Eagerly awaiting the new GT-R ?

[Mr Doricar]

So who's excited then? It comes out on Oct. 24th

Personally I'm not that excited by the looks of it, but the performance is supposed to be unreal. My friend is a test driver based in Germany and he has told me that the test mule GT-R has already beaten the fastest time by the Porsche 911 GT2 around the Nurburgring and is only a few seconds short of the Carrera GT (You know, the ones thats about a million dollars).

Can't wait to see how much it is.

http://www.gtrnissan.com/

Here's another sneak picture. Nissan put two of them on a truck and drove it slowly through Tokyo...Not intentionally of course

[Adhesive]

Very excited. Looks incredibly mean.

[Mr Doricar]

Me too. Can't afford one, but I'm sure I'll get a go somehow.

Told it has a V6 twin turbo engine. Booo! I loved the old straight sixes.

[Tsuru]

Drooooool

[FG Lurker]

I like that they have created a specific body style for the GT-R. Too many idiots with bottom end Skylines, big mufflers, and a GT-R badge. Always good for a laugh but if I had a real GT-R I wouldn't be impressed.

I think the V6 is a good move too. Not traditional GT-R stuff, but it'll definitely be a lot more compact than a straight would be. Smaller engine compartment means a roomier cabin or a smaller/lighter car.

I guess the price will be around 8 to 10 million depending on options? Very reasonable for a car of this level but I won't be looking at them for a couple of years or so...

[American Oyaji]

Ya know what sucks? Sports cars have gotten smaller inside so that big men like myself can't drive them stock anymore.

I can fit old camaros and mustangs, but not the new breed.

In fact, car interiors are getting even smaller. I drive a 97 explorer comfortably, but the 08 explorer is a tight fit.

[GuyJean]

This one?

[YT]uGZZv3HF0T0[/YT]

The 'Proto'?

GJ

[Charles]

Ya know what sucks? Sports cars have gotten smaller inside so that big men like myself can't drive them stock anymore.

I can fit old camaros and mustangs, but not the new breed.

In fact, car interiors are getting even smaller. I drive a 97 explorer comfortably, but the 08 explorer is a tight fit.

If I may be a bit impertinent, the problem is probably not that cars are getting smaller.

I recently heard that US auto manufacturers are having trouble balancing the suspensions of their cars, they adjust the camber based on the average weight of the driver alone in the car, since that is how the car will be used most often. But their average weight data is old, Americans have become ginormous since the last survey. Now corpulent drivers are making the suspension sag low on the driver's side, causing poor handling. But if they adjust the default suspension settings to accommodate heavy drivers, it will handle just as poorly for lightweight drivers.

[FG Lurker]

Ya know what sucks? Sports cars have gotten smaller inside so that big men like myself can't drive them stock anymore.

I can fit old camaros and mustangs, but not the new breed.

Those are pony cars, *not* sports cars. The MG was a sports car and I suspect you would never have fit into one.

That said, the GT-R isn't a sports car either, it's a GT...

[2triky]

A nice stable of cars parked at the Grand Hyatt, Roppongi Hills

[climb678]

Some great GT-R photos from the Tokyo Motor Show can be found here:
http://car.jp.msn.com/motorshow/2007_tokyo/maker/car-nissan001.htm
A great video of the GT-R running the Nurburgring can be found here, the site also includes some great pictures:
http://www.edmunds.com/insideline/do/Features/articleId=123067
And at Laguna Seca:
http://www.edmunds.com/insideline/do/GeneralFuture/articleId=119632

It looks and sounds great, but is $80,000 U.S. too much for a Nissan?

[FG Lurker]

It looks and sounds great, but is $80,000 U.S. too much for a Nissan?

I think they will sell as many as they can produce.

My wife was funny at the breakfast table after reading the announcement in the paper... "So, are you going to buy one?" She knows me well.

[Adhesive]

All the reports have been positive. Faster than a Z06, and possibly cheaper, is saying a lot for a car mad outside of North America.

