2009 Nissan GT-R Road Trip: Where Should We Go?

I would say PCH up to Seattle. Turn right and cruise into Coeur d'Alene and then head south through the magestic Rockies. I dunno if you can capture all that scenery in 3 days, but it sure is beautiful.
 
Oh, and btw, that is a gorgeous picture. Do you have a large format of it? And I still want a big pic of the Ford GT by the sunset!

hwy 1 to laguna seca
 
then hwy 9 from santa cruz to san jose
 
then UC Davis so I can buy you some lunch. lol

I'm sorry, I can only think of one place to go to test the handling prowess of the GTR, Deal's Gap - US 129 to be exact. This time of year it won't be packed and you can let loose on it's 300+ turns in 11 miles. Unfortunately, a 3-day roundtrip with a return to Vegas might be a wee-bit tough. =)

Go for the Blue Ridge Parkway in Virginia/North Carolina. it's got over 100 miles of twists, turns, elevation changes, and beautiful views.

when can I stop by the Santa Monica office so you can take me and a buddy for a spin. Lunch at Boa or Sushi Roku on us!

my house. then you can take me up to road america, up by milwaukee wi

Just a mere three days to experience the most exciting car on the planet? Bummer. I suggest that you guys "accidently" deactivate the NAV system so that you can have an excuse to get lost.;-)
 

"But here's the question. Where should we go? Help us plan our route. We can drive the GT-R anywhere we want. Should we hit a racetrack? Route 66? Your house?"

 
The answer to all three-YES!!!!

Scott, air-freight it and you to Baltimore, and I'll treat you to some steamed crabs at Bo Brooks. Then you can head back to Vegas. You should be able to make it in time with that car. ;)

I like the Seattle idea, but I have to be original, so I'd say.....
 
Can you make it to Salt Lake City in that time frame? I'd be cool to see this car on the salt flats like in the old Nissan commercials. There should be some nice scenery along the way too.
 
Alternatively, Death Valley would be neat, is there a highway to go through there?
 
This is of course assuming you don't want to come to Niagara Falls, Canada. There are lots of great photo opportunities....

Along the coast, no doubt.

A track is always fun, but it goes against the pride that is the GT-R. While it is an extremly capable track car, the impresive thing is how well it runs on the road and I think this should be tested.
The salt flats is a great idea - get back to Nissan heritage.
 
But if you could always come give me a ride in Orlando - how about some Disney tickets?

::sigh:: So PA is out, huh?

Take it to the nearest dragstrip and see what it clocks.No seat of the pants crap.

1300 miles of fantastic sweeping roads, beautiful scenery, great towns (like Bishop).
 
http://tinyurl.com/24etak

Go up 101 N to Ventura, then pick up highway 33 E to Ojai. Gas up, then take this route:
 
http://maps.google.com/maps?f=d&hl=en&geocode=&saddr=ojai,+ca&daddr=34.934919,-119.510651+to:lebec,+ca&mra=dpe&mrcr=0&mrsp=1&sz=11&via=1&sll=34.829587,-119.314957&sspn=0.414836,0.63858&ie=UTF8&ll=34.783356,-119.319077&spn=0.415068,0.63858&t=h&z=11
 
You'll end up in a small town on the 5 with a gas station or two. After that, it's up to you. :)
 
Tip: there's a restaurant in the middle of nowhere at the very top of highway 33 that's very easy to miss on the right. I guarantee you'll notice it right as you're passing it and will have to turn around. :) It's worth a stop though! Make sure you bring cash.

First, cover all of the Southern states to Florida. From there, you'd want to head north to Maine. From Maine you'll want to cover all of the states that border Canada, then descend to Oregon. From Oregon, head "inland" until you've driven in all of the states that you've not been to yet in the GT-R until finally all that is left is the Silver State. Once there, you can do a helluva lot of driving before all that is left is Reno. Now, if you're looking for company and, possibly, someone to help with the driving....

Good thinking with the tinyurl, nigwil! Here's my map link as a tinyurl: http://tinyurl.com/2eryjg
 
Also nigwil, nice route! Maybe they can tie both of ours together somehow.

