GTR Test drive [Now with pics on page 8]

[Dr Forinor 0]

Hehe, yes 165mph I meant, edited now :D

 

When I first drove the car, when I couldnt put the foot down, when I couldnt feel the full force of the 500bhp, it intimidated me purely because of the reason I have never owned a car as quick as that. The quickest car I have owned is my Corrado, which isn't exactly fast realistically speaking.

 

So for that reason, I was a little scared of putting the foot down, whether I would be able to control it or not, do I have what it takes to be able to exploit that power. Now obviously it's a playstation in that you point and squirt, it goes, but there is still some skill involved when you are going the speeds it can do around bends but the confidence it gives you is brilliant.

 

You get some people who just push the car straight away, and become very good at it really quick. I'm the type of guy who takes his time with a new car, takes it slower than pushing it straightaway, gets to know the car properly first and then takes his time pushing the car further each time, it's just the way I am.

 

Knowing that and keeping in mind I was apprehensive about putting the foot down in a straight line, I'm already contemplating putting the VDC (the GTR's "ESP" system) into Race mode. Now for me to be thinking about that already, that's saying a HUGE amount for the car!!!

 

I will try and make another attempt, on this private road, tonight 8)

[Dr Forinor 0]

I keep forgetting this car is predominantly a RWD,car & usually only is a 4WD if it understeers & I'm still taking some getting used to adjusting. I've never really driven any RWD car hard for any length of period.

 

The suspension in Race mode is excellent, I find myself going for that everytime I want to push the car, I keep it in Comfort mode around town though.

 

The Transmission mode I also find myself putting it into Race mode, the gearchanges in manual are just so much quicker & more 'YESSIR RIGHT AWAY SIR".

 

Now, the VDC, this is what i was a little anxious of going into Race mode from Normal mode. Normal mode is nanny mode, Race mode lets you play a little. Keeping mind I don't have a lot of experience in a RWD car, & the fastest car I have owned is the Corrado (which is very close to standard), I think you can understand my apprehension.

 

But tonight I felt it was the right time to put it into Race mode. I went over a road which isnt the smoothest, in Normal mode, the car unsettled, the computers kicked in & cut out the power even though I had the foot down, really REALLY didnt like that, which is what prompted me to try Race mode. Left all the other settings the same but VDC into Race, went over the same road, & the computers hardly kicked in at all! RESULT!!! THAT made me happy!

 

I've always maintained I dont want any computers dictating when & how much power I can have, I am the driver, I will dictate if & how much power I want going to the road. And within reason, the VDC in Race does exactly that. Even in a straight line, the car feels quicker with VDC in Race.

 

With those 3 settings in Normal mode, the car is good, with them in Race mode (or with the VDC off), now THATS the car that the reviews rave on about!

[Dr Forinor 0]

Erm I have managed 1700miles in just over 4 weeks, and my annual limit is 8k, who sees that happening then? :( :cuckoo: :nono:

[Dr Forinor 0]

The car is a big HEAVY car and it lets you know that if you're not too careful :bonk:

 

Going around bends with the suspension even in "Normal" mode the car is a little soft if you're pushing it, and with it in "Race" mode, it's definitely better but I would probably want it even stiffer, but then I suppose that's taking into account rough roads aswell when in Race mode

[Dr Forinor 0]

I think people are getting bored with this thread now but I thought I'd ask anyway just in case someone was interested.

 

It was away getting detailed and I'll be picking it up later today so it should be nice and shiny.

Would anyone like me to post up more pictures?

[Jim 1]

Not bored at all.. keep it coming, pics and all :)

[8vMatt 1]

Again, not bored in the least. Enjoy reading about life in the GTR fast lane :notworthy:

 

BUT........we need lots of pics of everything to do with the car :norty:

 

Good on ya having such a great car, hope you've not experienced any envy coming your way?

[Wullie 1]

Not boring at all. I love having someone to really hate just out of total jealousy.

[dan 0]

fascinating stuff mate :clap:

[Dr Forinor 0]

Went on a wee road trip to Fort Wiliam, absolutely amazing roads to drive on, I'm sure for those of you who have been there know what I'm talking about.

 

A889 onto A86 and then the A82 to Fort William. In the wet, so wasnt pushing it hard as might have otherwise (still dont know the car and it's limits yet), mostly 3rd & 4th gear bends not letting the revs rise more than 5k, a few 2nd gear corners but not many, some 5th gear straights. Even so, was hitting some silly speeds.

 

The car is fairly neutral, you can feel the back end giving you grip, keep on the throttle partially (even before you hit the apex) and it's still very controllable. As soon as you've hit the apex, plant the mofo and it throws you out of the bend!

 

The brakes once warmed up are excellent, not once did I think that I needed better brakes, keeping in mind at some points I was braking from 110mph, no brake fade at all over a distance of 30miles. They are very good fast road brakes but I dont think they would be up to the job of doing some flat out work on a track. Plus the fact it was wet, I was probably being a little more gentle with them than possibly in the dry.

