2009 Nissan GT-R Review

Specifications

Seventy grand for a Nissan?! Who would have ever thought anyone would pay that much for a car with an entry-level badge on the hood? Then again, who would have ever thought that Nissan would bring its ultimate supercar to North America? And really, when you factor in the GT-R’s outrageous capability, not to mention how good it looks even standing still, $69,850 seems like a bargain.

The GT-R boasts impressive performance numbers with an all-new hand-built VR series 3.8-liter twin-turbo V6 that makes 480 horsepower at 6,400 rpm and 430 lb-ft of torque at 3,200 to 5,200 rpm, resulting in a zero to sixty time of an acclaimed 3.5 seconds, an 11.7-second quarter mile, a top-speed that exceeds 186 mph, and a lap around the famed Nürburgring Nordschleife achieved in only 7 minutes, 38 seconds, which, incidentally, is a hair quicker than the Porsche 997 GT3, Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren, Bugatti Veyron 16/4, Ford GT, Chevrolet Corvette C6 Z06, Lamborghini Murcielago, Pagani Zonda S, Ferrari 599 GTB Fiorano and many other supercars, which in some cases are priced at hundreds of thousands more, yet not quite as quick as the Koenigsegg CCR, Porsche 997 GT2, Porsche Carrera GT, Donkervoort D8 RS, and a small handful of tuner cars; rare company indeed. Truly, it’s one of the fastest lap times achieved by a production-spec vehicle to date.

Many of the exotics listed are challenging to drive at high-speed, let alone in traffic, although Nissan touts the GT-R as “the ultimate supercar that can be driven by anyone, anytime, anywhere.” Part of its ease of use is due to Nissan’s new ‘Premium Mid-ship’ architecture, which is designed to take advantage of ideal load balances at all four wheels and features three suspension modes, spanning Comfort (for city driving to absorb road bumps), Sports (the normal setting), and R (high performance) modes. The Japanese automaker’s ATTESA ET-S AWD system adds to the GT-R’s stability, while the car’s all-new GR6 six-speed dual-clutch sequential-manual transmission combines lightning quick shifts via paddle-shifters on the steering column with an easy no-hassle automatic mode when in bumper to bumper traffic.

And on such commutes the GT-R’s luxurious surroundings and standard high-tech infotainment package, which includes a navigation system and 11-speaker customized Bose Audio system, should take the edge off.

The 2009 GT-R, available in six colors, will go on sale in July at certified Nissan of America dealers. It is expected to sell out quickly, as America’s allocation is limited.