RE: Nissan GT-R MY14: Review

RE: Nissan GT-R MY14: Review

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toppstuff

13,698 posts

247 months

Sunday 26th October 2014
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9mm said:
The only place the GTR is in a class of its own is in terms of its performance for the money. There are lots of performance coupes about.

It is no more a full four seater than most other two doors such as an S5 and a 6 series coupe is roomier than either.
More nonsense. No Audi S5 or RS5 is remotely as engaging to drive. In terms of BMW's, only maybe the M6 but that lacks 4WD and, again, it is not as engaging to drive. I know this. I've tried.

You started off comparing the GT-R to a 458. Now you are comparing it to an S5. What are you blathering on about? Having easily dismissed those cars, what else can you think of that competes? You can't because there isn't anything that offers the kind of performance and driving experience a GT-R offers while also having room to take the kids on the school run if needed.

People remarking on how special the GT-R is are not some kind of weird GT-R fanboys; they are generally grown-up people with lots of car experience who, having had a GT-R, find that it is virtually impossible to think of an alternative with the same combination of qualities.

The closest is probably a 911 turbo, but I have tried to like them and they simply aren't as fun to drive as the GT-R and they aren't as practical.

samvia

1,635 posts

170 months

Sunday 26th October 2014
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john banks said:
My GTR on Michelin Pilot Supersports is still nowhere near as fast in the wet as my previous Evo IX on Michelin Pilot PS2, Subaru on Goodyear Eagle GSD3 or my current S8 on Continental CSC 5P even though they are 21". I have always thought it needs more power to the front in the wet to tame the tail on the road. It is more of a handful than my old E46 M3 in the wet.
Different strokes and all that, but that's one of the things I liked most about the R35. You really can manhandle it, and when you get it right in the wet I found it very rewarding. I don't think I've ever pushed a car that hard in the wet but stil had both that much fun and that level of confidence to keep pushing hard, E46 M3 included.

It's funny though seeing posts like the above from people who actually own a GT-R, yet most who haven't driven one will still gloss over it and assume it's just a big Playstation game on rails.

9mm

3,128 posts

210 months

Sunday 26th October 2014
quotequote all
toppstuff said:
9mm said:
The only place the GTR is in a class of its own is in terms of its performance for the money. There are lots of performance coupes about.

It is no more a full four seater than most other two doors such as an S5 and a 6 series coupe is roomier than either.
More nonsense. No Audi S5 or RS5 is remotely as engaging to drive. In terms of BMW's, only maybe the M6 but that lacks 4WD and, again, it is not as engaging to drive. I know this. I've tried.

You started off comparing the GT-R to a 458. Now you are comparing it to an S5. What are you blathering on about? Having easily dismissed those cars, what else can you think of that competes? You can't because there isn't anything that offers the kind of performance and driving experience a GT-R offers while also having room to take the kids on the school run if needed.

People remarking on how special the GT-R is are not some kind of weird GT-R fanboys; they are generally grown-up people with lots of car experience who, having had a GT-R, find that it is virtually impossible to think of an alternative with the same combination of qualities.

The closest is probably a 911 turbo, but I have tried to like them and they simply aren't as fun to drive as the GT-R and they aren't as practical.
We are talking about different things. If it helps, I'm more than comfortable with the idea that the GTR is the best performing two door four seat coupe you can buy for less than say, £85K. The GTR's attributes may make it the best in its class (for some, not everyone) but that doesn't put it in a class of its own, anymore than a Veyron, despite its performance, is in a class of its own. Whatever else the GTR is or does, it remains a two door coupe, of which there are many. The Veyron is a hypercar, one of several, and not everyone who can afford to buys one of those either.

anonymous-user

54 months

Sunday 26th October 2014
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9mm said:
Do they? How many do you know? I don't know any.
I know somebody with an MP12C and his daily is a GTR, somebody else has a new V10 R8 and he spends most of his time in a Discovery 4.



StradoZ

71 posts

211 months

Sunday 26th October 2014
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9mm said:
..... Whatever else the GTR is or does, it remains a two door coupe, of which there are many.....
I don't understand your point, there are none anywhere near as fast or capable. You're surely not saying an S5 is comparable in any way other than it has 4 seats and 2 doors? oh and 4 wheels.

9mm

3,128 posts

210 months

Sunday 26th October 2014
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StradoZ said:
9mm said:
..... Whatever else the GTR is or does, it remains a two door coupe, of which there are many.....
I don't understand your point, there are none anywhere near as fast or capable. You're surely not saying an S5 is comparable in any way other than it has 4 seats and 2 doors? oh and 4 wheels.
What's a Veyron, a hypercar amongst hypercars, or something unique? You may well argue that no other hypercar is anywhere near as fast or capable as the Veyron but it's still top of the class, not in a class of its own.