Be sure to hit Red Rock Canyon just outside of Vegas on the way up to Reno.

how about taking the 101N for a little coastline spin... THEN exit at the 41 in Atascadero... Go for a nice little mountain run... Then take the 1N through Cambria.. Then hit Laguna Seca... Afterwards go to Lake Tahoe... End in Reno! Yeah!!!
 
BTW, do you mind if the Legacy and I tag along? Hahaha!

Anywhere as long as it makes its way to a race track! I'll follow Rex in my 'Rex. :o)

It's been well established how dominant this car is on the track. I'd like to see this road trip as a chance to give what isn't already all over the internet and mags, namely, an extensive, thorough account of what living with a GT-R is like under a wide variety of real life road/driving conditions.
 
What kind of real-world fuel mileage? How does it perform in desert heat? How does it do in snowy mountain passes? How does the transmission handle heavy stop-and-go traffic? Are the rear seats really useable for anything more than grocery storage? How comfortable is it during long stretches?

"It's been well established how dominant this car is on the track."
 
Not in America. It'd be cool imo (in my opinion) to have Chris and/or Josh record some laps in the car. That way, us Yanks who are track nuts would have something to compare the GT-R's track performance with other vehicles that have run on the same track.
 
Snowy mountain passes with the Bridgestone Potenza RE070R tires = BAD idea

gossard: i'm sure that scott, chris, josh, dan, jay, ed, karl, phil, and the rest of the team will find ways to answer those questions that you've posed... stay tuned!!!

Route 66. Go past APU in Azusa.

Thanks for asking us for our opinion, Scott and Inside Line staff!
 
Having moved from Santa Monica to the Bay Area 8 years ago, I've been on a quest for good roads.
 
This GT-R opportunity is just fantastic, and I can't wait to read the blog...
 
Here is my suggestion for the route with best driving - best photos - most fun: North via Route 1 to Big Sur,continue on the beautiful wooded twisties on Skyline to Saratoga Gap for a stop at Alice's Restaurant (a famous gearhead stop). Then through San Francisco to Stinson Beach, where there's a spectacular (and swiftly changing drive) up to Point Reyes. By this point, you'll need a little break, so you can go relax and have one of the best meals ever at the FarmHouse Inn in Sonoma. Bounce over to Calistoga while you're in the neighborhood. Then down through wine country and out onto the open highway to Lake Tahoe, where the vistas are amazing, and there are plenty of still slick backroads to test out the 4WD system. Here's the course charted out: http://tinyurl.com/385wq5
 
Good driving!

Take US 101 to Washington to Seattle, then to space needle. You will enjoy the winding US 101 with the GT-R! If you come to seattle, please let me know exactly when.

just go where the local corvette, bmw and porsche owners meets are

I think with the kind of HP that car is putting out, you would be able to make it to NYC, you can have my Audi and I'll drive it back to Nevada with no problems.;-)

If you drive through Sacramento towards reno take highway 50 instead of 80. Lots of curvy two lane roads with plenty of passing lanes and great views. Especially as you pull into Lake Tahoe. If you get the chance, get off at the Sly Park exit and take mormon immigrant trail from 50 towards Kirkwood Ski resort. Its a logging road few know about. You can really open up on it and I have never seen any CHP within 20 miles of it. It is a mixture of long strights and tight cut backs. Plenty of room for tripple digits, Have fun

I live in Reno and would love to see this beast! I live downtown in a high rise condo. Stop by and I'll buy you guys a drink at the famous Silver Peak!
 
Also there is a very famous exotic car route that claims expensive cars every year. Think the GT-R is up to the challenge?

Head up on PCH north, take a right on Las Floras, left on Piuma, right on Cold Canyon Rd, left on Mulholland Hwy, right on Sierra Creek Rd, another right on Kanan Rd should take you to 101. Head north to Ventura, take 33N, exit Lost Hills Rd, right on Lerdo Hwy and another right to Buttonwillow Raceway.
 
Back to I5 north, 198 east to 101 north, Hwy 68 west should take you to Laguna Seca. Head up to Hwy 68 west will take you to PCH again, head north then 156 east to 152 east to I5 north. Finally, take 80 to Reno.
 
