First Impression: Nissan GT-R

Nissan is known for making affordable high performing cars. The 370Z is a good performing car. The Skyline was a legendary performing grand tourer. It could not meet the demands of some DOT tests and was not imported into the United States after 1991. But Nissan replaced the Skyline with a new super grand tourer. On December 6, 2007 in Japan, Nissan released the GT-R, which succeeded the Nissan Skyline GT-R.

I first saw the Nissan at a Nissan Dealership in Houston when test driving SUVs. Several Nissan GT-Rs have made appearances at Houston Cars and Coffee and I have seen a few on the road. Just by looking at it, I could tell it is a great performing car. It has a trunk so it is more practical than most supercars. However, there are better looking cars out there than the GT-R. It looks aggressive, but it does not have the elegant styling of Ferraris, Lamborghinis, BMWs, Mercedes-Benz, and Aston Martins.

The GT-R is powered by 3.8L twin turbocharged V6 that is mated with a dual clutch six-speed semi-automatic transmission. The engine produces 530 hp and 448 lb-ft of torque. The GT-R goes from 0 to 60 mph in 2.9 seconds and reaches a top speed of 196 mph. This is a very quick car. Prices start at $89,905. It is a bargain compared to other supercars. All other cars that car go at least 190 mph cast at least $100,000.

The GT-R has been featured on www.jaylenosgarage.com. Jeremy Clarkson of Top Gear raced the Japanese Bullet Train during Series 11, Episode 4 and he reviewed the car during Series 11, Episode 5. Top Gear awarded the GT-R 2007 Supercar of the Year. Evo Magazime named it the 2008 Car of the Year. Motortrend named it the 2009 Car of the Year. It has also won Automobile Magazine 2009 Automobile of the Year and Autocar's 2008 Driver's Car of theYear. This car is worthy of all of those awarads. The Nissan GT-R is drivable in Test Drive Unlimited 2, Need For Speed: Hot Pursuit, Undercover, Pro Street, Shift, Nitro, World, Shift 2: Unleashed, True Crime: New York City, Drift City, Ridge Racer 7 and 3D, Burnout Revenge, Grand Turismo 5, Split/Second (Hanzo GT), RayCity, Asphalt 5, GT Racing: Motor Academy, Nitto 1320 Legends, Forza Motorsport 3, and Real Racing 2.

Final Thoughts: What a Car. It deserves all the accolades it gets. One of the best buys. Great performance for a price less than $100,000. There are more stylish cars out there, but they cost more than the GT-R.While some companies have stop making high performance cars (Honda), Nissan still makes high performing cars while still making an electric vehicle (Nissan Leaf) and fuel efficient vehicles. F.Y.I. The eleventh generation Nissan Skyline has been rebadged in America as the Infiniti G Sedan.

CarJunkie
Photo taken from a camera phone