GTR is no different, but to be in a class of its own, it would have to have seven doors (for example).

The phrase 'class of its own' is used with sports people - 'he's in a class of his own' - but it's a figure of speech, not the identification of some unique category. Messi may be said to be in a class of his own. Clearly he isn't, but he's at the very top of his class, which happens to be called 'professional footballer'.

Does it matter? I'm no GTR hater and have already acknowledged that it's a great car.



Edited by 9mm on Monday 27th October 08:13

9mm

3,128 posts

210 months

Sunday 26th October 2014
quotequote all
StradoZ said:
9mm said:
..... Whatever else the GTR is or does, it remains a two door coupe, of which there are many.....
I don't understand your point, there are none anywhere near as fast or capable. You're surely not saying an S5 is comparable in any way other than it has 4 seats and 2 doors? oh and 4 wheels.
What's a Veyron, a hypercar amongst hypercars, or something unique? You may well argue that no other hypercar is anywhere near as fast or capable as the Veyron but it's still top of the class, not in a class of its own.

GTR is no different, but to be in a class of its own, it would have to have seven doors (for example).

The phrase 'class of its own' is used with sports people - 'he's in a class of his own' - but it's a figure of speech, not the identification of some unique category. Messi may be said to be in a class of his own. Clearly he isn't, but he's at the very top of his class, which happens to be called 'professional footballer'.

Does it matter? I'm no GTR hater and have already acknowledged that it's a great car.



Edited by 9mm on Monday 27th October 08:15

toppstuff

13,698 posts

247 months

Sunday 26th October 2014
quotequote all
9mm said:
I'm more than comfortable with the idea that the GTR is the best performing two door four seat coupe you can buy for less than say, £85K.
It is pretty much the ONLY car with the qualities of super-car performance, room for the kids and 4 WD security. There isn't anything else comparable with the possible exception of a Ferrari FF. So I think it is fair to say that it is in a class of its own. No Audi or BMW has the same performance edge or usability with the possible exception of a BMW M6 ( which, like an Audi S/RS, is a lot more of a cruiser ) . There really is nothing else like it.

9mm

3,128 posts

210 months

Sunday 26th October 2014
quotequote all
toppstuff said:
9mm said:
I'm more than comfortable with the idea that the GTR is the best performing two door four seat coupe you can buy for less than say, £85K.
It is pretty much the ONLY car with the qualities of super-car performance, room for the kids and 4 WD security. There isn't anything else comparable with the possible exception of a Ferrari FF. So I think it is fair to say that it is in a class of its own. No Audi or BMW has the same performance edge or usability with the possible exception of a BMW M6 ( which, like an Audi S/RS, is a lot more of a cruiser ) . There really is nothing else like it.
See my post about Messi. See every motoring magazine on the planet. AFAIK none have a section dedicated to the 'Nissan GTR' category. They do however have sections such as 'big coupes' or 'sportscars' where you will find the GTR.

tjlees

1,382 posts

237 months

Sunday 26th October 2014
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I kinda agree with this.

I've moved on from the bang for buck cars, and if when I buy a Aston Martin v12v, 458, 650S etc it won't because it's the fastest and cheapest supercar out. It will because I like the car's combination of looks, performance, handling, sound and quality at supercar levels.

As fantastic as the Nissan GTR is, it really only hits two of these IMHO, and only one if you like old school feel and feedback

StradoZ

71 posts

211 months

Sunday 26th October 2014
quotequote all
9mm said:
What's a Veyron, a hypercar amongst hypercars, or something unique? You may well argue that no other hypercar is anywhere near as fast or capable as the Veyron but it's still top of the class, not in a class of its own.

GTR is no different, but to be in a class of it's own, it would have to have seven doors (for example).

The phrase 'class of its own' is used with sports people - 'he's in a class of his own' - but it's a figure of speech, not the identification of some unique category. Messi may be said to be in a class of his own. Clearly he isn't, but he's at the very top of his class, which happens to be called 'professional footballer'.

Does it matter? I'm no GTR hater and have already acknowledged that it's a great car.
Right, fair enough. But I don't think the majority of people who buy a GT-R are actually shopping for a large coupe or anything else in that category. I think they go for it because of its unmatched ability, performance, practicality, etc. for the money.

elementad

625 posts

150 months

Monday 27th October 2014
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lamboman100 said:
The GTR was awesome when it first arrived. But it is aging fast. Slower than a 911TS in the dry. And slower than a Golf R in the wet. Like the M3, the GTR is losing some of its aura.
The Golf R, M135i and M235i were all slower than the Peugeot RCZ R and the 370z by well over a second on auto expresses lap board.

