Last night I drove out of town to a Nissan dealership who told me I could test drive a new Nissan GTR.

Bottom line is that I'm still very torn on the car. The ride was very hard even though we were on extraordinarily smooth streets. The one rough patch of freeway was very noticeable, where the Jag would've simply floated over the imperfections. Also, the power does come very much only when you spool the turbos up. At a lower r.p.m., it doesn't feel immensely powerful. You do need to put your foot in it to get the thrust that it's capable of providing.

It also very much feels like an interior and a body stuck on top of an amazing drivetrain and chassis. But the build quality and overall design is sorely lacking. All function very little form.

While the very cool and permissive salesman refused to let me do a 0 to 60 blast using launch control, I managed to peg the throttle pretty firmly from a red light and that GTR is simply greased lightning! Effortlessly allocates the precise amount of traction to each tire, digging in and slingshoting the car blocks ahead of everyone lined up at the light with you moments before. I took a Cloverleaf freeway onramp at speed that would've been unsettling in the jaguar and you couldn't even tell that you were going fast in the GTR. Performance wise it is insane. And that was with a semi nervous salesman in the car with me. Alone I'd have had a much better sense of what the car was capable of, but I suspect it's more car than I can handle in terms of skill level, and I'm never going to be in a position to really test its capabilities, plenty of performance to spare. Even on a track, I suspect the car has way crazy limits...

Even though I was in the upgraded "black" series, the seats weren't as adjustable as the Jags, and the overall fit and finish for anything other than the motor and transmission and suspension were only so-so. Noise levels were higher than expected, given that they've put some time and money into quieting down the 2015 model from the 2014. I think partially they addressed noise level via active noise cancellation through the stereo, and some additional sound deadening material. Could've fooled me, the suspension chatters and chirps as soon as you put it into drive, and there's plenty of tire sizzle even on smooth roads. I shudder to think how rough the ride would be on the rugged, potholed streets of my hometown.

Maybe it's a cultural or preference or age issue, but the exhaust note on a TwinTurbo six, at least the one in the GTR, didn't really get my blood pumping. I'm sure they're all kinds of aftermarket exhaust systems that would enable you to tune the sound, but it's a very odd almost industrial whining sound as opposed to the crackle and low rumble of a supercharged V-8.

There is no question that the GTR is ungodly fast. It was often difficult to tell how fast I was going. Disorienting ergonomics here and there. For example, the small speedometer starts at 0 mph at the 5 o'clock position. By the time you're at 7 o'clock, you're doing 90. So the reality is, given the small size of the speedometer, it's secondary positioning relative to the tachometer, and it's odd orientation,you really need to take your eyes off the road and tach and look way down and to the left to see how fast you're going. Very odd ergonomics given how everything else is adjustable...

And aside from an occasional fellow car enthusiast, I doubt the GTR would draw much attention. It certainly isn't a car that's going to attract the female eye. Nor do women enjoy (for the most part) the ride quality and speed the GTR presents. Not the biggest deal, but a factor nonetheless.

Finally, the biggest challenges price: about $120,000 plus out the door. Meanwhile, there are unsold 2014's, brand-new, available for a hair under $80,000. Could the difference between the 2014 and 2015 be that significant? More research is called for, but between $120 for the GTR and $180+ for a well optioned 2015 911 turbo S (which is a hair faster & I'm guessing is far smoother and possessing a far superior build quality), it starts to be a contest.

But then I'm back to the notion of a very expensive car and no garage. Maybe the XKR stays for a little longer ;-)

Anyone else spend much time in a GTR? Liveable or track/special occasion only car?

Felt good getting back in the Jag, now I need to factor in the test drive I took last week in the new F Type coupe... 550 hp, insane exhaust note, super solid feeling and an absolute gas to put your boot into.

Skeeter

 

If you want to go really-really fast the GTR is a bargain. That being said - it's doubtful that anyone could enjoy a GTR as much as even a non R XK. The XK/R just has so much more class and is so much more car - faster than 99% of other cars you will ever encounter.

The Porche brings the build quality and luxury to the table but is still not as attractive as the Jag in my eyes. If you had never seen a car before - the Jag is hands down more handsome!

 

GTRs are amazing. But (and I'm a huge Nissan fan -- I've got two other Nissans in the garage right now) they really are ugly. And they're not only creeping up in price, but the competition in that arena is ramping up too. Chevy's Z06 is really going to give it a swift kick in the nuts... and the Z06 comes with telemetry/camera recording as well as MHR shocks.

 

If driven daily, the extremely stiff ride of the GTR may get old very quickly.

 

Skeeter,
Before you invest in a GTR, you might want to see what the crazy Berkeley city council is going to ban next. My guess is a horsepower ban is coming soon, you never know what those idiots will do. I say this of experience as we drive up to Bezerkeley every Thanksgiving to be with my sister-in-law and brother-in-law for the last 30 years. About 8-10 years ago when they tried to pull the stunt of evicting a Marine Recruitment Office from a retail space (not owned by the city), and faced losing federal funding, that city council didn't even have the guts to live up to their own committments and backed down. Needless to say, instead of staying at the Shattuck Hotel and spending money in Berkeley restaurants and stores, we now stay in Emeryville as I refuse to step foot in the city outside of my in-laws' home. Mark my word, there will be some kind of future ban on high performance automobiles, just you wait.

 

great review! Loved the down and dirty comments. Im with you. Once you get around the 4 sec 0-60 range, unless you are tracking the car, you never really get a chance to use its potential on the streets.
The GTR is really a young guys car. I would assume most GTR drivers are over their head in horsepower and monthly payments.
The kick in the butt, crush you into the seat launch of my XKR is more punch then I will ever need and it always gets the front row, next to the valet parking spot at my favorite haunts.
However, this is my completely bias, ProJag opinion.....

