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CARS IN
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AHEAD CURVEof theTHE NISSAN GTR SURPRISES CAR AFICIONADOS WITH ITS ELECTRIFYING PERFORMANCE AND LUXURIOUS LOOK
BY BILL ADAM
Imagine that we’re sitting down for an evening of ca-
sual cocktails, when I start telling you of this unbelievable
deal I know of, on a new car, an opportunity that was
ONLY going to cost around a cool $100,000. You might
stare at me, thinking that: a) I need to go back to bed to
resume that dream I was having, or b) I should consider
drinking a much better quality whisky! While for some a
$100K “bargain” might involve a new Gulfstream jet, or
even a steal of a divorce settlement, for me it involves a
luxury car and one that initially may come as a surprise.
The Nissan GTR fits into a very select category of
vehicles known as “GT” automobiles, –“Grand Touring”
cars that are designed to give very high performance,
while at the same time not forsaking the elements of lux-
ury to keep travel comfortable. Whereas standard sports
cars can sometimes have harsh rides and basic interiors
— a trade-off for lighter weight that equals higher perfor-
mance, Grand Touring vehicles coddle you while also giv-
ing you performance when you want it. There are a num-
ber of vehicles that can fit within the definition of “GT”:
both 2 and 4 seaters, 2 and 4 wheel drives. But with all of
them, performance is the defining factor. Some examples
of such models are the Porsche Carrera 4S, with prices
starting at around $112K plus another $3200 for automat-
ic (PDK) transmission, and the Mercedes Benz AMG GTC
coupe, which will slim your wallet to the tune of about
$145K for the base model, and its 515 horsepower work-
ing only the rear wheels. The new Ferrari GTC4 —featur-
ing a twin turbo V-8 engine pumping out 602 fine Italian
horsepower— will cost you an eyebrow-raising $302,000
before you add a single option. But the Nissan, with its
565HP twin turbo V-6, 6-speed dual clutch automatic u
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gearbox AND one of the finest all-wheel drive systems on
any car, has a starting price of $99,990. Even when mon-
ey is of no concern, a good deal is a good deal.
At a glance, the GTR appears to be a moderately
large coupe, with long flat panels and a relatively sharp
design. But it proves to be product of many hours of
wind tunnel tuning, with a remarkably low drag coeffi-
cient (CD), of only .26. The Toyota Prius, a car designed
to maximize fuel economy and a small car by any stan-
dards, carries a .24 rating-just slightly better than the
GTR. The aforementioned Porsche is .29! So, why does
this matter? Well, aerodynamic drag plays a big part in
fuel economy: the lower the drag, the further a gallon of
gas will take you. Of course, buyers of vehicles like these
rarely worry about fuel mileage and are much more inter-
ested in performance.
Years ago, a designer who had worked on the GTR
project told me that before they were given the green light
tome forward, they were instructed by “Mr. Nissan” to
create an air flow system that resulted in the same inte-
rior silence at 100 mph, as the model had at 30 mph, the
purpose being that all passengers could converse at a
normal volume. Their efforts have paid off as there truly
is remarkably little wind noise and most of what you do
hear, comes from the aggressive tires, as they are chosen
for grip, rather than economy.
One option I fell in love with and would highly recom-
mend is the Premium Interior package. For $4280, drivers
get a hand-stitched interior with semi-Aniline leather-ap-
pointed seats that are both soft and luxurious, yet sup-
port all occupants very well when the driving becomes…
ahhh…adventurous! In fact, the total interior package u
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is beautifully laid out with a spectacular dashboard that
can be tailored to your own choices of gauges available
on 6 different pages of information. It can be great fun to
see exactly what your car is doing and HAS done. And
yes, there is a back seat for two people. But if the driver is
tall, then the rear seat would only be a perfect fit for a kit-
ten, or someone you really don’t like.
Finally, we turn to the performance. Should the appro-
priate time and place materialize where you find yourself
sitting in the Nissan GTR, next to any of the other cars
mentioned in this piece and gearing up for an ‘accelera-
tion comparison,’ you’ll find that they will all be watching
your taillights disappear. With what I call ‘launch control’
engaged, you simply leave the gear selector in drive, flip
up three switches on the upper console for maximum per-
formance, plant your left foot firmly on the brake pedal,
floor the accelerator, and then release the brake pedal.
Oh…….and hang on! The vehicle’s all-wheel drive system
harnesses all of the horsepower, wasting almost nothing
on wheel-spin. The GTR does the best impression of an
F-18 catapult launch you’ll ever feel. The zero to 60 mph
run takes just over 3 seconds, and given sufficient room
(and bravery), the acceleration stays strong all the way to
just under 200 mph. It can be shocking that this car, which
is totally comfortable touring around town at 20 mph, can
suddenly unleash a fury of both acceleration, and decel-
eration, with massive Brembo brakes hauling it safely
back to reasonable speeds. This will by far be the best
$100K you’ve ever spent, private jet be damned.
Once upon time, I had my version of love affairs
with traditionally coveted sports cars. Although I still en-
joy them for brief periods, a true GT car is my vehicle of
choice. Blistering performance with travel comfort, shows
me that indeed, I CAN have my car and drive it too! CL