GT-R as a daily drive?
Discussion
I have a commute of about 35 miles each way on a mixture of rural A and B roads, plus the odd dual carriageway. I currently have a E92 M3 which is pretty much perfect for the commute as it is fun to drive, fast and comfortable, with plenty of overtaking power when the opportunity arises. I am thinking about what to replace the M3 with and my heart says a Nissan GT-R, but my head says play safe and get a C63 AMG or another M3.
I had a GT-R on a 24 hour test drive but the car was not run in so i had to keep it below 4000rpm and just cruise around. Clearly the car felt very quick even within these limits but the ride was quite a lot harder than my M3 on the less than perfect roads i commute on. Running costs are also clearly going to be high but i can live with that if the car puts a smile on my face everyday, come rain or shine.
Any views/experiences from people who drive their GT-Rs on a daily basis on how the car stacks up (assuming they still have their licences intact!) ??
Many thanks
I had a GT-R on a 24 hour test drive but the car was not run in so i had to keep it below 4000rpm and just cruise around. Clearly the car felt very quick even within these limits but the ride was quite a lot harder than my M3 on the less than perfect roads i commute on. Running costs are also clearly going to be high but i can live with that if the car puts a smile on my face everyday, come rain or shine.
Any views/experiences from people who drive their GT-Rs on a daily basis on how the car stacks up (assuming they still have their licences intact!) ??
Many thanks
This is rather a difficult situation to be in, M3, AMG or GT-R? I do feel quite sorry for you
A guy i know just bought a GT-R so i have looked into what he may have turned down to chose the GT-R and i have to admit, if it was my money, i would go for the GT-R before i was too old to look good in one! The AMG takes a close second for me though!!
A guy i know just bought a GT-R so i have looked into what he may have turned down to chose the GT-R and i have to admit, if it was my money, i would go for the GT-R before i was too old to look good in one! The AMG takes a close second for me though!!
Thanks - it is a pleasant dilemma to have i admit!
i had a C63 on loan for 2 days and it just has so much character, what with its monstrous torque and world war II bomber sound track. it even handles really well - quite a surprise for a Merc. It does turn you into a bit of a hooligan, but suspect the GT-R is as bad if not worse....
Still would like to hear from anyone who uses a GT-R daily.
B
i had a C63 on loan for 2 days and it just has so much character, what with its monstrous torque and world war II bomber sound track. it even handles really well - quite a surprise for a Merc. It does turn you into a bit of a hooligan, but suspect the GT-R is as bad if not worse....
Still would like to hear from anyone who uses a GT-R daily.
B
Hi,
Im going to reply even though i dont use my GTR as my daily commute however do use most days due to the fact that unlike any other car ive ever had it still puts a smile on my face and amazes me each and everytime i take it out 15 months after delivery.
TBH i find the car more comfortable than my wifes BMW msport 330, and would love to drive it everyday for work.
If the running costs dont worry you too much then go for it, its in another league performance wise to the m3.
Only thing ive found is that everytime you go out you find yourself moving along at ridiculous speeds that you have to reign yourself in somewhat.
Go for it you wont be dissapointed, infact i cant think where else i could possible go from this car (or would want to) for £60k
N
Im going to reply even though i dont use my GTR as my daily commute however do use most days due to the fact that unlike any other car ive ever had it still puts a smile on my face and amazes me each and everytime i take it out 15 months after delivery.
TBH i find the car more comfortable than my wifes BMW msport 330, and would love to drive it everyday for work.
If the running costs dont worry you too much then go for it, its in another league performance wise to the m3.
Only thing ive found is that everytime you go out you find yourself moving along at ridiculous speeds that you have to reign yourself in somewhat.
Go for it you wont be dissapointed, infact i cant think where else i could possible go from this car (or would want to) for £60k
N
Thanks for the insight Maxx-Waxx
Your GT-R looks fantastic in white (on your profile) - am torn between black and white.
Think i will put my order in on the basis that life is too short not to own something like the GT-R at least once in a driving lifetime. Am guessing even when the weather gets bad the 4WD will still mean swift and safe progress safe, unlike a C63 perhaps
Your GT-R looks fantastic in white (on your profile) - am torn between black and white.