Make sure to get gas while you can before getting stranded and starting to burn interior pieces for campfire, have fun.

Come to Las vegas. I lived in a golf course gated entry community with plenty of space for your crew and the car. I will show you the canyons at Mount Charleston, great twistie roads at 8000 feet above sea level in only 20 minutes from where I live. We should also go to visit my friend Victor (track instructor) at spring mountain motorsports track in Pahrump. Great track where I drove an Ariel Atom a while ago.

bring it so san diego!!!!!

rack up the miles on some of those great back roads between 101 and I5. take some of the twisties up to tahoe and see how it works on some snow.
you've already run your basic tests. let us know how the car is to live with. and give it to me in reno in one piece.

YOU SHOULD FIND I95 NORTH HEAD TO NEW YORK CITY FIND BRONX EXIT 7C OFF THE I95 AND E-MAIL ME SO I GIVE YOU MY HOME ADDRESS AND YOU CAN LEAVE THE CAR THERE LOL.... AND I WILL PAY YOUR TICKET TO FLY BACK TO CALI AHHAHAH

Here is my map. I am from CT and I don't know those roads but this seems like a nice ride.
http://tinyurl.com/3baxk3
 
OR you can take a plane, load the car, fly over here, spend a day or 2 here in CT around the Litchfield Hills, go for a nice ride in Rt6 in NY (Bear Mountain Rd) awesome rd. and then take the plane back to NV... hehe

you should visit austin, tx. texas is awesome and you there are some awesome car shows here before. the GT-R did make it here before but it was Japanese- spec (left-hand drive) but i would really love the opportunity to see my favorite car and my favorite website here in austin. plus you can visit other nearby cities like san antonio and there are loooong stretches of highway and little police to stop you. there are also a lot of hills around to test the handling.

superleggera has the right idea... throw in a drive around 17-mile Drive so the Pebble Beach locals can drool over their next purchase, then extend the drive around Asilomar, Pacific Grove, and Monterey.
 
Give me a call and I'll meet you out there with a couple SRT8's, and we can make the run up CA-1 (passing Phil's Fish Market in Moss Landing, mmm mmm good) to CA-17, CA-35, and up to Alice's.

Def track what you get around a decently recognized track.
Def track what you get at a 1/4.
But definitely hit up the Irvine Spectrum. It's at the heart of numerous Auto companies' headquarters and draws large amounts of people from many different areas. Saleen set up shop there, and its not rare for companies to showcase their new stuff.
It's a must-stop. Even if its for an hour or two.

I vote for taking it on Willow Spring's big track and see what she'll do. It's the fastest track in the west!
 
Laguna Seca would be another good choice (although the GT-R has already been there for testing by Nissan).

You should be on the Road Right Now Headed to Florida for the St Pete Grand Prix the 1st Weekend of April. You can detour either on your way here to the Dragon in North Carolina or on your way out of Florida to your next destination. You should even see if you can run the GT-R on the Street Course Set-Up for the Grand Prix!!!

Simple. Follow this and make sure to hit Laguna Seca.
  
http://maps.google.com/maps?f=d&hl=en&geocode=11278093078176599468,34.012150,-118.492970%3B15985654692897690464,34.441620,-119.803200%3B10563039784809476857,35.687535,-121.287557%3B18434091588469530336,36.612520,-121.900810%3B10798669890251504299,36.585283,-121.760851%3B18044383365544234673,37.902550,-122.515630%3B8630501765080878051,38.302800,-122.303440%3B9173887654287847376,39.078340,-120.156020%3B4556391331600883855,39.026450,-119.945700%3B9039118823853551275,39.531224,-119.814642&saddr=CA-1+%4034.012150,+-118.492970&daddr=US-101+N+%4034.441620,+-119.803200+to:CA-1+%4035.687535,+-121.287557+to:Lighthouse+Ave+%4036.612520,+-121.900810+to:Laguna+Seca+%4036.585283,+-121.760851+to:US-101+N+%4037.902550,+-122.515630+to:CA-29+N+%4038.302800,+-122.303440+to:CA-89+%4039.078340,+-120.156020+to:US-50+%4039.026450,+-119.945700+to:39.257778,-120.075073+to:N+Virginia+St+%4039.531224,+-119.814642&mra=dpe&mrcr=0&mrsp=9&sz=10&via=1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9&sll=39.156687,-119.933624&sspn=0.745414,1.2854&ie=UTF8&ll=38.818311,-120.706787&spn=2.995831,5.141602&t=h&z=8

Drive it like you would any other car coast to coast. Buy the junk, eat the junk and pass the other junk in front of you with a smile. Be prepared to answer questions at fuel stops. Roads? The PCH of course, and bring it by my house too.