Go figure

tjlees

1,382 posts

237 months

Monday 27th October 2014
quotequote all
elementad said:
lamboman100 said:
The GTR was awesome when it first arrived. But it is aging fast. Slower than a 911TS in the dry. And slower than a Golf R in the wet. Like the M3, the GTR is losing some of its aura.
The Golf R, M135i and M235i were all slower than the Peugeot RCZ R and the 370z by well over a second on auto expresses lap board.

Go figure
Nope the GTR definitely mind bendingly bonkers fast and like the 997/991 turbo s, you tend to leave lesser cars like the golf in the last postcode you visited.

However having said that autocar recorded a very quick wet handling time in the golf r (1:14) even the porsche 918 only gets 1:21.2 and the P1 1:20.5 so I can well believe a golf R is quicker in the wet.

neil1jnr

1,462 posts

155 months

Tuesday 28th October 2014
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MarJay said:
My point is, Nissan wouldn't need all the ludicrous programming or anything like that if they made it lighter. 1.7 tonnes is obscene.

Personally I'd rather own something that actually allowed me to develop some skill instead of being able to drive it around a track with one finger on the wheel. That's what driving is about, not actually going faster than everyone else. you only need to go faster than everyone else if you're actually racing. Otherwise you need something that will make YOU better, not just make it all too easy. IMO of course.
Part of the theory of the GTR and the previous Skylines was the fact they were engineered to be a bit heavy, this was in order to provide as much weight at each wheel in order increase traction and cornering ability, I guess the harder the tyre is pushed to the road the more it will grip.

I think there was an interview on here previously with the creator of the GTR explaining all of this far better than my vague explanation.


macky17

2,212 posts

189 months

Tuesday 28th October 2014
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9mm:

If you read my comments on the gtr from the first couple of pages you know I'm not a fan boy for the car. However, I have at least owned one. Your comments read like an academic thesis - something which falls apart in the face of genuine experience. The gtr is not the last word in involvement or accuracy but it is nothing like any of the cars you compare it to! As a driving experience it is on another planet to them.

So, correct me if I'm wrong: you've not driven one have you.


Edited by macky17 on Tuesday 28th October 07:50

tjlees

1,382 posts

237 months

Tuesday 28th October 2014
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neil1jnr said:
MarJay said:
My point is, Nissan wouldn't need all the ludicrous programming or anything like that if they made it lighter. 1.7 tonnes is obscene.

Personally I'd rather own something that actually allowed me to develop some skill instead of being able to drive it around a track with one finger on the wheel. That's what driving is about, not actually going faster than everyone else. you only need to go faster than everyone else if you're actually racing. Otherwise you need something that will make YOU better, not just make it all too easy. IMO of course.
Part of the theory of the GTR and the previous Skylines was the fact they were engineered to be a bit heavy, this was in order to provide as much weight at each wheel in order increase traction and cornering ability, I guess the harder the tyre is pushed to the road the more it will grip.

I think there was an interview on here previously with the creator of the GTR explaining all of this far better than my vague explanation.
Yes the same as the downforce of F1 car - the maths was slightly flawed hehe

here is the video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vdMzCxRw-30


RoverP6B

4,338 posts

128 months

Tuesday 28th October 2014
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Eh, I don't know... I try to get enthusiastic about great Japanese performance cars, but I just can't... particularly those of a turbocharged persuasion. The Toyota 2000GT, Honda NSX and Lexus LF-A are the only ones I actually like, but even then, they all look a bit weird. The GT-R - well, it's all been said before, so I won't bother repeating it. I'd have a Jaguar XFR. Probably slower on a circuit, but more compliant and civilised and possibly just as fast in the real world...

NomduJour

19,081 posts

259 months

Tuesday 28th October 2014
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RoverP6B said:
Eh, I don't know... I try to get enthusiastic about great Japanese performance cars, but I just can't... particularly those of a turbocharged persuasion
So what do you make of a 911 Turbo?

XFR - OK ...

RoverP6B

4,338 posts

128 months

Tuesday 28th October 2014
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NomduJour said:
So what do you make of a 911 Turbo?

XFR - OK ...
Never been a huge 911 fan, but wouldn't turn down a 993 Carrera or a 997 Carrera 2, GTS or GT3 of any description... turbos? Not for me, thanks...

StradoZ

71 posts

211 months

Tuesday 28th October 2014
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RoverP6B said:
... I'd have a Jaguar XFR. Probably slower on a circuit, but more compliant and civilised and possibly just as fast in the real world...
I don't understand where people get these ideas from :s the GT-R isn't a one-trick track pony.