, perhaps the cult classic's No. 1 fan.

He has owned every incarnation of the GT-R, starting with the first one launched in 1969. The 34-year-old founder of the GT-R Owners Club has already ordered the hotly hyped redesign, due here in December. And rest assured, he's unfazed by the 7.8 million ($66,500) starting price.

"You can't compare the GT-R with other makes," Inoue says. "According to some people, it's expensive. But that's not true. For a real car like this, it's a bargain price."

So goes the countdown to the launch of the Tokyo motor show's most highly anticipated sports car.

The redesign — the first in five years — is a watershed event for Nissan. For the first time, the GT-R will be sold globally, including in the United States.

Twin-turbo V-6

Whether the new GT-R can acquire the strong following it enjoys at home is yet to be seen. But Nissan Motor Co. is keeping the specs under tight wraps to help fuel the buzz.

This much has been leaked:

The GT-R will sport a 3.8-liter, twin-turbo V-6 and all-wheel drive. It will come in three silver finishes, white pearl, red or black. And it will have a seven-speed automatic transmission with paddle shifters on the steering wheel.

It goes on sale in December in Japan and hits the United States and Europe next year.

While the starting price is $66,500, there is also a GT-R Black Edition and a GT-R Premium Edition. Fan Inoue will be going premium, for around 8.5 million ($72,500).

A Nissan-sponsored Web site devoted to the countdown chronicles the car's nearly four-decade history. It credits Nissan CEO Carlos Ghosn for committing the company to this year's relaunch as if he were President John F. Kennedy challenging the U.S. space program to land on the moon.

Nissan contends that Middle Eastern sheiks are clamoring on the phone to place an order. But the car has little name recognition with average drivers outside Japan.

In fact, the car has long been known in its homeland as the Skyline GT-R. Nissan is dropping the Skyline moniker for the global audience.

In recent months, the car has appeared lightly camouflaged and logging hill climbs at Britain's Goodwood Motor Circuit. It also has been spotted in California and at Germany's Nurburgring racetrack.

Special service centers

Although sometimes referred to as the Corvette of Japan, the GT-R appears to have a different target. It apparently has been lapping the Nurburgring track with a Porsche 911 Turbo companion car, giving an indication of what it considers the performance benchmark.

To gear up for the home market, Nissan has set up 160 centers in Japan offering specialist servicing for GT-R customers. The company is counting on a hit to polish an image that has recently lagged rivals Toyota Motor Corp. and Honda Motor Co.

But the GT-R's true believers need little convincing.

"The company's passion," says Inoue, "is incorporated into each and every model." 

Fumiko Soda contributed to this report