m3gtr

??? I wouldnt consider a GTR, any ordinary Japanese import! The numbers for the CLK all look right. An 04 BMW 5 series was the other option. i have to think about the aussie market and i reckon those two cars would appeal to those slightly well heeled. The economy in Oz is in good shape too, so thats a bonus..except for the bloody exchange rate!

that is a very good question. I wonder if nissan is using the super gt GTR to develop things like the GB?? i wouldnt doubt it.

why have you signed for one if youre not happy with one of the most important and controversial parts of the car? why not just wait until they release a manual ( which still, they may never do ) ?

im going to have to wait and see how the "auto" drives. There was a point a couple of years ago when i got a couple of laps in a 360 F1 with the paddle shifters. There was nothing wrong with it at all. i didnt miss a clutch pedal although in a perfect world i like to be as involved as i can. If you can master a clutch pedal, the DSG will be a cinch.

they really should have pitched it as a 2+2... i guess passenger comfort was cut at the expense of space for the golf bags in the boot...

speculation that may hold some valid water. Just for the record, the info i posted was from a validated source and wasnt made up. like ive said, im going to do a little snooping around this weekend. my question is why they didnt do it the other way around? Why not develop the manual then introduce the quicker DSG later? thats dumb business planning really whichever way you look at it? who is going to want to buy a GTR in manual that is slower and more expensive than the DSG?

Test drives will be available mid to late december.

We have to take into account that N/A@ may not have a good grasp of the Japanese language and that there is more than a chance that things got " lost in translation of transmission " LOL :laughing-smiley-014:

forged, ashauntee obviously didnt know Ken and I know each other from a few years ago. What he also doesnt know is that we have always gotten on each others nerves. We both have the ability to come across as arrogant bastards... the worst part is that hes been here longer than me...

where exactly did you get this 20%? Was it a number that just kinda popped into your head? Or was it a number you would pay? Do you know how much an '04 CLK is here? have a guess. Do you know how expensive it is to own a car in japan - especially a luxury one and that Japanese people regularly move cars after 3 years, upgrading to something new - leaving a pristine car with 10 - 15k on the clock? Plus, the taxes for cars like that arent as ridiculously high as australia. Plus, I can tell you over the past year Ive done my homework. Ive already factored in the prices for LCT, GST, import duty, shipping, insurance, dereg from Japan, reg in Oz and i still come out a long way ahead. Even if i factor in 10% based on what you think Aussies would be willing to pay for a German car that was in japan instead of australia i STILL come out a long way ahead. looks like a clear winner to me. by the way, German cars dont depreciate nearly as badly as Japanese ones. Everyone knows that...except i hope for the GTR.

Ken. maybe.

The dash vents are annoying. Why did they have to be so damned obvious?

I know about the alfas ( and their dodgy brake disc placement ) and the porsche but for Nissan to re engineer the drivetrain this early in the game would be folly. The DSG is made by HAND which means its going to take longer to deliver. Theres no way they would be able to keep up with demand considering the backlog of orders based on that alone if they were ever to introduce a manual. I need to clarify that thats what i was trying to get at. i also need to find out more on what ken posted.

oh puhlease.

Heres the thing, Ken. You've noticed the DSG is locate at the REAR of the car. The gearbox is not attached to the engine. If it were, all that weight will move to the front of the car, thereby drastically changing the handling characteristics of the car. Unless they can think of a way to mount the gearbox over the rear axle of course but i highly doubt thats going to happen. Why would they make a V spec that potentially wont handle as well as the original version? by the way, i would have thought after 3 years here, your Japanese would've been better.

Thats interesting and it totally contradicts what the DSG engineer at the motorshow told me. I cant say why exactly but i can tell you that i expressed interest in purchasing the GTR and was led to an area where i could talk to someone and ask a few questions about the car. Obviously a visit to Ginza is in order. im going to have to confirm this myself. In Japanese, too. Im sure we will let you know the info as we get it.

yep. im cool with that.

ummm...what exactly did the thread start with? its a thread for a reason. My sincerest apologies to those who have been offended by me posting pictures of girls in this thread!

They will, im sure. cant wait to see and hear it! great find by the way, Shan. where do you find this stuff when youre on the other side of the world??

lol, ill post pictures of the Merc when we get it. The GTR will be the next car. You do realise i can privately import a car after a year, dont you? Have you seen the price of CLK's at auction here in Tokyo? Now do the math, Ken. Whats the price of an 04 merc in Oz? Doesnt take a genius to work it out, buddy. And with the money i make off that plus the deposit my wife and i will out down, what do you think i will do? Think what you want Ken. You always have been a stubborn bugger. What you still fail to realise is that i make a lot more money now than i did in Australia. Ive moved on. Youre still stuck in a time warp. Haha, yeah the colt and Phu. Those were the days. :sorcerer: lol, you think things are the same now as they were before? whatever. No need to get so upset over it! :laughing-smiley-014: Ken, i would have thought you would be happy for me but i guess not.

Ken. YOU are the one who doesnt know me. Not anymore. Please dont come on here and come across as someone who thinks they hang out with me every weekend. You dont. I havent seen you since i came here in 2005 and you have NO idea how much has changed for me. i like it that way. Enjoy your GTR. I know i will.

LOL, mate the GTR will be here for as long as the 911 is, for example. The Porscher is the benchmark after all. You neednt worry. As long as there IS an economy, there will be a GTR to sap taxpayers funds! Spunky, the R35 GTR puts the R33 in the shade. The 33 was a passenger car. The GTR r35 is a completely different thing... Its an independently engineered supercar. Out of the Box. Without having any ties to a family sedan. With performance that will put many cars more than double the price to shame. Just on that fact alone, the R33 and R34 ( which was close but not close enough ) will never get a sniff of the performance the 35 has from the get go. You just need to get used to it. You will. Trust me. The R35 struck me the second i saw it. Its certainly something to behold and admire. Im very much looking forward to test driving it.

lol, no nothings wrong! I just loathe brits hijacking anything, rugby world cup included! id love to send some some stuff to you. Pm me if your interested Fuggles.

West, were you directing that to me? If so, yes i will be documenting the drive and ive already posted a host of photos for you to see!

LOL! So, going to a twin clutch DSG gearbox, mounted over the rear transaxle, is what you wouldnt consider a change major enough? I suppose going to a setup like that is nothing for them... :)