[Hoops]

For those remotely interested i thought i would do a write up on my new toy as a few people have PM'd me asking me for my thoughts and opinions. As some of you may know ive been quite a long term fan of the M Division and have had my fair share over the last few years from E46 M3's, M3 CSL and lately two E92 M3's. I love M cars and always will and i genuinely dont have a bad word to say about any of those that ive owned. That said i didnt get on with the manual version of my E92 M3 but having spoken to other owners i think i just got an extra lumpy one! I definitely preferred the DCT box in my latter M3 and if i buy another it will be the DCT again. That said i strongly urge any current DCT owners to ensure they get the latest software updates as i didnt much enjoy the "lag" issue with mine that i know is evident in many DCT's.
Having said all that i alway felt and still do that the E92 M3 V8 engine lacked grunt and mid range and really needed a further 50bhp across the rev range. Im not saying for a second that it wasnt a quick car, certainly the Evolve remap helped matters (they you go Sal, there's your plug!!!) and made it much stronger throughout the curve - but it still lacked power in my opinion and i found myself on many occasions wanting more from it. I knew the only way it would satisfy me from a performance point of view would be to supercharge it and that was going to cost a fortune.
So, i test drove a few different options - a 55 plate Lambo Gallardo - awsome looking car but felt very dated inside and didnt seem particularly quick low down and not practical - a Maserati Gran Turismo - another great looking car but with more class than the Lambo, beautiful place to sit and sensational ergonomics but felt heavy and slow and dare i say it a tad boring - then after a few other test drives of various other options it came down to two cars - the first a 997 Turbo with ceramic breaks, felt fast and grunty and did what it says it does on the tin, fully loaded and everything felt great, little to gripe about but it didnt feel that special inside and it just looked identical inside to my 997 C2S and was far too quiet for my liking. That said it was my number one choice. That was until i drove the Nissan. Hard to believe im saying that ive bought a Nissan over a Porker but in almost every conceivable way it is and was the absolute right choice... for me.
I appreciate that this is going to be very much a "marmite" thing - you either love these or hate them, there really is no in between. The car i bought is the Nissan R35 GT-R Black Edition and is a UK car. I originally put a deposit down for a Titanium coloured car but when i saw it in the flesh it didnt look even half as good as it did in the brochure - so i panicked and luckily managed to change to my next favourite colour which is Gun Metallic. I considered black and do think its probably the best colour when its polished to within an inch of its life, but everytime i saw a black one it had swirl marks or water stains and it didnt look as good. In the end im very happy with the choice of colour.
The first thing i will say about the R35 GT-R is that it looks SO much better in the flesh than in any photo you will ever see of it. It really does grow on you too. It really is a BIG old beast as well and takes you by surprise when you first see one in the flesh. Interestingly it doesnt feel like a big car to drive, it almost wraps around you and is very fast to steer and turn in. I am not a huge fan of the front end but the rear and 3/4 shot of the car is simply stunning and so aggressive. I am also not massively keen on the interior - a bit too garish for me and the ergonomics are not my style per se. The dash and centre console were designed by some Playstation Gran Turismo games freak apparently and again is not my thing. But you can get a read out on every single aspect of the car and find out exactly what all the essential oily bits are doing - and trust me you cant stop checking the G meter and acceleration/braking guages!!! The seats are extremely comfy, much comfier than the M3's were and the driving position is perfect. I find it a little silly that you cant auto fold the mirrors when the engine is off. Im missing my DAB radio from the M3. The Bose sound system is not as good as it looks and i dont think there are any kits out yet to use an ipod which is annoying. The car gets very hot inside the cabin, so on anything other than a cool day you need to run with AC on or an open window. The car is quite hard to drive smoothly when pulling off in 1st but i think i just need to get used to it. I can see the centre aluminium trim getting easily scratched and the centre armrest is pretty useless as its too far back to rest your elbow on.
HOWEVER............ All of these silly little quibbles pale into insignificance the moment you press the really cool start button!!!! F**K ME ITS BALLISTIC!!!!
The car is everything they say it is and then some. Its been a long time since i drove a car that totally lives up to all the hype and media spin and then smashes it around the face!! The power delivery is simply savage and rips your neck back and yet somehow all four wheels maintain traction and catapult you forward at light speed. Its super easy to drive in auto/default mode and very civilised and not in the least daunting. But even in auto, the moment you bury the loud pedal all hell breaks loose. Im convinced the car is bi-polar with a split personality!! Then, put it in "R" mode - no clues as to what R stands for - and its a total animal and defies belief at times. The scariest thing is when you look at the speedo and notice it goes right round to 220mph but worse still 60mph is right down the bottom of the guage where you'd expect 20mph to be in a normal car!!! The only way to ensure you stick to speed limits is to have the digital read out on the displays. The car handles like a hot hatch and the tyres are unbelievable in the dry - in the wet they remind me of the Cups on the CSL!! Mind you, at over £2,000 for a set of the Dunlops i wont be doing too many power slides!! The Brembo brakes are truly awe inspiring but again i dont want to even think about having to replace the discs and pads!
I personally chose to buy a UK car as i wanted to ensure i had the full protection of a dealer warranty. That said Nissan are making it as restrictive as possible to do anything with the car in terms of modifications. Not that you need anymore power!! Ive decided not to bother remapping etc - at least not for a while. But the car does seem too quiet stock. Those awsome tail pipes dont tell the full story. So the only mod ive done so far is a Miltek Y-Pipe and secondary cat delete. The car now sounds like it should out of the box!!
I could go on and on about this car but at the end of the day this a BMW forum and its not relevant. Really looking forward to the Ring trip and putting it through its paces. Here are a few pics but as i said it looks so much better in the flesh. All the best and many thanks to all those that very kindly welcomed me back. Steve.