Think i will put my order in on the basis that life is too short not to own something like the GT-R at least once in a driving lifetime. Am guessing even when the weather gets bad the 4WD will still mean swift and safe progress safe, unlike a C63 perhaps
Hi Batster
Took delivery of my GT-R last June, it's just turned 19000 miles. My job takes me all over the UK and, while I kept my previous car for going to places where I wouldn't like to leave the GT-R overnight (and the local supermarket), I'm using it less and less (probably 7k in the last year)
My BMW comparison would be as E39 M5 that I ran for 3 years over similar mileage, and while I liked it a lot and had a good amount of power the GT-R is something very different. You leave it in automatic and it'll shuffle it's way up to 6th really quickly and pootle around town all day. The sun's setting, you want to get home quick on an A road, and you couldn't have a better car.
Don't believe you could carry anyone in the rear seats for more than a few miles. On the other hand, the boot is enormous
In my experience the car is always positively received....curiosity in the petrol station, no negativity on the road, and so far no problems leaving it in car parks
At the last service they said there seems to be 2 sorts of GT-R owners emerging - low mileage (<3k a year) or high mileage - they've done at least half a dozen 24k serices already. Not many people in between
From your mileage, with personal mileage included, you're probably not far off what I'm doing. If you don't track it the service costs are (for me, so far at least) as advertised. Tyres are a bit of a problem - they wear on the inside edge and there's limited options/supply.
I'm sure you've found www.gtr.co.uk ....which is really good, has all the answers you'll ever need, but the R35 section occasionally isn't the most friendly car forum in the world
So...come join us....If you have any specific questions, please PM me
The licence question.....hmmmmmmm...as they used to say on Hill Street Blues "Let's be careful out there....."
Guy
Took delivery of my GT-R last June, it's just turned 19000 miles. My job takes me all over the UK and, while I kept my previous car for going to places where I wouldn't like to leave the GT-R overnight (and the local supermarket), I'm using it less and less (probably 7k in the last year)
My BMW comparison would be as E39 M5 that I ran for 3 years over similar mileage, and while I liked it a lot and had a good amount of power the GT-R is something very different. You leave it in automatic and it'll shuffle it's way up to 6th really quickly and pootle around town all day. The sun's setting, you want to get home quick on an A road, and you couldn't have a better car.
Don't believe you could carry anyone in the rear seats for more than a few miles. On the other hand, the boot is enormous
In my experience the car is always positively received....curiosity in the petrol station, no negativity on the road, and so far no problems leaving it in car parks
At the last service they said there seems to be 2 sorts of GT-R owners emerging - low mileage (<3k a year) or high mileage - they've done at least half a dozen 24k serices already. Not many people in between
From your mileage, with personal mileage included, you're probably not far off what I'm doing. If you don't track it the service costs are (for me, so far at least) as advertised. Tyres are a bit of a problem - they wear on the inside edge and there's limited options/supply.
I'm sure you've found www.gtr.co.uk ....which is really good, has all the answers you'll ever need, but the R35 section occasionally isn't the most friendly car forum in the world
So...come join us....If you have any specific questions, please PM me
The licence question.....hmmmmmmm...as they used to say on Hill Street Blues "Let's be careful out there....."
Guy
Phooey said:
I understand if you have children, the GTR is not too clever at accommodating them in the rear seats. In fact - a 911 has more leg room. Happy to be corrected though.
GTR has more leg room than the 911. My 2 year old and 4 month old can sit comfortably in child seats.Before buying the GTR i was in a similar pickle on what to go for. Although i only drive it on the weekends, the GTR is an awesome car which puts a smile on my face everytime. Having owned an m3/m5 the GTR is in a different league in terms of performance. My mate uses his to commute in on a daily basis and no issues. Do like the sound of the c63 but i have changed the exhaust on my gtr(amongst other things) and it now sounds like a fighter jet!
Good Luck!
jnd 78 said:
Phooey said:
I understand if you have children, the GTR is not too clever at accommodating them in the rear seats. In fact - a 911 has more leg room. Happy to be corrected though.
