When the argument of “best bang for your buck” comes up in the sports car world today, the 2016 Nissan GT-R is always in the discussion. Its base price starts at $101,770, which is a six-figure price nonetheless, but it can outperform many cars that are far more costly with little to no modifications.
(What’s different from 2015 to 2016: recalibrated suspension, new front and rear designs wit LED lighting, carbon fiber instrument panel and standard Bose Active Noise Cancellation system.)
Our time behind the wheel of the 2016 GT-R really gave us a chance to see just how much bang it really has.
From the outside, there’s no mistaking a GT-R, from its angular teardrop headlights, to the iconic circle taillights. Over the years, the R35 has received few exterior updates, and in 2016 it retains most of the design aspects it has always had; not that that’s a bad thing. In fact, everywhere you go in the GT-R, you’ll draw eyes from admirers of the Japanese sports car.
Inside, the GT-R is most definitely a sports car. In the front were heated seats, with eight points of adjustment for the driver and four for the passenger. In the rear were two rather small seats that you wouldn’t want to put an adult into. Overall, the cabin of the GT-R was efficient, which was expected, because this car is all about the drive itself.
Under the hood is a twin turbo 3.8-liter V6 that generates 545 hp and 463 lb-ft of torque. This power is utilized ever so beautifully through an all-wheel drive system and a lightning-quick dual-clutch 6-speed automatic transmission. And, even though this is a V6, don’t think it doesn’t make a loud statement; it has a great exhaust note at idle and when performing.
When you ask this car to go, it goes. To say it accelerates quickly is an understatement, and that’s without the launch control. When I hit the gas using launch control, the GT-R shot forward like a rocket. As it flew down the road in a straight line, the transmission shifted gears at 0.15 seconds in R-Mode, according to Nissan.
On sharp corners, the GT-R was nimble enough. But, its large size made it a bit more difficult when compared to most sports cars, which are typically smaller in size.
What’s most interesting about the GT-R, even with all of this performance, is that it was a great daily driver. I’d been told before that the car was almost unmanageable on the daily road, but I was as comfortable as ever. It just so happened to be that I could accelerate in this car from 0-60 mph in under three seconds.
Overall, the 2016 Nissan GT-R is one of the finest sports cars out in the world today. Its price-performance ratio is fantastic, especially when compared to some of its competitors. That being said, it’s been refined over the years to be an acceptable car for daily driving.
The model test was the Premium version, which is the base model. Other editions for the 2016 model year include the 45th Anniversary Gold Edition, Black Edition and NISMO.
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