[Speedtrap]

Awesome Steve! Would have thought you got the upgraded power packed 600bhp version

[PeteJ]

Hi Steve,

Firstly, welcome back

I have to say I loved your M3 and was very tempted to ring you to make you an offer for it!!

Now Nissan R35 GT-R Black Edition is a different beast! I have to say it looks very very imposing!!

I'm not normally a fan of the Nissan power cars, however I can see why you bought it and love it. I bet it sounds lovely!

Hope you have many happy motoring miles!!

Pete

[Rome]

what drugs did you sell to get that car?!!? lucky dudee!

[willhollin]

Originally Posted by Rome

what drugs did you sell to get that car?!!? lucky dudee!

He deals with a lot of crack mate.

[willhollin]

Looks great Steve! Good colour choice too!

[Hoops]

Originally Posted by Speedtrap

Awesome Steve! Would have thought you got the upgraded power packed 600bhp version

I would have loved to but i also like my warranty too much!!!

Originally Posted by PeteJ

Hi Steve,

Firstly, welcome back

I have to say I loved your M3 and was very tempted to ring you to make you an offer for it!!

Now Nissan R35 GT-R Black Edition is a different beast! I have to say it looks very very imposing!!

I'm not normally a fan of the Nissan power cars, however I can see why you bought it and love it. I bet it sounds lovely!

Hope you have many happy motoring miles!!

Pete

Thanks Pete and thank you for the welcome back!! I actually made over my asking price again on the 2nd M3 so you're offer would have had to be a good one!!! Thanks again matey.

[MIKEYBMW1]

I must be honest mate I don't like them one bit ,but that power must be fantastic as I like you find that the M 3 does lack some power and I still can't get used to the lack of knock you back in the seat that my remapped 335i had but hey ho I have plans for it , would be interested in having a go in the GTR though just for the power and the toys

Enjoy wish I could have made this ring trip but on Holiday that week , maybe next time.

[Hoops]

Originally Posted by Rome

what drugs did you sell to get that car?!!? lucky dudee!

Adrenaline!

[dxb335d]

Steve it looks awesome in the pics (PS in any way? looks awesome). Im very excited aBout taking a ride in the Beast.

