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By Steven Cole SmithOrlando Sentinel
April 19, 2008
Arguably the most eagerly awaited new vehicle of the 2009 model year, the Nissan GT-R hits its target with laserlike precision. Not that the target is hard to find: For years, a multimillion-dollar advertising campaign, which did not cost Nissan a dime, has primed the pump to the point where anticipation of the car is at absolute fever pitch in America. What? You aren't at fever pitch yet? Then you must not be part of the Nissan GT-R's target market. Neither am I. The Nissan GT-R was introduced in Japan in 1969, but it was not until 20 years later that it rose to legendary status. The 1989 GT-R was part of the Skyline lineup, a two-door coupe never imported into the United States. The GT-R, then called the R32, had all-wheel-drive and an inline six-cylinder engine with twin turbochargers. With each generation, the GT-R gained speed and sophistication, and since Nissan steadfastly refused to bring the car to the United States, it made GT-R fans want it all the more. There is a segment of the import car culture utterly convinced that "JDM" cars -- "Japanese Domestic Market" -- are better than anything we get here. Some turned to "gray market" importation, sneaking the right-hand-drive car into the U.S. under less than conventional methods. But most GT-R fans were forced to admire the car from afar, largely through two sources: It was a star of the Fast and the Furious films, but it was video games such as Sony PlayStation's Gran Turismo that made literally millions of gamers experts on the GT-R. Nissan embraced the video culture, giving game designers near-unlimited access to the car's deepest secrets to make certain its video-game persona matched the real car as closely as possible. So now, finally, the 2009 Nissan GT-R is set to arrive this June, but if you aren't already in line for one of the 1,500 or so we'll get in the United States, it's probably too late. It will be sold through 676 "select GT-R certified" Nissan dealers, each of whom has at least one dedicated technician trained on the car. You want details? Here they are. All-wheel-drive, powered by a 3.8-liter V-6 engine with twin turbochargers. Nissan claims 480 horsepower, but independent tests suggest it's more like 515 horsepower. The transmission is an automatic six-speed transaxle, meaning the transmission is essentially built into the rear axle. Also meaning that there is no manual-transmission GT-R, though this transmission has dual internal clutches and shifts very much like a manual, using paddles mounted behind the steering wheel, or you can let it shift on its own. Even if it had a conventional manual transmission, Nissan insists there is no possibility you could shift it as fast as this transmission changes gears. Inside, every GT-R is loaded with leather upholstery, sophisticated instrumentation and buttons and switches everywhere. There's a back seat, but it's a very tight fit for adults. Outside, the GT-R's styling is proudly Japanese, which is to say -- really, not that pretty. It is neither fluid nor organic, and proud of it. It looks like a car designed by a computer, for owners who grew up on a computer. It is also blisteringly fast. Despite the weight -- about 3,900 pounds -- the all-wheel-drive system helps keep the car, and its nitrogen-filled tires, planted on the race track, and when it does finally break loose, it does so gently. The horsepower comes on in a rush and just keeps coming, but the transmission manages the power admirably. The Brembo brakes are superb. This is a wicked fast car, traveling from 0 to 60 mph in 3.3 seconds, which is faster than -- well, almost anything. A Porsche 911 Turbo and a Dodge Viper each take 3.7 seconds. Fuel mileage? EPA-rated at 17 mpg city, 21 mpg highway, but good luck getting even close to that. And the price? For what you get, cheap -- or it would be if you had any real chance of getting a GT-R at list price. The base car is $69,850, and the Premium model is $71,900. Don't even worry about the base model: 95 percent of the cars we get here will be Premium. The car is, as you would expect, loaded: Navigation system, 11-speaker Bose sound system, lots of air bags and electronic safety features, many of them adjustable to be less intrusive on the race track. One of the very few options: "Super Silver" paint, hand polished, is an extra $3,000. The GT-R is unapologetically a performance car, but it really is pretty docile around town, with a firm but tolerable ride. It's certainly one of the most complex vehicles available, but it is not complicated from the driver's seat. And while it will outperform vehicles selling for double and triple what the GT-R costs, the vestigial rear seat and roomy trunk make it a legitimate daily driver. The GT-R is Nissan's "look what we can do" car. And they can do a heck of a lot. Sentinel Automotive Editor Steven Cole Smith can be reached at scsmith@orlandosentinel.com.
Find a NEW Nissan GT-R for SaleFind dealers and new car inventory in your area.
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