A call on Sunday to a lawyer’s office (mine) normally carries with it a tale of woe and unwanted police involvement. This time was different. A journalist neighbor called and asked if I wanted to drive the Nissan GT-R that had just been dropped in his driveway. The Skyline has been an unobtanium special for the last 15 or so years. I recall seeing one at International Rally New York, and even that battered right hand drive special attracted a crowd. So, with full knowledge of what was on offer, I ventured forth.
I was surprised to find the GTR’s headlights were only xenon on the low beam. Otherwise the exterior and styling was spot-on: butch without being too boy-racer, save for the hideous spoiler. The car conveyed a sense of authority, regardless of the mechanicals or the silly wing on the back.
The GT-R’s interior is not very impressive. The inside is midline Japanese sedan, with full electronics and decent bucket seats. The ergonomics are spot on; the knob for seat adjustment is intuitive and the padded steering wheel is perfectly positioned for max track attack. There are back seats, but only in the sense of “back.” Still, obviously, the GT-R is all about the driving…
Some cars are rapiers, others a broadsword. The GT-R is a battleax. The GT-R rides hard, like a track ready Viper. There’s a switchable suspension, with “normal” and “comfort.” Translation: “track” and “smooth streets only.” The Nissan’s four wheel-drive system works to put all the power to the ground… sort like a lightning bolt. The turboed engine has minimal lag, so unlike a big eight, there isn’t huge torque upon tip-in. But as soon as the manumatic hooks up and boost appears, nearasdammit five hundred horsepower makes itself known.
This thing is fast. Not fast like your “chipped” turbo car. Not fast like a jet taking off. Fast like a liter-class superbike. Highway on ramps are slingshots. The go-deal is like Star Trek’s transporter, only a lot faster. You imagine your spot on the road, and ZAP! You’re there. A ride like this can seriously scare civilians, if only as you recede away from them.
Unlike many cars, the four wheel-drive system in the GT-R does not dampen the fun. With the huge resources on tap, it makes the car civilized. Often “fun to drive” is really just fighting the chassis, but not here. This is so well sorted that “tuner car” cannot be spoken anywhere near the driveline without insulting a legion of Nissan engineers.
To wit: my trip was slightly dinged by the fact the car was on summer tires, the temperature was near freezing, and the roads were wet in places. The GT-R’s four wheel drive system was given more of a workout than a probable garage queen has any right to surmount. Even in this worst case scenario, the GT-R’s engineering integrity reigned supreme. Within the limits imposed by the outside world, this car’s capability was far beyond anything even a skilled driver could/should fully exploit on a public road.
Changing roads to a little traveled twisty near a reservoir, I put the man-u-matic into manual, making sure I had plenty of boost on tap. The car tracked predictably, up until the low (frozen tire) limits of adhesion. The traction control system stepped in a femtosecond after the car reached its limits of adhesion. Between 25 and 60 mph, the GT-R was heavy, with a more Germanic feel than a Japanese one. Still, it managed to be ‘tossable’ despite the weight, with excellent feedback through the wheel, something missing from many all wheel-drive cars.
The GT-R’s transmission and driveline had a steady whine, and the front airdam was adventurous (read low) for a production car. The GT-R’s rumbling exhaust note projects the same uber-tuner car feel. Of course, the Nissan’s sonic signature is entirely in keeping with the car’s character. As the Brits would say, the GT-R is a hard man: a take-no-prisoners extreme machine that’s fully capable of leaving high-priced exotica for dead. As advertised.
As a daily driver or a long-distance cruiser, no. you’d be much happier in one of Nissan’s less expensive alternatives. You have to wonder if sporting drivers would be better off with a no-compromise track car AND a more luxurious whip, or a Porsche, rather than the GT-R.
I know: great landing, wrong carport. The market for the Nissan GT-R knows what they are getting. The noise, the hard ride, the lack of interior space. All part of the experience. Think of the GT-R as a Japanese Viper without the death. Or a Z06 Corvette without the price tag or (dare I say it) pedigree.
Nissan’s decision to make this a limited production halo car is completely correct. The cognescenti will swoon, the dealers will tack on “additional profit” sticker and everyone will be happy. It’s Unobtanium, unlike a Porsche GT3 or AMG Black Series. Any flaws simply don’t matter.
3 stars? How did that review translate to a low-ish rating?
