2009 Nissan Skyline GTR

Test Drive Report

Hide your Porsches, Ferraris, and Vipers!  Godzilla is here, taking names, and kicking ass!  From the land of the rising sun, the Nissan GTR is finally available here in the states. I’ve been waiting to drive this car since its inception. The previous generation GTRs, the R32, R33, R34, were dream cars for gearheads in the U.S.  The only way I could drive the R34 was to turn on my Playstation 2 and play Gran Turismo.

After a long search, I found a GTR owner who is willing to lend me his ride for a day. Special thanks to my father who hooked me up with this GTR owner.  I’ve driven more expensive and exotic cars, but the anticipation for a Nissan GTR test drive was unbearable. The original agreement with the owner was for a day of city driving at a slow pace.  The day started with a leisurely drive around town. Surprisingly, the beast from Japan behaved very well at low speed. With the windows down, the low growl of the twin-turbo-six was symphonic. Stop and go driving was a breeze.  The paddle shifted transmission worked flawlessly in traffic.  Even at speeds well below the GTR’s limits, it was still a fun ride.

Every where the GTR was parked, curious eyes gawked, along with oohs and aahhs.  Unfortunately for me, only gearheads (men) gave the GTR and me attention.  I was expecting young, hot women to give me attention because I drove a GTR.  Not so, today. I had more attention from ladies when I test drove the new M3 a while a go.  Could it be because the GTR had a Nissan badge on it?  I believe that the GTR is an enthusiast’s car.  It’s not about how much money it costs, or how glamorous it is. Therefore, only real auto enthusiasts appreciate the GTR.

The day ended with an evening meet at a local car hang out.  Even before I had the chance to park the GTR, it received a lot of attention.  Before long, a crowd gathered around the GTR.  Questions and comments started to fire off every where. It was nice to see the enthusiasm for the car. But, there’s at least one naysayer in the crowd. “My Carrera will eat that Nissan any day of the week. You can’t beat my Viper.” I heard a few of those comments during the night. Coincidentally, the owner of the GTR heard those comments.  I knew he’d never let a challenge pass.  He whispered to me, “let’s take ‘em on”. I had a smile ear to ear when I heard him.  I knew that I’d get the GTR for another day.

A few days past after the initial test drive, and it was time for the challenge to take place. We decided to meet on a Sunday morning at the same spot the challenge was thrown down. Up to this time, I didn’t know the details about the cars I was about to race.  I only knew that a Viper and Carrera Turbo were coming. The instant I heard those cars coming, I had a sinking feeling in my stomach.  They were race car loud. By the way those cars idled, I knew they were highly tuned. Did I bite off more than I can chew? The confirmation came when I saw the hardware under the hoods of those cars.  My heart grew small and I felt sick when I saw the twin super chargers in the Viper’s engine bay.  The twin turbos in the Carrera looked like ferocious giant snails that were ready to pounce. I was very afraid to ask about the horsepower numbers of those beasts.  But, I had to ask.  “I’m puttin’ out about 650 at the wheels,” the Viper guy answered.  “I’m close to 700”, the Porsche driver boastfully answered. Oh, shoot!  That’s all I could say.

I knew a different race strategy needed to be devised. On a straight road, these cars would annihilate the GTR. I was hoping that these cars won’t have the agile handling like the GTR.  Alright, we have to head toward the canyons.  I know a section of tight twisting roads in the canyons that I know the GTR will do well.

The GTR led the pack as we head toward the canyons. The first twenty miles were flat, straight freeways.  The GTR had a nice, comfortable ride on the freeway. The ride was mild but firm.  The GTR is a car I can drive all day and not feel tired.  This car is much more than a pure bred racer.  It’s a grand tourer that will treat you very well on long trips.

Once we reached the first section of the canyons, everybody was in race mode. As soon as there was an opportunity to pass, the two cars drove by GTR like it was standing still. Oh no!  This is going to be a long day!  I brought a fast car to a car race. Those two guys brought rocket ships to a car race.   I had my foot planted on the go pedal all the way up the straightaway, and still, I couldn’t catch up.  I began to close the distance once the road became very twisty. Inch by inch I closed the distance, but I never got close enough to pass them.

I’ve seen many races won because of a pit stop.  Today was no exception.  After driving an hour in the canyons, I saw the two cars ahead pulled over for a pit stop.  They had to pee on the side of the road.  I too decided to take a pit stop.  During the stop, the bragging never stopped. “I told you, your GTR couldn’t keep up with us”.  I had to admit it, 480 horsepower is not enough to keep up with those two cars on the straights.  But, I knew that more tight corners are coming.

After the pit stop, we continued to drive higher up the canyons. I was the lead car, followed by the Viper, and the Carrera. For the next 30 miles, the road was narrow with little room to pass.  Driving next to rocky walls, the sound of our cars echoed like thunder.  The GTR’s throaty tone was music, but the Viper and Carrera were annoyingly loud. Each time they’re off throttle, flames belched out of the exhaust pipes.

As we approached the summit, the road became more twisty and tight. Just as I expected, the GTR started to pull away from the two cars. The Viper was side ways a few times in the corners. At the next passing lane, the Carrera took over second place. Before long, it was a two car race. I was able to pull away from the Porsche, but I couldn’t make him disappear.  He was too fast, even in the corners.

The Nissan GTR performed flawlessly in the canyons. The all-wheel drive system was truly remarkable. I’ve driven an all-wheel drive WRX STi on this same road, and the feeling was nothing like this. The way the GTR handled, it gave me a lot of confidence. It never got scary.  Even diving deep into corners, the car never got sideways. Everything seemed so planted to the road.

The twin turbo V-6 didn’t disappoint me. Despite the horsepower deficit compared to the tuned Viper and Carrera Turbo, the GTR had plenty of torque to exit corners with ample speed. The six speed manumatic gearbox shifted with no hesitation. No lag, no waiting, it responded instantly with every pull of the paddle shifters.  I believe this gearbox is as good as Ferrari F430’s gearbox. Revs were matched perfectly after each downshifts.  No hiccups, no flaws!

Since it wasn’t an official race done at the race track, we couldn’t declare a true winner.  But in my book, the GTR was the clear winner. It handled itself remarkably well against cars with a lot more power.  Speaking about price, the GTR is a bargain compared to the Viper and the Carrera Turbo.  I had to ask how much these two guys spent on their cars. Including the price of the car and tuning, the Viper came in at $185,000, and the Carrera Turbo came in at $205,000. The Nissan GTR, with a huge dealer mark up, came in at $90,000.

Sadly, my play date with my dream car was over.  It was time to return it to the owner.  It was truly the drive of my life. Maybe, one day I can a GTR of my own.

Compare the 2009 Nissan Skyline GTR to other vehicles

Image Credit & Copyright © Nissan Motor Co. Ltd.

Special Thanks to Nissan Motor Co. Ltd. for allowing us to use their images.