Friday 30th October 2015

BMW M4 vs. Nissan GT-R: Pic Of The Week

An intriguing comparison previewed in a very autumnal Pic of the Week!

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This M4 against GT-R test actually came about entirely by chance. Typically these two wouldn't be considered rivals, what with the M4 starting at less than £60K and the GT-R nearer £80K.

But this isn't a sub-£60K BMW M4. It's the Fleet M4, delivered from BMW with a swathe of options that boosted the as tested price to nearly £74,000. The 45th Anniversary GT-R arrived without any extras as a £79,780 car, carrying a £1,750 premium over the standard car. All of a sudden they're in the same ballpark.

So we had to put the two together, drive them back to back and get a few shots too. Full verdict to follow, but here's a little treat for your desktop beforehand!

Traditional (4:3)
Computer widescreen (16:10)
TV widescreen (16:9)
Portrait (smartphone etc)

[Photo: Tim Brown]

[sege]

Easy comparison: One is a future classic Japanese supercar and one of the greatest automotive performance icons of all time, and the other is BM's latest attempt to flog flash metal to overpaid execs.

[patmahe]

sege said:

Easy comparison: One is a future classic Japanese supercar and one of the greatest automotive performance icons of all time, and the other is BM's latest attempt to flog flash metal to overpaid execs.

Agreed, of the two I'd have the Nissan

[Jacobyte]

sege said:

Easy comparison: One is a future classic Japanese supercar and one of the greatest automotive performance icons of all time, and the other is BM's latest attempt to flog flash metal to overpaid execs.

Easy comparison: One is a future classic "M" coupe and one of the greatest automotive performance icons of all time, and the other is Japan's latest attempt to flog flash plastic to overpaid chavs.

[patmahe]

Jacobyte said:

sege said:

Easy comparison: One is a future classic Japanese supercar and one of the greatest automotive performance icons of all time, and the other is BM's latest attempt to flog flash metal to overpaid execs.

Easy comparison: One is a future classic "M" coupe and one of the greatest automotive performance icons of all time, and the other is Japan's latest attempt to flog flash plastic to overpaid chavs.

Hey, I'm not overpaid but if I was I'd still have the Nissan so I guess I'm a chav

[anonymous-user]

I've not driven a GTR for a while so my memory may be skewed, but when I test drove an M4 I got a distinct 'GTR feel' about its performance. Obviously because of the turbo element so I don't think it's an invalid comparison. It's interesting how the GTR is the more expensive proposition, whereas when it was launched it was the other way around.

It'd be the M4 if daily. It has such a range from quiet and comfortable to being rather fast. I don't recall the GTR being so quiet and comfortable when you want it to be. Again, that was the 2011 version so it may have moved on from there a fair bit.

[smilo996]

PH's photographer has been on a course? Cracking photo.

[anonymous-user]

One for bad parking thread

[Jacobyte]

patmahe said:

Hey, I'm not overpaid but if I was I'd still have the Nissan so I guess I'm a chav

I was just ribbing the poster above and his stereotype. They're both great cars, which I'd be hard-pushed to choose between if I was after something like that.

[vz-r_dave]

Jacobyte said:

sege said:

Easy comparison: One is a future classic Japanese supercar and one of the greatest automotive performance icons of all time, and the other is BM's latest attempt to flog flash metal to overpaid execs.

Easy comparison: One is a future classic "M" coupe and one of the greatest automotive performance icons of all time, and the other is Japan's latest attempt to flog flash plastic to overpaid chavs.

Future classic 'M' coupe...... pff, the E90 will be the one everyone wants in the future because of it's V8.

Easy comparison: One is a future money pit 'M' coupe with a soulless engine and one of the most generic offerings BMW could come up with, and the other is a car that changed history!

Edit: Forgot the M3 has changed history, believe it's the first straight 6 to sound like a V10 due to the 'M' focused sound generator...... pathetic.

Edited by vz-r_dave on Friday 30th October 13:51

[C7 JFW]

Good test, good comparison.

[Matt Bird]

smilo996 said:

PH's photographer has been on a course? Cracking photo.

Funnily enough a new snapper in a our group of freelance guys. We'll pass on the kind words!


Matt

[kambites]

You couldn't call either of them "pretty" could you? Both great cars in their own ways though.

[ProBodge]

Well the Nissan has the clear advantage here. It was designed to be a sports car and only a sports car from it's conception.

The BMW is a high performance adaptation of a mass produced bland rep-mobile and is therefore a compromise. Probably an excellent compromise though.

[J4CKO]

How far apart are they in performance terms in reality ?

[0836whimper]

ProBodge said:

Well the Nissan has the clear advantage here. It was designed to be a sports car and only a sports car from it's conception.

The BMW is a high performance adaptation of a mass produced bland rep-mobile and is therefore a compromise. Probably an excellent compromise though.

OK, so what specifically is the compromise ? What is it about the GTR design that makes it inherently superior to the M4 ?

[vz-r_dave]

0836whimper said:

ProBodge said:

Well the Nissan has the clear advantage here. It was designed to be a sports car and only a sports car from it's conception.

The BMW is a high performance adaptation of a mass produced bland rep-mobile and is therefore a compromise. Probably an excellent compromise though.

OK, so what specifically is the compromise ? What is it about the GTR design that makes it inherently superior to the M4 ?

Is this guy serious?? haha, it's a ground up developed and built sports/super car, does that question really need to be asked?

[vz-r_dave]

J4CKO said:

How far apart are they in performance terms in reality ?

Miles! M4 is more at home with hot hatches these days. As seen in below video.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X3n7zhb7aN8

[0836whimper]

vz-r_dave said:

0836whimper said:

ProBodge said:

Well the Nissan has the clear advantage here. It was designed to be a sports car and only a sports car from it's conception.

The BMW is a high performance adaptation of a mass produced bland rep-mobile and is therefore a compromise. Probably an excellent compromise though.

OK, so what specifically is the compromise ? What is it about the GTR design that makes it inherently superior to the M4 ?

Is this guy serious?? haha, it's a ground up developed and built sports/super car, does that question really need to be asked?

It's easy to make the theory comment (makes sense) but we need specifics for it to actually true. After all the GTR is still a big heavy five seat normal looking car, it's not a single seat carbon tubbed ground effect race machine.

What makes the GTR more of a 'sports car' ? Tyres filled with nitrogen ?

[Jakdaw]

0836whimper said:

It's easy to make the theory comment (makes sense) but we need specifics for it to actually true. After all the GTR is still a big heavy five seat normal looking car, it's not a single seat carbon tubbed ground effect race machine.

Four seat. Nissan put a sub-woofer where the third infant might perch.

0836whimper said:

What makes the GTR more of a 'sports car' ? Tyres filled with nitrogen ?

Keeping up / going faster than all the single seat carbon tubbed ground effect race machines despite being a big heavy four seat normal looking car with air-con and a big sub-woofer <sigh> as standard?

Edited by Jakdaw on Saturday 31st October 00:50

[bomber1873]

I would love to have either car, sure they are both great fun but personally I would rather buy the M2 which is much better looking than both of these and probably offers most of the fun at far less money and I am not really into BMW's. There is something about the M2 though.