Video: AutoCar pins the Nissan GT-R against the 911 GT3 and the M3

The 911 GT3 and the M3 are like a couple of sexy athletic women.

The GT-R looks like Alice the Goon, I'm sorry to say.

I give you Alice the Goon.

http://images.darkhorse.com/covers/300/12/12696.jpg

People, I give you EL34, autospies' goon!

What's the matter, don't like the Datsun Goon?

Cry ElNina, the GTR is the most revolutionary Automobile Since the McLaren F1.

Yes Indeed PintoRacer, yes Indeed.

why didn't they get a GT3 RS? thats an even greater track car than the regular GT3

The GT-R looks so badass, no wonder it scares the hell out of dorks like EL34.

It looks like a WWI era tank!

http://www1.istockphoto.com/file_thumbview_approve/1812984/2/istockphoto_1812984_wwi_military_tank.jpg

EL34, don't be so bitter because the GT-R is a great car.

GTR did look pretty good in the black. In my opinion, I am not a big fan of the overall styling. Then again, this is not meant to be the best looking car. It is designed to perform and that is does really well.

I'm not afraid of that monster.

What do you think I am 3 years old???

Go lower my friend.

The GT-R looks the best of the three. The 911 isn't bad but the M3 is awful. I realy miss the last gen M3.

i remember saying how the M3 isnt really worth the money and this video here very well proves my theory. now everyone else is saying the same. bias german fans need to control themselves.....

Are you kidding? The new M3 is stunning from every angle!

fastonekiller calm down. no need to call me names. control yourself damn

Best performing, sure. But since when have cars been rated solely on their performance stats?

I just watched the video and I have to say he is not a very good driver in the performance aspects. He blew 0 to 60 of the Porsche and BMW. Apparently, he doesnt understand the manual gearbox too well. In both cases, he bogged then tried to over compensate and spun the tires in second. It most likely cost him about a full second in performance. In the GTR, not even he could mess that up with launch control.

cant use autocar as a performance source .... idiot

Xero ... watch the video and tell me I am wrong. In regards to performance for the M3, 5.2 is the slowest of any test that I have ever seen. Even with the Porsche it was horrible. 4.7 for GT3. I would expect that from an above average driver, but not from someone who is trying to provide a subjective article about performance cars. These are performance cars and I expect the drivers who are working for major magazines to be able to drive. the guy is an idiot.

Actually, I think it shows what Joe Buyer should expect out of the car, and not, say, Lewis Hamilton...

uh Im guessin most of the people on autospies is from the states, cause Chris Harris is one of the most respected auto journalists and enthusiasts in the UK. He a much better driver then the those top gear and fifth gear presenters with the exception of tiff. The man loves and ownes porsches, owns a gallardo, and the m3 in the video is his. He regularly writes articles for Porsche magazine, so to BMW4me4ever who said he cant drive, I dont think so. Autocar magazine is taken seriously in the UK and Chris Harris always drives the cars to the limit.

times are irrelevant. He did say it was about 2 degrees outside so the tires are probably still cold as well as the tarmac. The conditions are not optimal thus explaining the slower times.

o yes! and there was a passenger

And you can...

That guy?....he's a joke!

Just like you?

GT-R stomped 'em.

that is mostly due to the driver's inability to actually drive. He bogged the porsche and the M3 at the start of the performance times, then he spun in 2nd gear. If I am drag racing someone, regardless of the car, they are going to get pummled. How come he has posted the slowest time ever for a Gt3 and M3? In the GTR, he didnt have the opportunity cause my 10 year old couldnt mess that up.

The GT-R is an auto pilot car.

Just like Lexus and their self-parking doodad.

Still bitter I see? Just bend over and accept it.

Ladies and skunks, the M3 is the most bang for the buck!

But still got "slayed" by the GT-R. Come on, they're not even in the same class.

The M3 and the GT3 are both much faster than this guy drove them. Car and Driver got 4.1 seconds 0-60 and 9.8 seconds 0-100 for the M3 and 3.8 seconds 0-60 in the GT3. Those are all a second or more faster than this guy got. The M3 w/ DCT will probably get 3.9 seconds and 9.7 seconds. Both would still be behind the GT-R but I never expected the M3 to be able to keep up with the GT-R anyway.

and I should mention that I don't care if the GT3 or M3 can keep up with the GT-R, I'd still rather have either of those. The GT-R is an amazing car but if I'm going to spend $70-100k on a car, I want something that's going to turn people's heads who aren't just avid fans of Fast and the Furious or Gran Turismo.

so you would rather show off than take the better car? Shows how much of an enthusiast you are. If you actually chose the other 2 for something that actually relates to the car and not image then i wouldn't say you aren't a proper enthusiast.

