2009 Nissan GT-R: Not for Crybabies

Its a race car sure, but not one that wins. Its the one that falls apart halfway through the race. The designers seem to have missed the part that to win a race you have to actually finish the race.

well said your airness!

I hope the jaguar part of your handle doesn't refer to the manufacturer. Otherwise, your comments are rather ironic. :)

Although, Nissan should have realized that their drivers would guide the drivetrain through all nine circles of hell.

So what are you saying is that any and every excuse will be made in support of this automobile? If a $30k sports vehicle lacks refinement, it is chastised (with the exception of the STi and Evo- notice a pattern?). However, the GT-R is allowed to let it's ugly details shine through with nary a complaint. Here's the truth Mr. Jordan, the GT-R is a STREET car, not a race car. Perhaps if you adjust your criteria and expectations to match this fact, your prespective will take a slightly different tone. It's funny that I've never heard anyone try to defend the Corvette's hot driveline tunnel. That probably because it's an obvious flaw and we can all acknowledge it as defective aspect of the design.

The JGTC series is great! I wish it had an American counterpart. :(

I'm sorry, but by what logic is this a 'pure track car'? It's not. A 'pure track car' is more like a Lotus Exige or a Viper ACR. If a car has a factory AC delete, it might well be a pure track car. A vehicle with leather, power everything, and a friggen PS3 built into the console that has a 911 Turbo as a bogey is NOT a 'pure track car' by any stretch. Heck, Nissan itself talks the GT-R up as the 'super car you can use everyday, under any conditions'.

By comparison, the Viper ACR has body parts that legally must be removed for street use and a warning in the owner manual about potential death. Now THAT is a pure track car that miraculously is street-legal.

This isnt a pure track car. It's an unrefined sports car that trades refinement for magazine test numnbers. Now you know why the car is only $80k- they didnt sweat the details that werent related to acheiving mind blowing test numbers. One thing Vette critics alway say is that in spite of the performance no "real" European car enthusiast would accept the supposed lack of refinement. How is the GTR any different? It whips cars costing thousands more in test numbers but is noticeably lower grade when it comes to interior materials, ride quality and refinement. While this car posts slightly better numbers than every Vette except the ZR1 its still the same formula as the Vette and thus should criticized in the same way.

Well said, Mr. Jordan, and received exactly as expected.

"The Nissan GT-R is a fast car. It doesn't make excuses for being a fast car."

Apparently it does if the warranty is cancelled by using launch control. Or that it pukes out gas when the diff gets hot.
I'm sure the EPA will be reaaally interested to hear about that. Let alone the NHTSA for fire hazard. Recalls anyone?

There IS a Super GT SC430, you know =].

Amazing that "crybabies" are always talking about how the Z06 is too twitchy and too visceral and needs to be more refined but when it comes to the GTR we told you shouldnt expect such things in a car capable of this level of performance. Dont get it.

The GTR is not twitchy and not visceral. It is mearly a bit rough riding and makes a few noises. It is plain fast and easy to drive. The Z06 is not as fast and it tries to kill you. BIG DIFFERENCE! The ZR1 manages to be faster than the GTR, yet has a nicer ride and doesn't try to kill the driver like its Z06 sibling. As such, not really any complaints from the said "crybabies".

I hope the author realizes that the Super GT GTR uses V8, a sequential six-speed gearbox and was based on the outgoing Nissan 350Z Super GT racer.

In other words, it has less then nothing to do with the Skyline GTR. The Super GT was a bad example, and the Nissan GTR chassis has so far yet to enter any other sanctioned GT racing series.

Do you know why Toyota Camrys sell so well? Because ninety-whatever percent of the car-buying public wants nothing to do with driving, and they certainly don't want their cars distracting them with personality, which the GT-R has in buckets. People who want and like cars such as the GT-R aren't looking for the same thing as people who buy a Corvette (flash + power) or a 911 Turbo (better-than-you + power). They may be competitors by the numbers or perceived market segments, but really, if you want a car whose sole purpose is to remind you daily how and why it works, defects and all, then the GT-R is one of the few new cars that fit the bill.

Could it be that this post was meant to bring out the crybabies?

The GT-R satisfies a niche market and does it exceptionally well. Yes, it would be nice if the launch control were covered under warranty, but that isn't going to stop folks from buying these fantastic automotive specimens.

Bravo Mr. Jordan. I think you hit the nail on the head with this one.

I agree...to a point. To me the Porsche 911 GT3-RS is the ulitmate track/road car. It foesn't have leather, nave or an upscale sound system. It is a car that is meant to be driven on the backroads and enjoyed. The 911 Turbo (in some guises) are meant for posers...not so with the GT3-RS.

The GT-R is a good car, but the maintenace is beginning to incate that it is more typical of a supercar than a great value road racer. It is dissapointing that Nissan can't figure out a launch control system (or rear axle/differential/transmission) that won't void their warranty. They are trying to runth Porsche, Ferrari, and Lamborghini...all of which have a LC system which is supported by the warranty.

Just some food for thought...

Ugh...stupid spelling/grammar errors!!!! Damn the no edit feature!

