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Coupes & Convertibles Nissan GT-R Article Comments - 2009 Nissan GT-R vs. 2008 Porsche 911 Turbo
990 messages, Last post on Sep 05, 2009 at 6:04 AM
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2009 Nissan GT-R vs. 2008 Porsche 911 Turbo - Balance and body control of the GT-R are extraordinary through faster, bumpy bends that will have the 911 unsettled enough to make the driver lose confidence. I had a number of heart-in-mouth moments in the Turbo trying to keep up with the GT-R, even with the Porsche's suspension set to its harder Sport setting. (more)
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Replying to: habitat1 (Dec 16, 2007 4:09 am) Porsche GT3 and Chevrolet Corvette Z06 -- two better cars that are lighter, more competent, weigh over 500 pounds less, are true exotics, and cost just a little more than the tested cars. Then you said, In fact, the GT3 runs about $20k less than the 911 Turbo. And, if I'm not mistaken, the Corvette Z06 well less than the GT-R. It's good to know that you still recognise that the Porsche GT3 and Chevrolet Corvette Z06 are two better cars that are lighter, more competent, weigh over 500 pounds less, and are true exotics. ...My bad on the 911 turbo being the more expensive car... 
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Replying to: chrmdome (Dec 16, 2007 7:39 pm) "The Porsche 911 is the epitome of flawlessness. As you rev the 6-cylinder engine, 400 horsepower howl with the sonorous notes of the London Symphony Orchestra right up to its Grand Teton-like 7,000 RPM limit. The car rockets down the road with poise comparable to a F-30 Tomcat fighterplane, with composure that is utterly flawless and superb. The utterly flawless, superb and poised Corinthian leather interior has such a high standard of craftsmanship, we wondered if the hides were hand-stitched by the Amish. The utterly poised and flawless vinyl padding on the dash was so convincingly like real leather, the only way we could tell it was fake was by taking a switchblade knife to it. You can feel every tooth meshing in the utterly flawless gear shifter, and the shifter itself seems as if it glides on Teflon-coated bearings that are flawlessly wrapped in Chinese silk. The steering? Utterly superb and telepathic, of course; as if the car was being powered by a hitherto unforknown force of some sort -- very eerie. Not to mention the surgeon-precise way the steering carves this phonomenal jewel of German automotive engineering down the road. It really is as if Luke Skywalker is using the Force to make this car carve through the twisty stuff. Braking? Utterly flawless, superb, poised and composed, as if Godzilla's own Mechanic made the humungous, 13" cross-drilled steel brake rotors that, of course, did not fade during our brief stay with the car -- visualise a $350 million Japanese MAGLEV train, only this time the MAGLEV is stopping rather than starting. The brakes are that good." I knew you'd like this utterly superb, composed, flawless and dare I say poised review I found! 
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Replying to: pmc4 (Dec 17, 2007 9:49 pm) Sir, thank you for posting everything that I knew was true about Porsche. Interesting that Godzilla has been brought into the limelight again... you didn't state who was making these illustrious group of comments...since Gozilla and the Japanese were mentioned it was probably the designers and engineers at Nissan. Thanks again! Chromedome |
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Replying to: hsquared (Dec 17, 2007 7:22 pm) Nissan's sales of the 350Z have steadily declined over the past 4 years from over 35,000 to less than 17,000. This from a mass production car that was intended to sell 50,000+ units per year. But regardless of sales volumes, I just find it odd that Nissan is trying to market a GT-R against a 911 Turbo when the 350Z looks like an uninspired land yacht compared to a innovative, ground up Honda S2000. It's as though they want to play in the Major Leagues, when they certainly haven't impressed me with their ability at the single "A" level. Especially when one of their biggest obstacles in A ball - excess weight - is still abundantly evident and apparantly unrecognized by their trainers (i.e. engineers) as a problem.