Just because one is faster than the others doesn't make it "the better car". It's just better at one particular aspect of owenership, in this case "driving fast". Frankly I reject your notion that choosing the GT-R because it's the fastest is the only way to be a "proper" enthusiast, who are you to judge what a "proper" enthusiast is? It's my money, not yours. By the way, the GT-R is faster than all but one or two Ferrari's, all but two Porsche's, and every Lamborghini, Aston Martin, Bentley, etc. I don't care what you say, the GT-R is not "better" than those, it's just faster.

I am an enthusiast. And I would still choose the M3 or GT3 (or M5/M6, Audi RS4/RS5/RS6, or E63 AMG, or any car I just listed above) because

a) all of these vehicles perform better than 99% of cars on the road, and

b) I value performance AND image, not just one or the other.

With the cars I listed I get more than enough performance for my needs (certainly more than I can legally get away with), and yes, I get a vehicle that has cachet to more than 5% of the population. If I'm a car snob so be it. But I'm not taking my car to the track, so I don't care if the GT-R laps the 'Ring faster than whatever I drive.

_43LE: Do you own a large stake in NSANY? You seem to get very defensive when it comes to anything GTR/Nissan related? I'm not being facetious.

"_43LE: Do you own a large stake in NSANY? You seem to get very defensive when it comes to anything GTR/Nissan related? I'm not being facetious."

Kablaam, you must be fairly new here. I do not have strong affinity to Nissan. I just know that EL34 hates anything Asian which is negative and racist. If you pay further attention to his comments you'll soon realize this for yourself and what a horse's you know what he can be.

Actually I've been here longer then you think.....

GTR will def. be iconic but can you honestly say the M3 of 911 sucks because it's slower around a track? Plus, I don't care what anyone says, an auto DCT will beat any manual anyday(albeit not as fun). This def. added to the GTR's win over the manual 911 and M3.

Barring price my choices in order would be:

911
GTR
M3

This is assuming the GTR is a half way decent road car, not just a track/performance vehicle.

This is where the BMW shines, it will do great on the track but it has wonderful manners to be a daily driver.

Only time will tell.

Kablaam, I never said that the M3 or 911 suck. I think that they're both great cars. You're putting words in my mouth. The GT-R happens to be a great car too. Also:

"Yet this mill remains perfectly mannered whether it's being thrashed mercilessly or just lugged around town. If you left the transmission in automatic mode and only used one-quarter throttle, you'd never guess that this car could suck the doors off nearly anything on the road.

Holding a conversation with the Nissan engineer riding shotgun even during a 250-kph (155 mph) cruise barely requires raised voices, and the locked-down high-speed stability inspires me to pick up the pace. Alas, there are too many other cars on the autobahn to push much beyond this speed...

...The car's performance envelope is as broad as Texas, and it is as perfectly content creeping along in rain-drizzled traffic as it is smashing the Nürburgring lap times of some of the world's fastest sports cars. It demands little sacrifice from its owner, offering all-weather capability in a truly practical package."

http://www.edmunds.com/insideline/do/Drives/FirstDrives/articleId=123099

GO NISSAN!!!!
Looks like they have the hardware and technology to rub shoulders with the big boys... even if some people don't accept it...
right EL34???
*************

AMen

none of these cars are in the same class. The BMW M3 is a nice car. The Porsche is unbeatable. The GTR is fast but no styling. The closer comparison is the GTR to Porsche, actually it isnt even a comparison, since the porsche turbo kiks its ass in styling and design. people think that the nissan will sell for 65000 but they are wrong...its gonna be more expenisive than that, definetly. As for this comparison, At the end of the day a Porsche is a Porsche , A BMW is a BMW and a nissan is...well...a nissan.