Sure your one does not have LC either does it?!

Whats Y pipe mate? So you have stock tailpipes etc?

how much was the Y pipe and 2nd cat delete mate?

[Hotcoupe]

Looks great Steve,good writeup too.

Seems to be a fair amount of controversy about the GTR, in particular the gearbox (reliability) and launch control (warranty issues), although I'm sure you are well aware of everything that's claimed and counter claimed!

You mention restrictions on mods, does that include suspension?
It would look better slightly lower,yes?

So what's the chances of a 8 min lap in 2 wks time?

[G33]

Nice write up steve. Hope u can make the cambs meet mate!

[booforty]

Great write-up Steve, I love your use of paragraphs!

What mods have you got planned?

[RichardM]

Great write up and fantastic looking car Steve! Wish I was going to the ring to see it in the metal.

[Hoops]

Originally Posted by dxb335d

Sure your one does not have LC either does it?

What the hell is LC???

Originally Posted by Hotcoupe

gearbox (reliability) and launch control (warranty issues)

I spent the afternoon at Litchfields the other day - they fitted my Y-Pipe - and Ian Litchfield explained to me the gearbox issue - apparently it was only a fault with a shim on one of the cogs and it only occured in the first Jap import models - another good reason why i bought a UK car!! I will never use launch control so its not an issue for me but yes there is a warranty issue if you use it - silly really!!
I will be happy just to improve on my last best Ring times in the M3 - im certainly not going out to break any records - besides my wife will be my co-pilot most of the time so that should help contain my enthusiasm!!
Im not sure about lowering it - im just too paranoid about the warranty - but we shall see!!!

Originally Posted by G33

Nice write up steve. Hope u can make the cambs meet mate!

Thanks Kin - when is the Cambs meet matey???

[Hoops]

Shit - just read back your post Carlos..... Launch Control!!! Sorry its past my bedtime!! Do you know what, i dont actually know if the UK cars have got LC now i think about it?? There is no obvious button on the dash but then neither does the M3 - so maybe mine does have LC. Either way i wont be using it and NO i wont be taking her to Santa Pod!!!

[jjbirch]

Originally Posted by bmwbailey

Shit - just read back your post Carlos..... Launch Control!!! Sorry its past my bedtime!! Do you know what, i dont actually know if the UK cars have got LC now i think about it?? There is no obvious button on the dash but then neither does the M3 - so maybe mine does have LC. Either way i wont be using it and NO i wont be taking her to Santa Pod!!!

dont worry about taking it to santa pod carlos will take it for you lol

[marlie]

steve if you can... come down to the cambs meet!! be good to see you and really wanna see the GTR!! I am thinking of getting one of these badboys next March!!

[Hoops]

Marlie - will do my best for Cambs provided im not in New York.
Funnily enough i went to look at a GT-R a while back, it was only a Premium model but nice car - and i knew i recognised the owner when he opened the door - it was England cricketer Alistair Cooke!!! Being a cricket chap i thought you might like that one!! He was a really nice bloke actually - said he had seen a few of my movies and new series and he took my number!!! He called me a few days ago to see which car i bought in the end. Shame he cant score any runs!!!!

[mikeysix]

hello mate, feckin awesome motor! A guy near me has just bought one and your right in the flesh they are ridiculous! My mate knows the guy and was telling him that he had told his wife to accept the fact that she wasn't going to be seeing much of him as he needed to get a 1000 miles on the clock before he could start givin it hell. Appartrently when he has done the 1000 miles, techs from nissan take you too a track and show you how to use the beast as it aint for the faint hearted! Could you shed some light on this mate? As we know you've had your fair share of fast cars but as your post said the gtr is a bit special!! Your a lucky man, enjoy buddy!

[DonM3]

Slighty off topic. Funny spoof vid regarding all the issues with Nissan voiding the warranty on GTRs

[Palmnuts]

Steve, I love it! Great choice...I'm very envious!