Just Drove This

[john_pifer]

If you don't know what it is within a few seconds of seeing the photo, then you probably don't give a hoot anyway...

Not even saying it's anything really awesome - personally, if I were in the position to buy a hi-perf car, this would actually be quite a ways down the list, for several reasons.

Whatever you want to say about the car, however, you can't deny one thing - it's violently fast.

 

[hattaresguy]

Those drive my uncle nuts at the track, very fast.

Good fast daily driver, you can pick them up used pretty reasonable now.

 

[bdcardinal]

Those things are pretty cool. I would consider one if I had the cash to throw into a shredder. I hear it is like driving a video game though.

 

[sciphi]

I sat in one once. That is one wide car! Also, I couldn't see much since the dash was so tall. Not my cup of tea either, but still pretty impressive.

 

[john_pifer]

Originally Posted By: bdcardinal
Those things are pretty cool. I would consider one if I had the cash to throw into a shredder. I hear it is like driving a video game though.


Yes. Even the graphics on the main display were designed by the same folks who designed Gran Turismo, I'm told.

 

[bdcardinal]

Originally Posted By: john_pifer
Originally Posted By: bdcardinal
Those things are pretty cool. I would consider one if I had the cash to throw into a shredder. I hear it is like driving a video game though.


Yes. Even the graphics on the main display were designed by the same folks who designed Gran Turismo, I'm told.


A guy brought one to our Friday night hangout. One of his employees is a regular and has a 08-09 GT500. They were gonna run for fun, but the GT-R wouldn't let him launch hard because the gearbox wasn't up to proper temp.

 

[john_pifer]

Originally Posted By: sciphi
I sat in one once. That is one wide car! Also, I couldn't see much since the dash was so tall. Not my cup of tea either, but still pretty impressive.


You're right! It is a big car.

And, yes, it is impressive. Nissan's engineering dept. really flexed its collective muscles on this one.

The thing that struck me about the car was the refinement. Now, I'm no jaded automotive journalist who digests a steady diet of supercars. But, to me, this thing has no rough edges.

It's Japanese refinement defined. It's (almost) a Maxima with 200+ more HP (and the brakes and chassis to handle it!).

 

[john_pifer]

Originally Posted By: bdcardinal
Originally Posted By: john_pifer
Originally Posted By: bdcardinal
Those things are pretty cool. I would consider one if I had the cash to throw into a shredder. I hear it is like driving a video game though.


Yes. Even the graphics on the main display were designed by the same folks who designed Gran Turismo, I'm told.


A guy brought one to our Friday night hangout. One of his employees is a regular and has a 08-09 GT500. They were gonna run for fun, but the GT-R wouldn't let him launch hard because the gearbox wasn't up to proper temp.


The guy in the GT-500 should count himself lucky. He would have had no chance.

 

[Shannow]

Upset Australian majorly when the GT-Rs won Bathurst...

 

[bdcardinal]

Originally Posted By: Shannow
Upset Australian majorly when the GT-Rs won Bathurst...


So much that they changed the rules to V8s from Ford and Holden only. Seems even with Nissan and Mercedes back in, Red and Blue still dominate, well mostly Red.

 

[NMBurb02]

Originally Posted By: bdcardinal
Originally Posted By: Shannow
Upset Australian majorly when the GT-Rs won Bathurst...


So much that they changed the rules to V8s from Ford and Holden only. Seems even with Nissan and Mercedes back in, Red and Blue still dominate, well mostly Red.

I followed Australian V8 Supercars last season and was not happy to hear about Nissan and MBZ cars being run. Seems a bit sacrilegious to me.

 

[hattaresguy]

Originally Posted By: bdcardinal
Originally Posted By: john_pifer
Originally Posted By: bdcardinal
Those things are pretty cool. I would consider one if I had the cash to throw into a shredder. I hear it is like driving a video game though.


Yes. Even the graphics on the main display were designed by the same folks who designed Gran Turismo, I'm told.