GTR has more leg room than the 911. My 2 year old and 4 month old can sit comfortably in child seats.Before buying the GTR i was in a similar pickle on what to go for. Although i only drive it on the weekends, the GTR is an awesome car which puts a smile on my face everytime. Having owned an m3/m5 the GTR is in a different league in terms of performance. My mate uses his to commute in on a daily basis and no issues. Do like the sound of the c63 but i have changed the exhaust on my gtr(amongst other things) and it now sounds like a fighter jet!
Good Luck!
As for the GTR, if it wasn't for the high maintenance and 6 months service intervals, and the fact that the nearest HPC to me is Cambridge (which are supposed to be cr4p) i would seriously contemplate buying one. I drove a GTR at Prestwold a couple of months ago, and have to admit - it is f
king Ammmmmazing 
Phooey said:
jnd 78 said:
Phooey said:
I understand if you have children, the GTR is not too clever at accommodating them in the rear seats. In fact - a 911 has more leg room. Happy to be corrected though.
GTR has more leg room than the 911. My 2 year old and 4 month old can sit comfortably in child seats.Before buying the GTR i was in a similar pickle on what to go for. Although i only drive it on the weekends, the GTR is an awesome car which puts a smile on my face everytime. Having owned an m3/m5 the GTR is in a different league in terms of performance. My mate uses his to commute in on a daily basis and no issues. Do like the sound of the c63 but i have changed the exhaust on my gtr(amongst other things) and it now sounds like a fighter jet!
Good Luck!
As for the GTR, if it wasn't for the high maintenance and 6 months service intervals, and the fact that the nearest HPC to me is Cambridge (which are supposed to be cr4p) i would seriously contemplate buying one. I drove a GTR at Prestwold a couple of months ago, and have to admit - it is f
king Ammmmmazing stuart-b said:
Phooey said:
jnd 78 said:
Phooey said:
I understand if you have children, the GTR is not too clever at accommodating them in the rear seats. In fact - a 911 has more leg room. Happy to be corrected though.
GTR has more leg room than the 911. My 2 year old and 4 month old can sit comfortably in child seats.Before buying the GTR i was in a similar pickle on what to go for. Although i only drive it on the weekends, the GTR is an awesome car which puts a smile on my face everytime. Having owned an m3/m5 the GTR is in a different league in terms of performance. My mate uses his to commute in on a daily basis and no issues. Do like the sound of the c63 but i have changed the exhaust on my gtr(amongst other things) and it now sounds like a fighter jet!
Good Luck!
As for the GTR, if it wasn't for the high maintenance and 6 months service intervals, and the fact that the nearest HPC to me is Cambridge (which are supposed to be cr4p) i would seriously contemplate buying one. I drove a GTR at Prestwold a couple of months ago, and have to admit - it is f
king Ammmmmazing 
good way of looking at it. I am very, very tempted - spent most of the weekend on tinternet looking at whats about. If i can grab a white 'Black Edition' sat-nav car for £50k.....Ok, am sold on this and going to place the order for a Black Edition in white this week. Colour decision was black or white but already have a black RS4 and think the GT-R looks fab in white, albeit not as subtle (if a GT-r can ever be called that..) as in black.
I know these come pretty loaded so apart from a tracker and parking sensors, are there any other options i need to tick?
will sort out the exhaust once i have run it in.
Thanks for everyone's help. Will post a picture once i get it (early 2011).
Question now is can i still justify to my wife buying a GT3RS next year as a weekend toy or does the GT-R do it all??
I know these come pretty loaded so apart from a tracker and parking sensors, are there any other options i need to tick?
will sort out the exhaust once i have run it in.
Thanks for everyone's help. Will post a picture once i get it (early 2011).
Question now is can i still justify to my wife buying a GT3RS next year as a weekend toy or does the GT-R do it all??
Batster said:
Ok, am sold on this and going to place the order for a Black Edition in white this week. Colour decision was black or white but already have a black RS4 and think the GT-R looks fab in white, albeit not as subtle (if a GT-r can ever be called that..) as in black.
I know these come pretty loaded so apart from a tracker and parking sensors, are there any other options i need to tick?
will sort out the exhaust once i have run it in.
Thanks for everyone's help. Will post a picture once i get it (early 2011).
