Nissan GT-R review
by David Finlay (19 September 2011)
The GT-R stands out from the rest of Nissan's current range like the Eiffel Tower in a campsite. Not even the 370Z - which itself would come as a heart-stopping shock to anyone acquainted only with the Micra, Juke and what not - remotely compares. The 370Z may be a growly, hairy-chested sports model, but the GT-R is as near to being a supercar as anything could be expected of anything wearing a Nissan badge.
It is so far, and will probably remain, the second most powerful machine we've tested this year. In our personal list, its maximum power output of 523bhp is second only to the 542bhp Jaguar XKR-S and ahead of the 493bhp Porsche 911 Turbo (though the Turbo S matches the GT-R's figure).
Comparisons must inevitably be made, and will be made, but it's worth noting first of all that the GT-R is in its current state significantly different from those sold before 2011. The 523bhp business is new, for a start, since the 3.8-litre twin-turbo V6 engine previously developed 45bhp less than that. There has also been quite a lot of suspension development, the front brake discs are larger, the transmission has been reworked and a lot of attention has been paid to airflow in the interests of both cooling and aerodynamic efficiency.
Nissan has made some cosmetic changes, too, though it would be only half correct to describe the fitment of new 20" ten-spoke RAYS alloy wheels in such a way. The ones at the front also suck air from the engine bay, partly to reduce aerodynamic lift and partly to cool the brakes.
All of this, in addition to the electronic wizardry which has been a hallmark of the GT-R since day one, makes it difficult to understand why Nissan didn't see the need to make the steering wheel adjustable for reach as well as height. Still, the fact that the instrument display moves with itis a welcome development for those of us who usually can't see the top third of the major dials when the wheel where we like it to be.
You'll think I'm being picky now, but another issue is that the GT-R isn't well-suited to taller drivers. I, for example, had to recline the seat much further than I normally would to prevent my head making a bulge in the roof. If you don't extend beyond a fathom this isn't likely to be a problem.
Anyway, on to the exciting stuff. The GT-R is, of course, stonkingly fast, with a top speed of 196mph and a 0-62mph time of three seconds flat. The first of these statistics puts it in level terms with the 911 Turbo S and 10mph ahead of the XKR-S. The second sends it well clear of the others - the Porsche does the 0-62mph run in 3.3 seconds, the Jaguar in a relatively leisurely 4.4.
(Not entirely relevant aside: the Nissan sounds absolutely fantastic under this kind of acceleration, but then they all do. For me, the Jaguar is number one, probably because the racing cars I liked listening to most as a child were big V8s. Still, I could happily spend many hours listening listen to any of the three.)
The GT-R's performance advantage - not at all what you would expect if you were paying attention only to power output - must be partly because it has four-wheel drive, which the Jaguar doesn't, and partly because its engine is mounted in a sensible place, which the Porsche's certainly isn't.
For the same reasons, it is in one sense the easiest to drive at relatively normal speeds on the public road. It never feels as if it is feeding too much power to the tyres, nor that its weight distribution is going to make any corner difficult to tackle.
However, another sense in which this is not the case is that the ride is very firm. This probably doesn't take you by surprise, but the 911 Turbo (that's the 493bhp one, remember, not the 523bhp Turbo S) is like a comfortable sofa in comparison, and I reckon I could drive that car at least a hundred miles further than the Nissan without having to stop and stretch such parts of me as required stretching.
There's nothing subtle or refined about the GT-R's gearchanging either. The transmission is a seven-speed twin-clutch semi-automatic, and in principle it's the same as the Volkswagen Group's DSG system, among others. In most of these you know a change has taken place simply because the engine note either rises or falls, but in the Nissan there's also a loud metallic clang, such as you might expect in a very serious race or rally car.
I'm not complaining, though. Actually, I quite like it, and I think most owners will too.
Having made several comparisons already to the XKR-S and Turbo S, I can't bring this review to an end without making just one more. At the time of writing, the GT-R costs £71,950, and that's a whole heap more than you would have been asked to pay only a year ago, but get this: the Jaguar, which I surprised myself recently by describing as "in a strange way something of a bargain", is more expensive by just over £25,000. For the 911 (we're back to the 523bhp one again) Porsche will charge you £53,915 more than the list price of the GT-R.
Okay, enthusiasts for the other two marques would probably spit on you if you suggested that they buy a Nissan. Branding issues aside, though, you can't dispute that the GT-R is - for a super-fast bristling-with-technology sports car, and not withstanding the substantial price rise for 2011 - extraordinarily good value for money.
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