I picked this car up about a month ago with the intent on using it as a daily driver, and a fun winter beater. I've never been much of a Japanese car fan, so I was a bit apprehensive about how the car would actually be past the initial first drive. I have to admit that, so far, the car is quite impressive for what it is. Despite its size and weight, it performs nothing like a car endowed with those handicaps. It is truly amazing in that respect.

The overall feel of the car is quite solid and poised, very much unlike other Japanese cars that I've driven in the past. The interior is well thought out and purposefully functional. The gadgetry in this car is so voluminous, that it is worthy of its own thread.

Although I have not pushed the car hard yet, I can tell you that some of the performance claims being touted around the internet for the GT-R are quite unfounded. I have no reservations when I say that Nissan's claimed Nurburgring time for the GT-R is highly suspect. Cars like the Carrera GT and the GT2, which now hold "slower" times than the GT-R would absolutely decimate it, and not by a small margin. People buying the GT-R with the intent of showing a 997TT the way home, might be a bit disappointed if they are up against someone who knows their way around the the cockpit of a 911.

If you can put the blind fanboyism aside regarding the GT-R, and ignore the performance times on the internet, the car is an absolute blast drive, and surprisingly livable as an everyday means of transportation. For its price tag, I can not think of any new car on the market that even comes close to matching what it can do. There are certainly very few cars at any price that can do it as easily.

Here is a short video of the car a friend shot just showing off how great it looks in motion. It is best viewed in HD.

YouTube - GTR

Here are some pictures of it.



Gallery with more pictures - 2009 Nissan GT-R

 

Awesome man, thanks for sharing. Would have thunk it eh ?

 

Very nice, I too was very apprehensive about the performance of these cars, but having driven one I'm simply amazed. My favorite part of the car is the way it gathers outrageous speed so quietly. I see how many people could use it as a DD, but I have heard that they are rather stiffly sprung. I have only driven one on track, so I'd like to know what you think of it as a DD.

 

Black is by far the best color for these IMO... Love it.

 

how does it compare to your other cars?

 

Z-06?

Good writeup either way. I have been waiting to hear your thoughts since you announced the addition.

 

what's next? joining the Democrat party?

I keed......congrats on the addition

 

The Carrera GT is in a class that very few cars throughout the history of automobiles can fit into. It can make a 911 feel like a large sedan by comparison. I could not realistically compare the GT-R to it without the use of frequent obscenities.

The GT2 (996) is unquestionably faster than the GT-R, and far more nimble. It is however, much more challenging to drive.

The 996TT X50 and the GT-R, performance wise, are surprisingly very comparable. They obviously drive quite differently, but in a stand-off between the two, I think it would really come down to the driver.

The rest of my cars wouldn't really make for much of a comparison.

 

The Z06 does some things well, but it just isn't a balanced package. The build quality is highly questionable, and it rides like a truck. I've driven numerous variations of C4s, C5s and C6s, and while each has been an improvement, that is not a car that I could ever be sold on.
In the hands of the average driver, the GT-R would prevail over the Z06 with ease.

 

There is no risk of that happening.