It's the same reason I didn't buy a Z06. If you can't understand that, then we simply don't speak the same language regarding fine automobiles. Hell, don't they make a Shelby Cobra with 500 hp for around $45K. If performance/price ratio is the key then why don't we all go out and buy one of those.

Also "obliterate" is a pretty strong word my friend. I have read 4 full length articles (Robb, Car, EVO and Automobile) about the GT-R, and while they do say it outperforms the 997TT, they never use the word "obliterate."

This is how I see it - buy the car you want. If you can't afford the car you want, save your money until you can get it. Don't compromise and then make the price/performance ratio excuse. There is nothing practical about a Ferrari and there never will be. It is about passion. Don't buy a Porsche if you really want a Ferrari. Most people who buy a GT-R want a Porsche, Ferrari or Lambo but compromise because the GT-R is cheaper. But no matter how fast it is or how great the price/performance ratio is, they still wanted a Porsche, Ferrari or a Lambo and will always use things like price/performance ratios to justify the fact that they gave up on their dream car.

I fell in love with the 997TT when I read about it as the third best car in the Robb Report's Car of the Year Issue. I loved the look, performance specs, interior and options. I loved the technology - a flat 6 just floats my boat and 505 ft lbs of torque??? I was sold. It took me nearly a year to get into a financial position to pay cash for the car. During that year I had the chance to buy several other cheaper cars that were also fine performers - including the new Audi R8. But I WANTED the 997TT. I stuck to my guns and got my dream car. I'm not going to start regretting my decision simply because Nissan makes a car that is a tenth of a second faster here and there.

In the end, I just can't see any true enthusiast waking up and having his dream car be a Nissan GT-R. It is a compromise car - bottom line. A very fine compromise car - but still a compromise. It is a stepping stone to a better car down the road. But if you can resist and save your money, you will get the car you really want a lot more quickly.

So pass on the GT-R, save up and get the car you really want. That F430, 997TT or Gallardo is closer than you think.

My 2 cents.

 

Barrister,
This is my first post on 6speed, and your reply has prompted me to do so.I agree with what you say 100%, i think what you say is the most sensible thing i have read on this forum.I am in the dilemma of really wanting a 997TT, and am in the position of being able to afford one, with the help of a little finance.Just lately, i have had wavering thoughts about waiting for the GT-R, because here in the UK, it will be around £40k cheaper than a 997TT, so in effect, saving me some money.But the car i really want is the Porsche, not the Nissan.I would, as you say, be compromising on the dream car.I have read everything i can find on the GT-R, and whilst it sounds most excellent in what it will do, my heart is still with the Porsche.Incidentally, the 997TT is faster in a straight line than the Nissan, according to the Top Gear mag,only slightly, but it is quicker.Thanks for your post, you have opened my eyes on this subject, regards, SIMON.

 

***** F i wanna drive that ugly thing already.

 

This is awesome right here. I agree, this paddle shift craze is very stupid, people are calling for paddles on everything here in the states, just because of being lazy and lack of driving skill. Even the DSG and various forms of it are getting on my nerves, not only is it heavier, cardinal sin #1, but builds more heat, more expensive to upgrade and replace, and isnt a stick.

Nissan made another huge error, they are trying through the media to cover up the fact that the TT will beat the GT-R in every suppoting category (0-60, 60-0, 1/4 mile), but I bet that gets left out in most articles. And having an 11.7 as the factory claimed time means most people will be low-mid 12's, at 115-117, and that will get pwned. I can wait for reality to set in because no one seems to be paying attention to the minor details.

 

+100000

I agree on everyhing except the GTR being a compromise car, that might be taking it a step to far.
But you are right on the money about everything else!
I don't think anyone would buy a car just based on performance numbers or technological aspects alone. It's about how the car makes you feel, to open those garage doors and instantly get a huge grin on your face because you just love the car that is standing before you. Then if that car is a GTR or a TT, that's for everyone to decide for themselves.

 

Barrister, just for context, the President of Porsche NA has stated repeatedly that Porsche IS about performance/price ratio. Where else can you buy a car with world class performance for under $100,000. Granted, more recently the Z06 burst that bubble, nevertheless, when it came to value Porsche has always been on top.

I agree with you that buyers should buy what they want and not necessarily be overly rational in their decision making. The heart should play a large role.

However, the GT-R gives the buyer so much more than Porsche at a substantially reduced price. If you compare it to the 997TT, they are very close. Compare it to the regular 997's and the margin is huge.

Consider this; if the GT-R had a Porsche badge on it and the 997TT Nissan badge which would you buy?

