2012 Nissan GT-R

With just one lap around a track in Germany, Nissan’s GT-R singlehandedly ushered in the modern era of performance motoring. This giant-killing sports car from Japan made headlines around the world when news broke of its record-setting time around Germany’s famed Nurburgring, running much faster than cars costing tens of thousands -- if not hundreds of thousands -- of dollars more. This lap helped establish ‘Ring times as the defining measure of a vehicle’s performance capabilities, and it established the GT-R as the benchmark in performance.

Sure, since the GT-R’s record-setting run in 2007, other cars have come along and run the Nurburgring a bit faster than the Nissan, but that doesn’t mean that the pride of Japan has been slacking. The new 2012 model has been upgraded and features more power and improved aerodynamics. And while the upgraded GT-R has yet to make another official run around the ‘Ring, numerous independent magazine tests have shown that the GT-R continues to be much, much faster than even the current crop of high-dollar hypercars. But does that mean that the GT-R is a car every man should aspire to own? Well, that depends…

Performance

Nissan’s GT-R is a technical marvel, a machine dedicated to the singular pursuit of going around a racetrack faster than anything else. Its hand-built, twin-turbo 3.8-liter V6 has been revised to push out 530 horsepower, and its six-speed dual-clutch transmission sits at the back to optimize weight distribution and will swap cogs faster than any human. Plus, its advanced all-wheel drive system holds the tarmac as if it were welded to the ground.

With the launch control turned on, the GT-R is capable of turning out a sub-four-second 0-60 time. Not wanting to grenade the pricey gearbox, we’ve opted to keep the launch control turned off, but that doesn’t stop us from gunning the car. And all we can say about that experience is that the GT-R is fast -- scary fast. This is the only car we’ve been in where the acceleration literally frightens us. Granted, it doesn’t stop us from doing hard launches. Anytime the conditions are clear and safe, we’re mashing the throttle, but that doesn’t mean the experience is any less overwhelming. It’s kind of like a rollercoaster -- it’s fun because it scares you -- but this thrill ride can kill you if you get stupid.

Fortunately, the GT-R has a lot of technologies at its disposal to keep its occupants safe. In addition to the bloat of safety features found on all modern cars, the GT-R boasts a complex all-wheel drive system that cleverly shifts the engine’s power between wheels to make even the most hamfisted driver feel like Ayrton Senna. Granted, it’s the onboard computers working all that magic, but they make the car no less amazing. Of course, these computers open up criticisms that the GT-R is too computer controlled and that it delivers a detached driving experience on par with a PlayStation game.

But nothing can be further from the truth. Sure, the computer shifts power and shifts the gears, but the GT-R delivers one of the purest, most analog driving experiences on the planet. You can feel exactly where the front tires are pointing, and feedback from all four tires is such that you can accurately feel each individual tire’s grip level. You can describe the exact surface conditions down to the pebble count. This car may lack a third pedal, but you can feel the precise point where the gears engage as you pull the paddle shift. It’s incredibly engaging -- feedback is delivered in such a way that you’d swear that the GT-R hardwired itself into your spine.

That said, the things that make Nissan’s GT-R so great are the same things that will make it hard to live with for most guys. The GT-R’s “typical” enthusiast, a man who spent perhaps a few too many years driving a slammed import, will find it easy to overlook the hypersensitive steering, the tires’ propensity to tramline and the kidney-crushing ride. The GT-R may beat Porsche’s Carrera GT around the ‘Ring, but it doesn’t yet match up to Porsche’s ability to deliver bleeding-edge performance in a civilized package.

Nissan’s GT-R isn’t exactly what one would call “pretty.” Designed solely with function in mind, the GT-R’s form is unabashedly Japanese, looking more like it came from an episode of Mobile Suit Gundam than a European coachbuilder. It’s a love-it-or-hate-it look, though one that will be remembered as iconic in the decades to come.

And to guys who grew up only hearing the legend of the GT-R, this car is already the greatest thing to hit the streets since, well, ever. This is the only vehicle we’ve driven where guys have chased us on foot, on motorcycle and by car just to get a picture of the thing. Those who happen to catch us as we’re getting in or out of the car make it a point to initiate -- and stretch out -- conversations with us just so they can spend a few more minutes with the ultimate car. If we were women, we’d feel like the prettiest belle of the ball. But we’re not, and all the extra attention can be disconcerting. All the women we have come across, as you can expect, couldn’t care less about the turbocharged Nissan.

Unlike other sports cars whose cabins scream “race car” at the driver, the GT-R’s cockpit gives only hints of the machine’s potential. The leather-wrapped seats are a bit snug, but they lack the deep bolsters and branding seen in other sports specials. Soft cowhide wraps the rest of the interior, save for the carbon-fiber panels surrounding the HVAC controls. The navigation screen was yanked from the standard Nissan parts bin, but the turn of a knob will switch the display, though it can be switched to a customizable telematics screen designed by the team behind Sony’s Gran Turismo.

The factory Bose sound system is top notch, which is good since it needs to be cranked to mask the tire, engine and transmission noises that leak into the cabin. As we discussed in the Performance section, drivers who value performance over all else will be more than happy to live with intrusive “car” noises, but for the money, everyone else should probably stick with a Porsche.

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