ssaa77

Ignoring the practicality of four doors (very rare that I take my kids in the S4), and understanding that I'm sacrificing a little "comfort" for additional (albeit arguably unnecessary) "performance", what do you guys think?

Clean un-launched 09s are in the low 60s, even breaking 60, so I'm thinking the bang for an additional $10k or less would be pretty interesting.

I'd be daily driving it. I daily drove a 997S for 2 years and had no problems, so it doesn't concern me that much. But, I still haven't driven the GTR and can't seem to find a dealer that will let me.

Anyway - just kicking it around in my head and curious if anyone actually did this or may be considering it as well.

desmo101

Wow I would be very interested in having owners of both's opinions as well. Although I'm pretty sure the S4 is hard to beat as an all rounder, the GTR must be quite an animal. I'd love to try one

clochner

I'm sure the acceleration & speed of the GTR is great, but that interior just doesn't do it for me. If I was to spend 80+ grand on a car, I'd either wait for the RS5 or save up some more and go with an R8.

DrVolkl

I was in the Nissan dealership the other day looking at a car with/for a buddy of mine and they were really trying to sell me the 2011 GTR they had sitting there. They couldn't wait to get me out of my lease and into that car. lol.

It's a pretty impressive looking machine, I've been a fan of Skylines since I was a kid... a few things bother me about the car.

1) No manual transmission
2) Rear seats are unusable. I mean, maybe you get someone behind the passenger, but no way behind the driver.
3) Maint costs can be high... just look into brake jobs
4) Overall fit/finish. (I've heard they squeek and rattle quite a bit)
5) Driving such an amazing car as a daily... I can only imagine the tickets piling up!

They're refreshing that car for 2012, nothing major, just a face lift, etc... probably get even better deals next summer, as the car is still depreciating (but will probably never be "cheap").

Once my kids get out of cars seats, I will totally look at this car, especially if Audi brings no RS4 or decent RS5 to the table.

jdwk

I've been on the track with my lightly modded C6 against a few GTRs. They are no joke. Until I upgraded to Bridgestone RE11 tires, I was a little faster down the straights but literally got destroyed around turns. With a more equivalent tire to the GTR's Dunlops, it's about equal, but I can't make mistakes or I'll lose them.

I've been trying to talk a friend of mine who doesn't drive manual into one for a while now.

I think it would be a fantastic daily driver that you could take to the track and hang with the big boys. It might be the fastest out of the box track car short of a ZR1.

However, apparently it's a rough ride for a daily, as there was even rumors about Nissan releasing an M-spec that had a more comfortable ride.

The roads in Phoenix as all smooth as glass, so I don't think it would be an issue here, but if you're in NE or somewhere with car sized potholes, it may be something to think about.

One thing is for sure, it would turn a lot more heads than an S4. There are so many A4's on the road out here, you'd think they were giving them away. Yet, I've only seen a couple GTRs on the streets.

DrGP

Track car, YES. Daily driver, NO! It all depends on your wants and needs.

ssaa77

Good input guys. I've been following the GTR for a while, but haven't had the chance to drive it. Hoping to get some in-seat perspective!

Not looking at spending 80k on one. As mentioned in my post, 09s are dropping to around 60k, so that's what I'm considering. Not a new one. I heard the 2012 will be more than a facelift though - some tweaks here and there (including price) that will improve performance even more.

I heard the ride is rough, but can it really be all that worse than a 997S? Driving my bro-in-law's 997S reminded my how stiff that suspension is (relative to the S4), but I lived with it for 2 years....I should be able to do it again

I searched for car seats and GTRs and found a few pics. As mentioned earlier, i rarely take my kids anywhere in the S4, but in a pinch I can bring them along.

The S4 is truly the best all around sedan. I'm convinced of that. But there are days that I yearn for something more - part of me thinks the GTR is the ticket...but there's a part of me that thinks I'd regret it too.

LeadToRome

You outlined the issues as you see them very well. Superb Sedan vs. Straight-up Hot Rod. Two very different cars.

No amount of input will make your decision for you, nor should it.

Follow your heart, Grasshoppa.

MB Rock

I don't have an S4 but I do have an RS4.....and a GTR. We are talking apples and oranges. To answer the OPs question, I would not suggest the GTR as a daily driver. It is a harsh ride and the car makes lots of mechanical noise. It is certainly not as refined or polished as the RS4.

On the positive side, the GTR is an absolute monster. It will destroy the RS4 in any and all performance categories. A simple tune and mid-pipe will net you a 10.9-11.0 @126-128 mph quarter mile. The car is loaded with technology and it is by far the most entertaining car I have ever had.

Mine with a couple of enhancements:

Muray

I looked at the S4 and S5 at first, then the M3, then the GTR...test drove the S4 and S5but didn't get a chance to the M3 and the GTR. If someone had let me test drive an M3 or a GTR, I might consider buying one of those two cars too. I see quite a few GTR's in my neighborhood now and the Nissan dealers seem to be having trouble selling them. I walked into one and they said they had 3 and they could bring one over the next day for me to test drive. It would be like having a roller coaster for a car, I think. Sometimes I think life is too short and I should do whatever I want to do. But then I start to think practically and realize the S4 is probably the best all-around car for me. But then I think damnit forget about practicality you only live once go all out. It's only like 15K more than the S4 right? Besides it's the best bang-for-buck performance car besides the Corvette, which I don't like very much. Oh wait, I forgot about the new 5.0, that's gotta be the best bang for buck. I am going nuts here. Fast awesome cool cars tend to make me nuts.