Introduction
What Car? says...
When it comes to Japanese performance cars, the Nissan GT-R is arguably top dog, partly because it puts the 'F' in fast.
The inheritor of a legacy of sporting machines badged 'Skyline GT-R', the current-generation model took the car’s reputation for giant-killing pace to new heights when it was introduced. More recently, Nissan has added even more power to a recipe that includes a twin-turbocharged V6 engine and a uniquely complex four-wheel-drive system.
FAQs
The Nissan GT-R didn’t feature in our 2021 What Car? Reliability Survey but Nissan as a brand did badly. It finished in joint 27th place (with Ford) out of 30 makers and scored just 86.2%. You have to service the GT-R’s gearbox and four-wheel-drive system every 12 months (or 9000 miles). Read more here
Very. The Nissan GT-R’s 562bhp turbocharged V6 engine dispatched the 0-60mph sprint in 3.4sec in our testing. In comparison, an entry-level Porsche 911 delivers 0-62mph in 4.2sec, while the entry-level Mercedes-AMG GT does it in 4.0sec. The uncompromising GT-R Nismo does 0-62mph in a staggering 2.8sec. Read more here
We recommend the entry-level Nissan GT-R Pure because it offers the most performance for your money. It also comes with an 11-speaker sound system, keyless start and an 8.0in infotainment touchscreen, among other amenities. Stepping up to the GT-R Nismo upgrades the power to 592bhp and adds special wheels plus a variety of sporty styling tweaks, but we’d avoid it because of the cost (it’s more than even the Ferrari Roma). Read more here
The Nissan GT-R features an 8.0in infotainment touchscreen that can also be controlled by using a rotary dial on the centre console (it’s similar to the iDrive system in the BMW M4). The GT-R’s screen doesn’t look very sophisticated, is slow to respond when you touch it, and doesn’t come with Apple CarPlay or Android Auto smartphone mirroring, so you can’t bypass it and use your own apps on the screen. Read more here
The Nissan GT-R has never been safety tested by the independent experts at Euro NCAP. It has basic driver assistance technologies such as anti-lock brakes, traction control and stability control to help keep you out of harm’s way, but none of the more sophisticated modern safety aids available on some sports cars. Read more here
The Nissan GTR’s 315-litre boot is bigger than you get in most sports cars and is wide enough for a set of golf clubs and deep enough for a couple of holdalls. You might also want to consider storing some luggage on the back seats, considering they’re only big enough to comfortably seat small teenagers. Read more here
