While I pondered my next P car (992.1 TTS, 997 GT, 991.2 GT3 manual, 991.2 RS), I bought an old (2014) R35 Nissan GT-R Track Edition just to piddle with. These seemed so large to me when they came out but the girth of everything new has caught up as the GT-R now seems rather petite to my eyes anymore. Much to my surprise, this pig of a car (3800 lbs!) drives nothing like its curb weight would suggest-- it is smoking fast (this particular year/model turned in the quickest 0-60 of all GT-R models/years @ 2.7s), corners on rails, is very compliant on everything but the roughest of roads, and feels and sounds dare I say "analog" now that it is ten years old. Interiors are terrible but the mechanical noise from the transmission/capable AWD system (sounds like a box of rocks at times) are very endearing to me. I really like the car and the way it drives. And super cheap as a decent place filler. So entertaining that I will not sell once I get another P car--it offers that different and unique an experience to me. Bonus-- I don't worry where I park it or how many miles I pile on it. Can't say that about my last RS lol. Cheers!

 

Always wondered what the dealer support was like for those cars. Imagine they never see them.

 

Its bad. Real bad. At least where I am...and there are 3 dealers. Only one has a GT-R tech anymore. Thats what I get for cheap fun -- that was the sobering part of this little experiment...that and parts are already starting to shrink up quick for anything year model 2016 and earlier. I had an initial fluid swap done when I got it. I had to specify only the service manager drive the car and only on the lot as the porters were lining up to fight it out over moving a GT-R. I totally couldn't blame them as they had a service lane full of nothing but Sentras and Rogues. The car isn't worth much so its not the money but it is a Track edition (1 of 150) so replacing it would be near impossible. And its entirely stock, which is also near impossible to find. Most are badly molested. Fortunately I have discovered a neighbor a few blocks over who has a 20 something son who is a GT-R nut, owns an R34 and an R35...has a couple lifts in the garage and is well versed in the maintenance stuff and beyond. I won't go back to the dealer. If something catastrophic happens, there are a couple groups around the country where I could ship it and get significant stuff done. All in all still dirt cheap fun.

 

I see. I had similar findings when researching local support for a gen 5 Viper that I was considering. Most shops wouldn't touch it. Post a photo of this thing!

 

You will get a chuckle here...the ONLY pic on my phone of the GT-R (I have not had it long) is this shot where it is sheepishly hiding behind a friend's STO that I snapped. My Nissan is pearl black metallic with the ridiculous blue/grey "velour" seats that were used only in the Track Editions. They remind me of the seats that are in the Buick GNX if you have ever seen those. Pretty awful..but honestly part of the charm for me.

 

I've been considering an R35 as a daily/winter beater/public parking garage commuter....appreciate you sharing your experience so far. I didn't consider the dealer support angle...need to look into that.

 

They serve quite well in those roles and offer a unique, fun experience along the way. Where I live, you almost never see them so I enjoy it being different. As long as you buy something 2012 and newer, the R35 is a robust easy care platform similar to what I experience with my 997.2 TT. Brakes are very expensive if you do them through the dealer (rotors are bonkers) but many use Paragon rotors if needed...better than OEM quality and very reasonable. I have not had to do any brake or other work on mine (28k miles) as it had new pads when I got it and the rotors are fine. As you may know, the early R35s (2009-2011) had a tranny glitch if launched so avoid anything real old. I am more and more enamored with it as time goes along, especially at the price of admission. Resale is also a nice surprise -- if you buy right, it will be almost free should you decide to duck out later. Good luck and I hope you find a viable service option so you can try it out.