 

The transmission, WOW, is all I have to say! Whack, whack, down the gears as soon as you hit the paddle! It's almost as if the car knows you're needing the gears guickly! If you put the tramission in Race mode and are going slowly and want instant changes, it sometimes hesitates, this is around town speeds. But I've noticed, the transmission in Race mode and you're actually going some, it does not let you down! I dont care how good you are at changing gears manually in the shortest shifting box, you cant change as quickly down as this gearbox can.

 

I know the car had a whole lot more to offer in terms of everything, brakes, gearbox and engine. I was nowhere near the limit of the transmission oil temp limits and the engine, well I didnt go to the redline and I didnt use 6th gear once.

 

The tyres on it are good. I had a couple of "oh crap" moments but on the whole, have no real complaints with them.

 

Obviously not getting to the limits of the car everything is kosher, but even taking that into consideration, me and my passenger both had "achy" necks afterwards, so there were G forces involved.

 

Can't wait to go there again and hopefully it'll be dry the next time I go.

 

On the 300mile round trip, with around 70ish miles of it being "going some", I got 22mpg (calculated manually, money on fuel versus miles done).

 

 

 

EDIT: My passenger, who is actually "Corrado_Addict" on here said he would do a writeup of the trip aswell, will get him to post his thoughts up here.

[Danny B 0]

Thats brilliant mate, it must be nice to know your car has so much more to give and you cannot just jump in and put it on the limit.

 

R8 and GTR thundered past me yesterday on the A3.....I was motoring but they looked like they were hardly breaking a sweat :( ........ :epicfail:

[Dr Forinor 0]

Thats the thing, even going some but still nowhere near the limit, the car can still scare you and travel a huge distance in a very very short space of time.

 

I dont know if you remember in the Top Gear episode where Clarkson said the car changes direction quicker than electricity, it really does change direction like a housefly! The car gives you a HUGE buzz and I was probably pushing it about 75-80% if I were to put a figure on it.

[-Neil- 0]

have you attached a keychain cam to your bumper yet

[Dr Forinor 0]

have you attached a keychain cam to your bumper yet

 

You know when I had finished that 30mile stint, when we got to Fort William, THATS when I remembered about it :cuckoo: :censored: :bad-words:

 

I was seriously pissed off! So I can only apologise for being forgetful mate :(

[Dr Forinor 0]

Here's what "Corrado_Addict" wrote about our trip, on another forum;

 

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The Nissan GTR - 1st Hand Experience

 

I remember when I 1st seen a concept photo of what would be the next Skyline back when I was younger and having been a big fan of Skyline's and Japanese cars in general it was something that I had hoped to maybe one day see on the roads. Most concept car's that manufacturer's display never really make it into production and well I took it for what it was, a concept car and left it at that. Lets not forget that was a long time ago and technology has moved on so rapidly and the current crop of perfomance cars have become bombarded with electronics, double clutch gearboxes and all the other bits and bobs that manufacturers love to go on about, now I'm more of an analogue chap living in a digital world, well when it comes too driving anyway! I hate the thought of changing gear with a paddle, I hate the thought of a pre-programmed blip matching the revs for me, traction control, stability management all of that modern day wizardry that performance cars have these days.

 

Bearing all this in mind my recent experience of a good friend's GTR changed my mind (a little) about this technology, picture the scene.......

 

Its the early hours of the morning when the sun is starting too rise, doped up on red bull and a packet of monster munch. A trip too Fort William is on the cards, its been raining, quite heavily. All the ingredients to leave the suspension in comfort mode and enjoy an early morning drive without the hassle of traffic, however thats not the case, suspension out of comfort mode into normal mode, transmission into race mode.....you can see where this is going can't you?

 

My 1st feelings were this could go very very badly wrong, I felt very nervous not to the point where I was scared but that very nervous and tense feeling you get on a rollercoaster just as it makes its ascent into the sky. But knowing your in one of thee best performance cars money can buy that didn't take long too dissapear, even on wet roads the GTR corners at speeds the majority of motorists wouldn't ever see in the dry let alone on a wet scottish country road on the dullest of mornings! The GTR takes away the nervous feelings and throws them away, stringing together corner after corner with amazing pace, it's sheer relentless acceleration that this modern day 3.8 litre twin turbocharged engine can deliver, my feelings of this could go very badly turn too bloody hell this is very very quick, without knowing it I had a smile on my face, I hadn't slept more than a couple of hours for nearly 2 days yet I was as wide awake as I ever have been. Corner after corner, bend after bend it just goes on and on! The brakes haul you down like you simply would not believe, the seat belt locking you in tight as you fly round the next bend and once again woosh your off, riding on another wave of turbo whistle and exhaust roar. Its something that you have too experience but yet it also left me with the same niggling doubts about the car.