The Porsche unbeatable? It just got its ass handed to it in the video and every comparison made so far. I personally believe the previous M3 to be superior to the current M3 (I like BMW's too, although it was completely outclassed the M3 was compared to the GT-R because in the UK their prices are close to each other. The GT-R has already won in the objective areas, its looks are subjective and personally I like it. In the UK everybody has a porsche or BMW its getting boring so I welcome this car.

So the M3 is classed with the GT-R based on price? now isn't that just the dumbest category to compare them against?

Personally, I have a GT3, and I think that its sufficient for me. I am not going to pretend like the GT-R is a bad car, because its an awesome machine, but in the end, I think that its too mechanical and effortless for me (from the way every article and test describes it).

But the GT3, M3 and GT-R all have their weaknesses and strengths, and they all shine in their own ways... Stop fighting already!!!!!

"Thanks. I expected nothing less from a badge whore."

couldnt of said it better myself

Badge whore? Lol I drive a camry man. Forget about the badges now. I would take the porsche , how about that. I dont hate the GTR, I just dont like the front end. I love its interior. But I like the Porsche, the 911turbo has been my dream car since I was a kid.

The man's driving not withstanding, I actually very much enjoyed his commentary. Unlike the Porsche 911TT vs GT-R video we saw a few days ago where the driver more or less said "me likey.. handles good" This man had the sense to tell us what was going on in the driving experience.

I just cant wait until Clarkson compares the GT-R in some way with Keira Knightley

Chris Harris is one of the most respected drivers in the UK and is a avid Porsche enthusiast, he regularly writes articles for porsche magazine. He a way better driver then clarkson and those top gear clowns save the stig and a whole lot better then the fifth gear crew with the exception of tiff.

car dude ... if he is a better driver, then maybe he had a bad day. That was a horrible demonstration at driving and launching a manual transmission. If is such a great driver, then how can he blow the start on both the Porsche and M3. It cost him at least a second, which biased his point of view ...

What was that about not involving Keira Knightley...?

Clarkson: "Sure, Nissan’s GT-R will be faster, but that’s like being married to Keira Knightley and then being jealous of someone who’s married to a horse with a first from Oxford."

It's funny how you people say that Tiff is the best and the only good driver from fifth gear.
All the while Jason Plato is the real active racing driver among them, with a BTCC championship behind his name and a second place last year.

I wonder if GT-T will trigger the trend of AWD for other high performance cars. Outside of track on dry I still prefer RWD, but when you want to exit fast out of a tight turn on track AWD's just got the edge.

I'd like to see what BMW or Merc can do w/ AWD.

Ferrari? Maybe never.

"I'd like to see what BMW or Merc can do w/ AWD."

Good point. Judging from what I've read about the X6's new xdrive system, it sounds like they're getting serious about AWD. Hopefully it will make its way to their cars too.

yea, perhaps the trend of performance AWD might extend to the likes of the 911 Turbo, Gallardo, R8, Veyron...

or maybe its been going on for a while, and the GT-R is just the latest in a series of AWD performance machines.

Well, let's see...... maybe Porsche should keep GT3 RWD but make GT2 AWD, and AUDI should purchase AWD from NISSAN so they can have an AWD of 21st century. In fact, that may also help Lambo to stand up to Ferrari.... :)

actually , on dry track, not much difference between AWD and RWD, AWD is set back by additional weight

dlingkk, you quite obviously have not driven an Audi R8. Neither have I, but at least read a damn review, man! It's a sensation. It acts like a RWD car at the track, and it's pure Audi quattro in the snow. Motor Trend magazine took the R8, with 19" wheels, through a blizzard in the Midwest... without winter tires. It conquered the snow.

I just cant get excited about that gtr thing. There's something missing from it, something thats keeping me from fully accepting it. I dont know if its because its a nissan, because it seems to drive like a cyborg or because it seems so passionless.

It may put down great numbers, but it just looks and sounds like a car that is way way way too serious to be considered fun. Not boring, just unstirring.

Just like you hate badges, not cars.

nice...outa of the three id still take the porsche for it is pure sex!!!

OfCourse, it hasnt been the first time. And if they come up with something better than the POS they got now the GTR-R36 will show them up in about five years. That's if they can take on the SpecV first.

