I drove a Nissan GTR this weekend.......and it was a life altering experience!

[sgrinavi]

Great read, thanks.

I see a few around town and quite a few at the track. Mostly I see their tail pipes. LOL. I guy I worked with in Stuttgart had one, he let a buddy drive it @ the ring - he missed a turn and ended up bringing it home on a flat-bed. $40k worth of damage that the insurance co. wouldn't touch.

 

[Aikouka]

Keep in mind my wife has no idea about cars other than they have 4 wheels and use gas... so a GTR to her might as well be a Nissan Sentra... So now the stage is set...

Sounds like one of Clarkson's "It's a Datsun!" remarks.

So I go back to brewing and I think to myself - "Yeah, but it sure would be cool to see that thing run..." Hey,.. It's like a Unicorn.. people claim they exist and they're magical, but no one has ever seen one before in the wild...

I may live in Alabama, but there are actually a few GT-Rs around town, and the local dealer is even registered to service them (I guess the techs have to be trained for it?). I normally see them driving around town ever so often. I recall seeing one zipping around traffic like a mad man on a 65 MPH highway. Although, this one time I was walking out of Target, and my eyes widened like a kid on Christmas. What stood across the aisle from my own measly bucket of bolts but a beautiful white GT-R! I was really, really tempted to sit there and wait for the owner, but I figured given the time (close to 10 PM if I recall) and the car, he probably doesn't need anyone else bugging him/her.

Oh, and I've also seen a Fisker Karma around (weird to see a catfish driving toward you), and if I can see cars like that in Alabama of all places, magical unicorns they are not.

We set out on a road leading out of town. Where we get to a nice rural stretch that's when Dr. G finally opened the GTR up!... Those turbo's spooled and then "WHOA SHIT WE'RE ALL GONNA DIE!!!" It honestly felt like on Star Wars when they go to light speed and there's that pause where all the stars stretch out and then "POW" and you're gone!!

I swear to God I felt like I had been shot from a gun!! I have never in my entire life experienced that kind of acceleration before - Not in my car, Not in a ZR-1, Not in a FR-500S Mustang (race car), Not on a roller-coaster, Not when I did the Richard Petty driving experience, Not even on a Boeing 747 on takeoff!

I have NEVER felt anything like this before.. I could literally feel my cheeks being pulled back against my face - and this was from a rolling start doing about 30! My wife covered her face and let out a scream that would raise the dead!! And the good Dr. just laughed!!

We repeated this exercise a couple of times - took a few curves - I found myself laughing out loud and clapping my hands like an infant child does when it get's excited!! WHAT A RUSH!!!

Reading this pretty much put me in the same mood, and I'm just sitting... in front of a computer screen! :awe:

 

[Mutilator]

We repeated this exercise a couple of times - took a few curves - I found myself laughing out loud and clapping my hands like an infant child does when it get's excited!! WHAT A RUSH!!!

I pictured you like this.

And KentState... gotta love that blue one.

 

[SyndromeOCZ]

No pics or video? I think you made it up.

 

[Fenixgoon]

awesome story

try riding a 150+ horsepower sport/supersport motorcycle....won't be as fast as a GTR simply because you're down 3 drive tires, but it's something crazy when the power literally lifts you off the ground ;-)

 

[madoka]

I see a GTR every day. They are kinda ugly, overweight, and bloated.

 

[Throckmorton]

Not only is it ugly, but the front and rear end were each styled by different studios, California and Japan. That's why the rear is smooth and clean, while the front looks like some kind of lumpy angry anime robotic Celica.

 

[Svnla]

Now we want pictures....NOT of the wife but the car

Well, after you post the car pics, the wife pics are acceptable too.

I still haven't see any GT-R on the road around here yet. Nice write up, OP. The Doc seems to be a cool guy and not a stuck up prick.

 

[nerp]

Cool. Hate the car but never doubted it was a good experience to blast off in one. Now get in a Veyron and that GTR will seem like a Buick LeSabre.

 

[DaTT]

Great read...next time you drive it...accidentally hit the 950HP GO BUTTON!

 

[ballmode]

Cool bro!!!

 

[JackBurton]

Cool. Hate the car but never doubted it was a good experience to blast off in one. Now get in a Veyron and that GTR will seem like a Buick LeSabre.

I don't think you understand what he really drove. It's not just a GT-R, it's an AMS GT-R, and sounds like it is at least using an Alpha 9 package. An Alpha 9 vs Veyron should be close. An Alpha 12 GT-R will smoke a Veyron.

