RE: Tell me I'm wrong: Nissan Skyline GT-R R34
Discussion
Dagnut said:
I probably am being a bit grumpy, I apologies no offence intended you guys do a great job..but what happened to actually driving the cars.. providing feed back and giving some objective info in a proper back to back comparison? I'm thinking back to the piece where you guys went to a Porsche dealership and drove a bunch of 993's..that made for excellent reading....i think the skylines are worth that effort
We'll do those pieces. The idea of these "Tell me I'm wrong" pieces is to come with a strong view of one side of an argument, to engender debate amongst the PH audience who may or may not agree. There's nothing to say that we won't go and do a group test of each generation of the Skyline, but we can't always get out in cars so readily and these pieces are more of a "come on, challenge my prejudices" piece, rather than a "we drive it to see how it feels" piece. Nothing more than that really.Definitely like one of these in my lottery win garage - sadly I think they'd have the ability to make me poor very quickly without that lottery win. Always liked the blue R34 ever since that Steve Sutcliffe twin test against the EVO back in Autocar 1999. It was appreciably quicker than the the R33 GTR they tested as well
DanDC5 said:
What sort of costs are you looking at to run an R33? I need to be told so it stops me looking at them and wondering...
Bad news I'm afraid.... pretty cheap... I bought my R33 GTR from a guy who had it from new and in 10 years and 45k apparently he hadn't had to do anymore more than normal service items, and change tyres, pads and belts. I've had it 3 years and 5k and the same.... not even a light bulb needed. Loads of excellent specialists. Sorry you'll just have to go and buy one :-)Always wanted one of these after my 200sx but i only had 20k to spend & these were still fetching 29k 6 years ago so ended up with my cerbera instead, but i loved my 200 & thought this was a natural replacement.
Still like them now, but they have moved the game on today with the r35 so this must feel pretty old school in comparison, i know the badge isnt great but nissan sure know how to make an entertaining car.
Still like them now, but they have moved the game on today with the r35 so this must feel pretty old school in comparison, i know the badge isnt great but nissan sure know how to make an entertaining car.
Dagnut said:
I think it's widely acknowledged in the GTR community that the 34 is far superior to the 33...in one sentence you're admitting you didn't know how to drive and in the other blaming the car?
TBH it sounds like this to me, he drove one very badly and so doesnt like the car, something about a workman and blaming his tools springs to mind. I've had some very sketchy moments being let loose in something thats way outside of my comfort zone (90mph over grassy fields with my arse just 4 inches from the ground and no brakes), and i've performed very poorly (rolled a off road go kart), but that didnt stop me loving every second of those experiences, finding those unpleasent moments and repeating them time after time untill they stop being so unpleasent.
I dont know, maybe Mr Harris is different, maybe its being good straight away that counts for him, not that its a bad thing I just like the whole learning process myself.
i remember when i was about 18 walking to work on an industrial estate an R33 GTR appeared about 50 feet in front of me coming from a warehouse and floored it in 2nd and 3rd, the sound of the 2nd turbo was very loud as it charged towards me and the exhaust note (clearly after market) was spine tingling as it passed me. 8 years on and i remember that sound like it was yesterday and was lucky enough to hear it several times a week for about a year.
only other car that came close to that noise IMO was the supra twin turbo (was lucky enough to have a ride in a stage 1 manual)
probably a sound we are unlikely to hear in a new car aswell...
only other car that came close to that noise IMO was the supra twin turbo (was lucky enough to have a ride in a stage 1 manual)
probably a sound we are unlikely to hear in a new car aswell...
1ststop said:
ive owned a r34 v spec for 7 years, i also own a 997 c 4s areo, the skyline still draws all the attention and is more fun to drive than the porsche, must say though 700bhp does help. dont think i could ever part with this car. 
Monster car sir, and monster lurking! Well done all round.(or madam)
FR
After having a quick look through the classified section (I'd quite fancy a gun metal grey R33), I prefer the looks of the R33 and appears to have aged better than the R34 IMO.
Can't comment on the driving experience (spent countless hours tuning this on Gran Turismo) but I would say I'm an average driver and based on the article, would work my way up to the R34 as it sounds like a bit of a handful!
Can't comment on the driving experience (spent countless hours tuning this on Gran Turismo) but I would say I'm an average driver and based on the article, would work my way up to the R34 as it sounds like a bit of a handful!
That is quite strange. Usually the R32 and R34 are the most praised amongst the automotive press. R33 usually gets noted for being too heavy and not as capable as it could have been.
Maybe it is just the authors opinions and preferences, Chris I wonder have you ever liked the Mitsubishi Evos? The artificial driving feel just don't suit for everyone, I prefer STI's and their mechanical feel more.
Maybe it is just the authors opinions and preferences, Chris I wonder have you ever liked the Mitsubishi Evos? The artificial driving feel just don't suit for everyone, I prefer STI's and their mechanical feel more.
Chris Harris said in article said:
Unexpectedly, given the mechanical similarities between R33 and R34, I intended to jump into the new car and immediately discover a new legend. This first journey happened to be a trip to the Nurburgring alongside a development Subaru P1, and from the off, the car felt very stiff and laggy. It was a UK V-Spec version, with the extra diff cooling and the leather interior. On the road it was fast, but didn't actually feel noticeably faster than the last R33 I'd driven.
Then we got to the circuit. This was 1999, my first ever visit to the circuit and it was November. The circuit was damp and the warnings from experienced drivers were jangling my eardrums. I went out in the P1 first. It was quick and nimble enough to allow inexperienced hands to make several line adjustments through any given corner and it was supple.
I remember reading that article in the Christmas double issue 1999 - it was a white Impreza P1 wasn't it?Then we got to the circuit. This was 1999, my first ever visit to the circuit and it was November. The circuit was damp and the warnings from experienced drivers were jangling my eardrums. I went out in the P1 first. It was quick and nimble enough to allow inexperienced hands to make several line adjustments through any given corner and it was supple.
Alfa159Ti said:
More! More!
I have had the pleasure of driving this car a few times. Driving in convoy and then on into central London with a Veyron and a Gallardo was one of my favourite motoring experiences.It is very sluggish off boost but on-song it is joyous and the fizzing-whooshing fulfills all of your preconceptions. Handling is very intuitive but yes, it does like to wag its tail a bit (ahem...) but the electronics gather things up very nicely. You feed in the power, steer which direction you want it to go and the electronics flow it through the corner. A real joy and not as 'digital' as the analogue-gang will scream.
It looks stunning in Bayside blue and it is quite extraordinary the reaction it gets. Sadly the hooded Playstation generation love it but you can quietly ignore them.
It's the knowing nods from the cognoscenti that you feel, the quiet question's from people that know the myth and want to know the truth. It's the knowing headlight flash from a convoy of three Vipers as I pull in front of them down the Kings Road on our way to meet several other supercars on our way to Wilton...
A wonderful, wonderful car and one I now know exactly why it'll never be sold
paulg390 said:
DanDC5 said:
What sort of costs are you looking at to run an R33? I need to be told so it stops me looking at them and wondering...
Bad news I'm afraid.... pretty cheap... I bought my R33 GTR from a guy who had it from new and in 10 years and 45k apparently he hadn't had to do anymore more than normal service items, and change tyres, pads and belts. I've had it 3 years and 5k and the same.... not even a light bulb needed. Loads of excellent specialists. Sorry you'll just have to go and buy one :-)Gassing Station | General Gassing | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff