RE: Nissan GT-R MY14: Review

RE: Nissan GT-R MY14: Review

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Discussion

AndyBrew

2,774 posts

218 months

Thursday 23rd 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.
All modern cars have safety aids, they will all intervene in some way shape or form to keep the car on the bloody road!

If you fancy yourself as the Stig in a GT-R there are three switches on the center console, set the first two to off and the third to race then go and point it down a twisty country lane and bury the throttle, it is more than capable of delivering you to the local A&E department if you haven't got the relevant skill to tame it.


nutey

53 posts

212 months

Thursday 23rd October 2014
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Completely off topic but in the linked Video of the idiot at Bedford, the Megane R26 that is hassled and nearly T Boned around 1 minute in is my old car! Good to see it still going and being used properly...

samvia

1,635 posts

169 months

Thursday 23rd October 2014
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footsoldier 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.
Guarantee you haven't driven a GTR flat out then.

I am not having a go at you personally, but the GTR doing all the work is a myth, and I'll wager it feels easy to some people because they are personally so far away from the car's limit that it all feels under control.

Push the limits in a GTR, and, for a road car, it is a serious piece of kit that needs driven hard and properly, to really come alive.
I'd agree with that.

I spent a lot of time with them over a couple of years and they just get better and better the harder you push. There's a few drives I'll remember for the rest of my life, hustling an MY12 in particular down various A and B roads and especially in the wet. The sensation of carrying a bit of angle out of bends whilst being thrown at the horizon at a ridiculous rate of knots is pretty special and involving I found, and that's as someone who's been driving older RWD cars for most of my driving history.

While it may not be the absolute last word in involving cars, I reckon the majority of those who call them uninvolving or "easy" either haven't driven one properly, or driven one at all.

davidd

6,443 posts

283 months

Thursday 23rd October 2014
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I'm just coming out of my finance agreement on my 09 plate. The figure to buy it is £21k...

£21k for a 33,000 mile car that is currently running 580hp and is in more or less perfect condition.

I keep trying to find something I want more but nothing is making me want to move on yet.

Cracking cars, forget all the negative stuff you read, just have a go in one. Perfect? no way. Immensely and utterly brilliant? oh yes.

nightwalker

3,554 posts

186 months

Thursday 23rd October 2014
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Still looks ste.

davidd

6,443 posts

283 months

Thursday 23rd October 2014
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nightwalker said:
Still looks ste.
I prefer purposeful wink

gentleman2012

24 posts

135 months

Thursday 23rd October 2014
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davidd said:
I'm just coming out of my finance agreement on my 09 plate. The figure to buy it is £21k...

£21k for a 33,000 mile car that is currently running 580hp and is in more or less perfect condition.

I keep trying to find something I want more but nothing is making me want to move on yet.

Cracking cars, forget all the negative stuff you read, just have a go in one. Perfect? no way. Immensely and utterly brilliant? oh yes.
If you don't want it at that price, can I buy it? smilebiglaughbiglaughsmile


Edited by gentleman2012 on Thursday 23 October 18:05

MrBarry123

6,025 posts

120 months

Friday 24th October 2014
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davidd said:
I'm just coming out of my finance agreement on my 09 plate. The figure to buy it is £21k...

£21k for a 33,000 mile car that is currently running 580hp and is in more or less perfect condition.

I keep trying to find something I want more but nothing is making me want to move on yet.

Cracking cars, forget all the negative stuff you read, just have a go in one. Perfect? no way. Immensely and utterly brilliant? oh yes.
And is probably worth £35k-40k. You got a good deal there sir!

GreenArrow

3,551 posts

116 months

Friday 24th October 2014
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Didn't look so special in this weeks Autocar feature on best cars for a wet road. Was 6 secs slower per lap round a circuit in the wet than a GOLF R. In fact I've seen a few articles which cast doubt on its all weather ability....seems perhaps some of that dry weather lap ability is due to its special tyres which aren't good In the wet....EVO had an article last winter where it couldn't keep up with a Merc A45 AMG on a wet road....

But yeah I'd still love one. The super car for the everyday man.

As for its weight, yeah its heavy, but a 991 Turbo S is only 120KG lighter....

J4CKO

41,287 posts

199 months

Friday 24th October 2014
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GreenArrow said:
Didn't look so special in this weeks Autocar feature on best cars for a wet road. Was 6 secs slower per lap round a circuit in the wet than a GOLF R. In fact I've seen a few articles which cast doubt on its all weather ability....seems perhaps some of that dry weather lap ability is due to its special tyres which aren't good In the wet....EVO had an article last winter where it couldn't keep up with a Merc A45 AMG on a wet road....

But yeah I'd still love one. The super car for the everyday man.

As for its weight, yeah its heavy, but a 991 Turbo S is only 120KG lighter....
They said that was down tyres to a certain extent.

But the GTR does seem to not be supreme in the wet, have seen a few that have been crashed on wet roads, but it may just be down to how fast they are, plus there is a fair bit of weight.

I suppose the Golf R is doing what the GTR does to a certain extent, i.e. mixing it in a division or two above where it would normally sit, the old Golf R32 didnt, nice enough but pretty slow, or at least not quicker than you expect, but the R is a lot quicker, GTR mixes it with supercars, if you have a Mclaren, F358, 911 Turbo, Gallardon, Murcilago etc and see a GTR behind you, if remotely bothered, I guess you dont just think you can just amble away at part throttle, especially given the fact, like old Sierra Cosworths, very few GTR's are standard.






StradoZ

71 posts

210 months

Friday 24th October 2014
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GreenArrow said:
Didn't look so special in this weeks Autocar feature on best cars for a wet road. Was 6 secs slower per lap round a circuit in the wet than a GOLF R. In fact I've seen a few articles which cast doubt on its all weather ability....seems perhaps some of that dry weather lap ability is due to its special tyres which aren't good In the wet....EVO had an article last winter where it couldn't keep up with a Merc A45 AMG on a wet road....

But yeah I'd still love one. The super car for the everyday man.

As for its weight, yeah its heavy, but a 991 Turbo S is only 120KG lighter....
As was thankfully pointed out in the comments that test smacked of trying to think of something to do with a random group of cars, there was very little fair or accurate scientific testing going on. They were all on completely random (and randomly worn) rubber and that test was massively reliant on tyres.

Makes great headlines though and does wonders for the ego of Golf R drivers. rolleyes


JONSCZ

1,178 posts

236 months

Friday 24th October 2014
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http://sniffpetrol.com/2014/10/14/gt-r-cheat-codes...

As posted in the 'Jap' section, but worth a reposting here.... wink






toppstuff

13,698 posts

246 months

Saturday 25th October 2014
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StradoZ said:
GreenArrow said:
Didn't look so special in this weeks Autocar feature on best cars for a wet road. Was 6 secs slower per lap round a circuit in the wet than a GOLF R. In fact I've seen a few articles which cast doubt on its all weather ability....seems perhaps some of that dry weather lap ability is due to its special tyres which aren't good In the wet....EVO had an article last winter where it couldn't keep up with a Merc A45 AMG on a wet road....

But yeah I'd still love one. The super car for the everyday man.

As for its weight, yeah its heavy, but a 991 Turbo S is only 120KG lighter....
As was thankfully pointed out in the comments that test smacked of trying to think of something to do with a random group of cars, there was very little fair or accurate scientific testing going on. They were all on completely random (and randomly worn) rubber and that test was massively reliant on tyres.

Makes great headlines though and does wonders for the ego of Golf R drivers. rolleyes
Indeed, that Autocar test achieved the usual standards of Autocar tests ( i.e it was utterly crap) and was written by an ignoramus. The tyres make a MASSIVE difference.

The Golf R did well, but lets think about this. Like the Golf, the GT-R has 4 WD and a double clutch box with a stack of short ratios. Both cars also have active trickery balancing power and torque with stability control. Given these facts, the cars would be pretty comparable, with the difference being the considerably more power in the Nissan. The difference is explained in the tyres and Autocar are being numpties for not making this clearer. Hardly a surprise though - my Yorkshire terrier could write a more balanced road test then most of the Autocar editorial team. They really are rubbish IMO.

liner33

10,642 posts

201 months

Saturday 25th October 2014
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Its a bit of a non story though , high horsepower cars have less of an advantage in the wet.

E65Ross

34,946 posts

211 months

Saturday 25th October 2014
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liner33 said:
Its a bit of a non story though , high horsepower cars have less of an advantage in the wet.
Agree, it's down to whether the tyres can put that power down.

PunterCam

1,069 posts

194 months

Saturday 25th October 2014
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I just can't summon any enthusiasm towards the GTR.

I think it looks rubbish, it's about the same size as an X5, it's about the same weight as an X5 (ok, not quite!), and it's got an engine I'd never cease to be bored by. I have to wonder; in a car with a characterless engine and a super efficient gearbox, is there any point in even having paddles? Where's the joy?

I dunno, for me it's kind of everything that's wrong in sports cars. Complex, heavy, fast for fasts-sake, I just don't see it. I don't see the point. I'm sure many enjoy the numbers (I have to wonder, without lap times being published, how many less would be sold?), but it seems like a dinosaur to me.

The GTR isn't the only offender - this isn't a hate fuelled rant; the 911 turbo/turbo s are just as bad - but it still annoys me. Remember a few short years ago everyone was driving elises? Every corner you'd see a wee Lotus - people driving them to work, running long daily commutes in them - I thought it might have been the re-emergence of great, affordable, fast and fun motoring. Sadly it seems track times have become a reason to buy a road car. I shudder to think what the maintenance on a 1700kg sports car with that much complexity is going to be in a few years...

Ok, a bit of a rant.

KTcarnut

8 posts

122 months

Sunday 26th October 2014
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Was reading this post the last few days and awoke to torrential wind and rain, so decided to take my MY2012 GTR out to give it a blast and see what's what. Needless to say its just as assured in the wet as any car with over 500hp could be in these conditions. Not sure who would want to drive like they are on an F1 qualifying lap in wet conditions on public roads, but each to their own. Got the usual tail gaiters after about 5 mins of driving, including a Golf R today, lovely car but keeping up with the GTR....I think not. Think he got the fright of his life when I gave him a couple of gears full blast from 65 on the motorway. And it was 8am on an empty road before anyone says

lamboman100

1,445 posts

120 months

Sunday 26th October 2014
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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.

davidd

6,443 posts

283 months

Sunday 26th October 2014
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MrBarry123 said:
And is probably worth £35k-40k. You got a good deal there sir!
I thought so wink

davidd

6,443 posts

283 months

Sunday 26th October 2014
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Tyres make a massive difference (clearly). I like many owners have stopped using runflats and are on Michelin Pilot Sports which make a massive difference to wet driving in comparison to the original Dunlops that were on the car when I got it (I'm aware Dunlop have revised these so they might be better now).

The Golf R is a great car, it is on the list of stuff we are looking at when we change our family car. I hard to laugh that it had comfortably numb on the display though.

I take the point about the GTR being a bit of a lardarse, I felt the same before I drove one. In daily use they really are very special, but of course we all have different requirements for cars.

Cheers

D