2009 Nissan GT-R Review

Technically, the 2009 Nissan GT-R isn't a Skyline -- that distinction now belongs to what we know as the Infiniti G series, which is marketed as the Nissan Skyline in Japan. But we suspect that this distinction will be of little matter. From its familiar twin-turbocharged engine and all-wheel-drive layout to its telltale circular taillights, there's no mistaking the new Nissan for anything but a modern-day Skyline GT-R.

Of course, the big deal for Americans is that the 2009 GT-R marks the first time that this legendary performance car will be officially sold stateside. We also happen to be getting the best one yet; the great-granddaddy of the new GT-R, the "Godzilla" R32 Skyline GT-R produced from 1989-'93, was designed to equal the performance of the iconic Porsche 959. Nissan's benchmark for the 2009 GT-R? The mighty Porsche 997-series 911 Turbo.

That's a tall order under any circumstances, but Nissan's President and CEO, Carlos Ghosn, sent the degree of difficulty skyrocketing when he agreed to green-light the GT-R project on two conditions: first, the base price had to be about $70,000; and second, the car had to be profitable, i.e., not merely an image-boosting "halo car" that would be sold at a loss. Improbably, the GT-R has succeeded on all counts. Ghosn's conditions have been met, and we can confirm that the 2009 Nissan GT-R is indeed a match for its Bavarian benchmark at the track. Never before has such stratospheric factory performance been available at such a reasonable price; in fact, you'd have to look long and hard to match the GT-R's performance at any price.

How does the GT-R do it? As far as that bargain-basement price tag is concerned, we'd put it down to a mixture of modern mass-production techniques and magic. Performance-wise, the gnarly Nissan has a long list of co-conspirators to thank, among them a 473-horsepower twin-turbocharged V6, a thoroughly revised version of the previous GT-R's ATTESA ET-S all-wheel-drive system, a trick suspension with adjustable dampers and a dual-clutch transmission that ranks right up there with the best in the business.

Demerits are few and mostly insignificant next to the GT-R's colossal capabilities. First off, the car is a bit heavy given its sporting mission, tipping the scales at 3,800-plus pounds -- but in light of the GT-R's physics-defying cornering ability, who cares? Probably the only time owners will really notice the extra weight is at the pump, and folks who buy 473-hp sports cars aren't likely to lose sleep over a few miles per gallon. Likewise, the angular exterior styling isn't for everyone -- but then, when a $70,000 car can get you to 60 mph faster than any Ferrari or Lamborghini currently in production, does it really matter how it looks? At the end of the day, the only unequivocal complaint we can lodge against the GT-R is that it lacks a manual transmission option. As good as the GT-R's exclusive automated manual is, you can still shift many competing models the old-fashioned way if you want, and we wish the same were true of the GT-R.

© Source: edmunds
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