Finally drove a gtr extensively

[Prophizee]

I know this has been done 1000 times and i know ill get heat for it but i can manage lol. Anyway I had friend loan me his 2010 GTR for a whole day, I drove it about 80 miles. Did not do any track time with it but i did drive it in different roads, highways etc. This is my second review my first one was the bmw vs the ISF.

GTR
Exterior
First and fore most the car in imho looks great i know a lot of people feel that it isn't very pretty but think it is. I think it looks menacing and purposeful. I love the wheels the lines etc.
Interior
Nothing compared to the M3 or other cars in this price range. The interior looked cheap the only cool thing was the navigation screen that told you all the different aspects of the car. Seats were comfortable but not great wasn't to impressed
Performance
This is where i think i fell out love with the GTR. Now everyone is going to say omg what your an idiot, FU etc etc. But even though the power is brutal, and punishing the car just didn't have any soul; the engine note was far from great, the steering feel was eh; nothing to write home about. Now I am very personal about what cars my family owns and what cars I own, but I have tracked many high caliber performance cars and I know how to drive and what a great car feels like and the gtr does not pass these tests. But with all these negatives said you cannot ignore the power of the GTR and the engine, it is a marvel to behold. But just like anything in life one great thing doesn't make something great. Its a complete package that makes something great and the car does not posses that.
Conclusion
In the end of the day I would still buy a GTR over most of the cars i have owned. It doesn't matter if the car has no soul or feel, it still feels special. Every time I sat in it or got out of it and looked over my rear shoulder it made me smile. Every time i floored it I laughed and every time I was weaving trough a country road with many twists and turns I wanted to keep driving. So in the end that what makes the GTR such a good car not its steering feel not its soullessness but just how it makes you feel when you do drive it. It makes you feel special and thats what car is supposed to make you feel like, In the end thats all that matters.

Final thought
Before I post this thread one more thought creeped into my head. With all the things I said positive of the GTR i can say about my m3 as well. Which makes me realize why I always loved the M3 because every time i sit in it or look over my shoulder I smile and that what makes the M3 an M3 its just an epic thing to have and we are all lucky to have such an outstanding car.

[Kyoshi71]

Originally Posted by Prophizee

Every time I sat in it or got out of it and looked over my rear shoulder it made me smile. Every time i floored it I laughed and every time I was weaving trough a country road with many twists and turns I wanted to keep driving.

So how then do you say it has no soul? You're trying too hard to look like a journalist.

[ajvee]

Great review! All good cars deserve their due.

On a side note, as I read the end of your review, I remembered that I drove to work in my M, and it put a big smile on my face in anticipation of the drive back

[UnaBomber]

The no soul comment always makes me laugh. I guess i just dont get it and never will

not only does the GTR have soul IMO it has personality also

[dcgolfdr]

Originally Posted by UnaBomber

The no soul comment always makes me laugh. I guess i just dont get it and never will

not only does the GTR have soul IMO it has personality also

+1
sounds like mumblings of all the cars I blow by on the track. "Damn soulless GTR in my rearview again, Oh wow look how much grip he has around that turn! I wonder if I can do that? Wow, look at him go! Shit, here he is again!!"

Whether it has soul or not, it is an absolute blast to drive and that's what it is all about.

[Prophizee]

Originally Posted by dcgolfdr

+1
sounds like mumblings of all the cars I blow by on the track. "Damn soulless GTR in my rearview again, Oh wow look how much grip he has around that turn! I wonder if I can do that? Wow, look at him go! Shit, here he is again!!"

Whether it has soul or not, it is an absolute blast to drive and that's what it is all about.

I hundred percent agree idk if you read the whole review but on the conclusion i stated it doesnt matter if it has soul or not its a hell of a car and deserves praise in every aspect lol.

[mark896]

The ONLY thing that kept me from buying a GT-R was the maintenance costs--too scary for me.

[FormulaMMM]

Originally Posted by mark896

The ONLY thing that kept me from buying a GT-R was the maintenance costs--too scary for me.

Love the M3, but +1 really. Still haven't forgotten my track ride in a cobb tuned version w/ Eisenmann. I was feelin' the soul..

[CPB]

Traded a 2010 GTR for the M3. Just wanted to try something new. Still a big GTR fan and look forward to another one in the future.