A guy brought one to our Friday night hangout. One of his employees is a regular and has a 08-09 GT500. They were gonna run for fun, but the GT-R wouldn't let him launch hard because the gearbox wasn't up to proper temp.



GTR's are machines, would have munched the Mustang without much trouble. Never race a GTR unless your ride can reliably crack sub 3 second 0-60 runs...RWD cars just can't.

My neighbor has had one for years as a daily driver, I have to ask him how many miles he has on it now, I bet its a few.

 

[bdcardinal]

Originally Posted By: NMBurb02
Originally Posted By: bdcardinal
Originally Posted By: Shannow
Upset Australian majorly when the GT-Rs won Bathurst...


So much that they changed the rules to V8s from Ford and Holden only. Seems even with Nissan and Mercedes back in, Red and Blue still dominate, well mostly Red.

I followed Australian V8 Supercars last season and was not happy to hear about Nissan and MBZ cars being run. Seems a bit sacrilegious to me.


Still was fun to go to in Austin. If they are there next year, I will be there also. Obviously not this year, but maybe next year Bathurst will be on the list for me.

 

[john_pifer]

Originally Posted By: hattaresguy



GTR's are machines, would have munched the Mustang without much trouble. Never race a GTR unless your ride can reliably crack sub 3 second 0-60 runs...RWD cars just can't, on street tires.


Fixed that for ya

 

[SteveSRT8]

I have driver's seat time in a GTR at the Florida Mile for two runs and at Homestead at an HPDE.

One heck of a performance envelope. Outrageous even. But no driver satisfaction.

Made weird noises, quite loud IMO, and just not a very involving ride to me IMO.

But blindingly fast and a bit scary to ride in (as a passenger)! The one thing I liked was the dash display. Very flexible and capable of putting up anything you wanted to know and more...

 

[Vikas]

Once I was on the I-495 coming home from work driving just over speed limit. Came across a GT-R just puttering along. Suddenly, he punched it. It took off like a rocket. I don't think I had ever seen anything accelerate like that from 70mph. It was mind boggling.

 

[john_pifer]

Originally Posted By: SteveSRT8
I have driver's seat time in a GTR at the Florida Mile for two runs and at Homestead at an HPDE.

One heck of a performance envelope. Outrageous even. But no driver satisfaction.

Made weird noises, quite loud IMO, and just not a very involving ride to me IMO.

But blindingly fast and a bit scary to ride in (as a passenger)! The one thing I liked was the dash display. Very flexible and capable of putting up anything you wanted to know and more...


I didn't get to drive this GT-R on the track; it's a new 2014 model that my friend has had for about two months, and we took it out around his neighborhood.

When I drove, I didn't open the throttle more than about half; I appreciated that he offered to let me drive it, and I wanted to be respectful. But I did get to feel several full-throttle pulls when my friend was driving. Definitely the fastest car I've ever been in. Previous fastest car I've driven was a 2006 Corvette Z06, back in '06 or '07, when they were new. That said, nothing feels really fast since I've been riding motorcycles; very few cars out there that can compare with full-throttle acceleration of a big-bore sportbike (my R1, in the right hands, is capable of a sub-10 second 1/4 mile at 140 mph+).

I agree that driving the car is a very cold, almost antiseptic experience (my opinion might change a bit if I got the chance to drive the car on a closed course, closer to its "design limits"). As I say, it felt to me like a Maxima with 200 more HP. And that's what the interior looked like, too - you'll never mistake it for an Audi interior.

Exterior styling is also not my cup of tea - all angular and no curves. Not what I call a good-looking car. My "favorite" aspect of the car is the rear, and even that doesn't evoke much emotion.

Personally, if I were in the market for a hi-perf sports car, there's no question in my mind what I would go out and buy - a Porsche 911 Carrera S. Wouldn't think twice about it. If money were no object at all, it would be one of the higher-performance, 2WD, naturally-aspirated 911s.