Nissan GT-R

The GT-R is certainly not short on credentials. It’s turbocharged 3.8-liter V6 is rated at 565 horses, with that power routed to all four wheels for optimum traction and grip. Fat-and-sticky Dunlop tires are fitted, as well as big Brembo brakes. It is no wonder that a few versions of the GT-R are noted as posting among the fastest lap times on the legendary Nurburgring track in Germany. In some circles, Nurburgring lap times are the standard for ranking a car’s dynamic capability, as well as a marketing tool of instilling credibility among the enthusiast community.

On the road, the GT-R is quick and rowdy but that doesn’t tell the whole story. Some media outlets have measured the GT-R’s acceleration from 0-60 mph in a blistering 3 seconds.

But in reality there’s a noticeable turbo lag when you stomp on the accelerator. Of course, mid-range punch is ferocious and accompanied by dramatic mix of induction woosh and exhaust noises, but there’s no aural delight here.

You’d think that such impressive stats would also come with supreme handling prowess.

While the car may possess impressive cornering grip, oddly, it does not demonstrate the agility you’d expect from a semi supercar in ordinary driving. Instead, the GT-R feels nose heavy and rather cumbersome. The car hit our scales at 3,960 pounds. The steering requires relatively hefty inputs and does not communicate much feedback. And despite the stiff suspension, the GT-R doesn’t resist body roll particularly well. Needless to say, we tried the ultra-performance R modes that turn the heat up in terms of powertrain and suspension in every possible combination, and yet we still were unimpressed.

Surely, we’re just not getting it...

With that in mind, we took the GT-R to our track hoping that this bullet train would shine. But, alas, beyond the grip and ability to power out of corners early, the car failed to excite. It carried over the same public-road characteristics of requiring hefty steering inputs in corners and piling on more body roll. The car resists fine tuning its cornering line according to the driver’s inputs and lacks finesse. Point and shoot is the name of the game here. Late braking ahead of corners produced noticeable nose dive and the brake pedal has too much of an initial slack.

Admittedly, we didn’t measure lap times because we think it’s less important than the essence of the driving experience. With all due respect to G forces and tire grip, an exquisite driving experience is more about the grins and excitement a car instills.

If the R part of the GT-R isn’t up to snuff, you might expect it to be a fine GT (grand touring) car, right? Not in our book. The GT-R feels like a truck as it traverses broken pavement, with a brittle, unyielding ride and unpleasant, omnipresent exhaust noise. At least, compared to the last one we drove, the latest GT-R's automated manual transmission has become more civilized and smoother, particularly at low speeds.

Unlike most competitors in this rarefied high-performance arena, the GT-R's body is almost as upright as a typical sedan, which aids visibility and ease of access. The mundane interior can accommodates a pair of preteens in the backseat, and there is a useful trunk that can hold a long weekend's worth of bags or a week’s supply of groceries. Controls are simple and intuitive to use, slightly helping day-to-day liveability.