Edmunds.com has untaken a test of the GT-R versus several other cars, both on the Streets of Willow Springs and on back roads outside of Los Angeles. This is a very valid test, because this is exactly what driving enthusiasts do with their cars - take them to the track on some weekends, and alternately drive them hard and fast on back roads on other weekends. Cars like this would rarely get a rest... that is their fate in life.
The comparees are the 2008 Audi R8, 2008 Lotus Elise SC, 2008 Porsche 911, 2008 Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution X MR and 2008 Subaru WRX STI. Dodge and Chevrolet declined to participate so that their cars wouldn't have to go up against the GT-R. A Racelogic VBOX was used to gather the test results.
The overall test, as you might expect, was won by the 2009 Nissan GT-R ($75,925 US) with a track time of 1:25.68.
2nd place in both tests was taken by the Audi R8 ($134,545 US) with a track time of 1:26.92.
3rd place will surprise you : the 2008 Evo MR ($38,940) won third in both tests, with a track lap of 1:29.02. And note that's the MR edition, with the TC-SST transmission, Bilsteins, and Eibachs. Above the standard Brembos, Recaros, and torque-proportioning rear diff.
4th place will also surprise you: the 911 Carerra ($85,765 )with a track time of 1:29.25.
The Lotus SC was next @ 1:29.49, followed by the STI @ 1:30.05.
Don't go to a Posche Club of America event with the MR - those snobs will all hate you when you pass them in the middle of turns. Or if you do go, mark "not sure" on your application form where they ask you what you will be driving. Ye olde 911 is a car that's happy to rotate, but at the wrong place in the turn. Perhaps Porsche will put the engine in the right place someday, but then that's what the Boxster and Cayman are for. While the 2009 model year's direct injection and dual-clutch tranny will undoubtedly make up the .23 seconds difference, that fact that there isn't already an enormous gap between the 911 and the Evo is very telling.
The GT-R remains the ultimate track day vehicle, as long as you're willing to spend in the $70-80k range. And assuming you can even get one at list from the dealer - which for the first year will probably be impossible.
The STI continues to dissappoint. It badly needs an automated dual-clutch manual (which is two years off, according to Subaru) and a torque-proportioning differential (no word yet, but it's an expensive peice of work to develop).
Evo versus STI: a battle as much a classic as Camaro vs Mustang. Garage419 takes on the challenge in Part 1 of their comparison. Note that the Evo used is stock, while the STI has already been modified. Dyno comparisons are in Part 2, which will be shown next week Tuesday. Follow the link in the title above to Garage419 for more information.
In an article and video review titled "What It's Like When Worlds Collide", Edmunds Inside Line pits the both the GSR and MR Evo against the STI. The MR comes out on top overall, as well as on the roadcourse. But there's more to this story...
Best Motorings are one of the greatest aspects of the hobby for Japanese car enthusiasts, but also one of the most frustrating. Why? Because it's been almost impossible to get original copies of them, and even harder to get them when they come out in Japan.
In case you're not familiar with Best Motoring, it's a monthly Japanese "car magazine" - in video form. The emphasis is on performance cars. There is usually a "battle" comparing several cars on a roadrace track. There is also testing on winding roads, on the Touge course, with drifting, and on occasion special tests such as a notable 0-300 KPH test. All the latest Japanese performance cars are tested, and occasionally they are tested against similar performance cars from Europe and North America. There is extensive in-car multiple-camera video and analysis; it's very clear which cars work better and why.
It comes in DVD form only, and that's one problem: it's region code is not compatible with 99.9%of DVD players sold in North America. DVDs worldwide are not all compatible, each geographic region has it's own "region code" and players sold in those regions can only play DVDs of the same region. So, if you want to play a DVD from Japan, you need to buy a region-free DVD player. That's not hard to do, nor is it expensive: you can get one from JList.com here in the United States. By coincidence, I bought a $30 dollar DVD player in my local food store that was unlocked. You can also find sites on the web showing how to unlock some models of players.
The drivers speak in Japanese, most of the text is in Japanese, but the performance numbers and most of the specs are all in English. Have patience and you'll learn a lot about your favorite cars.l
I've made it easier for my readers to get the real Best Motorings, as well as other videos such as Option and Hot Version as well as a large selection of Japanese magazines and books. Look at the top of my site for an Amazon store button and follow the link:
See my links for the items relevant to your particular area of interest
Read my special "how to" section about how to order on the Japanese website of Amazon (with screen-by-screen examples)
Follow the links to order.
Amazon makes it easy for you by handling the transaction - ordering is the same process as it is with any other Amazon site in the world.
Start your collection today! In my collection, I've got over 40 Best Motorings going back 10 years, as well as a large sampling of Option, Hot Version, and a number of special edition videos. My first Best Motoring was from 1998, which featured a 0-300 KPH battle of several tuner cars including Supras and GT-Rs. It was won by an 800-HP GT-R. Needless to say, I was hooked.
Edmunds.com has untaken a test of the GT-R versus several other cars, both on the Streets of Willow Springs and on back roads outside of Los Angeles. This is a very valid test, because this is exactly what driving enthusiasts do with their cars - take them to the track on some weekends, and alternately drive them hard and fast on back roads on other weekends. Cars like this would rarely get a rest... that is their fate in life.
Best Motorings are one of the greatest aspects of the hobby for Japanese car enthusiasts, but also one of the most frustrating. Why? Because it's been almost impossible to get original copies of them, and even harder to get them when they come out in Japan.
