The Bottom Line
The Nissan GT-R sees a raft of changes for 2010. Power is up 5 hp to 485 and the price is up $4k to almost 82 large. Side airbags are now standard and the suspension gets new Bilstein shocks and revised spring rates. The twin-clutch automatic has been tuned for sportier response, but the high-RPM launch mode -- which helped the car get to 60 MPH in under 3.5 seconds, but also had a worrisome tendency to destroy the $22,000 transmission -- is gone. Subtle updates, but do they make a difference in the way this budget supercar drives? Read on.
Larger photos: Front - rear - interior - all photos
Pros
- Frighteningly fast
- Unstoppable grip
- Basically, it's a half-price supercar
Cons
- Spine-destroying ride
- Rudimentary amenities
- Expensive to own and maintain
Description
- Nissan's high-performance all-wheel-drive sports car, retuned for 2010
- Trim levels: Base, Premium
- Price range/price as tested: $81,790 - $87,720 / $87,320
- Powertrain: 485 hp 3.8 liter twin-turbo V6, twin-clutch automatic transmission, all-wheel-drive
- EPA MPG estimates: 16 MPG city/21 MPG highway
- Observed fuel economy: 15.2 MPG
- Best rivals: Audi RS4, Porsche 911, Chevrolet Corvette ZR1
Guide Review - 2010 Nissan GT-R
When I test-drove the 2009 Nissan GT-R, I summed up with "I'm amazed, I'm impressed, but I'm not convinced."
Well, now that I've driven the 2010 GT-R, I'm convinced.
Neither the extra power nor the elimination of launch mode make much of a difference; the GT-R still accelerates fast enough to endanger your sanity. But the way the car goes down the road seems different. I don't know how much is the improved suspension and how much is my improved driving, but I had a hell of a lot more fun in the '10 GT-R than I did in the '09. I didn't feel like the new car was second-guessing my driving the way the 2009 did. This time 'round, I was able to push past the GT-R's physics-defying grip to find the understeer lurking just beneath. And with the stability control system in "R" (sport) mode, I was even able to kick the tail out with a well-timed prod of the accelerator. Aces!
The transmission still won't do skip-gear downshifts (i.e. 6th directly to 3rd) like most twin-clutches, but the revised R-Mode programming meant I didn't need to reach for the shift paddles nearly as often. And I came away with a new respect for the brakes, which are powerful enough to stop time. With the GT-R's twin turbos at full boil, it's frighteningly easy to carry too much speed into a curve. Those brakes saved my bacon more than once.
Not that it's all joy: The rock-hard ride grinds your vertebrae to dust; the transmission makes noises you wouldn't want to hear in an $800 clunker, let alone an $82,000 sports car; the cabin has all the ambiance of a coal cellar; and Nissan will void your warranty if you look at them wrong. If it's luxury you want, buy an RS4 or a 911. If it's a traveling car you want, buy a Corvette. But if you're devoted to the art of driving -- and you're willing to suffer for your art -- then the 2010 Nissan GT-R is the car for you. -- Aaron Gold
