Definitely drive one if you can - a unique must-have experience for a car enthusiast.

I can see where the comment about it being potentially boring comes from. The fun is in the speed itself, but the opportunity for that kind of speed is limited on public roads. And the speed comes without the engaging driving dynamics of the 911. I feel like the 911 "dances" and thereby tells me a lot about how the load of the car is moving around, so the car and I are always in dialogue. By contrast, the GT-R goes fast as hell but doesn't tell you as much about what it's doing (it likes to keep secrets), so the car asks you to trust it, which is a bit scary at high speeds.

Also, I forgot to mention earlier that the brakes in the GT-R are tremendous. And they better be!

 

One of my biggest deal breakers was the fact that there was not a traditional MT on the car... and that is what I really wanted out of a weekend sports car at this point in my life. Because it keeps me involved 100% of the time. I feel like soon enough MTs will cease to exist. Every time I properly execute a shift I feel like the 911 gives me a nod of approval and rewards me with a smooth gear engagement. Almost like switching gears on a race bike - clutch, throttle and shift all have to be timed right.

 

And a few of us have owned a non-turbo and know exactly why they are not worth talking about... (in direct comparison to the GT-R) Some may disagree.

Turbos on the other hand are an absolute blast (along with the GT3)

For those looking for 'handle' and 'feel', may I suggest that the car handles 'differently' and that you may be looking for the wrong feedback. It took me quite sometime to get that 911 'feel' out of my head, fingertips, and butt, and learn what the GT-R was communicating. It talks, I just had to relearn to listen a different way. I can apply throttle in places I could not have before in ANY other car. It tells me when I've gone too far (very rare - and it isn't because of my insane ability - but rather my novice ability).

 

Agreed. For me, MT is a must in a sports car (and I predict/hope that Porsche will offer it for many more years). I want to do more of the work and develop my skill, even if that means being slower.

 

Thanks for sharing your perspective based on lots of time spent with the GT-R.

I agree that the interaction with a car can change as one gains more experience with it. I thought my C63 was the bomb until the 911, but it took quite a few drives for the 911 to really grow on me. Now not having the engine in the rear feels wierd to me!

Problem is that I'm not going to get that kind of experience with the GT-R or any other car before deciding, so it's a bit of a gamble. But I think Buckwheat makes a good point that it makes sense to not get a car that's really easy to drive fast, if a key goal is to develop driving skill.

 

As Jasper can attest, I have owned both of these cars. I owned a 2009 GTR with 540whp and just bought a new Carrera S. The GTR is spectacular and virtually nothing can match its performance. It is a car that can make any driver look good. In fact, I will likely buy the 2013 model. I do disagree with Jasper about the new Carrera S. My current 911 is my fifth one and it is by far the best. The handling is light years better than any previous one I owned and the performance, while not GTRish is still more than adequate. They are 2 very different cars. Porsche owners are kidding themselves if they think the GTR is soulness. That car is one blast to drive.

 

Agreed 100%. This is why I track a Miata also.

But every now and then - I just want to go fast. And that happens daily (not just on the track).

It was said very well by another GT-R owner - the car can be driven normally, and whenever you want to - you can go as fast as you want without all of the drama that surrounds other cars... No worrying about spinning out, or losing control. It just takes it and asks for more.

It is the one car I've seen that you can more than double the power, and it behaves just like a stock car 99% of the time (until you mash the throttle, and even then it is extremely drivable).

 

the GT-R is amazing... no arguements there. but i have been struggling with why i don't love it, though.

it comes down to this... i like my cars because they offer a lot of feedback and they are predictable because they are RWD and lack any form of electronic nannies... if I crash, its on me.

in the past, AWD, traction control, stability control, and even abs have almost led to my demise. i'm not saying i don't like abs, though... just bad abs. in any case, most racing drivers are with me in wanting total control... not that i was a very successful racer, but i do have decent car control as a result of my futile racing efforts. (it was fun though)

 

I also took a 2009 GTR for a test ride, and was impressed with its acceleration. It seemed to be easier to get into than my 911, but the ride didn't seem as smooth. I flipped the switch to comfort, but it didn't seem to make any differance. I was wondering, jaspergtr, you mentioned something about the ride of a 2009 vs a 2012. Does the 2012 ride better than the 2009?

 

Much smoother. Much more civil. Somehow, the performance is better, apparently much better, as well. I don't get it, but I'm not the engineer who put it all together.

You can actually notice a larger difference between in comfort, normal, and R mode.

 

wacky nissan engineers defying physics

 

 

I test drove a few GT-Rs back in 09 before I bought my 1st .2 C2S, and was pretty impressed. But in the end there were 3 reasons why I didn't go with it, and none had anything to do with the driving experience:

1) Concern over maintenance costs. At that point, the car was still a little too new t get reliable info regarding maintenance costs. And given the high performance and relatively low price, I thought there had to be a catch: maintenance.
2) Price & Resell Value: this might sound snobby, but I don't mean it that way. This is a 90-Grand NISSAN. I didn't have much confidence that value wouldn't drop to $50K in 12 months. I know P-Cars depreciate also, but those are more of a known value with a reliable history to go on. The Nissan was a complete unknown.
3) Maybe most importantly, The 911 has ALWAYS been my dream car. I had owned a Boxster S in the past, and wanted another Porsche, specifically a 911. The engine behind me. The rear hips. The fantastic sounds. The only way I was going to get anything else was if it COMPLETELY blew me away. The GT-R made me think, but in the end the pure speed of the car wasn't enough to sway my heart away from a Porsche.

I can't and won't say a negative word about the GT-R as I simply don't have enough seat time to make an educated commentary. Great car. Great engineering. Great fun. Just not the experience that I wanted from a sports car.

 

Regarding resale, there are some '09s that were bought for $74k, and now selling for $65k, over 3 years later. Not bad.

 

A few comments -

The 2012 Gtr is amazing . I was under the impression that you had test driven one before buying the 997 .

1) It's not faster than a 911 Turbo but it is very fast . It will cream the 997S in just about every way .

2) It will outhandle a 997 Turbo .

3) The engine sound is typical of a twin Turbo . Unlike the normally aspirated sound ---the Turbo's impeller homogenizes the sound wave.

4) Loved my 300Zxturbo and back in 1990 it was touted as that time periods "Porsche eater" . It was fast but over time I noticed aspects where that car lacked refinement (ie a blind spot in rear view) .

5) Very hard to find Nissan customer service comparable to Porsche in my region .

6) Have you read the track waiver that Nissan requires in terms of warranty ? (Important that you do) .