Fresh Perspective

Did a full GT-R review on one of my long time forum homes, CorvetteForum.com.  This is the brain dump, Here are some pictures…

Just got back from a FULL…(ugh, very full) day at Willow Springs..7AM to 7PM. We were shooting a Season of Head to Head that will be on StreetFire.net (Torque.tv production). Had some cool cars there from the Tech Art GT-Street 997 Turbo to a 650hp Supercharged Challenger. I don’t think I can talk about the pairings and results until the episodes come out, so I’ll keep the talk to the GT-R.

I didn’t get any real track time to work the car out, as most of it was taken up by the professional racers doing photo shoot work, so sadly that was a bit of a blow. That said the Pros completely fell in love with the car. In stock form it posted very high in the rankings (again can’t talk about the actual results, but I was ahead of some serious metal).

So the big criticisms of the car, I’ll address them.

Weight. Not really the issue you would think it would be. The car actually feels deceptively light, and the only way you know has some weight is under super heavy on the brakes hairpin turns. The car builds speed very smoothly, which may be the torque muted by weights, but to be honest the AWD lets you power out of any turn far earlier than I could in my E46 M3.

Tire Wear. Probably did a dozen full bore laps, a bit of drifting and doughnuts for the camera, and the stock tires really look fine. The car is so smooth that it lacks a lot of the drama that really eats up tires. COBB tuning was there with their GT-R, and they said that tires were not the problem, rotors were. They’ve been through a few sets, but then their car is a 100% track car with no street miles.

Road Feel. The faster you drive the GT-R the more analogue it feels. Cruising down the highway, you can turn off your brain and get away with thinking you’re in a stiffly sprung Maxima. Typically that’s an insult, but in my I405 commute to work in LA traffic, it’s a bit of a blessing. My E46 is much more alive under your fingers, so you are always DRIVING that car, which can get very wearing in LA traffic. If you don’t have a hell commute to work like I do, then I can’t say for sure if you’ll love or hate the synthetic feel when commuting. Put your foot down, and the Mr Hyde wakes up and you get a psychic link with the pavement. The car feels fantastic when driven with some aggression, HOWEVER even a smirk of aggression will put you at 30mph over before you realize what’s happening.

Power delivery. so my Trans Am made 550 RWTorque, so I know what big power feels like. My CBR-600RR has no Torque and a 17,000 RPM redline that takes it to 10.8@130mph…. so I know what revs feel like. The GT-R builds power very smoothly with a little if any lag. Launch Control is blistering, but it very quickly settles into a smooth delivery that builds and builds and doesn’t let up at all. my Trans Am fell off pretty aggressively and had much more violence below 100mph. I believe the 11.5-7@116-120mph times I’ve seen people post….but wierd as it may sound to say this, the GT-R is a waste at a drag strip. Drive the car around Willow Springs and you’ll agree, the car is made for handling.

Handling. This is the car’s forte. The other pro drivers affirmed what Millen said that the car holds astounding velocity in the turns. It maintains the speed by virtue of smooth power delivery and AWD. Because the turbine smoothness of the motor, you can get into the power far earlier than I would dare in a Porsche or my E46 M3. As the power builds, the AWD just keeps you planted and swings you around. COBB tuning told me there is a ECM dedicated to just AWD functions, and I believe it, all 4 wheels are always working for you.

Brakes. Impressive, the Pros had far more confidence in them than I do, but then the E46 M3 brakes sorta suck, so I’m gun shy… still learning where they live. This is a brake late leave sooner corner car. COBB says the stock calipers are fine, it’s the rotors that you have to be careful with.

On the Subjective points. Interior quality is very impressive but still Japanese. Not quite up to German levels, but I will say, you can tell Nissan took pride in this car, even the leather stitching on the dash appears to be done with pride. I’m not entirely happy with the Alcantera-ish cloth inserts in the seats, but damn if they didn’t work at the track.

Exterior. Photos really don’t do the car justice. It looks entirely different in person. Photos are very flat, and the GT-R is a very 3 Dimensional car with lots of body detail. I’ve received a shocking amount of attention from people that don’t know what the car is, and are even more confused when they see it has a Nissan badge. Can’t believe I’m saying this, but I’m actually finding myself boasting that it’s a Nissan…. I think I may be having a little reverse Brand snobbery after 4 years in a BMW, and Nissan has a bit of underdog syndrome which I’m digging for the few months that the car is still somewhat rare.

Anyhow, so that is the brain dump, let me know if you have any questions….and to answer the whole Corvette vs. GT-R thing up front, Without a doubt, different horses for different courses. Drive both, and you’ll see they are very different on many levels, and it’s almost like asking “Which is better, a Fork or a Spoon”?…well depends on what you’re eating.

Old LS1 guy buys a GT-R – Corvette Forum.