schiles

Part 1 Today, Part 2 it supposed to be out tomorrow....should be interesting. Still trying to figure out how this is a contest based on hp/ton.

http://www.egmcartech.com/2008/02/19...-turbo-part-1/

axhoaxho

Thanks for posting. Can't wait to see Part 2.

Regards,

hesperus

Part 2 is up already:

http://www.carmagazine.co.uk/Video/S...nd-Rockingham/

Looks like fair is fair. Props to the GT-R. Get a move on Porsche! Wakey wakey!!!

997Vancity

sweet review but that guy owns the gt-r seems kinda weird.

GT-R would be nice if I was younger and had less money but thats the the case so Turbo for me please.

Turbofire

I must give cudos to Nissan for getting the speed, handling and engineering down pat.

But i cant get my head to love (or even like) the design. Sorry, but regardless of the cost, I dont like the looks of the GTR at all. It looks like an unfinished wood carving. In twenty years it will disappear with so many other sharp edged plinths, eco-boxes and hybreds that all seem to run together in the Japanese design blender.


Curious though- Why do you think that Nissan publicly singled out the 911 to use as their target of excellence... why not a Z06, Viper, GT40, or?

hesperus

MY personal take on this is:

Z06 / Viper - only relevant to the US market (negligible sales in Europe/Asia);
GT40 - too niche, and no longer in production
Ferrari - completely different market, plus never sold as an everyday supercar

the 911 is the only car that scores high on all key metrics: cost, performance, practicality, reliability, hertiage and worldwide acceptance as a dream car. so it has to be the target for Nissan, for what is their ultimate "halo" car.

TT_man

You know the GTR spanking the 911TT is actually a good thing. It will wake up Porsche . To make a more agressive 911 Turbo. So hopefully we will see this new change in 09.

1AS

That was really well stated. The "turbo Porsche" is accepted as the standard for achievable performance bar heighth, and Nissan showed they exceeded it at lower cost. That equals instant credibility in the performance market.

One additional point is that the ZO6 and Viper could well be faster than the
997tt at any track with tight corner entry.

People who want a Ferrari aren't considering the Nissan as an alternative, and that market is too small anyway.

Personally, I feel the 997tt is essentially unimproved from the 996tt, in that the improvements don't merit a trade up from 996 to 997 models. I also agree with the subsequent post that it is time for Porsche to recognize that re-serving the same technology is tiresome. Hopefully the market will say the same thing, and force an upgrade.

One final consideration is that the euro/dollar shift from 2001 to the present would have moved a car that cost $112,000 to one that costs $162,000. ( I think the Euro is now $1.46) Porsche might feel (with good cause) that money invested in an upgrade of the 2001 996tt cannot be recaptured in the current economic environment. Therfore, minimal changes suffice, as they are cheap in comparison.

My guess is that the next real 911 upgrade will sprinboard off the R8, just as Audi launched that off the Gallardo architecture. Personally, I think the R8 would look better with a Porsche nose and tail, and a turbo V8 would be an excellent next generation 'turbo Porsche". AS

whyb2nd

+1, well said.

Coochas

Totally agree that this is a distinct possibility.

I am truly impressed with what Nissan appears to have delivered. I wonder how a comparably transmission-equipped 997 turbo (?PDK) will perform in the straight line tests and at the track.

1AS

I don't think a paddle shifter will add that much for a talented driver. It makes a bigger difference for the inexperienced. Many purists will disagree, but I think it will be progressively more difficult for our architecture to keep pace with a "clean sheet" design. AS