So I just went for a ride in the R35 GT-R (jesusmobile)...

[04RCSTI]

Yes, I did in fact just had a first hand experience with the Jesusmobile. Flat out acceleration and hard cornering.

Power:
First impression...the acceleration is mind-blowing, spun all four on cold tires. The way this thing goes fast is kinda weird. It accelerates just as hard in every gear till 4th when we got off it because we were on a public road. Its just seamless, the shifts feel like little blips that just make the car go faster. It has no lag, it almost doesn't feel like a turbo car in any gear and it pulls ridiculously hard from very low RPM's. If it weighs 3800 pounds, then it hides it damn well. Its, dare I say it?, physics defying. The last time I felt acceleration like that was on an Ariel Atom 2, the supercharged one. The speed felt very similar, but while the Ariel felt like free energy was pushing it along, the GT-R felt like there was a giant invisible hand pushing it from behind. Like big big power pushing something with mass.

Transmission:
Seamless, as good as they say. Its just so fast and the downshifts are blipped perfectly. Imagine thinking about changing gear and being on the next gear already. It almost feels like you are accelerating again before the needle gets down RPM on the next gear up. On sport, it was a big jerky on the starts from dead stop, but in confort it was just brilliant. Like steptronic smooth for starts.

Handing:
WTF? The ride is compliant, maybe a little bit stiff at times, but very confortable. I noticed a tiny bit of lean when entering corners, but once settled it stood flat all the way through. The tires, needless to say, are very very sticky. I could stick my nails into them when completely cold.. Set the suspension to R and wow, it stiffened up, roll was gone, it felt overall more responsive.

Now here's the area of debate...can a 3900lb car really do what people say it does? My answer to that is that the weight seems to dissapear. You know its there, you can feel it on turn in, but then it discipates and never comes back. Theres a combination of mechanical grip and technobox grip that I've never really felt before. We were nowhere near the limits of the cornering, but it was SO poised and in control when getting pushed around that I could feel you could never slide on the street. Its one of those cars that you need a track to have any sort of sense of where the limits are.

Brakes were great, interior was bearable. The seats held you in nice and snug, they are nice without being buckets. The Exhaust note wasnt there, but I hear it sounds like an F1 shrill with some exhausts. The owner of the dealer was telling me that his frined showed up the day before in his GTR with exhaust and it sounded amazing.

Keep in mind this guy has driven just about everything, he owns an exotics dealership. Before we went for a ride he said he knew it was good but it was too expensive for a car like that. After we got back, before he even got out of the car he said "Ok, I'm going to buy one, right now."
We went inside, he told his people there to find him one and buy it right that second. There was one for sale in Georgia for $95k and he said "no problem, call him right now" so we called the dude, but it was sold already

So to all the non-believers, RC and company. While its definitely not the fastest car in the world, it is definitely effin good and VERY VERY fast.

Some iphone pics..

[RC45]

Originally Posted by 04RCSTI The tires, needless to say, are very very sticky. I could stick my nails into them when completely cold..

Glad you made a point of checking the 80 wear rated (I believe) tyres out. Remember this point.

Originally Posted by 04RCSTI Theres a combination of mechanical grip and technobox grip that I've never really felt before.

The computer systems rely on the above noted grip to allow braking, traction and side loading at the very limits of traction to be translated into the performance you felt.

This "hides" the weight - until the tyres go off, then the car will slow down as the computers are setup to keep the car at the very limit of adhesion/grip - and this grip-life-span is what the weight will affect - no getting away from this fact.

Originally Posted by 04RCSTI So to all the non-believers, RC and company. While its definitely not the fastest car in the world, it is definitely effin good and VERY VERY fast.

We never said it wasnt fast, we simply pointed out that in order to manage the weight and apparent lack of power, the tyres must either be super-sticky (which it turns out we were right on the money) and the power is most likely higher than the claims Nissan is making (and this might also be true) - and the test cars provided for early tests were Nissan ringer - and the Nurburgring car was for sure a ringer

The laws of physics are rigid and unforgiving - if you have the weight present, you have to deal with the kinetic energy you have stored up each time you try change direction/slow/accelerate - and the tyre takes the "heat" (literally) for doing this job

The novelty of tyres/brakes/parts will get old vey quickly for anyone except the wealthy trying to live with car if you ever hope to exploit the potential.

Which is pretty much what we have said since last year.

Glad you enjoyed the car, sure its fast, but a heavy fast car is expensive to keep fast. I men, what good and how much fun is a 1 lap time-attack car

[k24hybrid]

nice review

[yg60m]

Thanks for sharing dude. Nice experience !!

[marcefer]

Excellent review.
So clear I felt like I was in the car

[styla21]

Thanks for sharing RCSTI. Felt like I was reading one of the first non-biased, honest opinions of this car.

