Teamspeed.com - In the Teamspeed Garage : The Nissan GT-R

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by Stuart Schwartzapfel, Team Speed Editor

Hey Speed Freaks,

American Enthusiasts have been foaming at the mouth for a Nissan Skyline GT-R to call their own for the better part of 20 years. Sadly, the iconic sports car has always been manufactured and sold exclusively in Japan. But for the 2009 model year, Nissan has begun indulging Americans with a decidedly modern incarnation of the Japanese thoroughbred. The Skyline part of the name has been laid to rest in favor of simply using GT-R. Easily one of the most anticipated cars of the last decade, GT-R (Gran-Turismo Racer) might just be worth all the hype.

Despite only being sold in Japan, the Skyline GT-R name is celebrated amongst gamers, gear heads and racers across the globe. With a rich history that dates back to 1969, the car was catapulted into cult status well before being featured in iconic driving game Gran Turismo and tuner flick The Fast and the Furious. Many are of the notion that GT-R is the only proper supercar to ever come out of Japan. And the enthusiasts who grew up customizing Acura Integras and Honda Civics will really dig GT-R’s boy racer roots when it comes time to splurge as adults. At least that’s the plan.

Much like Chevy’s 505 HP Corvette Z06 ($73,925), GT-R offers exotic car levels of performance at a not so exotic price point. Sure, GT-R’s nearly $80k sticker isn’t exactly chump change to most people, but it is far more accessible than the roughly $200k cost of entry into the Ferrari or Lamborghini folds. And performance credentials, like a sub 4-second sprint to 60 MPH and a near 200 MPH top speed, are right on par with Italy’s finest performers. GT-R is also a relative bargain next to Porsche’s 911 Turbo ($128,700), the celebrated sports car that Nissan benchmarked throughout GT-R’s six-year development cycle. And the two cars have a lot in common, at least on paper. They both send an astonishing 480 HP to all four wheels and sport turbocharged six-cylinder engines.

An amusing Jerry Springer-like rivalry has developed between the two brands since Nissan announced their 911 Turbo-beating lap time on the Nürburgring, or the Ring for short. The famous German racetrack is used for vehicle development by most every automaker building high performance vehicles these days. And Porsche went as far as to secure a GT-R of their own to put Nissan’s claimed 7:29 lap time to the test. When they came up short, Nissan was accused of using racing slicks to gain unfair advantage. Nissan then released a viral video that served as proof of the production tires used. In the end, Nissan even offered Porsche free driving lessons.

The long development cycle for GT-R caused quite a bit of excitement to build up to an intense culmination at the 2007 Tokyo Motor Show. Enthusiasts had to endure not 1 but 2 concept cars that preceded the final product in 2007. By the time GT-R hit dealerships in July, 70% of the first year’s allocation (about 1,700 cars) for the United States had already been spoken for.

Our gunmetal grey GT-R tester elicited rousing reactions from people. Camera phone in hand, many motorists stopped dead in their tracks despite having no clue what they were actually looking at. But regardless of any prior product knowledge, those who crossed our path were instinctively drawn to GT-R’s exotic looks and extreme proportions. From the four ring tail lamps and long hood to the gaping face and hunkered down stance, the GT-R is clearly of the same bloodline as the Skyline-based version that preceded it.

But the throwback design is bolder, more aggressive and a lot more exaggerated than the previous generation. Dripping in carbon fiber accents and functional air damns, GT-R’s aesthetic is as purposeful to use as it is menacing to gaze upon. Probably the most drastic departure from new to old is the rearward slope of the roofline, a pleasant change from symmetrical dimensions featured in the prior generation.

Strapped into this Japanese rocket ship, it feels like you’re getting ready to play PS3 more than it does drive a real-life 480 HP supercar. The LCD display is nothing short of spectacular with its seemingly infinite number of screens offering digital readouts of various performance statistics like turbo boost, corning G-forces and Torque split. And the But don’t let your mind wander too far because this ain’t no videogame.

After pushing the red ignition button placed between you and the front passenger, it’s all a blur. The twin turbocharged animal sitting in front of you growls to life in a quick burble. The turbos take about a second to spool up after hitting the gas and then gravity quickly pushes your head back into the seat and your stomach up into your chest. And while the ride quality is far from creampuff status, GT-R won’t beat you to death like some other supercars we know. Just point the wheel where you want to go, click the F1-style paddles behind wheel into gear and GT-R does the rest. There is even a fully automatic mode that requires no shifting whatsoever. Considering how easy GT-R is to drive, it’s not all the difficult to imagine this car as a daily driver.

At the end of the day, the GT-R is a boy racer grown up.

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