Take it to all the racetracks in California.
 
1st stop: California Speedway
2nd stop: Willow Springs Raceway
3rd stop: Mazda Laguna Seca Raceway
4th stop: Infineon
5th stop: Thunderhill
Final stop: Reno Raceway
Do what no one has done before!! 6 racetracks in 3 days!!

If you're going to do the classic west to east cross country road trip, I'd suggest hitting highway 2 from northwest Minnesota through the UP of Michigan. Nice scenery, some nice twisty's, down shifts to pass often, and an opportunity for me to see the car!

I think you should drive across the nation and make sure to bring the GTR through Atlanta, the second largest import car city in America with some great roads like the" Dragon" just north of it and lets not forget Road Atlanta a great track.

I LOVE crazyrx8's idea! I don't think IL's insurance provider does, though. :o)

You guys should definitely go up the PCH, take LaHonda Road to Skyline Drive and THEN make your way out to Reno.
LaHonda is tons of fun.

Here's a picturesque route (tested) from Laguna Seca to Infineon raceway
  
http://tinyurl.com/2z3q4q
  
Google maps is crapping up when waypoints start to exceed 128 ;-)
  
To get to Reno from Infineon you can cut across to Hwy 89, head north and connect to Hwy 50 in Placerville (or just zoom on Hwy 80 if running late after the racetrack ;-)

SM > Flag > Cedar City > Ely > Reno.
 
Lots of scenic, little roads after you blast to Flag on I-40. If you go too fast, zip up to Moab instead of zooming to Bryce and Zion via Cedar City.

From Santa Monica a traditional "new-car" trip to Las Vegas is in order! Bring it to the hottest new restaurant in Vegas:
American Grill
9055 S. Eastern Ave
Las Vegas, NV 89123
 
Can't wait to see that beautiful car in my parking lot!

- definitely skyline blvd and stop by alice's.
- US169 tail of the dragon
- south lake tahoe
- I70 at glenwood canyon

Definitely drive it down the drag in Austin, TX, stay on 6th street. You'll have a heckuva time, trust me.

Disney World, Orlando, FL

Sorry posters....
  
I agree on Route 66! Start in Chicago then end in San Monica.
  
Although, Highway 41 would be cool too. Mainly at the fact you guys would be driving by Lake Michigan on Lake Shore Drive in Chicago limits. You guys could make short detour and drive Michigan Ave(aka Magnificent Mile)see how the public reacts to GT-R. I bet everyone will be staring away.

My fellow GT-R fans are convinced of the track performance. I agree with gossard267 - Let's hear about the real world feeling. How is it on backroad twisties? What about in traffic? Is the GT-R really a fun AND comfortable grand tourer or should it be a track day car?

Heck,
 
Come to my house here in San Diego.
I'll show you around the place.
We can hit Lajolla and PB (Pacific Beach)! Come to the most beautiful city in this country! San Diego! :) I'll have plenty of beers,..cough uh, I mean water bottles available in the fridge. I'll even bust out the grill for quick barbeque before my test drive. :)
 
By the way, I LOVE the GTR and really appreciate InsideLine!
 
Let me know if you're interested!!!!
 
Joseph
San Diego
my blog: http://www.carspace.com/blogs/enthusiastsdilemma08

Come down to Santa Fe NM through route 66 and I'll take you through some winding mountain roads where we can really see what this car can do. Nissan actually came through here when doing some testing on the car. There is also a nice stretch of road From Albuquerque to Grants that we can test top speed on. There is absolutely nothing on that road. We'll even feed you some good southwestern food. You won't regret it!
  
p.s. I also know a guy with a Ferrari 430 that would probably be willing to come out and play with us.