Porsche is the Benchmark that Nissan has been Aiming for
There has been quite a bit of talk, discussion and debate regarding the new Nissan GT-R and how it compares to Porsche. These previous posts (here, here and here) can give you a flavor for some of the discussion. Basically, the 911 is the benchmark that Nissan has been using to set their own standards. Up until now, most of the comparisons I’ve seen are unfairly biased. For the most part, they have been produced by the Japanese media and discounted by the Porsche community as a result.
Porsche GT3 vs. Nissan GT-R
The following two videos may just help to put this argument to rest. Autocar Magazine’s Chris Harris pits a Porsche 911 GT3 against the Nissan GT-R. For no other reason than it is at the same price point as the GT-R, they throw in BMW’s M3 for some additional and interesting competition.
Both videos are at the end of this post for your viewing. They are long, but, in my opinion, worth the watch.
There are a number of things I like about these videos more so than any of the previous comparisons.
- It is the same driver for each car.
- Good in-car camera shots that discuss how the car is set-up and how the driver is approaching the various parts of the track.
- Great commentary during the actual hot laps.
- Overlapping ghost images of each car as it rounds a hairpin turn that shows the line taken and how the car held the line (as compared to the competition).
- Unbiased performance stats on each of the three cars.
Feedback Please
After you watch these videos, let me know what you think. Did you think this was a fair comparison? How well do you think these cars were driven and is the GT-R as good as it seems?
View Comments (8)
Fair comparison. Awesome videos!!! Still think the teutonic machine is far superior to the tuna can.
At last a worthy competitor to the porsche and one that i can afford. Roll on March '09
Stav,
You might want to check out this page http://993c4s.com/wordpress/?p=71 before you get too excited about being able to afford it. While base price is $70k, that doesn't include destination and handling charges and given the anticipated demand, dealers are sure to mark these up something fierce.
John
Amazing video indeed.
o own a gtr(an old one),but the gt3 is my dream car since the 996 version.
Sad but where i live.the price of the r35 complete(including tax) is shipper then a cayman,then if i would have to buy one of then i would take the gtr.
Still,for driving pleasure only the gt3 is the right choice.
p.s.Bob no tuna can could run like that.
Good comparison.
But being 0.3 seconds faster than the Porsche after you have just had a chance to run the course 6 times, instead of 2, isn't really a surprise. I wonder if he had run them again in reverse order and then averaged whether we would have the same result.
Then again, he probably wouldn't want to do that in case the M3 brakes totally gave out ;-)
Great work and thank you for your service
With best regards...
I'm really tired with all these Porsche vs Nissan tests. The 911 is a true class act that makes me smile every time I get behind the wheel, and this has been true since 1990 when I got my first 911. I'm sorry but I just don't want a Datsun. It wouldn't be the same even if it might be a bit quicker at the Ring.
Pretty much everything gets compared to the 911. However, it seems the Corvette and Godzilla are the two that covet Porsche's audience the most. Like you, I too get a bit tired of them as I think the audience for them is just a different demographic. I've never really wanted a Nissan or a Chevy. Not sure I ever will...