There are several test that has done in recent month had the Nissan GT-R goes from 0-60 in 3.3s or less. I forgot if it was 3.2s or 3.3s.

hm, that is some slow ass times for the GT3 and the M3.
No doubt the GT-R is an amazing car, but even the autocar journalist said it is like a "video game." I'll still take the GT3 over them all though.

The Datson GT-R looks as if it hit at least 10,000 ugly tree branches on it's decent to the ground.

Back to the drawing board for Datson!

The GT3 and M3 were built in heaven :-)

"Ya copy the japs its the only way to beat them"

Wait copy what? AWD? Audi was the first to develop AWD, its called Quattro buddy. Also don't bash someone because they'd pick the M3 over the GTR its just down to personal preference. I'd do the same because i just don't like the GTR, plain and simple.

That is irrelevant. It's like saying Porsche was really the first company to have a true hybrid, because they invented it in the early 1900s. Obviously, the Daimler AWD vehicle didn't spur a host of competition and revolutionize rallying across the earth. Audi's quattro did.

no, it's not irrelevant Mr Audi fanboy. He said 'develop'. You do know what that word means, right?

You know what I meant, and I know what he meant.

The GT-R is amazing. I like the BMW more than the Porsche.
This is how I would order the cars...
1. Nissan GT-R
2. BMW M3
3. Porsche 911 GT3

But the GT3 is a far better car than the M3, true the M3 looks better than either but in terms of performance it lags behind. And Check out the price, GT3 79 thousand Sterling Pounds, M3 54 thousand poudns, and GTR about 58to 60 thousand pounds. I am sure the M3 is awesome in it's own league, but it can not be compared in the same length as a Porsche 911 GT3, or a Nissan Skyline GT35 R.

gtr-fast car
gt3-pimp car
m3-chick car

and You=idiot. When was the last time you saw a chick driving an m3? Huh?

Wow did not expect that. It was hard to believe that the GTR is better than the 997 turbo, but to thump even the GT3, that simply is mind blowing. I have to agree with one comment, "THE GTR IS THE MOST REVOLUTIONARY CAR AFTER MCLAREN F1". And guess what a 911 GT3 sells for around 130 thousand dollars, whereas the GTR, even after inflated price will cost less than 80 grand. That is some awesome spec. I don't get why Chris Harris brought the M3 along, because really the M3 is just a souped up sedan, it never stood a chance against the ultimate in the sports arena the GTR and the 911. And by the way for all those who don't know, Chris Harris has taken part in 24 hour race before, and often tests for Autocar(the oldest and one of the most respected car magazine in the world, let alone Europe).

I guess you guys have not noticed, he was just counting the time that he gets in only a single chance, and all those 4.3 second and 3.5 second figures that you get for M3 and GT3 are achieved after several tries and often in dry roads with sticky tires. Whereas in this case the road was kinda wet, and the tires in the M3 were worn a bit, but the Porsche was in perfect state, but because of the faster gearbox of the GTR, it was faster by about 1.1 second to 0-100mph. But from the video it was very apparent, that the M division breaks were not as good as the brembos in the GTR and the Porsche Pistons in GT3. Hail Nissan GTR.

but this guy blew the test drive of both the Porsche and BMW. That is why the Porsche was that slow. Even if it was one shot, if bogged both cars and spun in 2nd gear. Anyone that has actually drag raced legally or illegally, knows that if you do that you are dead. I have done both. It is crazy that a professional driver who made errors on both cars, then provides an opinion to the best car. even thought he did not drive the Porsche nor M3, well at all.

What do you guys think: Will the GTR smash up even the Audi R8, or will it surrender to the Audi like a meek old hat.

Top gear already tested the R8 against the GT-R for car of the year. The GT-R was the faster car but the award for car of the year went to the R8 while supercar of the year went to the GT-R. Apparently the R8 had more soul

The new issue of car magazine which is called nissan crushes the germans is out, and there like 20 pages comparing the GT-R against the m3, turbo, and r8. GT-R came first 911 turbo came second R8 third and m3 last

Here the top gear article comparing the R8 and GT-R

http://www.tacticalcenter.net/GT-R/topgear_gtr_vs_r8.html

The R8 and the GT-R are marketed to two very different buyers. I would love to own either car, for different reasons, though I definitely prefer the R8. It loses out on speed, but makes up for it in style, luxury, ease of use and its exceptional handling.

