2008 Nissan GT-R gets motoring scribes seal of approval

The first driving impressions of Nissan’s new GT-R are hitting the net and the news for Nissan is all good – mostly. The best review is available at the Telegraph where you will get the full run-down of the new GT-R on the track and on the streets of Japan.

The consensus is that this is one very, very quick car. Think Porsche GT2 and then some. It looks as though Kazutoshi Mizuno (chief GT-R engineer) has done GT-R enthusiasts proud and bolted together a car more than worthy of the GT-R mantel. With some 353kW/473hp the GT-R is the most powerful production car to come out of Japan and a great way for Nissan to end the Japanese “Gentleman’s Agreement” that saw manufacturers limiting power outputs to 206kW for many years.

Motoring scribes have rated the power, handling, clutch-less gearbox, build quality and brakes as being exceptional with the only let-down being the GT-R’s ride which even on the most comfortable setting appears to be anything but. They all seem to agree that the gearbox is superior to most clutch-less units but should be left in drive around town to avoid drivetrain shunt.

This is just the start of the reviews but it’s certainly looking good for Nissan’s new supercar. It should also be noted that the GT-R’s 7:38 lap of the Nurburgring was 2 seconds faster than the latest Porsche 911 GT2 and was accomplished in less than ideal conditions. This could very well be the first Japanese performance car to put the wind up the established Italian and German manufacturers. All that’s missing from the GT-R equation is the pedigree and the enormous price.

Production Supercar performance just became a lot more affordable.

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