2009 Nissan GT-R: Nothing Compares 2 U

I agree, In my imaginary garage the GT-R would have a home, but it wouldn't be my only car. However, I will say since day 1 I have though this car is beautiful, I know it's looks are a little controversial.. but in black or dark red.. mmm.. even white is OK.

I saw a dark silver/gray one over the weekend. It looked very nice in that color. -- Donna

Agreed, Donna. First one I saw on the street was a dark gray and was a looker - went around the block just to get another look. But, Nissan had one at the NY auto show in the color you're talking about - very, very nice. I still have pics of it in my phone.

In fact, I think the silver gray will be my choice when I place my imaginary order.

5 years ago I would say you are crazy,but as I get older comfort does mean a lot and I can see the appeal of the GT-R. I thought about getting an older Viper GTS and drove one this weekend and being 6'6 it was not a good fit. I just think there are too many electronic/reliability issues in the GT-R that would get old very fast.

I'd like to have a GT-R to use as a fast cruiser as well as a fun toy to annihilate ricers, rednecks, and the like at the Stoplight Grand Prix. I'd still rather have a GT3 or Exige for the track.

Beautiful? the GT-R is proof that beauty is in the eye of the beholder. I think that photo looks like someone ran over a rabbit.

If you don't care about anything other than speed, what about the Project EVO? Almost as fast, cheaper and just as riced-out as the GT-R, yet more reliable.

I sold my GTR and this weekend bought the car I wanted since I was 11...a 1968 Camaro RS, 4sp Muncie, 4 barrel carb, sounds sweet when she fires up. No more playstation cars for me, this thing takes the driver to drive it, not the ECU.

I'm with you Donna. This is my generations Corvette, 911 or lambo and i want one.

thank you Donna for another insightful article about cars. Very informative.

The GT-R really does sound like are placement for the 911 Turbo as a sports car icon. Great performance, kind of gaudy (nothing subtle about the styling), and prone to frequent maintenance problems (see recent GT-R Posts including another one from today).

Is the current Z06 (closest Corvette in price to the GT-R) any more reliable? Does it perform anywhere near as well as the GT-R and 911s? Maybe the Z06 should be the next long term sports car for a fair comparison.

I love Corvettes, but too many of my mid-life-crisis neighbors have them for me to ever actually buy one. They are simply too commonplace for me. I know they are a true performance car bargain as well, but the idea of spending any more than thirty grand on a Chevy gives me the chills. I'd love a used Z06 in the future, however.

The 911 screams 50+ lawyer to me. I don't agree with you when you say that 911 buyers love to drive their cars...I'd say that's more Corvette than 911. Most 911 buyers have a 911 because they can afford one, plain and simple. I'd say that only a handful of them actually drive their Porsche the way it was meant to be driven. Nice, but not for my generation, as others have mentioned.

The GTR is to cars as Apple is to computers (and technology in general)...modern, sleek, and well ahead of its time. There is nothing old school or old man about the GTR, and that appeals to me the most. Problems be damned, I'll take the GTR over the 911 and the Vette any day.

The 911 GT2...now that's a different story.

On a side note, I didn't know Count Olaf lived in Santa Monica.

I just sold my GT-R for my dream car: a 1996 Geo Metro. I use my own manly instinct to decide when to shift- no computerized tach to decide that stuff for me like a real man. Instead of AWD, my Metro uses my own driving skill to own the road.

That's the witch house in Beverly Hills. -- Donna

i love the GTR, but doubt i would ever be able to afford maintenence for it.

how many years until the service charges would buy you a new GTR?

it looks like it will be like having an 80's Ferrari, nice looking, fun, but you better be married to the mechanic

I would be delighted to see you replace this car with a Z06. My money says that it will be significantly more reliable, but not flawlessly so, and that the Edmunds staff will be almost as polarized by it as they were by the 308.

Come on, go for it! Vette Vette Vette, ain't seen nothin' yet!

(end caffeine)

I was actually behind a bright red gt-r today and it was quite striking, though seemed quiet. It should definately be in almost every fantasy garage, but i'd take a zr1 over it anyday and put new seats in it. Even though i've never driven either, i feel like 638hp manual would be more fun than an auto 485 hp.

Donna:

You didn't indicate what year of Corvette, just that it was old and tired and had no spark????

No history on how it had been driven, maintained, nothing!!! Just typical IL drivel.

However, you must really get out in the real world of car repairs, you know where people actually have to pay for them, and don't have 20 other cars to choose for a replacement while your wonderful GT-R is in the shop for the 40th time this year!!!