I thought the point of the car was that it was powerful as well as a potential daily driver. What happened?
… Shift Nob? Is this an Ork creation? Painted red to make it fastah?
chanman:
Nano nano. Text amended.
If I could buy a 3-4 year old one for $40k-$50k, I’d be seriously interested :)
In the meanwhile, I will get the litrebike if I need that feeling of speed since it’s multiples of 5 digits of price less :)
While I’ve never driven one (unfortunately, or perhaps fortunately since I still have my license), they had a GT-R at a very local (county level) auto show in February. It was a demo with $7,000 off sticker. I was able to check out the interior and the engine bay, and the detail of the engine bay was at least half the car’s price.
I thought the point of the car was that it was powerful as well as a potential daily driver. What happened?
This is not a daily driver. The combination of hard ride, “present” exhaust, and driveline whir are more rally-car. Everything is biased for max performance, where it excells. You want civilized fast, check the M-Series BMW.
chanman :
March 2nd, 2009 at 9:58 am
… Shift Nob? Is this an Ork creation? Painted red to make it fastah?
My friend, you and I have the same points of reference! As long as the car isn’t “ramshackle”, I guess it’ll be fine.
It is fast. It is Japanese. It is from a company with a CEO named Carlos. It has my respect.
You guys should either remove the star rating, or remove the text of the review. They really have no connection to each other at all.
@ Jason
How doesn’t it fit the review? The car fails at what its supposed to be (according to THIS review at least), and that is a daily driver.
It looks better in silver. I saw one here in Toronto the other day in an orangey red. With that black snout it ended up looking more Dyson than Nissan.
I despise the stars–in my own reviews most of all–because they are heavily dependent on reference points, perspectives, etc. The words should be sufficient. Read them, better yet drive the car yourself, then make up your own mind.
NickR:
The only 2 GT-Rs I’ve ever seen in the GTA (and above) have been in Newmarket. One silver. One black. Both driven in the winter (gotta love that). Smitten by both. Gun Metal Grey please.
Michael Karesh :
I don’t know if “drive the car yourself” really applies in this case. I’d love to take a GT-R out for a spin, but for some reason I have a feeling it’s not as simple as just showing up at my local Nissan dealership and asking for the keys
The GT-R seems like it’s more about bragging rights than driving pleasure. It’s kind of an oddball car, like most supercars. On the road, you can’t tap it’s potential without risking jail time or killing someone. On the track it’s insanely fast, but is it more fun than a pure sports car like an Atom or Seven or Elise or even a Miata?
Maybe this is just sour grapes though, ’cause I sure as hell can’t afford this or any car like it… but if I had the money I’d probably drive something slower on the street and something nastier at the track.
I haven’t driven the new Z, but am curious of those that have – Is it as firm a ride as the GT-R is being described?
I just got a black GT-R last week. No miles, $500 below sticker, in the Washington DC area. Other dealers in the area were all quoting sticker. I also got a sticker quote from a dealer in New Jersey. Thus, no longer a premium over sticker, at least in the mid-Atlantic states.
I replaced my 2006 E55 with the GT-R. Obviously, very different beasts. Love the GT-R so far; only downsides relative the E55 are the ride (kind of harsh, but not horrible on the comfort setting, even on DC’s terrible streets) and a somewhat abrupt transmission. I haven’t really opened it up yet, waiting till 1,000 miles.
The Nissan’s four wheel-drive system works to put all the power to the ground… sort like a lightning bolt.
Great line!
Or a Z06 Corvette without the price tag
Ummm, what do you mean by this? MSRP for a base GT-R is $76,840, and that is a 2009. Not sure if price went up for 2010. And you’d be HARD pressed to find one under sticker (not saying it is impossible – see ndlaw95 post). Now a Z06 has a MSRP of $73,925. An invoice of $66,163. Real world, they can be had UNDER invoice. Therefore, a Z06 is more than $10,000 CHEAPER!
If I am misinterpreting you review/comment, sorry. If not, get your facts straight buster! ;)
Viceroy_Fizzlebottom :
so 3/5 means “fail”? Wow, what’s 2/5? The car caught on fire and the tester died? What’s 1/5?
The stars are very exact. Rating is 1-5. No grey area at all. So what do they mean, exactly?