 

B.S. dude, you dont even have one, can you be any more fanboyish to make statements like that. And this is coming from a guy who couldnt stand Porsches, until I saw them tearing up the track everywhere, and never breaking. The GT-R has a bunch of electronics on it, which is not what Porsche is about, it's about luxury, quality, durability, and excellence, and Porsche delivers that time and again. I'm not saying Nissan is not capable of producing something similar, but there is the old addage "you get what you pay for" and it hasnt failed yet when it comes to cars. Porsches appeal to a much broader field of people than the GT-R ever has or will. The GT-R is a large car with a bunch of gimmicks to make it seem faster than it is. And I am not kidding either.

 

Agreed. The GTR is an excellent car, but it is fat and VERY unattractive, INSIDE and OUT. Although it's a matter of taste, and not necessarily my choice of description, I've never seen the words "fugly ricer" used so often to describe a car.

Using the price/performance argument, it still loses. When the real data come out, except for possibly handling in the wet, the Corvette Z06 will kill this car in every imaginable way. And the Corvette is not nearly as unattractive. If Porsche Turbo owners didn't switch to Z06, they are not going to switch now.

Corvette Z06 3130 lbs, 505 hp
Nissan GT-R 3836 lbs (700 lbs. more than Vette, nearly 400 lbs more than 997 Turbo manual), 473hp (less hp than either Vette or Turbo).

That poster who uses the word "beautiful" in describing this car needs his vision checked or should be placed on some medication immediately. This is an excellent car in many ways, but breaks no new ground (the Z06 did) and is overwhelmed by its weight and ugliness.

 

someone took GTR to a dyno, found some pix!






482 ps (475 hp) and 59.2 kg/m (428 ft-lbs) at the hubs.

 

I do not agree with you, I think this car looks dope, and I only drive German cars... I think the design is beautiful and unique!!! And It is engineering achievement because it is 10% heavier than 997tt and beat both Z06 and 997tt around the ring. Why cant people accept it lol?

 

Fair enough about esthetic issue, it's a matter of personal preference. But again, I've never seen the word "ugly" so often used to describe a car.

The dictum still holds true that weight is the enemy of all sports cars. No matter how you tune the handling and how much horse power you throw at it, you can't defy the law of physics. Besides the ugliness issue, weight is this car's other flaw.

The Z06 weighs 3100 lbs. and has 505 hp; it WILL KILL a 3800 lbs./473 hp car in EVERY IMAGINABLE way. Please do not do a NBERRY and believe in that fabled 7:38 ring time. If a 3800 /473 car does the ring in 7:38, pigs would fly.

The main problem with the Nissan is the Vette. The Z06 in my mind makes this GTR a still born.

 

Fair enough about esthetic issue; it's a matter of personal preference. But again, I've never seen the word "ugly" so often used to describe a car.

The dictum still holds true that weight is the enemy of all sports cars. No matter how you tune the handling and how much horse power you throw at it, you can't defy the law of physics. Besides the ugliness issue, weight is this car's other flaw.

The Z06 weighs 3100 lbs. and has 505 hp; it WILL KILL a 3800 lbs./473 hp car in EVERY IMAGINABLE way. Please do not do a NBERRY and believe in that fabled 7:38 ring time. If a 3800 /473car does the ring in 7:38, pigs would fly.

The main problem with the Nissan is the Vette. The Z06 in my mind makes this GTR a stillborn.

 

Only certain dealers will be authorized to sell the GT-R and they are required to get all the equipment(special lifts, etc) and have mechanics specially trained to work on it.

 

but z06 and GTR have completely different purposes how can they be compared... GTR was made to beat the 997tt and not the z06, GTR is AWD 4 seater( well a small kid can fit at the back) for everyday any season driving. I dont think GTR was made to compete with Z06.


Anyway this thread can go on and on. I'd be happy with GTR and with 997tt and with Z06. I just dont understand why vette and 997tt enthusiasts are so negative toward GTR.

 

A lot of that money will go into buying parts that are specifically for working on GT-R's, and advertising that they have one. Specially training a guy that's been working on the 350Z which isnt nearly as complex doesnt exactly make me feel all warm and fuzzy inside. And how many mechanics are they going to train for this? What if said guy quits? Or is sick? I know there are some great mechanics working below their capabilites, but there are far more that cant put a oil cap on.

In Japan they have special centers ONLY for the GT-R, in US they have a trained mechanic or two, chosen from the already present crop. I hope you feel good about that because I wouldnt.