 

I take absolutely nothing away from the engineering that has gone into this car, it changes direction so quickly and with such agility, it powers out of bends with a smooth power delivery with sheer grunt, but yet I still think the car lacks character. Its too capable, its so efficient that it leaves you feeling slightly empty. The GTR would be happy doing that all day long, day after day, month after month, year after year but it just lacks that real thril factor in my personal opinion. The EVO journalist Chris Harris said "It does everything for you" and that for me is the final whistle.

 

So too sum things up, yes the GTR is an absolute formidable machine and still to this day fends off its chasing rivals but it lacks that real character that a pure drivers car has, I'm not for one moment taking anything away from the GTR's capabilities that would be insane of anyone but for me its a victim of its own engineering. However in those driving conditions with such a machine, I would hate to be the guy behind trying too keep up!

 

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[big ben 10]

good read...

 

i to would love to have a go in one but couldnt see myslef owning one, might have to book a cheeky track day soon so that might change my mind :D

[Kevin Bacon 5]

It's funny how us men can barely string a sentence together when talking to our missus's, and yet we can reel off 2 sides of A4 when it comes to cars? :lol:

 

Awesome reads, keep it coming!

 

I dont care how good you are at changing gears manually in the shortest shifting box, you cant change as quickly down as this gearbox can.

 

It's amazing how quickly you adapt to DSG isn't it? Aside from stamping on an imaginary clutch pedal when you first get in the car, I find the new DSG boxes are so seamless, so smooth, so effective and so integral to the driving experience that you forget all about stick shifts 100 yards down the road. I think it's because you don't lose anything with DSG. With a traditional slush box you're constantly aware of the engine note rising and falling as it tries to find a ratio and you notice the lack of acceleration, but with DSG it's all the convenience of slush, but with none of the loss of performance!

It's certainly set to be one of those "How do I survive without it before?" type gadgets :D

 

Anyway, glad you're still enjoying the car mate. Sounds like it's a keeper!

[Dr Forinor 0]

It's funny how us men can barely string a sentence together when talking to our missus's, and yet we can reel off 2 sides of A4 when it comes to cars? :lol:

 

Awesome reads, keep it coming!

 

It's funny you say that, anything to do with anything else, i can't be @ssed talking, come to cars and then you've got me started!!

 

I'm just gutted (not only for you guys but for myself aswell, cos it would have been a great keeper of a video!) that I didnt get it all on the keychain cam, it really was one trip that was amazing. Very early morning (4am-ish), wet conditions and no other car about!

 

Corrado Addict has a better way with words than I do and can convey the feeling, the emotions better, so I'm glad he was there with me to relay his side aswell.

 

Definitely one that I think i will have for a while and, just like the Corrado, modify to suit me as the time goes by :)

 

 

The Corrado definitely doesn't have the reach that GTR does, obviously, but on a "purer driving pleasure", the Corrado has it beat. There is a whole lot more magic going on in the Corrado even at very low speeds. In order to extract this same level of magic from the GTR, you have to go a fair bit quicker, but it does reward.

[Dr Forinor 0]

Hehehe, the chaps over at the GTR forum are fairly annoyed that I'm comparing a 15yr old car to a brand new supercar top of its game... :lol: :roll:

[big ben 10]

it may be 15 years old but its a better looking car :wink:

[Dr Forinor 0]

They don't seem to think so... :lol:

[pete_griff 0]

just been reading this thread - very very envious, but also very pleased for you at the same time.

 

i've been priviledged enough to own/drive some very nice cars, but i can't describe how much i want to get out in one of these!

 

good for you you're enjoying it as much as you are - still looking forward to my first test drive! :)

[Kevin Bacon 5]

Hehehe, the chaps over at the GTR forum are fairly annoyed that I'm comparing a 15yr old car to a brand new supercar top of its game... :lol: :roll:

 

Bah, they're just jealous the Corrado has stood the test of time and people still love them :lol:

 

I think the GTR looks nice from all angles except the back, for the reason you already know about :D

[Dr Forinor 0]

One guy commented...

 

I had a VR6 Golf and for 6mths a VR6 Corrado Storm, nice cars in the day but even then not a show stopper. Today you wouldn't even look twice at them.

 

I have no clue what magic your on about, only thing ever worth talking about was the 2.8/2.9 engine, gearbox was terrible and so was the handling.

 

:roll:

[Kevin Bacon 5]

One guy commented...

 

I had a VR6 Golf and for 6mths a VR6 Corrado Storm, nice cars in the day but even then not a show stopper. Today you wouldn't even look twice at them.

 

I have no clue what magic your on about, only thing ever worth talking about was the 2.8/2.9 engine, gearbox was terrible and so was the handling.

 

:roll:

 

Thing is though, it's easy to look back on those cars as pants when you currently have a GTR! I also think his judgement of the Corrado's handling is perhaps clouded by also owning a Golf VR6, which *did* have terrible handling!

 

I've never had an issue with my gearbox, so I don't know what he's on about with that.