 

I may be a little harsh stereotyping the GTR crowd.... Heck, I would squeeze one into my garage if I could....
We usually have a 1/2 a dozen show up at Cars n Coffee and the oldest driver looks under 30. This is Nashville tho.

 

I've owned 2 GTR's both 2014's. I sold them for a profit. I bought them to sell. The comments here are bang on. The GTR is king on the track but the XKR is king GT on the street. Can't compare the 2 cars. The GTR is track focused and is hard to live with compared to the XKR. However, I may be going back to a GTR because I need AWD for Canadian winter driving. If I ever sell my XKR I will suffer separation anxiety which I never experienced with the GTR. The GTR R35 is old and ugly, IMO. It is still based on an old steel chassis and body panels. Heck, Jaguar has been using aluminum chassis and panels for a long time. The new R36 hybrid is being designed by Nismo and should be out in 2017 or shortly after.

 

A buddy of mine works the preeminent GTR tuning place in New England. He has one and I can't imagine a car being much faster. The telemetry from the center screen is wicked. Funny, he said he swapped the seats in his car for the stock Recaro in my Evora. If you are into the whole AWD and tuner culture, this is the car to have. I guess I just don't need the absolute fastest car. I'll settle for not as fast, but better looking. I buy cars on looks first. They all go "A to B" at minimum. So cars just win your heart and soul, so do not no matter what the piece of paper says they'll do. The GTR falls into the later.

For 120K price range, I'd go for Vantage, Evora S, F Type, or 911 S. Depends how race car feeling you want it. You should test drive an Evora if you haven't already.

 

Funny you should mention the shape and the girls not being thrilled. My late wife liked the looks of the GTR a lot. However, when she found out that all the reviews commented on the harsh ride and loud road noise, she became less keen.

 

I actually dont mind the looks of the GTR. It looks menacing, rather than gorgeous. But the interior is woeful, I've been too spoiled to live with that.

 

IMHO, I'll take a Porsche TurboS any day of the week over a GTR. (yes I know we're talking more $$ virtually double the price) The GTR looks like the bottom portion of a hoover upright vacuum cleaner, for starters. YMMV, IMHO, and all that.

The XK/XKR cars are truly in a class all their own.

 

Just came back home with my daughter after her swimming class. We stopped in to get an ice cream at McDonalds and when we were walking out their must have been 10 guys drooling over the car. As I drove away all I could hear is OMG, OMG, Holy sh?t, etc. The XK/XKR turns a lot of heads from everyone. The GT-R is always mistaken for a Mustang. The XK/XKR is so elegant and will never be mistaken for a common car like the Mustang. I like both the GT-R and the XKR for different reasons.

 

The only problem with the Porsche is it's looks in my opinion remain somewhat generic. By that I mean, of course any of us car folks will know the difference, but to the average driver I don't think the difference between a $200,000 brand-new turbo s and an eight-year-old $50,000 used 911 is so pronounced.

Mind you, it's not that I don't like the 9/11 slugs, it's more that it doesn't inspire me. Any thoughts on any of the products from Lotus? Did they make anything with enough muscle to satisfy an ex- XKR owner?

While balance and racetrack preparedness is nice, I bias towards overpower & crushing acceleration, within limits. Handling is still very important, as his ride quality, silence, build quality, and rarity.

So Lotis certainly seems to meet many of those criteria but it was my understanding that their engines were generally smaller Toyota derived turbocharged engines that put out under 400 hp at the most. Additionally, I like a car that's safer than the average performance car. The lotuses always seemed very small, and with that engine in the middle, the whole package seems less safe than a full-sized GT car like the XKR or the gtr, also heavy (I think they weigh close to ours, right?).

And it's quite true, I remain very happy with the XKR. When clean and free of haze marks, the car draws looks and cameras come out just as before. Maybe waiting till 2017 and the next-generation GTR is the plan. Meanwhile, maybe up my daily driver for a Tesla if they go awd on the model S and can come close to a 3 second 0-60... It'd be a fun car at that speed...

Thanks,

Skeeter

 

I dare you to look at the back of a Chevy cobalt or 10 year old Malibu and still consider it without throwing up a little in your mouth...

 

Skeeter:

One drive in an Evora is all it takes; bring your Title and checkbook. There's nothing on the market in a similar price range that is anything like it. The ride is more comfy than the XK, the handling and steering feel is no contest to any similarly priced car. The brakes... wow! The whole package really has no competition IMO. A buddy just bought a 2014 Cayman S and that feels quite ordinary when driven side-by-side. He'd rather have the Evora, but Lotus can't compete to Porsche Financial Services (he wanted to lease).

I just put a Larini exhaust, test pipe, and BOE CAI and the car sounds like a moto gp engines are sitting behind my head! The Evora uses a Camry V6 which does not sound like a Camry I can assure you.

The Evora is like an S2000 and NSX put together in a British design. You won't be hung up on wanting more HP, if so, there is the Evora S. If the power is not enough, either you are just driving on straight roads or you are not driving it fast enough.

Another friend tunes GTR's and I gave him a ride last week and he had no idea it rode that nice.

 

The GTR will bend your mind with it's passionless, soul-less, digital, clinical performance.

Antonym: See Jaguar.

 

WOW,a mind bending experience and no drugs! No other car like it. I can't wait!
I'll miss my beloved work of art, Jaguar XKR. Damn Canadian winter...I need AWD and a car I'll feel comfortable in going to the ski hill--GTR AWD, works; Jaguar XKR, stays in garage.

 

I've driven a GTR at Talladega Gran Prix raceway. Stunning, near magical performance. You'll love it's abilities.

 

check out the Smoking Tire review on the XKR175. it is spot on.
warning tho, it is pretty crude....