This Nissan GT-R is a hyper-focused two-door destroyer of race tracks. It's also a car that can be driven to the grocery store, or to and from work on a daily basis. That sounds like a recipe for a machine that should be beloved by all who appreciate automobiles. That's not the case though, as the car forms an almost clear and present dividing line between those who love it and those who hate it. Could the more hardcore GT-R NISMO fix that?
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Nissan has taken it's already fairly insane GT-R and turned it up a few notches. The suspension has been reworked. The steering feels retuned. The bodywork is a dash more aggressive, complete with the large rear wing. Under the hood, the twin-turbocharged 3.8-liter V-6 is making around 55 more horsepower and almost 20 more pound-feet of torque.
The resulting car is one that offers up a more hardcore GT-R experience. Remember, the stock GT-R is already pretty damn extreme. Is the NISMO version enough to change the minds of those who disagree with love heaped upon the car? Probably not, because it's also more expensive than other GT-R examples before it. That's one of the knocks the GT-R detractors have with the car... which is sort of insane, when you realize that they're complaining about the fact that a car capable of running from 0-60 mph in less than three seconds also happens to cost about $150,000.
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To see that figure in a different car, you'd have to spend at least $200,000 for a Porsche 911 Turbo S or enter genuine supercar territory.
So does the GT-R deserve all the love? Yes, I do believe it does. Does it deserve some of the hate? I can understand a few of the arguments levied against the car, but I don't agree with them. This is a special machine, and the top-tier NISMO version is even more so.
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