My first time behind the wheel of the R35 was long before we acquired our long-term 2009 Nissan GT-R. It was almost exactly one year ago in Nurburg, Germany. Nissan had just set a 7:38 lap of the 'Ring, and I was there to drive the Zorro-masked GT-R and a Porsche 997 Turbo.
In Germany I drove a "PT2" car, which is Nissan-speak for a pre-production car. The word that leapt to mind during my first blast through the GT-R's gears on the Autobahn was "relentless." Even today I can recall the seamless and ceaseless flood of speed, a sensation magnified by the car's apparent indifference to the absurd digits being wiped by the speedo needle. No drama. Just speed.
Back in town, I experimented with the GT-R's different damper settings. No matter the setting, however, the ride quality was similarly relentless.
That brings us to today, and our long-term GT-R. This one rides better than that PT2 car. We can thank a few pieces of rubber for the improvement, and I'm not talking about the tires.
Basically, the powertrain of every production car rests on mounts, which are essentially soft rubber hockey pucks. Some of them are fancy fluid-filled deals, but they all do the same job: they connect the powertrain to the chassis while preventing unwanted noise and vibration from making its way to the cabin.
So what do they have to do with ride quality? In finalizing the GT-R in the months after I drove it, Nissan engineers had increased the durometer (stiffness) of the transaxle mounts. These stiffer mounts did a better job of keeping the transaxle from moving around during hard cornering. As a result, handling improved. With this single change, the car was faster.
Nissan then tweaked the shock absorber's valving, reducing damping force by about 10%. In isolation, these softer dampers would reduce the car's willingness to change direction. But coupled with the new transaxle mount, the net result, says a Nissan engineer, was that the car's ultimate handling capability stayed the same as the PT2 car I drove in Germany but rides better.
I'm here to say it worked. Our long-term car, while still very firm, breathes better over bumps than the relentless PT2 car. The change is noticeable. And while the GT-R will never be described as plush, the enhanced pliancy is welcome.
Jason Kavanagh, Engineering Editor @ 7,758 miles.
chavis10 says:
01:40 PM, 10/ 3/08
Sweet. Now give it a proper V8 with the proper exhaust note while cleaning up the origami styling and we'll have a winner. Heck, they should've just used a modified G37 Coupe body and turbo'd the 4.5L V8.
huyracing says:
05:03 PM, 10/ 3/08
oh that's good to hear. at least "comfort" will give you some actual comfort now.
altimadude00 says:
07:18 PM, 10/ 3/08
"Sweet. Now give it a proper V8 with the proper exhaust note while cleaning up the origami styling and we'll have a winner." = Corvette ZR1
leesh991 says:
09:09 PM, 10/ 3/08
"Sweet. Now give it a proper V8 with the proper exhaust note while cleaning up the origami styling and we'll have a winner."
this defies every single point of having a GTR.
mite aswell remove its all wheel drive and take off that legendary badge while u're at it.
chavis10 says:
05:35 AM, 10/ 4/08
leesh991- well I guess I just don't get the point of this car then. It looks like a glorified two door Evo and sounds even worse. Yeah it's fast, but that's the only thing going for it if you ask me. I could own one if only I was deaf and blind (no offense to those that really are and excuse my poor taste).
dougtheeng says:
07:42 AM, 10/ 4/08
I'll take the GT-R. I actually quite like the styling.
cah11705 says:
07:54 AM, 10/ 4/08
in my opinion, id save a little bit more and just get a zr-1 or r8 with a manual
they may not be as fast, but who really needs the extra speed
brian60 says:
10:03 PM, 10/ 5/08
"... cleaning up the origami styling ..."
"It looks like a glorified two door Evo ..."
According to the Top Gear review, all of the surfacing was done in the name of performance - a nice change of pace in an era of fake hood scoops, side scoops, aluminum trim, etc. And while no one would call the GTR beautiful like they would an Aston or a 599, it certainly possesses a sense of gravitas and presence.
I normally hate matte paint/vinyl wraps on cars, but it positively suits the Stealth bomber aesthetics of the GTR and somehow makes it look even more menacing:
http://www.gtrblog.com/index.php/2008/06/15/photo-gallery-matte-black-nissan-gt-r?blog=4
chavis10 says:
04:34 AM, 10/ 6/08
brian60- that's called marketing propaganda. The G37 coupe is infinitely more attractive and boasts the same Cd. Maybe it experiences more lift at the rear axle but that's a trade-off I'll take. PS- I don't think any cars that play in this arena have non-functional body work. IF you can think of any, please name one.
carmizvi says:
10:11 AM, 10/ 6/08
z479: Stop spamming this site, please. And if you ARE going to spam the site, at least have the wherewithal to add a little variety to your so-called entries.
People like you are annoying beyond belief.