Drove the GTR today.

[944boy]

How amazing will it be in ~10 years when electrical contacts start to corrode and things start to fail?

PASM is much better than I ever imagined, but when I need to replace a strut coil-overs are going on. No point in $$$$$$ per strut for what will most likely will be a hard to find and expensive part.

I think modern cars will start to head down the path of the 928 as time goes on. Electrical gremlins will drop the desirability of an otherwise awesome car.

[JAAY]

Or they could be like us and wonder when ims will fail

[nola911]

I would certainly like to get one of the road. I'm going to ask Nissan for a test drive.

[JAAY]

From what I hear from my friend who sells them is that it is a 2k deposit and a credit check and maybe they'll take you out in one. If you can do it though, drive it.

[Steve Tinker]

There is a really informative article this month in Australian Unique Cars regarding the running costs of a Skyline R35 GT-R. The writer owns a Skyline & says its the supercar bargain to buy, but the maintenance costs are up there with the exotica. His car is for the road, but also used for track days.
He states that a few cars have broken their transmissions using the "launch" control which has now been modified with a softer control, but what is expensive is the servicing schedule for the GR6 transmission - the factory fluid costs (quoted all in $US) $80 per litre - and the transmission takes 10 litres. Thats $800 per oil change. Nissan Techs can read the peak gearbox oil temps and if the temps have reached 130 deg C, (about 3 laps of a track) you are up for an oil change. Regardless, Nissan recommend the gearbox oil be changed @ 3000km intervals !!!!
Diff fluid is more expensive @ $160 per litre x 3 litres - $480.
Brake rotors and pads are obtainable cheaper ex USA from AP Racing - rotors costing $950 EACH plus fitting and a set of Endless or Pagid pads will set you back $1000 - which is cheaper than OEM.
But tyres are the killer costs which in Oz costs $750 EACH for the Dunlop RSST run-flats - which don't last long, especially the fronts.
Currently, Nissan Australia specialised techs trained in GT-R's are charging $150 / hr for servicing.
I don't know how these costs equate to running say a Porsche GT3, but as with many things in life, buying something expensive is somewhat easier than maintaining it.
So. though the GT-R may make a Boxster (or a 997) feel like a donkey, you had better put some $$$ away for routine maintenance.......

[CRCGuy]

WOW

thanks Steve. That was interesting. Had I not read something like that my initial thought would have been that a Nissan is a Nissan w.r.t maintenance/reliability and the advantage of spending $70k on a Nissan vs a Porsche is that the maintenance/parts would be cheaper and less likely things would break.

[Adam]

Use of launch control = warranty void!!

[husker boxster]

Originally Posted by JAAY

From what I hear from my friend who sells them is that it is a 2k deposit and a credit check and maybe they'll take you out in one. If you can do it though, drive it.

The one I saw had dealer plates on it but I've never gotten around to see if I could wrangle a test drive from them. The windshield already had a rock chip / full length crack in it, so it may have been getting some use. Figured if I show up in an expensive car they may be more inclined to let me drive their GT-R. But I want something more than a soul less warmed over Chevy Colbalt with the gee-whiz technology of an F-22. At some point won't that get old? Even though I may be the pilot of a GT-R, I want to be more than just along for the ride. And how many GT-R owners go to the door to their garage and sneak a peek at the sexy lines of their car? We've all done that and we're not drooling over PSM.

Maybe I'll swing by the dealer and see if they still have it and will let me drive it. See what all the fuss is about.

[Adam]

I saw this GTR at an autocross about a month ago. I wasn't sure what to expect since the car is rather big and definately not a lightweight, but the driver did well with it and posted very respectable times. He was a nice fella and just came by and started talking to me and offered me a ride along, but we were in the same heat so I never got a chance. There is so much hype and controversy surrounding the car it definately draws a crowd especially from the younger crowd. I wouldn't mind riding in one....let alone driving it.

[JAAY]

Just a pic of the one I get to play with.