If the GT-R can be thought of as a “Z06 without the price tag”, then how could it not get 5 stars? And if, as another commenter surmised, the GT-R failed at being a daily driver, then it shouldn’t even be compared with a Z06 as that car is a great example of an exotic-killer that can be lived in every day.
Maybe the three stars was for the quality of the review.
If the GT-R can be thought of as a “Z06 without the price tag”, then how could it not get 5 stars?
Please don’t promote this myth… ;) See my post above. Cheers.
When I first saw the top photo for this review, I thought it was of the latest garishly styled Mitsubishi coupe parked next to a Chevy Cobalt couple.
This car should receive one less star just for costing $70,000 and looking like it costs 1/2 of that.
When I first saw the top photo for this review, I thought it was the latest garishly styled Mitsubishi coupe parked next to a Chevy Cobalt couple.
This car should receive one less star just for costing $70,000 and looking like it costs 1/2 of that.
The grille kind of bothers me, but it’s a total attention magnet with it’s special styling like an R8, unlike a GT3, which looks like any other Porsche to regular Jane. I think this car exceeds at this, which is why many owners buy it, I would guess.
I got an idea:
At the end of reviews, instead of stars, which are misleading, you have different icons to signify different things about the car!!!
Like a lightning bolt symbol and a boulder icon at the end of the review would represent that this car is super fast and has great build quality for example. After all, the whole point of stars is to summarize the impression of the car without reading/words. Icons would be alot more specific, not misleading at all, straightforward, and would be TTAC unique. >:D
@ onerareviper
I support your argument. The ZO6 starts at $74,774 while the GT-R starts at $76,840 (according to their respective manufacturer websites).
Additionally, I’ve read many times that the ZO6 can be had as a “comfortable daily driver” AND deliver the goods on the track.
Both are amazing cars, but I have a soft spot for Corvettes. It is a truly amazing vehicle in all iterations.
I finally saw one in real life and this car is damn ugly. Sorry.
@lukemo2:
I bought a 2008 Z06 during the GM employee pricing period last year. The dealer (one of the Bill Heard ones) had been listing Z06s about 10-15k over sticker, and then they were 12k under sticker. I couldn’t resist.
Last week, I bought a 2009 GT-R (over sticker, unfortunately). The GT-R (with the shocks in “comfort”) is closer to a daily driver than the Z06. A Corvette with MSRC would be better still.
Both are great cars and both are worth the money, but neither is really up to the task of driving 600 miles a week in Houston. I’m 32, so it’s not like I can’t take the punishment, it’s just neither is really fit for that kind of duty. My G8 GT, while nowhere near as fun, fills the role of a vehicle I can comfortably drive for hours – as a plus, I can park it anywhere without worry.
Like a lightning bolt symbol and a boulder icon…
Indicating the car is an electric vehicle (charge status?) and we should beware of falling rocks?
I guess I’m in the minority because I can see 3/5 stars and think, “so it says what it does and does what it says, but isn’t superlative due to X, Y, and Z mentioned in the review.”
i would take an R32, R33 or R34 Skyline GTR over this. at least they had a proper manual gearbox, and a straight 6
Saw this car at the LA Auto show. I think it looks better in person than in photos.
“…a Z06 Corvette without the price tag or (dare I say it) pedigree.”
Well, you dared to say it, and I’ll be glad to help you learn your mistake about the second part (as other posters have already pointed out the mistake on the first part). The Skyline GTR, no pedigree? The original from the late 60’s to early 70’s may not have been much known outside of Japan, but had decent success in racing and a reputation in-country. The revived version from ’89 on demolished racing series in Japan and Australia, as well as having success in other races around the world. Is this less pedigree than the Corvette? Or is that American chauvanism?
I’ve never been a Porsche guy, so the GT-R is the object I lust after and hope to have some day provided I play my cards right. Ungodly performance, Japanese reliability (I hope), and easy to drive fast. This was reinforced at my first track day when a GT-R in my group absolutely ate up everyone else, despite an inexperienced, non-owner driver. My poor E46 M3 didn’t stand a chance.
My GT-R will look like this (because if you’re gonna style it like a Stealth fighter …):
http://www.gtrblog.com/index.php/2008/06/15/photo-gallery-matte-black-nissan-gt-r?blog=4
Must be another Z that few people will buy.
After the American Economy was robbed by Wall Street etc etc.