[fordgt84]

so does this make you the first mw member to get a ride in the r35? if so congrats, and good job on the review

Originally Posted by 04RCSTI the GT-R felt like there was a giant invisible hand pushing it from behind.

i guess that would explain the lap time at the nurburgring

[unwilling]

Originally Posted by fordgt84 so does this make you the first mw member to get a ride in the r35? if so congrats, and good job on the review i guess that would explain the lap time at the nurburgring

Well, keep in mind that the Nurburgring is a bit longer than this test drive, I think , and constantly being pushed to its limits on that lap. I'm just thinking about brake fade and heat soak.

Great review! Thanks

[Woohoo]

Originally Posted by RC45 Glad you made a point of checking the 80 wear rated (I believe) tyres out. Remember this point.

Well,I believe the Bridgestones have a treadwear of 140 and the Dunlops a treadwear of 280.

I read that somewhere,will try to find the link again.

[pagani]

Originally Posted by unwilling Well, keep in mind that the Nurburgring is a bit longer than this test drive, I think , and constantly being pushed to its limits on that lap. I'm just thinking about brake fade and heat soak. Great review! Thanks

I wonder if the brakes from the bugatti veyron could fit on the gtr?
And i think the gtr is awesome daily driver and road course and whit mods a fun track car.
Maby fitting tires whit a higher tread wear rating is the option?

[graywolf624]

Well,I believe the Bridgestones have a treadwear of 140 and the Dunlops a treadwear of 280.

Actual manufacturer tread wears are not comparable in any way shape or form. They are not industry standardized. After the road and track article the autocrosser from the article wrote that the tires on the car were of a type he would use to run auto crosses with and going from the optional dulops to the bridgestones moved the gtr from way faster then the Z06 to within a few tenths.

[srfairladyz]

Originally Posted by RC45 Glad you made a point of checking the 80 wear rated (I believe) tyres out. Remember this point. The computer systems rely on the above noted grip to allow braking, traction and side loading at the very limits of traction to be translated into the performance you felt. This "hides" the weight - until the tyres go off, then the car will slow down as the computers are setup to keep the car at the very limit of adhesion/grip - and this grip-life-span is what the weight will affect - no getting away from this fact. We never said it wasnt fast, we simply pointed out that in order to manage the weight and apparent lack of power, the tyres must either be super-sticky (which it turns out we were right on the money) and the power is most likely higher than the claims Nissan is making (and this might also be true) - and the test cars provided for early tests were Nissan ringer - and the Nurburgring car was for sure a ringer The laws of physics are rigid and unforgiving - if you have the weight present, you have to deal with the kinetic energy you have stored up each time you try change direction/slow/accelerate - and the tyre takes the "heat" (literally) for doing this job The novelty of tyres/brakes/parts will get old vey quickly for anyone except the wealthy trying to live with car if you ever hope to exploit the potential. Which is pretty much what we have said since last year. Glad you enjoyed the car, sure its fast, but a heavy fast car is expensive to keep fast. I men, what good and how much fun is a 1 lap time-attack car

Just stop already. Your not changing any ones minds about this car. And too tell you the truth I don't think anyone is even listening anymore. . Go create a Vette thread and complain all you want about the GTR, or heavy sports cars.

[RC45]

Originally Posted by srfairladyz Just stop already. Your not changing any ones minds about this car. And too tell you the truth I don't think anyone is even listening anymore. . Go create a Vette thread and complain all you want about the GTR, or heavy sports cars.

This is a DISCUSSION forum.

I am not interested in CHANGING anyone's mind, just DISCUSSING.

I dont GIVE A CRAP if you listen - because you not listening doesnt make me incorrect, it just makes you less informed

Maybe all you want is a series of threads where all you read is people agreeing blindly and stroking each others egos and back slapping etc.

Well, sorry to say, this is not the "Yes Man Forum" - this is the "Motor World Forum".

Live with it.

[haro]

Originally Posted by srfairladyz Just stop already. Your not changing any ones minds about this car. And too tell you the truth I don't think anyone is even listening anymore. . Go create a Vette thread and complain all you want about the GTR, or heavy sports cars.

I agree with srfairladyz about this - Your not changing any ones minds about this car. And too tell you the truth I don't think anyone is even listening anymore, but it's RC45 thoughts about R35 GT-R, and no one will change them.

[RC45]

Originally Posted by haro I agree with srfairladyz about this - Your not changing any ones minds about this car. And too tell you the truth I don't think anyone is even listening anymore, but it's RC45 thoughts about R35 GT-R, and no one will change them.

Whats different? You can never change the fanboise mind -- evah... and before the R35 even went on sale the GT-R fanboise stopped listening to reason.

I bet the day the magazines stop printing the hero-worsjip articles because "the next newest thing" has come along, the fanboise will call the magazines liars and haters

Tell you what, when I get to drive the R35 I will report back and tell you what it feels like - but that still wont change the reality of what it is and how it achieves it.

I find it amusing that you all mistake my objective observations as hate This is quite far from the thruth - I am the consumate "car fan" and have drivena nd enjoyed a fair variety on the street and the track - I guess being objective is most often taken t omean "ahte" when you dont dance to the fans-tunes.