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Replying to: habitat1 (Dec 19, 2007 2:21 pm) I thought we were talking about the GT-R. I'm not sure what 350Z sales have to do with anything. "But regardless of sales volumes, I just find it odd that Nissan is trying to market a GT-R against a 911 Turbo when the 350Z looks like an uninspired land yacht compared to a innovative, ground up Honda S2000. It's as though they want to play in the Major Leagues, when they certainly haven't impressed me with their ability at the single "A" level. Especially when one of their biggest obstacles in A ball - excess weight - is still abundantly evident and apparantly unrecognized by their trainers (i.e. engineers) as a problem. " Again with the 350Z. Check edmunds latest test of the GT-R. I think you'd have to be pretty biased the call the GT-R's performance "uninspired". The looks, now that may be a different story. As for the GT-R being marketed against the 911 Turbo, I think you're confusing a maketing ploy with marketing. I'll say again, there's no way Nissan is banking on stealing die hard Porsche fans. This whole thing is just saying "Hey, all you people out there who admire the set up(awd, 400+hp) and performance of the 911 turbo, but aren't willing or able to spend six figures to get it. We have something you may want to take a look at." Nissan knows this car doesn't have the history or snob appeal of a Porsche. But with the press that the GT-R has been receiving; the Nurburgring lap; the kinds of numbers that edmunds posted in their "full test" of the car; it's hard to bet against Nissan reaching or exceeding any well thought out sales projections for this car, at least for the first year.
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Replying to: hsquared (Dec 19, 2007 3:21 pm) Your comment regarding the " Snob Appeal " of Porsche is quite interesting. I have been a Porsche owner since 1976 when I started my career. At that time , I certainly could not afford to be a "snob ". Now , 32 years later and quite successful, I could care less what you think about me owning a 997 C2S. I do find that a few people stare at me and I find it very uncomfortable. I bought the car for me not for you so..... you and your Nissan and Corvette buddies, please stop obsessing over my car, enjoy yours. Thanks Chromedome
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Replying to: chrmdome (Dec 20, 2007 12:40 pm) Chromedome, your defensiveness regarding my comment is quite interesting. My statement about Porsches having snob appeal doesn't mean the they appeal only to snobs. Congrats on your success by the way, you feeling the need to throwing that in is also quite interesting. Stop obsessing over your car? Do I even know you? Nissan and Corvette buddies? You're kidding me, right? Guy, you're taking all this way to seriously. Don't let the GT-R hype get to you. There's no need to be insecure about your purchase. You're happy with it, right? Let that be enough. By the way, have you check out edmunds full test of the GT-R? Interesting stuff. |
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| and dispense with the personal comments. Thanks. | |
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Replying to: hsquared (Dec 19, 2007 3:21 pm) First line of that article: "We know you want the numbers and we're not going to waste your time. Neither is Nissan." I'll grant you, on paper, the GT-R numbers look impressive. But my point regarding the 350Z comparison was that its "numbers" also look respectable compared to the Boxster, Cayman or S2000. But the qualitative side of how it performs and feels is, frankly, miserable, compared to those others, with a big factor being its grossly excessive weight. The GT-R appears to share this obesity. I can't intelligently offer anything more until I get behind the wheel of a GT-R myself. But "numbers" have never told the whole story for me. Nor are the the reviews by testosterone laden kids that think "launch control" is between nirvana and sheer heaven in automotive technology. By the time you cycle through that B.S., my old Datsun B210 GX would have taken off and made it to 60 mph quicker. And, by the way, I say that about the 911 Turbo tiptronic as well as the GTR. Just give me a 6-speed manual that just goes without playing video games. I got a call last night from a friend who heard we were building a new house. First thing he wanted to know, "how many square feet?" I refused to answer. Frank Lloyd Wright Prairie style architecture, mahogany windows, natural stone exterior, Brazilian cherry floors, etc. and he kept asking, "how many square feet". I still haven't answered him. I could have told him we were building a vinyl sided box Mcmansion with 7 bedrooms, 6 baths and 7,000 square feet and he would have pissed his pants with envy. Pitiful. But now I'm really digressing. If you find the "numbers" of the GT-R impressive reading Edmunds or magazine reviews of the GT-R, good for you. And as I conceded, they "look" impressive. But I can tell you from experience behind the wheel that the only number you need to know about the 350Z is that it is 500+ lbs overweight. And you will have to excuse me for connecting the family-gene dots when I see the "Nissan" GT-R coming in at nearly 2 tons. I could be wrong, but I won't know from reading the Edmunds review. It will take some seat time behind the wheel.
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Replying to: habitat1 (Dec 21, 2007 4:21 am)
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