I agree with your last quote, I really liked the GTR formerly loving imports, but in the end I have never been happier with my 997TT. In the long run this is a keeper and I will keep it for my little boy. I will for sure one day maybe get the new model of the Turbo in another 10 yrs from now or if I win the lottery I'll buy the new 918 Spyder and if I win a big lottery I'll buy 2. 1 for the living room and 1 to drive on occasion!

 

 

I'm 42 and I currently own a '13 GT-R and '07 997TT. In all, I've owned 3 Porsche turbos and 4 GT-Rs. I'm neither a ricer, nor a badge *****. I'm a 'car enthusiast'. And unlike some people, I'm mature enough not to care what other people think about the cars that I drive.

 

^ Ricer...

 

.....

 

I was really close to buying a GTR. There wasnt one thing I didn't like about it. I think its a great looking car especially in black. It looks really mean. Car stands out and is hand built. Its an amazing piece of machinery. I was going back and fourth for 6 months trying to decide. I came across a really good deal on my Turbo and figured there will be a lot more GTR's out there then 997.1's with low miles in the years to come. I can always buy a GTR, but there not making the Mezgers anymore. Having a 997.1 and a GTR is the dream garage for me. Since VW took over Porsche recently I can say that my next car will most likely be a GTR.

 

GTR is a cool car but for me, the 997TT all the way.

 

Had a GTR, loved it. I think they look great. Fast, capable DD and/or track car. Put 12K miles in 1.5 years and the maintenance was minimal.

Back in a Turbo S. Great car as well.

It's about having fun with performance cars. Don't care about the badge.

 

Interesting to see all the different views. My own limited experience:
Went to the local Nissan dealer to see the GTR in person. They had one, but told me it had a deposit from an out of state buyer, but "the manager said I could have it today if I take delivery." uh, interesting. I had to wait 15 minutes in line with all the Sentra buyers before anyone actually ever spoke to me. Naturally, since it had a deposit, didn't even get to drive it.
Just not that impressed with the interior. It seemed more like a Sentra than an exotic. Kinda like when I checked out an Impreza a long time ago. Also, no sunroof. I'm not a cab guy, but I love a sunroof. Sounded okay, but typical sound from a turbo, nothing to write home about. Even worse than a TT. Easily remedied with exhaust, I suppose.

Reflecting on it though, it is a fair performance comparison, but not really a fair comparison. The TT is nearly 50% more expensive. It SHOULD be nicer, better finished and more oppulent. And it is. The Alcantara headliner, all the leather on the dash. Should they be compared, I'm not so sure. Anyway, it also occurred to me, I would be comparing a one year old car that costs less than a 4 year old car.

Anyway, i still want to drive one, but it would be a stop gap car. I would own the GTR, but still want a TT. I may just wait until I find the right TT. I'm driving M3 and it certainly is a very adequate ride. I may drive it through the winter unless I see a deal I can't resist.

 

Good point. Let's hope enough USAers vote to stop obama's socialistic crap.

 

Hi Guys,

I have a 2010 GTR tuned with down pipes and software putting down 486awhp and I have a 997.2TT with EVOMs tune and Sharkwerks muffler delete putting down very similar HP (have not got it on the same dyno yet)

Both are extremely fun and amazing cars. So far I can go around the track (sears point) a touch faster in the GTR but I think with a few suspension mods I can almost get to the same times in the 997.

They are very similar in blinding speed. They both move into the type of speed that makes passengers giggle or outright scream. They can also reproduce it time and time again via launch control (as long as your GTR tranny does not break).

I have PDK, so both cars are dual clutch. Both are amazing, but man the GTR tranny is noisy (like a truck). I got used to the noisy, but it really bothers me that when i drive the car hard at the track, the tranny noise gets louder.

For me (and this is a personal thing) if I had to choose one I would choose the Porsche for the following reasons:

1:
I track the car and with the GTR, I need an aftermarket transmission oil cooler. Without it, every-time I tracked the car, I overheated the Tranny fluid, and the tranny started making noises that scared my into replacing the fluids at $1k a time. (maybe i am a wimp and should just keep driving it.)

2:
When I go to the Nissan dealer they actively tell me I can not track the car or I void my warranty. At the porsche dealer they swap my track wheels on the way to the track and ask me if I had a great time when they swap them back.

3:
If I have a problem with my Porsche they fix it very quickly. When I was having odd noises with my GTR tranny, it took an extremely long time for the GTR tranny tech to make a decision on what to do with my tranny.

