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Thursday, April 17, 2008

the most affordable supercar to date




You're probably sick and tired of hearing all about it- praises sung across the interwebs clogging the tubes. In this Japan's domestic market, the Nissan GT-R is no doubt the most affordable supercar that's arguably the best automotive engineering money can buy to date.

Consider its price tag: 7,777,000 Yen
roughly 76,204.01 US Dollars
or 47,788.46 Euros

For this kind of money, it's nuts to have these eye-popping specs (JDM) across the board: (US specs)


twin-turbo 3.8L V6
473 horsepower and 434 ft-lbs. of torque
0 to 60 mph in 3.5 seconds
All-wheel-drive
GR6 dual-clutch six-speed
Nurburgring lap time: 7:35

For comparison: (somewhat older times)
7:36 --- Porsche Carrera GT, factory test driver Walther RA¶hrl (2002)
7:40* -- Porsche Carrera GT, *estimated time on cold and partially wet track (2003)
7:40 --- Mercedes Benz McLaren SLR, Klaus Ludwig, Autobild July 2004
7:42 --- Radical 1500 SR3 (2002)
7:43 --- TechArt GT Street (2001)
7:43 --- Porsche 996 911 GT3 RS
7:43.5 - Lamborghini Murcielago (Autocar magazine, 2002)
7:44 --- Pagani Zonda C12 S (2003)
7:45 --- Gemballa Porsche GT-R 600 (2000)
7:46 --- Porsche 996 GT2
7:46 --- SHK Porsche 993 GT2, 652 PS (1999)
7:47 --- Porsche 996 GT3 RS, 381PS (996) (2004)
7:49 --- Porsche 996 GT3 Cup
7:50 --- BMW E46 M3 CSL (08/2003)
7:50 --- Blitz Supra, 750 PS, Herbert SchA1rg (1997)
7:50 --- Honda RC30, Helmut Daehne (1993)
7:50 --- Lamborghini Murcielago (06/2002)
7:52 --- Gemballa Porsche 911 Le Mans (1995)
7:52 --- Lamborghini Gallardo E-Gear (12/2003)
7:52 --- Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren (06/2004)
7:54 --- Porsche GT3 (996) (2003)
7:55 --- Caterham R500 Superlight (2002)
7:56 --- Ferrari 360 Challenge Stradale (02/2004)
7:56 --- Porsche 996 Turbo
7:56 --- Chevrolet Corvette C6 (tested by Dave Hill)
7:57 --- Lotec Porsche 993 Turbo, 600 PS, racing suspension
7:59 --- Porsche 911 Carrera S (997) (Performance Chassis) (Walter Rohrl - WHEELS June 2004)
8:02 --- Porsche 911 Carrera S (997) (Sport PASM setting) (Walter Rohrl - WHEELS June 2004)
8:03 --- Porsche 996 GT3 (1999)
8:04 --- Lamborghini Diablo GT (07/2000)
8:05 --- Ferrari 575M Maranello F1 (12/2002)
8:05 --- Porsche 911 Carrera S (997) (Normal PASM setting)(Walter Rohrl - WHEELS June 2004)
8:06 --- Mercedes-Benz SL55 AMG
8:06 --- Caterham 7 Superlight R, Robert Nearn
8:07 --- Ferrari 550 Maranello (06/1998)
8:09 --- Honda NSX-R 3.2 (08/2002)
8:09 --- Ferrari 360 Modena (10/1999)
8:09 --- Lamborghini Diablo SV (no ABS?)
8:10 --- Chrysler Viper GTS, 411PS, UK-Spec, no ABS (10/1997)
8:10 --- Donkervoort D8 180R
8:12 --- Mercedes-Benz SL55 AMG (04/2002)
8:12 --- Porsche 993 Turbo
8:13 --- Lotus Esprit Sport 350, 354 PS (05/1999)
8:15 --- Ruf 911 CTR 2, 520 PS
