RE: Nissan GT-R MY14: Review

[StradoZ]

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.

From one dubious Autocar test? I give up.

[crazy about cars]

I think the GTR is certainly one of the best performing sports car you can get for the money. However I also think after 6-ish years it needs more than minor tweaks. It's time for a "Mark II".

The Golf R is also a brilliant hot hatch. Does a lot in a small package. If I am looking for a family do-it-all fun car I'd go for the Golf R but if I have the funds for a fun car for me only I'd definitely go for the GTR.

[RJJ]

The GTR still polarises opinion, that's a compliment for it as well and the GTR truly has upset the apple cart again with it's performance and packaged the way it is, bravo!

Let's not forget the prestigious racing history with numerous wins and let's not forget the lengths the engineers go to tweak areas of the cars to gain more speed and cornering capability.

Have read all the comments on, I hate the looks, it weighs to much etc etc Well everybody who says this statement should provide a car they have designed please with corresponding Lap times and comparisons with other performance cars and let's see what you can do, I thought not as it would be a monumental task that you would miserably fail.

Let's now applaud Mizuno San on doing the above and making the GTR a tour de force again, it has redefined what cars at that price point can do. Even at the cost today, that performance is ridiculous and accessible to people who don't want to spend £150 to £200K.

He has designed the car the way it looks for individual Japanese looks and more importantly aero, it weighs what it is for traction and performance, it has all the toys and tbh interior is not that bad at all, a good size boot and small people can get in the back seats.

I have had the pleasure of owning a 997GT3 for 2yrs did track days and spirited runs great car.

Stepped out of that when the original GTR was released in 09 and now have a my 13 GTR. The GTR would run rings round the GT3 on road and track its that good!

Edited by RJJ on Sunday 26th October 09:18

[john banks]

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.

Apart from the M3, all the others had power to weight +-10% approx.

I need to drive the GTR a bit more over the coming weeks but I am considering selling it as the S8 is the much better all around road car for me. The reduced oversteer in the S8 is not replaced on the road with understeer.

Deeply unpopular thoughts in PH but to say Audi > GTR > M3 will probably inflame some who haven't lived with all of them to rage.

Edited by john banks on Sunday 26th October 09:18

[9mm]

The car seems to appeal to people who want to go as fast as possible as cheaply as possible, and often get some strange inverted snobbery pay off out of 'supercar baiting' or that sort of EVOesque tripe. That's fine, but for other people there are more important attributes. The idea that some people buy a GTR because there's no point in buying something twice the price is quite laughable - people generally buy what they can afford. So, 458 or GTR, let me think...it won't be the GTR if I could honestly easily afford the 458. The GTR could be twice as fast and it wouldn't change a thing. It's just the latest version of why people bought Imprezas back in the 90s - bang for your buck. They're clearly great cars, but not one I aspire to own.

[davidd]

9mm said:

The car seems to appeal to people who want to go as fast as possible as cheaply as possible, and often get some strange inverted snobbery pay off out of 'supercar baiting' or that sort of EVOesque tripe. That's fine, but for other people there are more important attributes. The idea that some people buy a GTR because there's no point in buying something twice the price is quite laughable - people generally buy what they can afford. So, 458 or GTR, let me think...it won't be the GTR if I could honestly easily afford the 458. The GTR could be twice as fast and it wouldn't change a thing. It's just the latest version of why people bought Imprezas back in the 90s - bang for your buck. They're clearly great cars, but not one I aspire to own.

If I had a 458 I would not be able to get the children in the car... Oh hang on maybe that is a good thing

[RJJ]

9mm said:

The car seems to appeal to people who want to go as fast as possible as cheaply as possible, and often get some strange inverted snobbery pay off out of 'supercar baiting' or that sort of EVOesque tripe. That's fine, but for other people there are more important attributes. The idea that some people buy a GTR because there's no point in buying something twice the price is quite laughable - people generally buy what they can afford. So, 458 or GTR, let me think...it won't be the GTR if I could honestly easily afford the 458. The GTR could be twice as fast and it wouldn't change a thing. It's just the latest version of why people bought Imprezas back in the 90s - bang for your buck. They're clearly great cars, but not one I aspire to own.

That's quite a statement about owners of GTR's.

The GTR is not a cheap car to purchase, yes it is a cheaper access point for the performance.

When buying a performance car do you not consider the element of the cars performance? Yes it's a percentage as looks, practicality etc play a part in the decision process of the purchase and ultimately what you are comfortable with spending.

