m3gtr

It burbles away quietly at low revs but it does pick up a sinister growl above 4500rpm. Its not manic. Its refined and understated at cruising inner city speeds but changes note drastically the more revs you give it. Two very different characters depending on how hard you are driving.

I havent heard that before. Perhaps youre right? Not sure, maybe others on the forum know the true answer. I wouldnt say i drove it excessively hard, but i did put it through its paces at certain points

Part 3... 30 minutes into the drive across Tokyo bay and in towards the skyscraper district known as Shinjuku, I'm feeling quite comfortable behind the wheel of the GTR. To me at least, its quite a user friendly vehicle - loads of power, stable, well behaved and solidly engineered. That slight lack of involvement, from a drivers point of view is one of the few problems the GTR has as its easy to become complacent with it from behind the wheel. The GTR almost does everything for you. More on that later. I decide to change the suspension again to see what the "comfort" setting is like and much like the "R" setting, once activated, a change is almost immediately noticeable. In comfort, there is definitely more suspension travel. The GTR becomes more supple over the bumps and undulations and there is less of the rawness through the seat compared to "R" mode. It doesn't exactly float but you do notice the change in the way it deals with the road surface. I can't really tell if there has been any change in ride height, but when changing direction at speed or negotiating corners the GTR seems to roll a little more. Its not disconcerting, just not as hard edged. The GTR's seats are very firm and grip the driver well, almost too well. While they have been beautifully crafted and offer a snug fit, i feel they wouldn't offer a big enough concession for the rigors of every day driving. They feel to me to have been engineered and designed on the side of performance over comfort which for certain applications is just fine but for others, may become a discomfort. It tracks supremely well, and responds to steering input with precision. I quite like the way it handles. As I've already said, you get a lot of confidence through the wheel that the GTR isn't going to do something you haven't asked of it at any speed. Overtaking is a breeze, in either A or M mode, just select a gear, plant the throttle and you are instantly transported around whatever was in front of you. This is also one of the GTR's short fallings. It lacks something fundamental in driver involvement. I feel like ive been slightly anesthetized, desensitized, behind the wheel of the GTR. While it is involving on a pure and raw level in regards to outright speed, feedback and handling, the lack of a clutch pedal and a 6 speed gate do detract from the pleasure that can be extracted from it. Whatever Nissan care to say about their choice in gearbox, i will say in the rear mounted dual clutched box's defense, that its design takes away the probability of NOT being able to extract what the car was originally made to deliver. Its foolproof in that respect but again, i know the GTR could even be more fun to drive, if ever there was a possibility of that actually being the case! For real world users, the GTR's gearbox is perfect. It's the super car for dummies as you would, and doesn't have the fragility or highly strung temperament of many Italian or German cars that spring to mind. If you are a purist however, you will find yourself craving for a manual shifter. Nissan would be silly not to take a leaf out of Ferraris' book for example and include both the paddle shifter and manual versions in its future lineup. In regards to stopping, the GTR's brakes are confidence inspiring and do their job more than adequately. Pedal travel is minimal and there is no shudder under heavy braking. A firm push of the well weighted pedal scrubs speed off rapidly. The pedal has a nice feel to it and decelerating quickly to negotiate a number of 90 degree bends from around 140kph didn't even so much as unsettle the car in any way. I was tempted to push the brakes further but thought better of it as this was my first time in the car. That and the fact that it had been snowing heavily in Tokyo the previous 2 days and the roads weren't completely empty. With traffic and buildings becoming denser by the minute, i feel i just have to have another crack at the engine before we get boxed in. The road clears ahead of me, i wind the window down to hear the sound of the exhaust and engine - the air outside is chilled and crisp. I change down again into 3rd gear this time mashing the pedal to the floor, the GTR willingly, effortlessly, gets up and bolts ahead, blurring the scenery. Like a drug, the sheer speed that you can extract from the GTR will just have you coming back for more. I shoot into a tunnel- the exhaust note reverberates off the tunnel walls and as the revs pick up to a raucous rasping growl, 4th, 5th and 6th its Fast, too fast, have to back off. It can scare you silly if you let it. The engine note is understated at low revs but still signals ferocious intent further up the rev range. It really does go from kitten to clawed beast in a matter of seconds. Final part later on. thanx 4 reading.