A lot of people cannot even afford to buy Value meals. A fast car for a fast depreciating American economy. Good Luck Nissan!
Nice car but wrong timing.
I have also seen it / sat in it on several occasions and feel the car looks stunning. It does not conform to the conventional Italian definition of beauty in that it has different proportions and detailing – but it is both very unique, very Japanese and extremely appealing. And it stands out in any crowd, which few other cars these days do.
Not having driven it yet I cannot comment on the possibility of using one as a daily transport but then again for me the seats and the adjustment range in a 911 make that a totally no go daily driver, while I could get very very comfortable in the GT-R (luckily in the car dealerships in Tokyo they do not mind you spending significant time in one) :)
I’ve driven a friend’s – twice – and have to respectfully disagree regarding the ride quality.
I’d been expecting the worst after reading reviews criticizing the ride, but I don’t think it’s as uncomfortable as has been suggested. The key to my perception, I think, is that the driver’s seat is located close to the center of the wheelbase, so though the car pogoes somewhat, the driver doesn’t get bounced around as much.
Regarding the styling, it’s not beautiful, but instead “purposeful”, when seen in the steel. The interior is pretty decent, if a bit dark (his is black-on-black).
It’s also a ridiculous bargain for a car with LP560-4 / 430 Scuderia performance for 1/3 the $$$$$.
Michael Karesh said:
I despise the stars–in my own reviews most of all–because they are heavily dependent on reference points, perspectives, etc. The words should be sufficient. Read them, better yet drive the car yourself, then make up your own mind.
I agree. The star system only works if the same person (or at least the same guideline) rates all the cars.
….maybe if I was 5 feet tall, had $80,000 to blow on a small car and was Asian.
Not trying to be a smart-alec (as this is one of the more civil GT-R discussions) but no one seems to have clicked thru to see the detail on how the 3/5 stars was derived. Still, it got 5 stars in in all but three catagories… so not sure how that jibes with to overall score and apparent positive write-up.41
I’ve driven a lot of cars in my time. From a Hyundai in my ramen-eating college days…to 911’s, Vettes & Bimmer M’s. This is BY FAR the most fun I’ve had in a car (driving that is) in my 43 years.
Flashpoint : March 4th, 2009 at 12:22 pm
“….maybe if I was 5 feet tall, had $80,000 to blow on a small car and was Asian.”
Wha???
The thing’s a behemoth, relatively:
Length: 183.3 in. Width: 74.6 in.
Height: 53.9 in. Wheel Base: 109.5 in.
Curb Weight: 3836 lbs. (!!!!)
…and my 6′ 2″ 200lb frame fits in it with no problems.
What am I missing?
So, for example, how does it compare to an R8, a car that costs more but apparently is also high on the supposed livability scale?
akatsuki:
I’ve driven both cars. The GT-R’s the more liveable one. It’s bulkier than the Audi, therefore won’t fit into spaces where the R8 might squeeze in. But it’s harder to see close quarters out of the R8, so you might not even want to attempt getting into places where it might otherwise fit. Clearing high driveways or speed humps will be a problem with the very low R8, with its long nose.
I might add (not related to your query onliveability) that in a friendly V-Max run vs. a friend’s Merc C63, there wasn’t much in it, with maybe the Nissan being slightly faster. It didn’t quite have the supreme feeling of stability at very high speeds (120+ mph) that Mercs have, but it felt secure enough. I’d have to agree with many others’ comment that it’s easier to drive quickly specially on a twisty road than just about any other car so far.
I admire Nissan for the GT-R’s styling because unlike other Japanese makers (such as Lexus), Nissan built their halo car with unabashedly AUTHENTIC JAPANESE styling. The thing’s not trying to look German or Italian. View it in that light, and it’s a good-looking beast. Tremendous presence.
Would I buy one? I guess not. I’ve been driving a 996 Turbo nearly daily for five years now, during which time I’ve driven a number of other fast cars. I’ve had so much satisfaction from it, it’s become a bit like a comfortable old shoe. I feel it’s more fun (OK, someone said “fun to drive” might mean you’re having to fight the car: there’s just a bit of that) than the GT-R on a daily drive basis. Given, on a weekend on a nice twisty road, the GT-R would help me make believe I’m Kimi Raikonen, but I’m talking about driving the car regularly.