A lot of GTR owners I know have a Ferrari or mclaren or Lamborghini as well. The Gtr gets driven more and I know of owners who have sold the exotics as really they can't see the point of driving the exotic a couple of times a year.

[9mm]

davidd said:

9mm said:

The car seems to appeal to people who want to go as fast as possible as cheaply as possible, and often get some strange inverted snobbery pay off out of 'supercar baiting' or that sort of EVOesque tripe. That's fine, but for other people there are more important attributes. The idea that some people buy a GTR because there's no point in buying something twice the price is quite laughable - people generally buy what they can afford. So, 458 or GTR, let me think...it won't be the GTR if I could honestly easily afford the 458. The GTR could be twice as fast and it wouldn't change a thing. It's just the latest version of why people bought Imprezas back in the 90s - bang for your buck. They're clearly great cars, but not one I aspire to own.

If I had a 458 I would not be able to get the children in the car... Oh hang on maybe that is a good thing

If I had a 458 the last things I'd want would be a wife and kids.

[9mm]

RJJ said:

9mm said:

The car seems to appeal to people who want to go as fast as possible as cheaply as possible, and often get some strange inverted snobbery pay off out of 'supercar baiting' or that sort of EVOesque tripe. That's fine, but for other people there are more important attributes. The idea that some people buy a GTR because there's no point in buying something twice the price is quite laughable - people generally buy what they can afford. So, 458 or GTR, let me think...it won't be the GTR if I could honestly easily afford the 458. The GTR could be twice as fast and it wouldn't change a thing. It's just the latest version of why people bought Imprezas back in the 90s - bang for your buck. They're clearly great cars, but not one I aspire to own.

That's quite a statement about owners of GTR's.

The GTR is not a cheap car to purchase, yes it is a cheaper access point for the performance.

When buying a performance car do you not consider the element of the cars performance? Yes it's a percentage as looks, practicality etc play a part in the decision process of the purchase and ultimately what you are comfortable with spending.

A lot of GTR owners I know have a Ferrari or mclaren or Lamborghini as well. The Gtr gets driven more and I know of owners who have sold the exotics as really they can't see the point of driving the exotic a couple of times a year.

Do they? How many do you know? I don't know any.

Maybe the buyer of a new GTR also has a new Ferrari but I doubt that's the case for a typical used purchaser, say at the £40k level.

[john banks]

Affordability comes into it less for many than value and depreciation when buying cars in the £50 to 150k range. Some, but I would say only a surprisingly small number are remotely stretching themselves. The used market developing is different.

[liner33]

I think affordability matters less as around 90% of GTR's are financed from new. Of course some will argue that most cars are financed these days but true affordability doesn't come on credit imo, most "owners" are simply tenants so once they know they can cover the monthly rent value and depreciation are no longer a factor either.

For me the appeal is a usable fast car with supercar performance but manageable bills, I often see 35's on the road and in supermarket car parks but have never seen a 458 in Tesco's , or Waitrose

Sadly I cannot afford a GTR

[john banks]

With annual servicing, supplying oil to the dealer, using Michelin tyres & AP brakes, the overall cost accounting for negligible depreciation in the last few years is probably similar to running a new Fiesta. It is these factors beyond present love for the car that make me want to keep it.

[E65Ross]

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.

So it's slower than a sports car that costs considerably more expensive in the dry, and slower than something running more suitable tyres for wet weather driving when it's wet?

OK....

[J4CKO]

E65Ross 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.

So it's slower than a sports car that costs considerably more expensive in the dry, and slower than something running more suitable tyres for wet weather driving when it's wet?

OK....

There is a new model due in around two years.

How much is there in it between a standard GTR and a 991 Turbo S ?

[john banks]

What is clear from living with a GTR is that its abilities in the wet are very different from the dry, against what you would expect from it being AWD. I know how capable winter tyres are, but I haven't had them on the GTR. The way it goes up the ski slope in the well known youtube video surprised me as I extrapolated its abilities in the wet to its likely abilities in the snow.

[tjlees]

Yawn ... Usual latest GTR v 911 TT comments - two different audiences IMHO

This is fantastic car over the several days and versions I have driven. An all weather car for the UK, and even the older versions deal well with the bad B roads found round the Cotswolds in race mode.

It's definitely fun on the track, but like all jap fire crackers weighting in at 1.7t it will cost you lots - one year for me was £8k in tyres, brakes and other broken parts.

