2020 Nissan GT-R

Well, still with no major update, you should never mistake the GT-R for a slow car. It comes packed with a twin-turbo 3.8L V6 engine, pushing out 565 horsepower and 467 lb-ft of torque to all four wheels. And if these figures sound low you can still opt for the NISMO variant which bumps up the fun factor by offering up to 600 hp. Yes, there are a number of race cars out there but GT-R can still carry up to 4 people in the cabin.  

For the 50th Anniversary edition, four trims are on offer for the 2020 GT-R: Premium, 50th Anniversary, Track Edition and Nismo. The Premium trim starts at $115,235 and the more performance packing Nismo edition $212,435. Compared with the 2019 edition, there is a price bump of around $17,000 for the Premium variant. 

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The Premium trim is good enough to give you the real feel of a GT-R as it packs a lot of punch. Also, the Nismo edition seems like much of a tuned-up edition and not much has been done considering the extra $32,000 price tag.

The major fun factor lies underneath the hood of the GT-R. A 3.8L twin-turbo V6 engine that produces 565 hp and 467 lb-ft of torque. Although this engine produces identical outputs even after a decade. The 2020 variant is said to be 20% more responsive along with new turbo upgrades done by Nissan. It still packs the Godzilla factor to surprise supercars and new drivers behind the steering. The transmission is long due for an update but it still manages to do its job.

GT-R has a league of its own and only a few rivals can match that. It still remains the most pocket-friendly compared to all other rivals even after the price hike. Above all, it still is a track machine made for daily use, if you wish to. The next car coming in its rival list is almost $44,000 more.

Acceleration

AWD allows for a stable and quick acceleration for the 2020 Nissan GT-R. It is blindingly fast in a straight line, it can sprint to 60 mph in just 2.8 seconds. which is still faster than the prominent rivals. The quick-acting all-wheel-drive setup is something exceptional that allows for proper traction as soon as you plummet the throttle. Coming second only to the NSX that benefits from a hybrid powertrain. 

Braking

Deceleration is as important as acceleration when we talk about supercars. Thanks to excellent weight balance and big Brembo brake discs, the GT-R can come to a full stop from 60 mph within 94 feet, which is enough to deliver fast and smooth braking.

The lightweight and superbly rigid calliper are created from a single-one piece of aluminium. It feels sensitive and provides accurate pedal feel allows stopping the coupe quickly. 

Ride and Handling

Press the start button on central control and the 3.8-litre v 6 turbocharged powertrain burbles to life. The Godzilla is surprisingly tame on open roads. Unless you’re going for the sports-tuned suspension. The all-wheel-drive capability and traction control allow for the car to be more planted while ripping through corners at high speed. It soaks up bumps easily and handles just like a regular sedan at city speeds. The new hood and front grille design allow for better frontal downforce.

Understeer is an evident issue in the GT-R, however, few tweaks have been done to improve it with the stiff ride quality that leaves the GT-R wanting in the handling arena. Inside the cabin, you will feel the famous growl of the GT-R engine. Although, all the trims come with an audio system that you might not be using when doing highway runs. As the all-wheel-drive system puts more power to the rear wheels, and the torque splits in the 50:50 the car feels more alive when pushed hard.

Despite its high power output, the Nissan GTR with its turbocharged powertrain is good enough to deliver 16 mpg in the city and 22 mpg on the highway, despite its sub-three second acceleration to 60 mph. This fuel economy is considered practical as you can very well use the GT-R as your daily driver. With a total fuel capacity of 19.5 gallons, the Godzilla can be taken for a weekend getaway without any second thought.

Economy figures might not be the best, but the GT-R still manages a decent fuel economy output from its rivals. While the Porsche 911, Turbo puts out the best fuel economy numbers with 19mpg in city and 24mpg in highway conditions. Followed by NSX and R8. 

While it may dominate over its rivals with its blistering performance, the cabin’s cosiness is not exactly ideal. The cabin of Nissan GT-R is functional like its exterior, but it is beginning to show its age when compared to modern rivals. The availability of premium leather materials along with Alcantara headliner in the 50th Anniversary Edition. 

Nevertheless, the GT-R has not yet been able to shake the feeling of sitting in a big plastic box whenever you spend more than a few hours seated in. The front seats are spacious but the rear seats are much suited for kids or short individuals. Getting in and out of the GT-R does not require many efforts as the legroom is good enough. Setas are adjustable by manual operations only up to a certain level but, they do get the heating options. 

The rear seats are small, but still, Nissan takes credit for being a 4-seater car in this segment. While all the cars in this segment come out to be identical in terms of interior space.

Interior Features

• Heated Front Sport Seats -inc: 8-way driver and 4-way passenger power front seats
• Driver Seat -inc: Power Rear Seat Easy Entry
• Passenger Seat -inc: Power Rear Seat Easy Entry
• Bucket Front Facing Rear Seat
• Manual Tilt/Telescoping Steering Column
• Proximity Key For Doors And Push Button Start
• Cruise Control w/Steering Wheel Controls
• Leatherette Door Trim Insert w/Carpet Lower
• Fixed Front Head Restraints
• Front Center Armrest and Rear Center Armrest
• Engine Immobilizer
• Air Filtration
• Dual Zone Front Automatic Air Conditioning

Infotainment System

The GT-R comes standard with the NissanConnect infotainment system that seamlessly links to your smartphone with the 8.0-inch touchscreen. The centre dash also doubles up to control the major digital systems of the car and shows details related to performance and mechanical factors too. Such as torque, oil temperatures, and 0-100 timings. But, it still feels dated and less responsive than its more advanced rivals. 