If any car had the problems this car has had, it would be torn apart, not this car. If I worked at my job as reliably as this car, I wouldn't have a job. Nissan makes some good cars, but the GT-R has been horrific. I have had some pretty questionable cars according to the IL (experts) ie American, but even my first car, a 1972 Chevy Impala bought in 1983 was far more reliable than this car. In fact, had one of my cars been even half as troublesome as this car, it would have been gone, and in good conscience I would only sell it to IL editors, they must be rich, otherwise they would never accept the GT-R's failings.

I love the idea of this car; however, the styling is just too much. They should have made two versions of the car: 1) the current Nissan version for twentysomething rich kids or a Corvette alternative for certain middle agers, and 2) a much better looking Infiniti alternative for folks who can't stomach the awful styling.

Now that I've seen my fair share of GT-Rs in public, I can say without pause that the car is official unattractive. Secondly, the engine sounds positively stale from the outside- there is nothing distinctive about the sound it (or the exhaust) makes. $80k for a car that sounds like an old out of tune 300ZX turbo? No thanks. Isn't the engine supposed to be the heart of a sports car? 911 has a very pleasing and instantly identifiable sound as does the Vette. The GT-R? Well it actually sounds like a low sample rate recording of an engine used on a video game.

Secondly, this car absolutely screams expensive Evo. This is basically the car a STi or Evo owner would buy if he had more money. The image is completely wrong for me therefore regardless of the acceleration (which is matched by the Z06 'till 60 and then completely destroyed at speeds higher), I don't see myself lusting for this car. At for people that complain about the Vette's interior, what do they have to say about the GT-R Altima grade cockpit? Actually, I like the Altima's interior better- the GT-R gauges are horrible and the only thing special is the Playstation info display (which American cars were panned for in the '80s and early '90s). Heck, even the C5's head up display was dismissed as a gimmick but now that the GT-R has a laptop screen in the dash, all is well.

I own a GTR and think Donna PERFECTLY captured the reason I love it and bought the car. It is true, that unless you've driven it you DON'T understand.

Affordability aside, I wouldn't (and can afford any of them) to choose even a 911 GT2 or ZR1 over the GTR. I've driven them both and even have 5 hours on the track in the elusive super-vette. The Exige is a greatly entertaining car, and have one parked in the garage next to the GTR. After the GTR it get little attention these days. Poor thing! The GTR destroys it in just about EVERY catagory from fun to performance to drivability.

By owning a GTR and reading these comments, it's clear that 75% of the posters here's only knowledge of the GTR is what they've read on the internet (here or otherwise). Despite what they say....they haven't seen one, or looked in one or driven one. They otherwise wouldn't comment as they did.

I have had nothing but good fortune with the maintenance of my GTR. No problems after 8,000 or so miles, about 7-8 full track days. But I am diligent about doing my own maintenance. Maybe I am just one of the lucky ones and as I put on IL type of miles it just unravels. We shall see.

By mikeolan on August 10, 2009 4:41 PM
I just sold my GT-R for my dream car: a 1996 Geo Metro. I use my own manly instinct to decide when to shift- no computerized tach to decide that stuff for me like a real man. Instead of AWD, my Metro uses my own driving skill to own the road.

^ : ) you just made my day. Thank you.

I have extensively driven a GT-R, Donna, and came away with the opposite opinion. The car is awe-inspiring in a way that is hard to capture. It accelerates brutally and provides a level of grip through corners that I have never before experienced.

However, it feels incredibly unnatural and as if it would prefer the driver not be part of the experience at all. I have never been so bored going so fast in my life. It's the kind of car that gives you thrills for the first hour, but after that you realize there isn't any more depth to it than electronic wizardry.

Porsches, on the other hand, are pure. Every time I drive one I discover a new layer that thrills me more than the previous one. I am still far from a skilled Porsche driver, but having ridden with a friend who most certainly is I can see what these cars are capable of. You can't just get in a 911 and extract its full potential like you can in a GT-R, it requires a commitment to get to know the machine to really experience it. When you have that mastered nothing else can touch it. To me THAT is what constitutes a dream car.

"MN_Car_Enthus"
" own a GTR a"
"911 GT2 or ZR1 over the GTR. I've driven them both and even have 5 hours on the track in the elusive super-vette. "

I'm curious - who let you drive their $110k ZR1 on the track for 5 hours? Driving even 9/10ths on the track for 5 hours equates to about 50% of the tire life of those $1,600 Michelin PS2s - did you reimburse the owner for that (and the brake pads)?

stingray454. Yes, I own a GTR. I'm 43 years old and in fact just got done changing the front and rear dif fluid. Who let me drive there $130k (sic) ZR1?...well that'd be my 63 yo father in law. No I did not reimburse him for the tires and pads as he's done his share of damage to my pads and tires himself. In fact, considering he won't have pay for new discs...he should probably be cutting a check to me.

And for the record, I absolutely love the ZR1. But I wouldn't own one myself. If I wanted american classic muscle supercar...it'd be the Ford GT hands down by a mile......