Putting aside the looks, PS3 interior and running costs, if I was twenty something this is the car I would have without a doubt ... But I'm not so I'll stick with my all involving Ultima plus round-about

[toppstuff]

9mm said:

The car seems to appeal to people who want to go as fast as possible as cheaply as possible, and often get some strange inverted snobbery pay off out of 'supercar baiting' or that sort of EVOesque tripe. That's fine, but for other people there are more important attributes. The idea that some people buy a GTR because there's no point in buying something twice the price is quite laughable - people generally buy what they can afford. So, 458 or GTR, let me think...it won't be the GTR if I could honestly easily afford the 458. The GTR could be twice as fast and it wouldn't change a thing. It's just the latest version of why people bought Imprezas back in the 90s - bang for your buck. They're clearly great cars, but not one I aspire to own.

Utter nonsense.

I am lucky enough to have driven most exotic cars and there have been times in my life when I owned them too ( sadly not now but hey, thats business.. )

The GT-R remains one of the singularly most impressive cars ever made. Regardless of price.

There is no "inverse snobbery" at play here. The GT-R does not really have any rivals. Porsche TT? Na - simply not as practical and not nearly as fun to drive.

R8/458 etc etc... nope, they are strict 2 seaters.

The only car I think of that is both practical , with 4 seats and 4WD, and bonkers fast is a Ferrari FF, unless you tilt everything toward family utility and get an RS6.

The GT-R is in a class of its own.

[9mm]

toppstuff said:

9mm said:

The car seems to appeal to people who want to go as fast as possible as cheaply as possible, and often get some strange inverted snobbery pay off out of 'supercar baiting' or that sort of EVOesque tripe. That's fine, but for other people there are more important attributes. The idea that some people buy a GTR because there's no point in buying something twice the price is quite laughable - people generally buy what they can afford. So, 458 or GTR, let me think...it won't be the GTR if I could honestly easily afford the 458. The GTR could be twice as fast and it wouldn't change a thing. It's just the latest version of why people bought Imprezas back in the 90s - bang for your buck. They're clearly great cars, but not one I aspire to own.

Utter nonsense.

I am lucky enough to have driven most exotic cars and there have been times in my life when I owned them too ( sadly not now but hey, thats business.. )

The GT-R remains one of the singularly most impressive cars ever made. Regardless of price.

There is no "inverse snobbery" at play here. The GT-R does not really have any rivals. Porsche TT? Na - simply not as practical and not nearly as fun to drive.

R8/458 etc etc... nope, they are strict 2 seaters.

The only car I think of that is both practical , with 4 seats and 4WD, and bonkers fast is a Ferrari FF, unless you tilt everything toward family utility and get an RS6.

The GT-R is in a class of its own.

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.

[Wills2]

9mm said:

The car seems to appeal to people who want to go as fast as possible as cheaply as possible, and often get some strange inverted snobbery pay off out of 'supercar baiting' or that sort of EVOesque tripe. That's fine, but for other people there are more important attributes. The idea that some people buy a GTR because there's no point in buying something twice the price is quite laughable - people generally buy what they can afford. So, 458 or GTR, let me think...it won't be the GTR if I could honestly easily afford the 458. The GTR could be twice as fast and it wouldn't change a thing. It's just the latest version of why people bought Imprezas back in the 90s - bang for your buck. They're clearly great cars, but not one I aspire to own.

I always chuckle when people try to ascribe certain traits to people who buy a car and then assert them as facts, especially when they can't even be arsed to note their own car history in their profile.

So do tell us what you drive then we can make up crap about why you drive/own it....

[9mm]

Wills2 said:

9mm said:

The car seems to appeal to people who want to go as fast as possible as cheaply as possible, and often get some strange inverted snobbery pay off out of 'supercar baiting' or that sort of EVOesque tripe. That's fine, but for other people there are more important attributes. The idea that some people buy a GTR because there's no point in buying something twice the price is quite laughable - people generally buy what they can afford. So, 458 or GTR, let me think...it won't be the GTR if I could honestly easily afford the 458. The GTR could be twice as fast and it wouldn't change a thing. It's just the latest version of why people bought Imprezas back in the 90s - bang for your buck. They're clearly great cars, but not one I aspire to own.

I always chuckle when people try to ascribe certain traits to people who buy a car and then assert them as facts, especially when they can't even be arsed to note their own car history in their profile.

So do tell us what you drive then we can make up crap about why you drive/own it....

I always chuckle when people rush off to look at the my garage part of the website in an attempt to use that information to try and make a point.

I'm stating my opinions, not asserting them as facts, unless you want to talk about rear seat space in the GTR versus rear seat space in the S5 coupe and 6 series coupes?

Would you like a quote from EVO to illustrate the sort of tripe I'm talking about?