Test drove a GTR today

[SUB-ZERO]

One of the guys over at the GTR forum offered to trade cars with me for a test drive; he had never driven an M3 and I never really drove a GTR (other than around the block a few times in the past).

We met up and swapped rides. Here a few impressions:

1. GTR definitely has presence and is very visually aggressive.

2. Comparing an e92 M3 and the GTR side by side, the GTR is much bigger. Seems wider, taller and longer.

3. At idle, it sounds almost normal.

4. The interior is nice; not anywhere near as nice as an M3 but still much nicer than a 370Z. However, the dash/screen/radio area is very cluttered; I wish they would redesign and streamline it a bit.

5. I didn't really like the shifter paddles much. I would relocate them to the steering wheel and make them of a nicer material (aluminum or Ti).

6. The engine is VERY strong! The GTR pulls like a freight train! Turbo lag is barely noticeable.

7. The transmission shifts well but is VERY clunky and loud; very race-car like...LOL. The engine sounds like a vacuum.

8. Brakes are obviously strong.

9. I tried the suspension on both comfort and race mode and it responds very well to curved and uneven pavement. The ride was not as harsh as I was expecting.

10. The seats were very comfortable and kept you in place.

11. The rear seats are only usable if the occupants have no legs...LOL!

Overall impression:

The GTR combines aggressive styling with outstanding acceleration and handling. It can be refined in certain areas; some of these areas include the center console/dash area and maybe add some sound dampening. If you have OCD like me and hate noisy cars or a cluttered dash layouts, you will freak in a GTR! However, the performance is simply amazing. By far the fastest car I have ever driven.

Would I buy one? Yes. But only if I already had my M3.

I need to test drive a GT3 before I make my decision to give my ///M a brother.

-SZ

[BlackLight]

I drove a few during my decision making process.

I did not like the one-sided nature. The car is in attack mode all the time. I need to go to the movies sometime, or just cruise with the windows open.

And like you said, it is big, but only on the outside...

[davedave]

i want to compare it with GTR vs 997 turbo

[KonigsTiger]

I like your review, one thing I would add however is that the GTR looks too Nissan to me. Aggressive yes, but just does not do it for me.

[achenator]

what did he think of your m3?

[schnell325]

Originally Posted by achenator

what did he think of your m3?

I'd like to know too!

[Epik]

Yeah the GTR is perfectly suitable for daily driving. Some people just prefer cushy rides but I found it more than comfortable after expecting the worse.

[SUB-ZERO]

Originally Posted by achenator

what did he think of your m3?

The week before, he had swapped rides with his buddy who had a stage 2 335 with some suspension work; he assumed
the m3 was going to feel around the same. By the end of the drive, he said that the m3 is in a whole other level than 335. He said to me, "the 335 feels like a fast sedan but the m3 felt like a racecar" in terms of performance. He loved how balanced the m3 felt, how the v8 sounded and how refined it was.

-SZ

[michaeldorian]

Originally Posted by SUB-ZERO

The week before, he had swapped rides with his buddy who had a stage 2 335 with some suspension work; he assumed
the m3 was going to feel around the same. By the end of the drive, he said that the m3 is in a whole other level than 335. He said to me, "the 335 feels like a fast sedan but the m3 felt like a racecar" in terms of performance. He loved how balanced the m3 felt, how the v8 sounded and how refined it was.

-SZ

Did he say anything about how the DCT compared?

[Zoli007]

I have also driven one and would agree with most of what you said. To me, however, the seats felt terrible.

Im 6' 185lbs and I felt more like I was sitting on top of the seats, vs in the seats. If that makes sense. They didnt sink in at all and felt like they had very little lateral support.

In contrast the M3 seats feel great and you feel like you are sitting IN them not on them.

[SUB-ZERO]

Originally Posted by michaeldorian

Did he say anything about how the DCT compared?

He said it shifted very smooth. The GTRs tranny is extremely loud and sounds clunky. It kind of sounds like an amplified version of the DCT. Also, the GTR is geared much lower than the M3; the lower gearing ensures the driver always downshifts right around 3k rpm, therefore eliminating turbo lag. On the twisties, I can normally stay in 3rd gear the whole time; in the GTR I was shifting between 3rd and 4th the whole time.

[SUB-ZERO]

Originally Posted by Zoli007

I have also driven one and would agree with most of what you said. To me, however, the seats felt terrible.