8:15*-- Holden GTS (2000), *estimated
8:15 --- Porsche 911 Carrera 2 (997) (Walter Rohrl - WHEELS June 2004)
8:16 --- AC-Schnitzer E36 M3 CLS II, 350 PS (11/1997)
8:17 --- Aston Martin V12 Vanquish (2003)
8:17 --- Porsche 996 C2
8:18 --- BMW Z8, 400 PS (08/2000)
8:18 --- Chevrolet Corvette Z06 Commemorative Edition, 344 PS (09/2003)
8:18 --- Ferrari F355 (06/1997)
8:20 --- Audi RS6 (2002)
8:22 --- BMW E46 M3 (12/2000)
8:22 --- BMW M Coupe, 321 PS (10/1998)
8:22 --- Mercedes-Benz C55 (07/2004)
8:23 --- Aston Martin DB7 GT (2003)
8:23 --- Porsche 996 Carrera 4
8:24 --- Subaru Impreza WRX STi (2004)
8:25 --- Audi RS4 375 HP
8:25 --- Callaway Corvette C12
8:25 --- Mitsubishi Carisma GT Evo VI (11/1999)
8:25 --- Mitsubishi Carisma GT Evo VII (11/2002)
8:26 --- Mercedes-Benz SLK 32 AMG (05/2001)
8:26 --- Nissan 350Z (2003)
8:28 --- BMW M5, 400 PS(also confirmed by Motor Commodore magazine, 2000)
8:28 --- Nissan Skyline GT-R, 277 PS
8:28 --- Porsche 993 Carrera 2
8:29 --- Mercedes-Benz CLK 55 AMG (05/2000)
8:29 --- Audi S4 4.2 Avant (11/2003)
8:30 --- Maserati CoupA© Cambiocorsa (10/2002)
8:31 --- Ferrari F355 GTS, 380 PS
8:32 --- BMW M Roadster, 321 PS (09/1997)
8:32 --- BMW Z4 3.0 SMG (05/2003)
8:32 --- Porsche Boxster S
8:32 --- Volkswagen Golf R32
8:34 --- Acura NSX, 276 PS
8:34 --- BMW Z3 CoupA© 3.0i, 231 PS (04/2001)
8:35 --- BMW M3 Coupe, 321 PS
8:35 --- Brabus-Mercedes Benz C V8 SportcoupA© (02/2002)
8:36 --- BMW E36 M3 EVO, 321 PS
8:36 --- Alpina-BMW B3 3.3 CoupA© (07/1999)
8:37 --- Maserati 3200GT (2002)
8:37 --- Mercedes-Benz C32 AMG (09/2001)
8:37 --- Nissan Skyline GT-R V-Spec, 350 PS
8:37 --- Subaru Impreza GT Turbo
8:37 --- Honda NSX 3.0 (07/1991)
8:38 --- Honda NSX 3.2 (08/1997)
8:38 --- Mercedes-Benz SL500 (12/2001)
8:38 --- Porsche 996 Carrera, 296 PS

In the US, 76k gets you:


Lotus Exige S 240 (MSRP: $64,890)
1.8L I4
240 horsepower and 170 ft-lbs of torque
0 to 60 mph in 4 seconds
6 Speed Manual
Fast, light, good handling, but not a supercar

-or-


Cadillac STS-V (MSRP: $78,215)
4.4L V8
469 horsepower and 439 ft-lbs of torque
0 to 60 mph in 5 seconds
6 Speed Automatic
powerful, bulky, poor handling, not a supercar



5th Gear's coverage


The new GT-R (R35) can humiliate Prosches and Lambos, which cost five times more money, on a racetrack. It drives like an everyday car when you're not on a mission. But I don't like:

1)No option for a stick-shift manual

2)A through and through engineering marvel with perfect numbers on paper for the x-wii-station generation. It translates well into supercar performance on track, however may indeed lack a soul for people who lust after a driver's car. The car is superior than anything on the road, but most of the driving is done by the 200 on-board computer chips, not you.



See this Porsche 911 Turbo eaten alive

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