# Finally – a test drive!



## speedyK (Mar 4, 2009)

Hi everyone

I joined recently but, until today, had not even seen a GT-R (R35) in the metal, let alone, driven one (apart from in _GT5 Prologue_ on PS3  ).

I'm in Switzerland and today I was able to try a brand new US import.

Summary: all the positive reports in the various road tests were right – it does not merely meet, it actually exceeds my expectations! 

I'm too mean to buy one new, but intend to be the owner of an _ultimate silver_ Premium edition (with Bose sound system) before all too long.

What a car!

This is the _gun metallic_ one I test drove


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## Sayen (Nov 7, 2007)

You could write some words here: www.GTR-Club.de | Nissan GT-R Forum • Foren-Übersicht


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## Zed Ed (Oct 24, 2007)

don't you get a jail term for owning a car like the GTR in Switzerland


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## Sayen (Nov 7, 2007)

Almost :chuckle:


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## speedyK (Mar 4, 2009)

Zed Ed said:


> don't you get a jail term for owning a car like the GTR in Switzerland


Depends how you drive it 

I do _try_ to control myself until I get onto the limit-free German autobahns – or on track.

I'm looking to replace my current track toy, a Lotus Exige Cup supercharged to 270bhp









and my trusty 300ZX Twin Turbo









with a GT-R which can do the job of both _and_ be more comfortable _and_ is usable all year round. 

Any way, it's not much better in Britain wrt speed limits and the boys in blue frrom my experience...


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## simzimma (Nov 29, 2008)

i just had a ride in one today, first time too and i have to admit, i'm in love! the car feels so solid and composed!

it handles corners extremely well! just sticks to the road. it's alot more comfortable than i had expected too! absolutely ferocious acceleration didn't even realise when we hit 60mph!!


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## speedyK (Mar 4, 2009)

simzimma said:


> feels so solid and composed!


Yep, really planted feel – even in standrad suspension setting.



simzimma said:


> alot more comfortable than i had expected too!


I was very pleasantly surprised too – the car is in no way raw, racous, uncouth, ungainly or clumsy. It is really well sorted, usable, comfortable and pleasure to drive – whether just pootling through town or giving it stick in the hills. 

2 word summary: _hugely_ competent

1 word summary: *want! * 


Shall I post my review of my test drive for those who've not yet had the pleasure?


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## simzimma (Nov 29, 2008)

absolutely! can't wait to have a proper test drive in the drivers seat!

should keep me happy till i get mine....which is some while away yet!


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## speedyK (Mar 4, 2009)

OK. You asked for it! 

I saw that a fairly local garage has already imported a couple of GT-Rs from "across the pond", so I phoned them to arrange to finally see one in the metal.

I arrived (in my Smart Brabus Xklusive Roadster-Coupé) and a _gun metallic _GT-R was parked outside. I suppose it depends on what you compare it with, but to me it doesn't look that huge.

I go in seeking the other, _ultimate silver_, GT-R (this is the colour I fancy) that they have. I introduce myself to the garage owner. It transpires that, unfortunately, the silver one is on loan to an exhibition for a couple of days. He gives me the keys and says, "Go and have a look at it – I‘ll join you then for a test drive if you like". Gift horse, mouth. I liked 

Luckily, the snow that was forecast earlier in the week for Saturday only arrived sparsely yesterday and it was actually dry and sunny, but only around 7°C due to a cold North wind. Trying it on snow would certainly have been interesting, but I was quite happy that it was dry.

While I waited for him, I had a look around the car.

First, I tried the rear seats – after all, the +2 capability is a significant criterium for me. With the seat well forward, the front passenger still has adequate knee room, as does the person behind them. Now I‘m not tall, but I do have a long torso (with a helmet, I‘m wedged against the roof of an Exige where even people of 6'3" or 6' 4" have claimed to have no problems). Any way, my head was very near the rear glass, but it was certainly acceptable as a +2 in my book. On the driver's side, the driving position does have to be compromised somewhat – if the 4th occupant has legs.

I then checked the boot. Very capacious, but with a high lip. Certainly adequate for my purposes (though a hatch like the 300ZX would be perfect).

I then adjusted the wheel (height and depth) and the seat to my liking and checked out the controls and details.

The wheel is (surprisingly) small and fits nicely in my hands like that of my Lotus, but has a multitude of buttons for this and that). Ideal.

Being an import, the analogue speedo shows mph in large white numbers, with an smaller inner ring in orange for km/h – not ideal (especially for keeping to limits). However, I thought, maybe there is a switchable digital display for km/h within the rev counter dial (I didn‘t want to start it up in his absence).









I also wondered about the (well located) sat nav – probably still a US version – is Europe available on an import?

Everything in the cockpit looks solid, practical and well put together in typical upmarket Nissan manner (and from my ZX I know it lasts well). What I didn't like was the smooth "aluminium-look" parts of the central console – which, as far as I or the garage owner can tell are plastic and will scratch too easily. Hopefully they are alu-coloured throughout and not black beneath the surface... Strange that they should do this – particularly as Infiniti is a subsiduary of Nissan and they have responded to this problem by giving such surfaces a textured surface that looks better for longer. These parts are black on the "Black Edition" which is available in erm... black or in ultimate silver with black wheels (and nice red detailing on the black leather) – will try to get one of those










Anyway, time to go for a drive. My passenger says leave it in auto mode till we've warmed it a little.

Gear lever in "P". Foot on brake, press the red "Start/Stop" button down on the central console behind the lever. The engine fires instantly without drama, runs at what sounds a fast idle, but is actually only around 900 rpm.

Oops, "tank empty!" warning. It‘s a brand new car (40 miles on the clock) and has never been filled.

We move off and drive round to a pump inside the back of the garage. I switch it off. He says leave it running while we fill it (!). Job done. I reverse out – the visibility is excellent (certainly in comparison to an Exige!). I then swoop round on full lock – the turning circle is not at all bad.

Now out onto the road. He says we‘ll leave it in auto to take it onto the motorway first and get it warm, then put it in manual mode and head for the hills.

First touch of the brake pedal on approaching a junction. There is no slack in this system – there is immediate bite from the Brembo brakes in comparison to the more leisurely response in my Brabus Smart Roadster-Coupé. It is not over-servoed though – I just have to adjust my input a little.









Driving through the town, I've got the 3-way adjustable suspension in standard setting (as opposed to "comfort" or "race"). It feels really taught and planted. I like the reassuringly solid and "together" positive feel that the whole car exudes on the move. The steering is direct and nicely weighted with no play around the dead ahead position.

We amble along letting the box sort itself out. It is not as smooth as a slush box, but definitely refined enough to use if you want to be lazy or are in a jam.

We cruise at the legal limit for a couple of junctions and I enquire about the US sat nav. They are "working on it" and "hope to have it sorted by the end of the year" (Nissan are not being very cooperative with a private importer it would seem). The speed does _not_ appear digitally in the main display – it is available on the sat nav /general info configurable central display. Ironically, below the big rev counter, where a large digital speed display would be ideal, there is a fuel economy info guage – erm – like this is of anything like central pertinence on a car like this!!! The garage owner agrees heartily – he's trying to convince Nissan to alter this (some hope!). For me, this is the least well thought out part of the car.

We come off the motorway to turn around. Negotiating the small roundabout, the Nissan is easily placed and shows no roll. Back down the slip road, there are a couple of slower moving vehicles in the inside lane. Time to let it wake up a little. Still in auto, I give the accelerator pedal a little more shove than would strictly be necessary. The car doesn't have to compose itself or think about it – it just serves up great dollops of acceleration and surges past the slower traffic. The pedal was nowhere near fully depressed to elicit this – and already I feel the need to ease off, as we are somewhat nearer to Warp factor 8 than is advisable(!)

Back off the motorway. Up a winding road with curves, hairpins and short straights towards the mountains. Lumbering cars ahead. My passenger is getting frustrated. Time to go into manual mode. A touch of the lefthand paddle behind the wheel is enough to switch to manual mode (has to be activated on the gear lever of my Smart). I drop a couple of gears. We are riding on a wave of torque, but it is not a swooshing, floating feeling – this is a really tied down and potent feeling.

We round a corner behind some plodders to find a straight section with no oncoming traffic. In third, the GT-R hurls itself past them, tucking in neatly again well before the next corner. Its responses belying its considerable mass.

So far this is all as good as the road tests have already promised me and easily meets, no _exceeds_, my expectations. The car is in no way raw, racous, uncouth, ungainly or clumsy. It is doing a bloody good job.

Obviously, on a public road, I'm driving nowhere near the car's limits – even though the owner is happily encouraging me with comments like, "There's a straight section just after this corner, we should be able to pick off a few if nothing's coming". Even still, this is a commanding performance that the Nissan is offering. It‘s not "imperious" or "majestic" with the somewhat lumbering connotations that these adjectives tend to imply – it‘s more "super hero" or "god-like" with its way outside the norm total ability, competence and power. I never had any issues with traction – here it certainly delivers the K.O. punch in comparison with my 300 ZX Twin turbo.

On the way back down, I allow myself to be a little more aggressive. Traffic is simply annihilated without effort – but that does NOT mean without fun or a good driving feel. The performance here is similar to my 270bhp supercharge Lotus Exige Cup but is delivered in a far less wild fashion. This car is massively powerful, but it is by no means a one trick pony. It is really well sorted, usable, comfortable and pleasure to drive – whether just pootling through town or giving it stick in the hills.

Back into town and I leave it in manual as I do my Smart. Flicking the changes with the paddles is so easy - with the added advantages in the Nissan of instantaneous changes and a modest shot of revs on down changes. I feel no temptation to go into auto.

Not once in my test drive did I feel that the car was reluctant to obey my commands, not once did it feel ungainly, unwieldy, too large or lacking composure, in fact, not once did it feel that there was anything lacking. I think I could drive this all day and still arrive fresh and relaxed. A true grand tourer – and something that could also be a track hooligan should you so wish. The garage owner told me he has had the chance on three occasions to drive GT-R's on track with all aids off and it is great fun – which is in line with my (feel free to laugh) GT5 Prologue sim experiences. Oh, and yes, you are all correct, a real car is more fun – I loved the real one even more than the sim, despite only doing a test drive under normal road conditions.

Having test driven one, I now know that it is the right car for me for the purposes I intend to use it.

So, am I going to buy it?

No.

Not this one. The issues with the sat nav, guarantee, etc. are not adequately solved – and the price is too high (mark up for the impatient who want to jump the queue by buying an import).

But these are issues that will not apply to a regular Swiss version.

My wife, who didn't come with me, asked me if it is really so much better than the ZX (of which she was initially a sceptic, but has learned to really appreciate – as both a driver and a passenger) and how much does it cost.

I started by mentioning that the cost of a comparable 911 without all the trimmings is already hugely higher. I didn't get much further, as she detests 911s (or "squashed Beetles" as she prefers to call them). I then told her that GT-R is just so massively competent and usable all year round that there can be no question – it simply wipes the floor with the ZX. She would still like to keep the ZX, but that would be ridiculous as it will be totally superfluous and she knows that. I very much suspect the Exige will also have to go – though I‘m not going to give it away!

What a car! 

Don‘t look bad in _Gun Metallic_

















but I think the extra cost for _Ultimate Silver_ will be worth it for me. The garage owner says it looks positively stunning in silver and has invited me to view it on its return next week...

First my wife wants a new kitchen for herself and a new bathroom for the kids but, when I find a used GT-R in _ultimate silver_ with the premium pack and preferably a _"black edition" _at a sensible price, it's my turn! 

Climbing back into my Smart, I start up and shoot off, flicking it through the gears on the paddles, very much aware of the smaller size and less weight in play. The little engine buzzes with an enthusiastic zest, giving me all the speed I need. A far better car for zipping around in than a GT-R... but to cross Europe? I will lend it my daughter for that purpose and I'm sure she will have a great time, like I did at her age in small cars, but now I would rather be in a GT-R. The "GT" part of the name is completely justified for this Gran Turismo - and I have no reason, based on my experiences, to doubt that the "R" part is correct either if you care to let it lose on a track.

My 1:18 GT-R – in _Ultimate Silver_ – is on order 

I hope a full size one is in my garage before all too long :thumbsup:


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## Zed Ed (Oct 24, 2007)

your magnum opus, mate

clearly I need to rethink my planned 'first impressions' post that I was going to make when the car gets delivered shortly:nervous:


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## GTRok (Apr 3, 2008)

Nice reading speedyK.........good colour choice also :thumbsup:


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## ElvisDrivesAGTR (May 25, 2008)

Excellent review. You should write for Evo :bowdown1:


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## supraman (Mar 25, 2008)

I'm a bit confused - did you like it or not?

Only joking. Great review. Well done mate.


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## BigNige (Jun 1, 2008)

Great review, thanks for taking the time to write that! you should get a job in a car mag 
Post pics of the ultimate silver when you get to see it!!!


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## doggiehowser (Oct 8, 2007)

speedyK said:


> However, I thought, maybe there is a switchable digital display for km/h within the rev counter dial (I didn‘t want to start it up in his absence).
> ...
> The speed does _not_ appear digitally in the main display – it is available on the sat nav /general info configurable central display. Ironically, below the big rev counter, where a large digital speed display would be ideal, there is a fuel economy info guage – erm – like this is of anything like central pertinence on a car like this!!!


Sure there is... 










Don't think I can switch between mph and kmh on the JDM one but maybe on the USDM one, there might be an option.

There are two buttons on the right (one looks like stacks of papers, the other is a square). Use the button on top to cycle through the displays on the digital readout (shows fuel economy, time, distance etc etc and SPEED) 




speedyK said:


> What I didn't like was the smooth "aluminium-look" parts of the central console – which, as far as I or the garage owner can tell are plastic and will scratch too easily.


Neither do I  I think my wedding ring already scratched the gearknob *sigh*


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## speedyK (Mar 4, 2009)

doggiehowser said:


> There are two buttons on the right (one looks like stacks of papers, the other is a square). Use the button on top to cycle through the displays on the digital readout (shows fuel economy, time, distance etc etc and SPEED)


Ah – excellent. Thanks for that info. In that case the car is almost* perfect! 


*I would have liked a rear hatch as on my 300ZX – and a sunroof optionwould have been nice – but I'm sure I will live happily without both.


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## Naranja (Dec 4, 2008)

speedyK said:


> Ah – excellent. Thanks for that info. In that case the car is almost* perfect!
> 
> 
> *I would have liked a rear hatch as on my 300ZX – and a sunroof optionwould have been nice – but I'm sure I will live happily without both.


Hi speedyk. Great post/review.

Do you have a comment on the exhaust and/or general noise of the engine? Fruity enough or a bit lacking?

Ta.


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## stealth (Jul 6, 2004)

Naranja said:


> Hi speedyk. Great post/review.
> 
> Do you have a comment on the exhaust and/or general noise of the engine? Fruity enough or a bit lacking?
> 
> Ta.



I can tell you like most people will ,it's too quiet with stock exhaust.


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## speedyK (Mar 4, 2009)

Naranja said:


> Hi speedyk. Great post/review.
> 
> Do you have a comment on the exhaust and/or general noise of the engine? Fruity enough or a bit lacking?
> 
> Ta.


From inside, it's pretty unobtrusive.

I waited in anticipation to hear it from outside when another guy returned from a test drive:

It's surprisingly (disappointingly?) reserved when just manouvering. 

The engine sounds refined, the exhaust note is quite discreet – certainly far more so than the Remus 4-outlet sports exhaust on my 300ZX which can make the V6 really "sing" (beautifully or intrusively, depending on your attitude)...

There is no serious amount of gruffness, menace, howl or any of the other typical signals of a tuned, potent car which you can normally hear even when they are just pottering about. There is certainly no rasp or zing as typified by smaller tuned engines.

But I've not heard one drive by me and I didn't have the window open when I drove, so maybe it does sound reasonably fruity if you get it up past 4,000rpm or so, but I was busy concentrating on other things when I did that and it didn't register with me.

If you want it to be something the neighbours won't mind you coming home in at 3am, the stock version is OK. If you want announce your imminent arrival from a mile away, then you'll need an aftermarket set of pipes! :chuckle:


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## Naranja (Dec 4, 2008)

speedyK said:


> From inside, it's pretty unobtrusive.
> 
> I waited in anticipation to hear it from outside when another guy returned from a test drive:
> 
> ...


Thanks for that. 

I remember when I went to the launch at West London Hanwell, the guy giving the presentation said that UK cars would have a louder exhaust than the one he had there (a US car) so not to worry if we thought it was too quiet. Looks like that was one of those Nissanisms that we've grown used to........


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## stealth (Jul 6, 2004)

It wont be louder it will be more or less the same


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## speedyK (Mar 4, 2009)

BigNige said:


> Great review, thanks for taking the time to write that! you should get a job in a car mag
> Post pics of the ultimate silver when you get to see it!!!


You know, that _gun metallic_ that I test drove was the very first GT-R I'd ever seen in the metal. Its looks impressed me – discreet sort of shade, the darker shade than the much-publicised silver ones "pulls it together" a little, making it look just a little bit more compact. I was beginning to wonder if it was the best colour after all and browsing the net to compare _gun metallic _with _ultimate silver_...

Today, I saw my first _ultimate silver_. It was bright and sunny today, but still cold.

Now, metallic silvers are difficult to capture well on camera, as they reflect the light almost like a mirror, causing the camera to try to compensate – but I had a try 

All I can say is that any lingering doubts I had about _ultimate silver_ being the right colour were immediately dispelled when I saw it.

It is  STUNNING!!!




























Standing by the driver's door with the sunlight shining down onto the front wing, it almost looked like it was chrome coated. Absolutely gorgeous.

If you dumped an _Ultimate Silver_ GT-R in the territory of some undiscovered, stone-aged civilisation, 10:1 they would treat it as a deity to be worshipped! :bowdown1:

Btw, they had the GT-R at the Hockenheim F1 track yesterday. It was wet, so they were not setting any records - but they blew away the 911 Turbo that was also there :thumbsup:


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## speedyK (Mar 4, 2009)

Update. 

I viewed the cars alone.

But now I'm (quite innocently – no ulterior motive here – oh no!  ) involving my wife by asking her which looks better in the pics 


She says...

































_Gun metallic_!  :nervous:

Involve the family  then, before long, it won't be, "Why do you need to spend so much on a car again?" – it will be, "No, we all agree that you have to get a _gun metallic_ one!" 

And would I be too worried about being "forced" to buy a (_gun metallic_) GT-R? Erm, just let me think about that...




No, not really! 

Softly, softly catchee monkey


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## BigNige (Jun 1, 2008)

I ordered ultimate silver black edition, then asked wife which colour she liked, and she said gun metallic!
But then she chooses the carpets etc at home, so I get to keep the silver!
Do you have any more details/pics/vid on the GT-R at the Hockenheim F1 track?


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## Zed Ed (Oct 24, 2007)

Mrs Zed doesn't really care, other than sanctioning the spend

She is still bought into the practicality ( vs our 350z) of a proper boot, having rear seats, and being not so low down to get in to.

I may be found out for a number of smallish lies that I have told on other aspects of the car :chuckle:


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## speedyK (Mar 4, 2009)

'Fraid not. I wasn't there. It was just info that the garage owner offered. 

(We were discussing people already selling their newly delivered cars.

I could get a new, Swiss ultimate silver black edition with 3yr warranty for a shedload less than this guy wants for his Premium ultimate silver US Import!

The question is, "Why are people off-loading?"

The answers, I think, are various:

- there are always people who put down a deposit "and see" – keeping it if they decide they really want to, or selling for a small mark-up to late queue-jumpers.

- people who've been scared off by all the launch control stories

- people caught out by changes in circumstances (think "Downturn")

He was clearly happy with how it performed. I asked if they had cracked a 2 minute lap time (which, in the dry, is pretty much a measure of _seriously_ quick in my book – my Exige Cup with 270bhp is superb round the twisties, but loses out on the big straights to GT2s, Z06s, etc. and can't crack 2 minutes, in my hands at least). No, they hadn't – but were still fastest out there in the wet.

Sounds good to me!


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## speedyK (Mar 4, 2009)

Interesting sequel to my test drive:

I mentioned that the garage owner had taken the GT-R to Hockenheim.