Question now is can i still justify to my wife buying a GT3RS next year as a weekend toy or does the GT-R do it all??
Congratulations. I have been having a ring around the dealers today - if you fancy a Gunmetal grey, unregistered (so can be a 60 plate) premium car, there is one available for £54995. This is a physical car in stock ready to go (would have to be a 10 plate if you took delivery before September though)I know these come pretty loaded so apart from a tracker and parking sensors, are there any other options i need to tick?
will sort out the exhaust once i have run it in.
Thanks for everyone's help. Will post a picture once i get it (early 2011).
Question now is can i still justify to my wife buying a GT3RS next year as a weekend toy or does the GT-R do it all??
I am sold on a White car, so will keep looking for the right used car at the right price.
From understanding there is a slightly newer revised GTR being released next year - needs confirming though.
I believe there is also a Black 'Black Edition' available for immediate delivery - can't remember which dealer had this though.
Tbh i think the £1000 for Nissan Tracker is a little taking the wee imo.
Let us know what deal you get
The lease company we use at work arranged it - i think the car was from Nissan in Cambridge. We can get pretty much anything for at least 24 hours, so it makes for a far more informed buying decision.
The GT-R i was given was still being run in so had to keep to the rules (4000rpm max and 80mph) which was very hard, but luckily had been out in one that was run in so i had a good idea about its massive performance.
The GT-R i was given was still being run in so had to keep to the rules (4000rpm max and 80mph) which was very hard, but luckily had been out in one that was run in so i had a good idea about its massive performance.
I've had my new GT-R for almost a month now and i came from a BMW 335d and a C63 AMG.
I'll give a little background so you get my thoughts on the c63 at least...
When i got the 335d last Nov, i thought it was a fantastic car. Tons of low end torque but the paddle shift wasn't great. It was my first 'proper' car however after having a ten year old 318 so of course if was going to feel excellent! Even so the 335d was superb but the lack of noise from the diesel made me look around and along came the C63. MPG was good at around 34/35.
It took me a little while to get used to the c63 but again was an excellent car and the noise on a cold morning at start up sends shivers down your spine! It was a good daily driver being more comfortable than the 335d although the 335d had 19" runflats on. It was a bit jerky until it got up to temp and its certainly a longer car than the 335d which was noticable in tighter car parks. Had a massive boot though and tons more space in the back. I wanted 4 doors as well beacause of 2 kids. It went like stink from all rev ranges but was an easy cruiser as well. The 'old man' image did put me off a bit and from some angles i hated the look of it and other angles i loved it. Cracking engine tho and average mpg of 16/19.
Then my partner got a Disco 3 for the family (are you still with me?!) so getting bored quickly i kept getting drawn to the GT-R after reading/seeing so many good reviews. Having the 335 & c63 plus now the disco was overkill so i took the plunge and got rid of the bmw and merc and got myself a new GT-R on the strength of all the reviews. I had never seen a GT-R up close and in all only seen 2 drive past me the way and obviously no test drive so it was a big gamble paying for something that i've never seen/driven.
I've now done almost 1200 miles in it and its away until Wed getting its first optimisation service but so far i'm very impressed. I do about 30 miles on my daily drive which is a mix of A/B roads and around town.
My 1st thoughts about it... its a big car. A touch shorter than the c63 but wider esp at the rear so parking is a bit harder and personally i wouldn't park it in a multi storey. Inside tho it doesn't feel as big when driving.
The gearbox does clunk a bit and it feels a lot more race car like but still comfortable. You hear more stones more hitting the wheel arches and like the c63 again, its a bit jerky until warm.
In auto when taking it easy around town, it often gets to 6th gear at just over 30mph.
At over 600 miles covered you have to rev it higher (according to the running in sheet) and boy it does go. I found the 335d fast, the c63 faster but the GT-R is fiercely fast! From a standstill at say a petrol station on a dual carriageway, you hit the legal limit in almost a blink of an eye and it just wants to keep going.
My 2 kids are 3 and 8 months and getting them in back is no problem (except the lack of 2 back doors) but i've yet to get an isofix seat in as the fittings on the seat are a little higher up on the seat and is very fiddly. The rear seat belts could be longer too as they only just fit around the kid seats - and i mean just.