Ill be on part 3 this arvo. All's not perfect with the GTR, that much i can say.

damn, too quick for the edit.

hahah. Jealous. Thanks to all those who enjoyed the read and left some nice comments, much appreciated.

Not as lucky as you according to your details. You'll have that on tap 7 days a week, you lucky sod. Glad to be a temporary "fix" for you.

Ahaha, youre welcome and never say never. Ive always told myself, if you want something badly enough...

Part 3 tomorrow. Thanks for reading.

With dinner finished and the Shiny GTR key in hand I head out into the freezing Toyko night air. "How does this key work, again?" It turns out there is no key as such. The device is a remote sensor that included door locking and alarm activation/deactivation buttons and more interestingly, you only have to have the device "on you" to be able to start the car. There is no ignition switch. With the car primed, i hit the "start" button between the front seats and the car comes to life with a modest growl settling in at just under 1000 rpm. A few blips of the throttle and I'm starting to get a little anxious to see what it can really do. It's quiet for a car with this much power and is very "iron fist in velvet glove". Koichi tells me not to worry, as i can enjoy the car as much as i want. Well, if you insist... From behind the steering wheel, the layout of the R35 is well designed, laid out and functional. Nissan has taken a minimalistic approach to interior design and there aren't too many buttons and switches to confuse the driver. The wheel itself is a perfect size, chunky, leather and well weighted. The ruby red GTR badge in the center of the wheel is the jewel in that particular crown. I also cant help but notice the two levers on either side of the wheel marked with a + and - sign. I couldn't wait to see what they would be like to use at speed. I had a good look at and asked a number of questions on the information display screen in the center of the dash and i was surprised at how easy it is to navigate through. There are a number of different settings that can be changed and a number of different readouts to get information on the cars operating systems. Screens contained useful and in some cases critical information like the engine and transmission oil temperatures and pressures, fuel pressure, tyre pressures and temperatures, boost readouts, gear settings ( which are completely adjustable on the fly ), acceleration/deceleration and lateral G force graphs, lap timer data logging, front to rear torque split graphs, plus the obligatory Satellite navigation system that did a very good job switching between road information screens and all other associated car data. The fact that the GTR can do this and do it accurately without a laptop is astounding. First things first. With the seat adjusted and flicking the gear lever down a couple of notches into drive and then a flick over to the right to select "A" mode, i pull into traffic. The sound of the indicator clicking is actually quite annoying but I'm waiting to hear from the engine so i didn't mind it so much. I negotiate the first few lights trying to get a feel for what i had regarded as an "overweight" super car but i really couldn't find fault with the way it steered through traffic. Its a big car, physically, but from the cockpit you wouldn't get that impression. Adjusting to the physical dimensions would take some getting used to. The nose is light as is the steering and it sits flat and untroubled. It's maneuverable in tight confines and is quite happy to bumble about and that gave me some added confidence. The steering is very well weighted and was direct and precise. A grandmother in her 80's could easily drive this pussy cat of a super car around town unlike the previous generations before it. It didn't feel anything like its weight at slow speeds but i wondered about how and if that would change at higher speeds. I needn't have wondered. Once we hit the shuto-kosoku expressway, that incidentally goes around Tokyo in a loop, i was able to stretch its legs and boy did it have some legs that needed stretching. Flicking the lever over to the right once more to engage "M" mode on the transmission and the car changed character dramatically. To signal its intent i flicked the left paddle 3 times to engage 3rd gear and from around 85 kph, gingerly pushed the accelerator. That was greeted with a whooshing, gushing linear power surge that had me