Basic connectivity functions like Bluetooth, USB, AUX, and radio are present. Now the head unit supports both Apple CarPlay and Android Auto compatibility. For moments when you are not interested in listening to that amazing V6 in front of you, Nissan has added an 11 speakers Bose audio system with active noise cancellation. 

The standard infotainment system consists of:

• NissanConnect infotainment system
• 8-inch screen
• USB connectivity
• Bluetooth
• HD Radio
• Eleven speakers Bose audio system

The optional upgrades include:

• Navigation
• Satellite radio

Cargo Volume

Being a supercar there is not much space to store your belongings, still, the GT-R comes with 8.8 cubic feet of space which is enough to load in a few bags for your two-day trip. Adding to that, the rear seats can also be removed completely providing you with a little more space.

But, you might face trouble in loading up long items because the trunk doesn’t go all the way up. Although there is no specific smartphone stand inside the cabin, you still get a couple of cupholders and pockets to store basic pocket stuff.

The GT-R provides the maximum cargo space for utility from all of its rivals. With 8.8 cu.ft. of storage space it comes out on the top followed by Audi R8 Coupe. The last two spots are taken by Porsche 911 turbo and Acura NSX. 

The GT-R design does not look distinctive, and Nissan has successfully maintained the low-key stance of this performance sports car. The GTR mixes form with function in a great manner. Its beauty lies in its serenity and simplicity. Rather than going for a mish-mash of sharp edges and curvy streaks, the smooth cuts reflect the appearance of a noble shinobi, ready to spring into action whenever the need arises. Not many visible changes happened in this update apart from an upgraded front fascia and silver exhaust tips. 

While the delicate C pillar diminishes into a vertical fence on the rear fender which is inspired by NISMO GT-R. The design package makes the GT-R a complete tuner car, created in-house. Most of the colour schemes remain plain and elegant, with only the Anniversary Edition having multiple-tone colour schemes to choose from. 

By far the heaviest machine amongst its peers, the Nissan GT-R leads the way in terms of curb weight, at a bulky 3933 lbs. Apart from this, the GT-R is certainly taller than its rivals and has a higher ground clearance too. On the other hand, the GT-R offers an excellent overall view from the inside and has fewer blind spots compared to its rivals where the driver sits low, limiting the visibility of the cabin. 

It seems that the Nissan GT-R is still waiting to go through the crash tests conducted by the NHTSA and the IIHS. so, providing exact safety figures is not possible. But, we consider the race-spec carbon-fibre design, it is expected to perform at a respectable level. The availability of crumple zones and reinforced engine housing makes up for better strength of the structure. 

At a time when other manufacturers are stuffing their products with advanced tech and driver aids, Nissan is still putting every responsibility in the driver’s hand for handling the car. 

Safety Features

• Electronic Stability Control(ESC)
• ABS And Driveline Traction Control
• Side Impact beams
• Dual-Stage Driver And Passenger Seat-Mounted Airbags
• Emergency SOS
• Front And Rear Parking Sensors
• Tire Pressure Monitoring System
• Dual-stage Driver and Passenger Front Airbags
• Airbag Occupancy Sensor
• Curtain 1st Row Airbags
• Outboard Front Lap And Shoulder Safety Belts
• Back-Up Camera

Nissan GT-R vs Audi R8

While the GT-R is more focused on performance, Audi is stuffing some luxury and German technology. This is done in order to account for the slower lap times of the R8. while Audi’s Virtual Cockpit looks a lot better than the dated screens in the GT-R.

The main downside of the GT-R is the fact that no major design and technology changes made it look old age. Also, the R8 still feels fresh and the Quattro AWD does much better as well. If you’re looking for an advanced proper sports car that has all the advanced features then the Audi R8 is for you. 

Nissan GT-R vs Acura NSX

Performance is the main factor in differentiating these cars. Acura has done a fantastic job on the hybrid supercar that has enabled them to finally beat the GT-R in terms of performance. The engine in the NSX is supplemented by a 73 hp electric motor that gives a combined output of 573 hp which comes out to be 8hp more than the standard GT-R.

overall the NSX is a refreshed product trying best to live up to its name. The only problem is, it is a supercar designed to be driven daily and no one drives a supercar daily. So, it lacks in performing the best of both worlds. Also, a price difference of around $44,000 is something to consider.

Nissan GT-R vs Porsche 911 Turbo

This is the competition where the game gets head on head. The Porsche 911 Turbo is a long-time nemesis of the Nissan GT-R. but, even after years of perfecting their original design, the Porsche still falls behind the Godzilla in terms of performance.

Interior quality still lacks a lot in terms of space and quality. You have to opt for additional packages to make them feel better. Moreover, the cargo space is the front trunk only in the 911 Turbo which is fit for nothing more than a small bag. Even though the 911 handes much better than the GT-R, it still can’t justify the price difference of more than $50,000.

Yes!, the GT-R is long due for an overhaul as it is lacking behind upcoming sports cars. Nissan is going on the tradition of ‘If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it’. But, it has been long due even though it is not broken, it is old. It is a fabulous car like no other and if you like modifying it both in terms of aesthetic appeal and engine performance. You have endless possibilities to make it a daily driver yet track monster.