Im 6' 185lbs and I felt more like I was sitting on top of the seats, vs in the seats. If that makes sense. They didnt sink in at all and felt like they had very little lateral support.

In contrast the M3 seats feel great and you feel like you are sitting IN them not on them.

I did feel high up in the GTR but I assumed it was just a seat adjustment issue; I'm 6' 195lbs.

[NPDAN]

Did you like the video gamey guages? I've never seen them myself but heard they're pretty cool...

[smmmurf]

Originally Posted by Zoli007

I have also driven one and would agree with most of what you said. To me, however, the seats felt terrible.

Im 6' 185lbs and I felt more like I was sitting on top of the seats, vs in the seats. If that makes sense. They didnt sink in at all and felt like they had very little lateral support.

In contrast the M3 seats feel great and you feel like you are sitting IN them not on them.

Wow, now that's a blast from the past. Zoli007 from Roadfly? Didn't you trade your E46 M3 with over 100k in for a GTO?

[SUB-ZERO]

Originally Posted by NPDAN

Did you like the video gamey guages? I've never seen them myself but heard they're pretty cool...

To be honest, and I'm not sure is the owner had the screen dimmned down but the display quality was not very good; I messed with for a second, found the g-meter section and just left it alone. The entire display, radio, controls area needed some refinement. However, the GTR was a beast in every other respect.

[m3_love]

nice observation, thanks for sharing

[brava09]

never drove one, but looked at one in the showroom...the interior fit and finish in GTR seemed to me in a class above the M3.

and that's all I can say about the GTR, unfortunately

[SUB-ZERO]

Originally Posted by brava09

never drove one, but looked at one in the showroom...the interior fit and finish in GTR seemed to me in a class above the M3.

and that's all I can say about the GTR, unfortunately

Well, normally, the seats are still covered in plastic at the dealer; at least they are here in VA. Anyways, I urge you to take a close look. Both the materials used and the overall aesthetic and ergonomic of the M3s interior are far superior. However, like I said earlier, the GTRs interior is not bad at all.

-SZ

[footie]

I spend a very brief period in the presence of a GTR and though I wholeheartedly agree with Subzero about the basic layout of the dash and placement of the switches, buttons, etc. but I can't see how one could come to the conclusion that the GTR's fit, finish or choice of materials is anything other than on par with the M3. You have to also remember that is wasn't design or developed with the M3 in mind, Nissan's goal was the 997turbo, a car which is almost twice that of the M3 and has the fit, finish and materials worthy of this price difference.

[BRDHNTR]

Originally Posted by davedave

i want to compare it with GTR vs 997 turbo

My father was looking at getting a midlife crissis car this summer and was thinking 370Z because he is cheap. One of his friends threw me the keys to his 997 Turbo and it pulled like a freight train. It was essentially just as fast as the Ford GT I drove a month prior (one of my buddy's dad let me take her out). I loved the power, but the car being rear engine just didn't feel as responsive as my E92. I was not disappointed to get back in my E92 to drive home. A week later I got to drive a GT-R. It pulled like that 997 Turbo, but it handled more neutral like the E92. I was blown away. It truly is an awesome machine. So I made my father buy one, and I drive it as often as I can. The turbo lag is much worse on the 997 than the GT-R, and the GT-R tranny IMO is better than M-DCT. I am a stick shift guy, but I would not get the GT-R with a manual if offered. There are a lot of things the E92 does better, but for a sheer performance aspect there is no comparison.

[SUB-ZERO]

Originally Posted by footie

I spend a very brief period in the presence of a GTR and though I wholeheartedly agree with Subzero about the basic layout of the dash and placement of the switches, buttons, etc. but I can't see how one could come to the conclusion that the GTR's fit, finish or choice of materials is anything other than on par with the M3. You have to also remember that is wasn't design or developed with the M3 in mind, Nissan's goal was the 997turbo, a car which is almost twice that of the M3 and has the fit, finish and materials worthy of this price difference.

You didn't think the shifter paddles were lacking in the quality department? I don't think the material on the doors is leather either. Not sure if the rest is leather or pleather but obviously not as nice as the leather in the M3. Again, you don't buy a GTR for the luxury aspect; you buy because it is a bad-ass perfromer.

[footie]

I actually don't like alloy paddles, first thing in the morning they are f'ing cold, give me carbon fibre, otherwise good old plastic will do.