backing off after hitting 160 in only a few seconds. The delivery of the power took me completely by surprise and as i went up through 4th and 5th and into 6th, i was beginning to think i needed to show the car a bit more respect. I changed gears instinctively but the GTR drew me into reaching for the redline in each change. Utterly addictive and Koichi didnt mind - he was busy typing emails into his phone - but i sensed the GTR did. At cruising speeds, its easy to find yourself dawdling. It's a very easy car to drive at every day speeds. So simple. Change the suspension and gearing to "R", flick the gear lever over to engage "M" and push the accelerator to the floor and it is a different animal altogether. Like comparing a doting bumbling kitten to the claws of a tiger really... Crossing the Rainbow bridge and out across Tokyo bay i encountered roadworks and here i decided to take a breather, flick back into "A" mode and change a few settings. I flick and hold the Suspension switch upward watching the "R" symbol light up red. Almost immediately, the suspension became firmer and more taut. The road undulations , bumps and bridge joins became more pronounced through the chassis and through the seat of my pants. Funnily enough, Koichi mentioned to me that he couldnt notice the difference between R, comfort and standard. I most definitely could. If you have ever raced a go kart, you will know exactly what i mean about feeling through the seat of your pants. F1 racers commonly refer to this phenomenon and it wasn't lost on me in the GTR. Moving one switch over, I also change the Transmission switch to "R" to see what effect it has. Gear changes became sharper and much more pronounced and purposeful. The GTR takes barely milliseconds to shift up and down with no change in the rushing speed accumulating on the readout. It really chews up the road at a great rate but it doesn't make you feel like you have to hang on for dear life. It is confidence inspiring speed. Utterly and intrinsically encompassing. After clearing the roadworks, i shift down 2 gears from 5th and with more confidence this time, judiciously squeeze the pedal. The same relentless, towering surge of power greets me but this time i was more ready for it. Shifting up into 5th and then into 6th from around 80kph takes only a few seconds. I wasn't even 100% aware i was shifting at its 7000 rpm redline, thanks to the sensory overload going on infront of me, inside me and around me but i got to 180kph very very quickly where the limiter spoiled the fun. I shouldn't even be complaining. The delivery of the engines' power and the way the car shoots forward in a steady stream of unrelenting speed was what really got my attention and left me stunned. The R35 doesnt just cover ground rapidly. It demolishes it. The R35 doesn't mess around in getting up and shooting you off into the distance at warp speed. The whooshing of the wind and the slight whine of the turbos at 1.2 bar of boost as you're approaching the wrong side of the "law" is simply addictive. Each firm mash of the throttle is rewarded with mind numbing rapidness. "A tailgater". I flick the peddle down into 2rd, mash the accelerator and that car became a small dot in the rear view mirror very quickly. The GTR got up and went without even so much as a wiggle from the tail. There was no noticeable movement or squirming under heavy acceleration from the rear suspension in getting the power to the ground. It just stood up and effortlessly waved bye to the guy behind me. Getting in and out of traffic has never been easier. From the hot seat at that speed, it's all very peaceful inside the cabin apart from the fact that the scenery outside the windscreen is changing slightly slower than my eyes can keep up with. The rate, smoothness and effortlessness at which it picks up speed is amazing. Simply amazing. The twin turbo V6 is also very tractable. A couple of times i found myself behind some lorries and with the car in 5th gear, uphill and doing around 80kph, i bury the accelerator and find the car on boost and immediately increasing in speed, without so much as a fuss or complaint - smooth, linear and consistent. I tried it again in 6th gear and the same result. It develops power and delivers it in a very precise and well mannered way. There's none of this "coming on boost like a sledge hammer and throwing you side ways at speed" stuff...its very usable and again, inspires driver confidence.