[Takechanpoo]

[Greji]

[Tsuru]

[FG Lurker]

In Japan only oyaji consumers who have nostalgia to the pre-version buy this weird looking car.

Doesn't matter. How many people in their 20s are going to be buying an $80k car (with their own cash)? Not. very. many.

[Greji]

Doesn't matter. How many people in their 20s are going to be buying an $80k car (with their own cash)? Not. very. many.

...and those that do are going to have their pick of the gyaru groupies, because the first thing those gyarusu will see is the price tag. In their eyes, the owner comes with the car as an added accessary and is usable until the next year model of the car comes out.

[Takechanpoo]

I changed my former opinion.

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[American Oyaji]

What country is that?

[Tsuru]

Looks like Germany to me, or maybe Switzerland or Austria... and like a fine lass that appreciates a good slide in a sportscar and doesn't scream her head off or do stuff like grab the handbrake when you overcook things a bit.

Gotta get me one of those

[Mr Doricar]

Plenty of 'em in Japan! And plenty that would love to take you out for a slide in their own cars. I know a couple of girls from Nagano that can out drive most of the guys at local competitions!

[Tsuru]

I suppose having a liking for the smell of gasoline is a start

[climb678]

The GTR defeats the Corvette Z06 and the 911 Turbo.
http://www.roadandtrack.com/article.asp?section_id=31&article_id=6594

Quotes from the article:

"Where the GT-R shined brightest was at the racetrack. You can see from its lap times that it handed both the Chevrolet Corvette and Porsche 911 Turbo their respective lunches, working its way around Buttonwillow's challenging Race No. 13 configuration about 5 sec. faster than the others. We were all impressed with Nissan's twin-turbo 3.8-liter V-6 that produces 480 bhp at 6400 rpm and 434 lb.-ft. of torque from 3200 to 5200 rpm, mated to a rear-mounted 6-speed twin-clutch gearbox. The IHI turbos, mounted to the exhaust manifolds for quick response, provide 11.8 psi of boost, helping the GT-R reach 60 mph in 3.4 sec., and get to the quarter mile in 11.8 — right there with the others despite its test weight of 3960 lb."

"The power from the GT-R's engine is phenomenal. Not because it has so much of it, but because it's delivered in such a smooth, naturally aspirated fashion. The smaller turbos of the GT-R spool up more quickly than the Porsche's, giving the effect of no lag."

"The GT-R's handling was in a league by itself. The suspension felt more compliant than the Japan-spec model's, yet still provided unbelievable stability through all variety of corners. Just when you think you feel the rear end coming out, stay on the throttle and let the ATTESA E-TS awd system do its thing. It'll immediately transfer as much as 50 percent of the engine torque to the front wheels (the torque split for normal driving is 2 / 98 ), stabilizing the car without sacrificing speed. The Nissan's handling balance is so spectacular that it registered 1.01g on the skidpad and romped through the slalom at an impressive 73.4 mph, about 3 mph faster than the others (and faster than the Ferrari Enzo). "

Oh, it does all this and even has a back seat!

[Charles]

The GT-R's handling was in a league by itself.

[Adhesive]

When I was in Japan last month I ran into one in a parking lot. As I was snapping some shots the owner came out and greeted me. He was a young guy, about to make his debut in K1, actually. He let me get in and start the engine up, etc. He said the car had surpassed all of his expectations. Interior wasn't anything special, but that's not really the point of the car. His name was Enokida, btw, if any MMA fans want to keep an eye out for him.

Personally, I think it's too heavy of a car for my tastes. I've driven a Z06 as well, and the problem with cars like these is that they have to be driven extremely hard before you approach their limit, which is where most of the fun of driving a car lays. I prefer something smaller and more go-kart-ish.

[climb678]

Adhesive,
I agree, I prefer small, lightweight, and as you described, "go-kartish" cars. But, that said, I would like to take the new GT-R on an unsupervised test drive.

[FG Lurker]

That only happens when someone like you drives.