I assume you'll go for a black edition with the Bose stereo? The speakers between the rear seats look nice... but the system is crap. Very disapointing indeed. The boot is good size but it does get hot - as does the interior of the car.
I've read reports about poor Nissan customer service from there HPC's and i found this when trying to buy one. My closest one is Cambs and i called them 3 times in a week about buying a new GT-R leaving my name/number each time and a promise of a call back - i'm still waiting for that call.
Tyres seem to be an issue to which are expensive and hard to buy outside of Nissan.
It does make me a bit nervous leaving it parked in public as it draws quite a bit of attention although mostly good. To me it still feels a bit weird getting stared at a lot and you either love it or hate it!
I've only it a month and the other replies here are prob way more helpfull but thats my opinion so far.
I'll give a little background so you get my thoughts on the c63 at least...
When i got the 335d last Nov, i thought it was a fantastic car. Tons of low end torque but the paddle shift wasn't great. It was my first 'proper' car however after having a ten year old 318 so of course if was going to feel excellent! Even so the 335d was superb but the lack of noise from the diesel made me look around and along came the C63. MPG was good at around 34/35.
It took me a little while to get used to the c63 but again was an excellent car and the noise on a cold morning at start up sends shivers down your spine! It was a good daily driver being more comfortable than the 335d although the 335d had 19" runflats on. It was a bit jerky until it got up to temp and its certainly a longer car than the 335d which was noticable in tighter car parks. Had a massive boot though and tons more space in the back. I wanted 4 doors as well beacause of 2 kids. It went like stink from all rev ranges but was an easy cruiser as well. The 'old man' image did put me off a bit and from some angles i hated the look of it and other angles i loved it. Cracking engine tho and average mpg of 16/19.
Then my partner got a Disco 3 for the family (are you still with me?!) so getting bored quickly i kept getting drawn to the GT-R after reading/seeing so many good reviews. Having the 335 & c63 plus now the disco was overkill so i took the plunge and got rid of the bmw and merc and got myself a new GT-R on the strength of all the reviews. I had never seen a GT-R up close and in all only seen 2 drive past me the way and obviously no test drive so it was a big gamble paying for something that i've never seen/driven.
I've now done almost 1200 miles in it and its away until Wed getting its first optimisation service but so far i'm very impressed. I do about 30 miles on my daily drive which is a mix of A/B roads and around town.
My 1st thoughts about it... its a big car. A touch shorter than the c63 but wider esp at the rear so parking is a bit harder and personally i wouldn't park it in a multi storey. Inside tho it doesn't feel as big when driving.
The gearbox does clunk a bit and it feels a lot more race car like but still comfortable. You hear more stones more hitting the wheel arches and like the c63 again, its a bit jerky until warm.
In auto when taking it easy around town, it often gets to 6th gear at just over 30mph.
At over 600 miles covered you have to rev it higher (according to the running in sheet) and boy it does go. I found the 335d fast, the c63 faster but the GT-R is fiercely fast! From a standstill at say a petrol station on a dual carriageway, you hit the legal limit in almost a blink of an eye and it just wants to keep going.
My 2 kids are 3 and 8 months and getting them in back is no problem (except the lack of 2 back doors) but i've yet to get an isofix seat in as the fittings on the seat are a little higher up on the seat and is very fiddly. The rear seat belts could be longer too as they only just fit around the kid seats - and i mean just.
I assume you'll go for a black edition with the Bose stereo? The speakers between the rear seats look nice... but the system is crap. Very disapointing indeed. The boot is good size but it does get hot - as does the interior of the car.
I've read reports about poor Nissan customer service from there HPC's and i found this when trying to buy one. My closest one is Cambs and i called them 3 times in a week about buying a new GT-R leaving my name/number each time and a promise of a call back - i'm still waiting for that call.
Tyres seem to be an issue to which are expensive and hard to buy outside of Nissan.
It does make me a bit nervous leaving it parked in public as it draws quite a bit of attention although mostly good. To me it still feels a bit weird getting stared at a lot and you either love it or hate it!
I've only it a month and the other replies here are prob way more helpfull but thats my opinion so far.
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