I am perfectly fine with noise and harsh manners, but regarding reliability, I do expect better. I know it's a bargain relative to its competition, and I know Porsche isn't exactly renowned for reliability either. I think the reason why we don't complain about Porsches is because we don't know as much about them, whereas the GT-R is hard to escape in auto mags this year. If you had a GT3 giving you grief, we'd whine even louder because it costs more than a house (in a flyover state).

"Do you know why Toyota Camrys sell so well? Because ninety-whatever percent of the car-buying public wants nothing to do with driving, and they certainly don't want their cars distracting them with personality.."

Classic quote, and it's so true.

"The only way the 2009 Nissan GT-R could be better would be if it, you know, occasionally caught on fire."

Yeah, maybe that'd melt it's ugly body panels!

"This isnt a pure track car. It's an unrefined sports car that trades refinement for magazine test numnbers."

I knew I liked you 1487! It is a "numbers car". To add to what you stated Id like to point out the GTR's performance isnt consistent either. I know different publications will get different numbers but the numbers vary so much from GTR to GTR. The Corvette for example is much more consistent in delivering its peak performance and GM wont void your warranty for aggressive launches. =)

"Every time the 2009 Nissan GT-R's dual-clutch automated manual transmission rattles and clicks while cruising around town, it reminds me of the sounds made by a racing-type, non-synchromesh dog-ring gearbox. And when someone whines about this intrusion by the mechanical workings of the car, I'm happy."

Somehow, I don't think Edmunds would be so kind if an American sports car like the Corvette or Viper made such noises.

"By smartascii - People who want and like cars such as the GT-R aren't looking for the same thing as people who buy a Corvette (flash + power) or a 911 Turbo (better-than-you + power). "

Don't be so quick to stereotype, smartascii. I did NOT buy my Corvette for flash. I'm not interested in flash. To me, the attention the car draws is a liability, not an asset. I bought the Corvette ('02 Z06) because it offered the best overall performance for the money, period (and not just in a straight line - it has supercar levels of handling and braking too), while being durable, reliable, easy and inexpensive to maintain and repair, sounding great, and looking nice (just because I don't want flash, doesn't mean I don't want my cars to be easy on my eyes).

I would absolutely consider the GT-R if I were shopping for a replacement for my Z06. In fact, the GT-R and Corvette would probably be the only two sports cars on my shopping list. They both offer the best performance bang for the buck. Different cars, but much of the same base formula. I'm not interested in the 911 Turbo, because like most Porsche's, you pay more, and get less. And I'm not a fan of the look of them - in 1979 I was - now the same shape and overall look is tired.

"The Z06 is not as fast and it tries to kill you. BIG DIFFERENCE! The ZR1 manages to be faster than the GTR, yet has a nicer ride and doesn't try to kill the driver like its Z06 sibling. As such, not really any complaints from the said "crybabies"."

The Z06 is a car that demands driver skill. Same applies to manY European cars. The GTR is speed for dummies and not everyone thinks that is such a great thing. The Z06 cannot be driven fast by any guy with a license and no matter how hair raising the experience may be the car has stability control if you need it so you are likely not going to spin off the road. The Z06 has also been knocked for heat levels, ride quality and interior design which are all matters of refinement. When the Z06 is unrefined the critics say this is why a real sports car fan with taste wouldn't consider a Vette. When the GTR is unrefined we are told its a real car for real drivers and it shouldn't be expected to play nice.

BTW, by the quarter mile the Z06 is faster than the GTR. Without launch control the Z06 is faster to 60mph according to Motor Trend. The Z06 is always going to have trouble keeping up on a twisty track because its RWD. That said, the Z06 is only a little slower on most tracks acccording to tests that have been conducted. Its not close at the Ring but obviously that is a very long track.

"For me, the Nissan GT-R is a pure track car that through some sneaky legislative loophole is allowed to carry a license plate."

Ok, fine. Are there enough tracks in the USA to keep GT-R (and their Viper/Corvette ZR1/Lotus/Porsche contemporaries) happy?

Still, if people get enough pleasure out of these at normal speeds on normal roads, well and good ;-)

THANK YOU MR. JORDAN!!!

So, still no response to the argument that the entire premise of this blog post (i.e., that the GT-R is a thinly-veiled track machine that is miraculously street-legal) is simply wrong?

The author admits that the GT-R lacks refinement. But the lack of refinement doesn't make a vehicle a pure track car; if that were the case, the long-term Focus would be a pure track car.

The author points to high performance levels. But high performance levels don't indicate a vehicle is a pure track car, as vehicles such as the new CTS-V and the 911 Turbo clearly demonstrate.

So, what makes this unrefined, high-performance machine a pure track car? The leather interior? The Playstation-3 in the dash? The automatic climate control? The heated, power seats? The second row of seats? The selectable dampers with a 'Comf' setting? The fact that nearly every publication has described it as 'the sports car even Aunt Petunia can drive', or some variation thereof?

No, my friend, this is NOT a pure track car, and, as such, it is not entitled to the same level of tolerance we might show for imperfections in that class of vehicle. It is, instead, a street car built to certain performance and price points, displaying all the compromises attendant with that goal.

A great deal, in fact, like the frequently-maligned, rarely-forgiven Z06.