[dawgdog]

I went out with two friends in their 2011 and 2012 GTRs last week at the Ridge Motorsports Park. We enter the track flat out and the car just shoves you back and you feel it in your gut. And it is so fast. My M3 is well set up and I can drive, but where I was hitting 145 the GTR was 160. I was given the keys and drove on some back roads and my God that car is easy to drive fast. I don't know about the soul issue, I would love to own one.

The downside is that my M3 feels so small and nimble in comparison. I just want about 50 more HP!

[Grail05]

Originally Posted by Kyoshi71

So how then do you say it has no soul? You're trying too hard to look like a journalist.

I will quote the OP "its a devils car"...

Originally Posted by mark896

The ONLY thing that kept me from buying a GT-R was the maintenance costs--too scary for me.

to be honest its not different than any other cars... the only thing you need to worry is the brakes and tires, but that all depends on how you drive. Test drove the car several times before and after getting my M3... and in the end i still decided to keep the M3... its just luxury and buying a GTR for me was just a waste if you dont track the car which was meant to be.

oil change cost 230 at the dealer... and you dont really need anything other than an oil change then overhaul all fluids at 30 k miles not on the manual but thats what i would do. and plus if you do the DIY job saves you $$$$$$$$

I just did all my Fluid on my M3

Tranny
Engine
Diff
Brake

dealer price close to $1500-1800 was quoted..

DIY price... $352

[THE TECH]

I'd love to try one out.

[CSMRX7]

I currently own both a 2009 GTR and a 2008 ESS SC M3.

The GTR is great and mind boggling, and very easy to drive fast. The problem I have with it is that it doesn't feel rewarding. Because it is so planted it doesn't feel dynamic, and because of this I quite often prefer the M3. The M3 rides better, is quieter, and can be suttle when needed. The GTR can't.

That being said the GTR is an unbelievable car, and faster than the M3 both in a straight and in the corners, but I actually prefer the M3.

[DARK_M3]

I wouldn't mind trying a GTR out as well although I would probably end up agreeing with the OP in the end.

[THE TECH]

Originally Posted by DARK_M3

I wouldn't mind trying a GTR out as well although I would probably end up agreeing with the OP in the end.

Yeah I thought so.

[konaforever]

I can see why people think the GTR is soulless. It's so easy to drive and the limits are so high. You reallly need to take it to the track or autocross to enjoy the full capabilities.

[weaksauce]

Originally Posted by UnaBomber

The no soul comment always makes me laugh. I guess i just dont get it and never will

not only does the GTR have soul IMO it has personality also

Go borrow someone's Lexus if you want to understand the meaning of a soulless car!

[Nine]

I'm sure the GTR has soul but I think because the GTR is the car equavalent of a perfectionist it is absent traditional character or quirks, seems like a menacing car that is by design supposed to hit 10/10 in all performance categories. I think for the engineers, the interior was an after thought, they were exhausted from perfecting everything else. For this reason, I see the GTR more as a tool, less as an enthusiasts traditional sports car or auto niche car that most owners are used to.

Ironically the soul of the GT-R has always been winning races, the GT-R line, Skylines and so forth have always been class leaders and over achievers. Especially in the aftermarket.

Calling a car without soul is a bit odd to me, maybe it didn't speak to you, but the GT-R has soul, it's just bored with you driving at speeds under 70mph.

[SamS]

Originally Posted by Nine

I think for the engineers, the interior was an after thought, they were exhausted from perfecting everything else.

They'll fix the interior and tweak the exterior styling for the next gen (which will of course be even faster). Then what will everyone bitch about?

[dawgdog]

Originally Posted by CSMRX7

I currently own both a 2009 GTR and a 2008 ESS SC M3.

The GTR is great and mind boggling, and very easy to drive fast. The problem I have with it is that it doesn't feel rewarding. Because it is so planted it doesn't feel dynamic, and because of this I quite often prefer the M3. The M3 rides better, is quieter, and can be suttle when needed. The GTR can't.

That being said the GTR is an unbelievable car, and faster than the M3 both in a straight and in the corners, but I actually prefer the M3.

Well said. Still wouldn't mind owning one and tracking it.

[DARK_M3]

Originally Posted by THE TECH

Yeah I thought so.

Haha... I love cars so much, I could probably overlook the styling to experience the G's

[THE TECH]

Originally Posted by DARK_M3

Haha... I love cars so much, I could probably overlook the styling to experience the G's

I don't mind the styling. Wish our cars came close to it's performance.