[signes]

Was just tooling around for a few minutes to get a feel then jumped on it... goddamn is that thing fast! Haven't driven a high power turbo car in a long time and was shocked by how brutal the acceleration was. The car gains speed so quickly...and the sensation of speed (or more accurately acceleration) is obviously helped by the turbo lag/boost. This is especially true given where I live - at 5200ft the S65 loses a lot to a boosted engine. Overall was very impressed by the car's performance, handling, and braking.

The downsides... For what looks like such a big car, it felt pretty cramped on the inside and the high belt line doesn't help. Quality of interior fit and finish are not BMW standard but not bad. This was an 09 so maybe they have improved things in successive years, esp the '12s. Also seemed pretty loud between intake noise, exhaust drone and clutch rattle (this was much louder than the M3.) The tranny seemed pretty clunky/unsophisticated. I am sure I didn't have some settings right, but downshifts weren't terribly smooth unless you were really on it and pulling away in first was a little jerky. To be clear, I drove an SMG equipped M3 for 5 years and am one of the few to prefer that box over a dual clutch set up. The Nissan version just didn't seem as polished. And don't get me started about the fixed paddles...

Will need to take it out a bit longer to see if I would switch, but I am seriously tempted. Maybe the most striking thing apart from the brutality of the power was how taut/sharp/focused the GT-R is and how soft the M3 is in comparison. Not ripping on the M3 as I am amazed at how livable the car is for how much performance you get, but driving the GT-R helped provide a reminder for how far in luxury/comfort the M3 has moved compared to a more pure sports car.