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CARS IN

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AHEAD CURVEof theTHE NISSAN GTR SURPRISES CAR AFICIONADOS WITH ITS ELECTRIFYING PERFORMANCE AND LUXURIOUS LOOK

BY BILL ADAM

Imagine that we’re sitting down for an evening of ca-

sual cocktails, when I start telling you of this unbelievable

deal I know of, on a new car, an opportunity that was

ONLY going to cost around a cool $100,000. You might

stare at me, thinking that: a) I need to go back to bed to

resume that dream I was having, or b) I should consider

drinking a much better quality whisky! While for some a

$100K “bargain” might involve a new Gulfstream jet, or

even a steal of a divorce settlement, for me it involves a

luxury car and one that initially may come as a surprise.

The Nissan GTR fits into a very select category of

vehicles known as “GT” automobiles, –“Grand Touring”

cars that are designed to give very high performance,

while at the same time not forsaking the elements of lux-

ury to keep travel comfortable. Whereas standard sports

cars can sometimes have harsh rides and basic interiors

— a trade-off for lighter weight that equals higher perfor-

mance, Grand Touring vehicles coddle you while also giv-

ing you performance when you want it. There are a num-

ber of vehicles that can fit within the definition of “GT”:

both 2 and 4 seaters, 2 and 4 wheel drives. But with all of

them, performance is the defining factor. Some examples

of such models are the Porsche Carrera 4S, with prices

starting at around $112K plus another $3200 for automat-

ic (PDK) transmission, and the Mercedes Benz AMG GTC

coupe, which will slim your wallet to the tune of about

$145K for the base model, and its 515 horsepower work-

ing only the rear wheels. The new Ferrari GTC4 —featur-

ing a twin turbo V-8 engine pumping out 602 fine Italian

horsepower— will cost you an eyebrow-raising $302,000

before you add a single option. But the Nissan, with its

565HP twin turbo V-6, 6-speed dual clutch automatic u

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gearbox AND one of the finest all-wheel drive systems on

any car, has a starting price of $99,990. Even when mon-

ey is of no concern, a good deal is a good deal.

At a glance, the GTR appears to be a moderately

large coupe, with long flat panels and a relatively sharp

design. But it proves to be product of many hours of

wind tunnel tuning, with a remarkably low drag coeffi-

cient (CD), of only .26. The Toyota Prius, a car designed

to maximize fuel economy and a small car by any stan-

dards, carries a .24 rating-just slightly better than the

GTR. The aforementioned Porsche is .29! So, why does

this matter? Well, aerodynamic drag plays a big part in

fuel economy: the lower the drag, the further a gallon of

gas will take you. Of course, buyers of vehicles like these

rarely worry about fuel mileage and are much more inter-

ested in performance.

Years ago, a designer who had worked on the GTR

project told me that before they were given the green light

tome forward, they were instructed by “Mr. Nissan” to

create an air flow system that resulted in the same inte-

rior silence at 100 mph, as the model had at 30 mph, the

purpose being that all passengers could converse at a

normal volume. Their efforts have paid off as there truly

is remarkably little wind noise and most of what you do

hear, comes from the aggressive tires, as they are chosen

for grip, rather than economy.

One option I fell in love with and would highly recom-

mend is the Premium Interior package. For $4280, drivers

get a hand-stitched interior with semi-Aniline leather-ap-

pointed seats that are both soft and luxurious, yet sup-

port all occupants very well when the driving becomes…

ahhh…adventurous! In fact, the total interior package u

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is beautifully laid out with a spectacular dashboard that

can be tailored to your own choices of gauges available

on 6 different pages of information. It can be great fun to

see exactly what your car is doing and HAS done. And

yes, there is a back seat for two people. But if the driver is

tall, then the rear seat would only be a perfect fit for a kit-

ten, or someone you really don’t like.

Finally, we turn to the performance. Should the appro-

priate time and place materialize where you find yourself

sitting in the Nissan GTR, next to any of the other cars

mentioned in this piece and gearing up for an ‘accelera-

tion comparison,’ you’ll find that they will all be watching

your taillights disappear. With what I call ‘launch control’

engaged, you simply leave the gear selector in drive, flip

up three switches on the upper console for maximum per-

formance, plant your left foot firmly on the brake pedal,

floor the accelerator, and then release the brake pedal.

Oh…….and hang on! The vehicle’s all-wheel drive system

harnesses all of the horsepower, wasting almost nothing

on wheel-spin. The GTR does the best impression of an

F-18 catapult launch you’ll ever feel. The zero to 60 mph

run takes just over 3 seconds, and given sufficient room

(and bravery), the acceleration stays strong all the way to

just under 200 mph. It can be shocking that this car, which

is totally comfortable touring around town at 20 mph, can

suddenly unleash a fury of both acceleration, and decel-

eration, with massive Brembo brakes hauling it safely

back to reasonable speeds. This will by far be the best

$100K you’ve ever spent, private jet be damned.

Once upon time, I had my version of love affairs

with traditionally coveted sports cars. Although I still en-

joy them for brief periods, a true GT car is my vehicle of

choice. Blistering performance with travel comfort, shows

me that indeed, I CAN have my car and drive it too! CL