I agree with you S4

Performance numbers are great in the GT-R, but it lacks a few certain things that the GT3 and the M3 has. Definitely a great car, but it seems like it has no other purpose in life except to perform. No luxuries, amenities, comfort, or the "wow" effect when you see one.

Of course, thats my opinion.

yeah i agree, go buy yourself bentley, merc or maybach, plenty of luxuries...

BTW, GTR has loads of gadgets to play with on its flat screen - torque curve, G force and all sorts of gauge and settings to play with.. you'll be in the car forever..

The GT-R did truly become the new benchmark sport car. Now lets see if the IS-F will take this spot in its level, which I doubt.

my friend has a gtr already cause he works at nissan design studio. i dont know y they even bothered using the m3 in the comparo. the m3 isnt the same as it used to be because there is so many high performance models now. what i thought was funny was when they used the m3 to dry the track in the porsche turbo comparo.

I love porsche. but now, given the choice I'll pick the GTR. it will scare porsche drivers for sure. If EL34 driving that porsche, he'll be scared of two things... GTR performance and looks ;-)

How will you feel when you're driving a car that looks like it's styling was inspired by a Rhinoceros? :-/

styled like a Rhinoceros... well then if its like that, it would make porsche drivers feel even worse when they see the rhino out pacing them. You hate it for its design and probably cause it says NISSAN. If it looked like that and said AUDI, you'd probably praise the living crap out of it.

It's Ok, sitting on the inside you dont see it , just enjoying all the flat screen gizmos and scared faces of porsche drivers . anyway.. ugly looks & calling it Datsun is just so lame.... haven't u got anything else worth to criticize . It's so difficult isn't it to bite the rhino's / godzilla's bullet

Audi didn't develop AWD first.

Go back to school little kid. You are not a real car enthusist.

The first AWD car was called the Dernburg-Wagen from Daimler Motoren, built in 1907.

I never said i was a car enthusist and i can admit when i'm wrong so don't treat take it easy mate.

One question though. Was that car mass produced or was it one off?

"The first AWD car was called the Dernburg-Wagen from Daimler Motoren, built in 1907"

I just noticed you pinched it from wikipedia. Now would i real car enthusist know this off the top of their head or what?

Jokes mate but all things aside AWD did come from Europe

+1 to GTR but I have yet to see anyone else match Edmund's 3.3 to 60 with their GTR. Either way Porsche has to catch up :-P M3 is out matched and not meant to be in this class of cars.

Can't give enough praise to Nissan, awesome job!

These cars do not align. The M3 is almost half the price of either of these and in a different class. On a track with a driver that knows how to drive (which this guy does not), the Porsche would have been the clear winner, even with a 0-60 deficit of 0.4 seconds. Also, to give the M3 credit that this guy did not, there is a DSC-Sport mode that allows optimal traction control for launch. Even Tiff Needell figured this one out in his test drive. This guy is a tool.

M3 is not half the price of either the GTR or the GT3. THE M3 costs 54 grand pounds, and the GTR costs 58 grand, whereas the Porsche costs 74 thousand pounds. So clearly in terms of price, the GTR and the M3 are rivals. And as we all know the GTR can smoke the M3 to trash.

I was shocked at first when I heard the GT-R beat the 911 Turbo on the Nurburgring. Even then it still didn't impress me. Nissan as a company isn't even in same tier as BMW or Porsche.

Any car manufacturer can make a car that goes fast if they wanted to. Nissan has been trying to prove themselves since the introduction of the 350z and the G35 and they deserve some respect. However how do you justify spending that much on a Nissan? I'm sorry as much as I hate being a snob I much rather go and spend my hard earned money on a brand that has established themselves as a 'supercar' maker.

Skylines have their heritage I'll give them that but my definition of a supercar doesn't incorporate japanese cars. They may be fast and nimble but did Datsun make a Mercedes Gullwing or any cars like it? no and enough said.

This Fast & Furious generation loves the GT-R and that's fine. Just don't tell me a business professional would go out and spend that much on a nissan. They would much rather go buy an R8/911/Aston/Ferrari whatever.

But performance and bang for buck the Nissan is good. It's great actually.

