GT-R on the Track? DON'T BELIEVE THE HYPE.

"PardonMyFlemish16" (TheCoolKid) 12/18/2013 at 22:30 • Filed to: None

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First of all thanks DasWauto for giving me permission to post in Oppo.

Anyways, the GT-R is a car that has generated a lot of discussion. Is it a car? Is it a computer? Do you drive it? Does it drive you? Does it have a soul? Does it consume yours?

A buddy of mine found out about a trackday with !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! at a track by me (Carolina Motorsports Park). It was $200 for 3 laps, I think, along with a video and some other little extras for a couple extra dollars. I had no prior track experience. We all decided on the 458 Italia, as the Gallardo was sold out, and the other choices weren't really anything special IMO (SLS, R8, GT-R). The 458 was great. I drove a 430 in Maranello, and I liked it, but since that was on public streets I didn't even come close to flogging it. The 458 was a lot of fun. I didn't really get into the swing of things until the 3rd lap, but it was a blast the whole time. The power was OK (I ride a motorcycle), but the handling and brakes were awesome. Here's a link to that drive:

After driving that, I was feeling good. The GT-R was just chilling, and one of the guys asked if I wanted to drive it. It was only an extra $100, so I said what the hey and went for it. I have never been a fan of the GT-R, and figured this would be the best way to prove myself right or wrong. I thought it would be quick, but heavy, lacking feel, and inert.

I was right.

If you watch the videos back to back, one thing that immediately stands out is how quiet the GT-R is. So there was an immediate disconnect for me. The seating position was a lot higher than the 458. Higher than my 350Z even. But the roof was low enough that my helmet just barely touched, even with the seat all the way down. I'm just 5' 10". A strange thing in a car that would be sold to big Americans who would be tracking it. It was fast, no doubt, and it had a lot of grip. I would say it was as fast as the Ferrari. But you could feel its heft during transitions, and its brake feel was kind of lacking. The interior felt closer to an EVO than a 90K car. It was just a very bizarre experience.

I came away very disappointed. The GT-R definitely has the performance of cars many times its price. But what the journalists don't tell you is that that's all it has. At a track, if cutting down lap times is job one, or if you are one of those weirdos who pushes to 10/10ths in the rain, it's perfect. But it's not a car you want to sit back and just admire, or take on a cruise. It's a tool for generating fast lap times, and nothing more. It's definitely one of those cars people should actually drive before forming such strong opinions on... no way I would ever get one over a 911, especially now that it's entered GT3/Turbo S price territory (with the Track and NISMO versions).