Thanks for whoring up my thread akeenan, Nick and Richard. Prats! Appreciate it. Cheers to all those who are enjoying the read.

Yeah, part 2 later..im hungry and thirsty.

lol, yeah ..right.. gheypanic... umm, i dont think so, Nick I can tell you though it wont be the last time ill drive the car. Have you driven the latest GTR, Nick? Sensational, i can tell you.

Part 2 "What its like to drive - fast" later on. Cheers.

The R35 is a great car for many reasons but is definitely not perfect. My newly acquainted friend Koichi owns a white "poverty" pack version R35. He explained to me that he didn't need the Bose system and extra security that comes with the Premium edition. I wasn't going to argue with that rationale. We met up at Hachiko crossing in Shibuya at 8pm and head over to Hiroo, which is about 30 minutes south of Tokyo in the R35 where we had dinner at a nice Italian restaurant called Stellato's. My Initial impression of the car was that it was solidly built. The doors were weighty and shut firmly without any clunkiness, although the door handle caused a few hassles - i wasnt sure how it worked! Close the door and the windows automatically raise a little to seal off the outside. The seat was firm with lateral support being more than adequate. Across the shoulders too, there was plenty of grip from the leather clad seats. The multi direction seat adjuster switch was tweaked to allow maximum comfort. I look around the cabin and i still don't understand the placement of those speakers between the rear seats. In my opinion its not pretty but the Doof Doof brigade will get a kick out of it, I'm sure. While the rear seats "look" comfortable i pity those that have to sit in the back. Koichi notices me looking at the back seats and says its hard even getting a diminutive girl in there. To prove a point he tries to place a hand between the back of his seat and the rear passengers seat. He struggles. To me, The R35 isn't really a 4 seater. Its closer to being a 2+2 in configuration. Having said that, Koichi is a pretty tall guy by Japanese standards ( 179 cm ) but only average in height by western standards. That speaks volumes and doesn't do any rear passengers any favors on either side of the ocean. Having said that the build quality of the interior was excellent and the smell of fresh leather is always nice. The R35 is very docile in and around traffic. It shifts smoothly - you hardly even notice its changing up or down the gears. We were at 65kph and the tractable motor was reading 6th gear and pulling a little over 2000 rpm on the dash readout. It really does city driving with ease. The ride is firm and on the way to the restaurant we had the suspension set to standard mode. In this setting, the rough surfaces of Tokyo's inner city streets were noticeable but not overly so. The GTR rides it all well, but you can sense the set up is firmer and more taut than is normally the case. I was to test out the "comfort" and "R" settings later in the night. We arrived at the restaurant and were both starving. A good chance to ask some questions. We didn't talk about the car much at dinner but when it came up, I wasn't really surprised to learn Koichi was a Mercedes owner prior to the purchase of the Nissan and that the Mercedes, at least for him, wasn't sporty enough. Its also his daily driver. He has driven to and from work everyday since owning it, having accumulated over 4400 kilometers in the past 3 months. That was nice to know. At least he was actually enjoying the car on a daily basis instead of only being able to use it on weekends on which, incidentally, he works! With dinner drawing to a close and Koichi producing a credit car faster than i could produce my wallet, he asks me the long anticipated question i was hoping to hear, " Adam, would you like to have a drive?" "I'd love to."

fosters??!! who in the world drinks that abomination?! Richard, shame on you.

Foxing? Not on your life. What Bernie wants, Bernie gets and hes already said hes quite happy to give someone ( namely the Vic premier ) what he wants and take the race away. Shame really...they should never have taken it from Adelaide in the first place...growing up around F1 was definitely a childhood highlight of mine.. We have to respect B.E because he is in the sport after all to make money and if hes not generating enough in one place, theres a lot of hungry countries out there that will give him what he wants.

Ginza are not. Other smaller suburban dealerships that have them are offering test drives. what phone were those photos taken on? oh and while we are on the subject of the R35, im meeting up with Koichi tonight at 8. Weve had 15 to 20 cms of snow here in central tokyo over the past couple of days so that should make things interesting...snow in tokyo is bloody awesome.

sad sad news. F1 was pulled from Adelaide for similar reasons, i believe...and the main reason was money.

I wasnt the only one who wasnt happy with the read. and "thin" wasnt the word used Roy. Dont try and flower it up. I wasnt going to say anymore after gtst apologized to me ( and i dont think he was joking ) and that was going to be the end of the story but alas, someone else just HAD to carry on with it. GTST, alls good mate, thanks for being a good sport about it. carry on.

Im actually surprised the cop knew enough to recognize the car was stock standard... I suppose some if them may actually know what they are talking about...

ahhhh...ill take that, YOINK!

You know. GTST, i like you. Ive found you to be a funny guy in the past and youve never given me any reason to comment negatively about anything youve said. I live in japan. You knew that right. I personally found your post hurtful as my wife is Japanese and im glad shes thin. If you cant accept that, well what can i do?

Get uzed 2 it Shan. Cheeze iz guudz/// kthanxbai!

You see the point in your own response, Akeenan? You asked me about the thread being about what keeps us here and then you are confused as to why people talk about why they love Japan and what they love about it. Lol, I think loving the country and whatever is in it counts as a start towards someone wanting to stay here, no?