Agent63, most of the people buying this car are business professionals (they have money) not some broke ass teenagers. Just snoop around some of the gt-r fan sites and you'll see most of the people on the waiting list for the car are professionals, they just don't want to be associated with the snob appeal.

only thing is a Porsche or M3 doesn't have snob appeal. It's not a Ferrari. But I get what you mean. Those professionals are the ones who are probably younger generation late 70's early 80's who are looking for these cars. Rightfully so. I guess I'm old fashioned I would rather spend that kind of money on something I know. The GT-R is a great car. Until I see the fit and finish on the interior I still think it's just an pricey Japanese sports car. With that said the car is amazing i'll never take that away from it.

Nissan is gaining ground but I just wish they would have badged that as an Infiniti. Then that premium price would make sense.

Vendetta I don't agree on your statement: "Porsche isn't on the same level as Lamborghini, Ferrari, Bentley, Rolls, or Bugatti. They are not even special compared to Aston Martin or Maserati."

1) Porsche made the Carrera GT (IMO a great car)
2) Porsche owns a good percentage of Volkswagen > Audi > Bugatti > Lamborghini
3) Just because they don't make the most expensive cars doesn't mean their not in the same league.

If you say Porsche isn't in the same league as a Ferrari or "EVEN" Aston Martin then how can you say a Nissan is in the same level as a Porsche?

I'm not a C-class fan and yes I would choose a 335i over a C350 but who am I to say people won't choose a 350 over the 335i? different markets and if you look at the people who drive them (ESP the new C-Class) they may not be looking for that extra bit of performance but instead the more refined and classy interior MB is bringing out to the market.

The Nissan GT-R hands down great performer/handling car/ yadadada. I respect it but doesn't mean I have to like it. Numbers vary from driver to driver. It's hard for a driver to drive exactly the same when they switch over to another car. So with that said the Porsche or the GT-R are good cars. But who are we to say which one is the BEST. IT's all subjective and up to us WHEN/IF we drive them.

I respect your comments but all we're basing our comments on are on video reviews and magazine reviews. Track conditions, choice of tires, type of track, etc all play a factor.

All I have to say is all three of these cars are good cars. It all depends what you want to do with it. M3 is more of a luxury car than anything. Porsche's are more or less luxury as well but they make quality products and have shown they can compete with the best of them. Nissan (like Honda/Toyota) can make fast cars if they choose to. That goes for any German company as well.

lastly it all boils down to the feel of the car when you drive it not the numbers. Only reason why the M3 was so drift-happy was cause it was RWD. It would have been a little bit closer if it had all 4 going.

Who gives a sh*t about you. If you don't try to buy the GTR, the better it is for us, because there are almost thousands of people who are ready to deposit for the GTR, so if there is one out of the list, then there is a chance that i'll get to buy the car faster. GTR is not only about a lesser expensive price, but the fact that it is actually better than the 997 in almost every respect. I'll be buying a GTR over a 997 just because it is a better car, not becuse of it's price.

Who gives a &%^$ about me? haha I was stating my opinion and respecting others as well. Who are you to even speak? I wasn't talking to you.

Have you even driven a 997? or even better how about a GT-R?. It's been showing great results and appears to be the better car. As much as I respect the GT-R and what Nissan has done it doesn't mean I have to like the car.

I have driven a Porsche and their fit and finishing is superb. Now I can't say that for Nissan. No matter how fast a car is and how well it handles it doesn't mean it's built well. Have you seen the other Nissan's on the market? the 350z has cheap plastic. But for the playstation generation it's all about the performance and less about the quality of the build.

Reason why i'm backing a Porsche is because I know the product im getting is quality. And I think in the video the GT-R was set with better tires than the GT3 but I forget what the guy said.

Many factors play an important role in the times recorded. I won't restate them all again.

Love the M3, love the GT3, but this thing (GT-R) it's just a beast. Wow, bring on the Ferraris and Lambos!

ugh porsche makes the best sports car imho. They are the ultimate driving machine period. Until you have driven a 911 turbo I wouldnt make silly comments.

The cars are being driven on a track not street....

I would rather say I own a Nissan that can beat a Porsche. Credibility points--- Nissan 1, Porsche 0.

The GT-R is on fifth gear check it out

http://youtube.com/watch?v=2lPZT6BfiIg

German cars are rubbish...overhyped, overpriced pieces of shit. They're made for people who think wearing turtlenecks with nice jeans while drinking a latte are cool.