What a Difference a Letter Makes

by Joe LaMuraglia
GT is short for “Gran Turismo” and no, it isn’t just a video game. It is Italian for “grand touring” and when applied to vehicles it is meant to mean a powerful, comfortable long-distance cruiser. At some point during the past three decades, automotive brands of various lineage adopted the “GT” moniker and slapped it onto everything from econo-boxes to station wagons with the hope that it would make them sound sportier. Sadly, because of this overzealous adoption of “GT”, its true meaning has been lost, perhaps forever.

Then along came Nissan. The brand wasn’t immune the “GT” fever but happily their initial iteration and its various strains have been unique and with an additional letter; .
In 1969 the Japanese brand put a powerful motor in their mainstream sedan and the GT-R was born. It came and went and was re-introduced in the Japanese market but it never officially made it to the U.S. until the 2009 model year. Arriving on our shores with 480 horsepower, AWD and a whole lot of attitude, it fulfilled the dreams of automotive journalists and geeks alike. I had the opportunity to spend a weekend with a 2010 GT-R. It is amazing what a difference one letter makes.

is for Racing
The Nissan GT-R is what they call a Halo car in the auto business. Nissan won’t sell thousands of them and will most likely lose money on each one it sells but it is a showcase of everything that the brand stands for – its rolling DNA if you will.
The GT-R is a racing machine that you can ostensibly live with on a daily basis. It has set records for speed on the famous Nürburgring in Germany – something we’d never be able to duplicate – and its adjustable suspension and AWD supposedly make it suitable for year-round trips to the store and even, gasp, commuting. We set out on a long weekend to test the latter.

is for Rapid
The 2010 Nissan GT-R has a 3.8-liter twin-turbo V6 engine that delivers 485 hp to all four wheels via a 6-speed, dual-clutch transmission. Yes, that is 5 more horsepower than last year. I guess the Nissan engineers follow the adage of “if it ain’t broke, make it better”. To describe the car as fast is a gross understatement. It simply launches forward seemingly at the thought of pressing of the accelerator. If it were any faster, it might bend space and time.

To put it into geek terms, it takes 3.5 seconds to get to 60 MPH from a standstill. To put it into more mundane verbiage, it’ll make your passengers scream with glee or terror, depending on the traffic situation.
I made my colleague Miriam scream when I took her on a quick spin here in NYC. She didn’t realize that while we were approaching the taxis on the West Side highway at light speed, I had massive Brembo brakes at my disposal that drag the GT-R to a halt almost as quickly as the engine thrusts it to speed. Not sure Miriam will be riding with me again any time soon.

is for Refined
On a weekend trip to Cape Cod, I accidentally hit triple digits (there was a one, a two and a five involved) three or twenty times. It isn’t hard to do in the GT-R and I was amazed at how easily it occurred as well as how a pleasant, controlled experience it is. I felt in total control at all times and came to terms quickly with the fact that the GT-R was a beast at my command – never the other way around.
The cockpit is put together with high quality materials and everything you touch is luxurious. Nissan’s luxo brand Infiniti could go shopping at the GT-R store for some ideas. The adjustable suspension in Comfort mode gave a smooth (for a sports car) ride on well-paved roads and just about every electronic gizmo is available for the driver.
I say “just about” because I did find a few minor complaints. Missing were a rear-view camera and automatic lights. I know, I know, I sound like a prima donna but if they really want to make the car for “anyone all the time” these things are important. If I shelled out $84K for a car, I would be paranoid about backing up and I’ll be damned if I want to worry about leaving my lights on.

Another complaint was the positioning of the heated seat switch. I couldn’t find it for two days. Its position on the outer side of the seat wedged between the door and the seat cushion seems like the afterthought that it most likely was. Yes, minor complaints but these things are better engineered on a entry-level car, right?

is for Raw
At its core, the GT-R is a race car with pseudo-pedestrian clothing. Its raw power is evident every time you hit either pedal and while positioned to be a everyday car, those racing roots show themselves when in less-than-perfect situations.
The transmission, for example, is brilliant under full throttle delivering perfectly-timed, crisp shifts but in a more real-world situations – around the city or even in the villages of the Cape – it got confused easily. It was as if it was a gazelle frustrated at the task better suited for a mule. The GT-R was made the run fast in wide open spaces and doesn’t like the stop and go or low-speeds speed of daily life.
Like a race car, the interior of the GT-R heated up quickly – a reminder that all the pretty materials were tightly wrapped around a serious, heat generating machine. In low speed situations, I had a hard time finding a comfortable temperature.
Then there’s the suspension. Yes, it is adjustable but on the roads around the NY metro area even the Comfort setting wasn’t enough to make it livable. My new definition of torture is driving the GT-R on the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway with a full bladder. Something to keep in mind if you live in an area with less-than-perfect roadways.

is for Remarkable
There is no such thing as the perfect car and I can image some of my readers rolling their eyes at my complaints introduced above. The Nissan GT-R is hardly perfect – if you want a comfortable cruiser. But for someone looking for a high-performance machine that doesn’t cost as much as a small house, the Nissan GT-R is truly remarkable.
The Manufacturer’s Suggested Retail Price (MSRP)* is $80,790 for the GT-R, and $83,040 for the GT-R Premium model. Destination & Handling (D&H) is $1,000.

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Images Courtesy of Nissan North America