What he _didn't_ mention was that he was loaning the car to a german car mag for a test against the Audi R8 and the 911 Turbo.

Front page of the latest edition (May 2009) of _AutoBild Sportscars_
shows the GT-R with its rivals:








"Kampf um die Krone" means "Fight for the crown".

Little did I know when I bought the mag was that that car is the actual one I drove! In the story of the test, there is a thanks to this garage for supplying the car from Switzerland "because no german test cars are yet available".

So I was probably the first person in Germany/Switzerland/ ??? to actually get a drive of a GT-R!

Anyway, what is probably of more interest is the result of the test 

*The lap times* were done by professional racing driver, Sascha Bert, (in the wet) of the F1 track at Hockenheim:

R8 V10 5.2litre: 2:17.55 mins.
GT-R: 2.:17.20 mins
911 Turbo: 2:19.94 mins.

*0-100 km/h* 
R8 V10 5.2litre: 4.8 s
GT-R: 4.2 s
911 Turbo: 4.6 s

*0-160 km/h* 
R8 V10 5.2litre: 8.9 s
GT-R: 8.8 s
911 Turbo: 8.8 s

*0-200 km/h* 
R8 V10 5.2litre: 13.4 s
GT-R: 13.8 s
911 Turbo: 13.3 s

*
Quartermile*
R8 V10 5.2litre: 12.62 s
GT-R: 12.37 s
911 Turbo: 12.56 s

*
Fuel consumption* (in litres per 100 km – lower is better!)
R8 V10 5.2litre: 17.8
GT-R: 15.2
911 Turbo: 14.4

A few comments from the test:
" Because of the really wet conditions, electronic aids were left switched ON"
"The Audi's interior is as noble as it looks. The big leather pack alone costs 5,900 Euro."
""The Nissan's cockpit build quality and materials are high quality. The standard leather-alcantara sportseats offer a good compromise between comfort, side support and long-distance usability."
"Porsche's noble materials and perfect build quality make its cockpit a place you like to visit."
"The 911's tyres can't get up to temperature."
"The Audi's gearchange (manual) looks nice but is obstructive".
"Engine at the front, gearbox at the rear. That works with 4wd too."

They also observed that the german cars were on "summer tyres" (Audi: Pirelli P Zero and Porsche Michelin Pilot Sport 2), whereas the GT-R was on "all-year" tyres (Dunlop SP Sport 7010 A/S M+S) and so the _Nissan had an advantage in the wet conditions._

*Prices of the cars* on the german market _*without extras*_:

R8 V10 5.2litre: 142,400 Euro
GT-R: 83,500 Euro
911 Turbo: 143,008 Euro

A couple of further points: The R8 is the widest by far ab 193.0 cm (GT-R 189.5 cm, 911 turbo 185.2 cm. And don't forget the Audi is a strict 2-seater and the 911 a 2+2 in a most restrictive manner.

So, remembering that this is german mag, what do you think the ranking was?

Here's their ranking and summary for each car:
*
3rd place: 911 Turbo* _ThePorsche 911 Turbo had the most problems with the weather conditions and could not get its power down. Nevertheless, it remains the iconic sportscar.
_

*2nd place: GT-R* _The fastest lap and the value for money make one interested. Because of the tyre advantage a definitive decision has to be postponed. So it remains an exciting match.

_*1st place: Audi R8 V10* _Although the new Audi R8 is far more expensive than the GT-R, it wins this test. Despite appaling weather conditions and inferior tyres, it did really well._

Not biassed or anything! 

They intend to do a re-match in the dry (and clearly hope that the german cars will put the upstart "in it's place"). We shall see!


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## trondhla (Oct 1, 2003)

German carmagazines are heavely biased toward german made cars, so no surprice here actually.
But a sportcars is supposed to be fast. The GT-R fastest car on the racetrack, fastest up to 160 km/h and costs just 60% of what the other cars do so........:chairshot
But the final conclusion is not drawn yet so we have to sit down and see what the "Japan-Porsche" can do in euro spec against the others. The 2009 GT-R shall be tweeked somewhat compared to the 2008 model that is tested here.

But there is another question that remains to be answered: Did the GT-R render the 911 into a museum object :nervous:


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