 

[brainhulk]

i bet i can beat that GTR at the track with my s2000...


























if there were no straights



















or turns for that matter

 

[nerp]

I don't think you understand what he really drove. It's not just a GT-R, it's an AMS GT-R, and sounds like it is at least using an Alpha 9 package. An Alpha 9 vs Veyron should be close. An Alpha 12 GT-R will smoke a Veyron.

Thanks for clarifying. My bad.

 

[smackababy]

Sounds like one of Clarkson's "It's a Datsun!" remarks.




I may live in Alabama, but there are actually a few GT-Rs around town, and the local dealer is even registered to service them (I guess the techs have to be trained for it?). I normally see them driving around town ever so often. I recall seeing one zipping around traffic like a mad man on a 65 MPH highway. Although, this one time I was walking out of Target, and my eyes widened like a kid on Christmas. What stood across the aisle from my own measly bucket of bolts but a beautiful white GT-R! I was really, really tempted to sit there and wait for the owner, but I figured given the time (close to 10 PM if I recall) and the car, he probably doesn't need anyone else bugging him/her.

Oh, and I've also seen a Fisker Karma around (weird to see a catfish driving toward you), and if I can see cars like that in Alabama of all places, magical unicorns they are not.



Reading this pretty much put me in the same mood, and I'm just sitting... in front of a computer screen! :awe:

When I was in Alabama, some old couple had a GT-R. I was surprised when I saw it in a parking lot once and even more so when the owners came and could barely get into the damn thing. I can't imagine they enjoy the car to its full potential.

The only thing I have against the GT-R is once you get it off the track, it is still a Nissan. Sure, it performs very well, but for most driving I'd prefer something just a little more luxurious for the $115k or whatever they are going for now.

 

[Kaido]

Great story :thumbsup:

I finally saw a GTR in-person at a Nissan dealership...the $100k sticker price made me

 

[Sid59]

awesome! I've only seen 1 GTR and it was a few years back in Stockton, CA

 

[Arkaign]

There are loads of GT-Rs around here, though weirdly I think I see more Gallardos. There are some ultra-rares that I see randomly around here as well, CTR3, Reventon, Maclaren F1, etc.

I like the GT-R, I could never afford the maintenance/etc on one, but they are impressive in raw numbers. It's sort of emblematic of the future of cars, very computer-assisted and uninvolving, like a video game. There are a number of people who get them and find themselves hating them because of that disconnect, I think that recent guest on TG was a good example of that. Something 1/4 as fast might be more engaging to drive. I can still appreciate it for what it is, even if my preferences might be to something less Skynet.

 

[JackBurton]

When I was in Alabama, some old couple had a GT-R. I was surprised when I saw it in a parking lot once and even more so when the owners came and could barely get into the damn thing. I can't imagine they enjoy the car to its full potential.

The only thing I have against the GT-R is once you get it off the track, it is still a Nissan. Sure, it performs very well, but for most driving I'd prefer something just a little more luxurious for the $115k or whatever they are going for now.

I love the GT-R because it's just a Nissan. I love the fact that it's not a flashy car like a Porsche, Ferrari, Lambo or whatever other exotic car. It just kind of blends into the crowd. Most people won't notice it, but the people into cars will. That's what I find so cool about the GT-R. Kind of a "below the radar" type of car.

 

[madoka]

I finally saw a GTR in-person at a Nissan dealership...the $100k sticker price made me

This is what my local dealer wanted for one of theirs:

 

[Harrod]

I've seen one driving around near my girlfriends parents neighborhood a few times, I think its owned by the same guy that owns a Pantera.

 

[madoka]

I like the GT-R, I could never afford the maintenance/etc on one,

The only one I fear is the brake job, which will run into the thousands. But perhaps years of Porsche maintenance has made me numb to inflated service prices.

There are a number of people who get them and find themselves hating them because of that disconnect, I think that recent guest on TG was a good example of that.

I never understood the disconnect complaint. Try driving one and see if you feel disconnected.

 

[JackBurton]

This is what my local dealer wanted for one of theirs:

Holy crap! What a scam! Should be reported to Nissan. I heard they aren't too fond of dealers pulling this crap.

 

[Don Vito Corleone]

This is what my local dealer wanted for one of theirs:

Wow! That is insane. I would never ever pay that - it's just rewarding their weaselly business practices.

 

[sgrinavi]

Wow! That is insane. I would never ever pay that - it's just rewarding their weaselly business practices.

How is that a weaselly business practice? He's flat out telling you what he's doing.