4: The overall ride on the 997.2 is far less gut wrenching than the ride of the GTR. I have a few lowered cars, and my GTR is the most jarring, and likely to induce an "ugh.." from a passenger.

5:
I like the way the Porsche driving position sits a little lower and I like the driving feel. Even though I am not going as fast around the track, I feel a bit more sure of the car.

6:
With the CPO 2010 car I have, I have a warranty until 2016 (factory 4 year +2 for CPO). Nissan does not offer this.

7:
997 Brake rotors are far cheaper than GTR brake rotors. As long as I keep my car on the track, it costs me much less to track my 997.

8:
I can put a harness bar in the 997 and easily take it out when not tracking the car.

They are both amazing cars, you cant go wrong with either.

my 2 cents.

 

I feel the same way! I am going to pick up a GT-R to go with my 996 TT! When in question go with both!

 

Oh, to follow up on my comments, I thought from some people's comments that the rear seats in a GTR would be quite usable. Well, the rear seats are no better than those in a 911. I fact, I think the legroom is more limited and the headroom is about the same. I'm 6' and with the seat normally adjusted, there was not enough room to put your legs behind the seat. Contrary to a 911, which still has some room with that adjustment. If you have young kids, an M3 is a lot more versatile.

 

A few things - #1 only 1 person at each dealership should discuss with you, purchasing a GT-R. That may have been why you were waiting. Only the dealer principal or GM can discuss this with you.

The service (ownership) is what I enjoy the most. The 'Sentra' techs don't touch your car either - there is an assigned GT-R tech at each GT-R certified facility. There should never be any waiting for service, always free nitrogen, loaners for everything (stated in the manual Maxima or equivalent - whether or not this happens is up to the individual, not the dealership, owners have the ability to call the GT-R hotline and discuss any discrepancies, and correct the dealership on their ignorance - has happened before).

I drove up last week (because of lowering temps) for more nitrogen. Pulled right up to the door, assigned GT-R service rep came right out and put my requested levels of nitrogen in the tires, and drove off. No appointment, no waits, etc...

If GT-R ownership continues like this, I will have a hard time purchasing any other car.

But about the sunroof (has been on almost every car I've had for the 10 years prior to the R35) - it apparently would make the chassis less rigid, and add unnecessary weight above the center of gravity, etc...). As we all know - this car is about performance - first, then everything else that they could fit in to make it less uncomfortable... So the sunroof was probably never part of the equation - for those that want one (from Nissan), I'd point to the Skyline. They are available for a lot less (Infiniti G37).

 

GREAT points! A few things -

pre - launch control is not a non-warrantied procedure. Leave VDC-R and you're fine (in fact, now launch control doesn't work in VDC-off, so this has become a non-issue).

#2 - I got the opposite reaction from my Nissan / Porsche dealerships. The Nissan dealer not only asks me how I did, but actually went with me, and put up pictures of my events at their dealership. No warranty issues here. If you want to speculate the 09 vs 10+ warranty verbiage, we can discuss.

#3 - This I agree with. I feel the level of training some GT-R dealerships have (and their level of control) is lacking. But some others may look at this glass half full. I mean - if there is not enough experience fixing GT-R's, wouldn't that indicate they aren't worked on often? Dunno... Sometimes it is frustrating that almost every decision made is done in Japan. But, I also don't have to plead my case as to why or how something happened, all of the evidence is there to be read. I enjoy this, because in the past, I've lost warranty work, Infiniti, Porsche, and BMW, because of the appearance of the car led the service reps to believe that I was doing something I should not have been. No more.

#4 - Agreed. This is why I recommend 2012+.

#5 - And this is what I like about the Nissan - I can see over the Miata in front of me during the daily commute. I'll use the 'Vette as a comparison - I couldn't see a damn thing in traffic. However, I'll also say that the 911 position is MUCH better than the average Ferrari position (pre-599).

#6 - Agreed. While I have a 4+2yr warranty on my car, the powertrain is covered throughout, regardless... I wish Nissan would do something about certified pre-owned GT-R's. It is more of a perception thing than anything else. The repairs on this car are relatively costly. It would be nice for a dealer to resell you a car they don't mind maintaining.

#7 - Agreed. Although, aftermarket has stepped in to overcome the overpriced OEM rotors. I'm not sure who would stick with OEM rotors, as there is no warranty coverage for those parts anyway. Some do, I guess.

#8 - There are removable harness bars for the GT-R as well (not recommended, but that is a different issue altogether).

It really does come down to preference, though. But little things can make/break an ownership experience.