Nissan

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Nissan GT-R – And The Elegant Art Of Squeezing Your Toes…

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The best piece of advice I was ever given about driving a high performance sports car was never press my foot on the accelerate – just squeeze the toes.

I was driving a Maserati on the Ferrari proving track in Italy. At the wheel was an  elegant woman racing driver who steered the 3200 with a passion normally reserved for the bed chamber.

A memorable moment for many reasons but I digress. If ever a car demanded elegant squeezing of the toes it was the GT-R. Today I drove to the supermarket in Chipping Norton and tweaked the accelerator on a mini roundabout.

Well, you can imagine the consequences. Fortunately, the traction control and four-wheel drive sorted the problem out in an instant. But be warned, 550bhp on a wet day in a car like the Nissan demands the driving skills of a scintillating Italian racing diva…

 

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Nissan GT-R At Goodwood – Like Taking A Chav To Meet The Queen

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Driving the GT-R up the main approach to Goodwood House today was like introducing a soap star to the Queen. We all know it’s going to happen one day but there’s still something rather vulgar about it.

Lord March’s latest money-spinner is a tie-up with BMW for a public on-road, off-road driving experience around his 12,000-acre estate. It was launched today in the dampest conditions I’ve seen in months. Some of the track driving was abandoned it was that wet.

Lord March, who looks remarkably similar to Hugh Grant these days, has the Midas touch at the moment. His Festival of Speed is second only to the British GP as the top motoring event in the country.

Surprisingly, the BMW engineers and mechanics were secretly itching to peep inside the GT-R. They had some electric i8s available and I would gladly have swapped. To put it bluntly, the Nissan looked like a fish out of water at Goodwood. Yet there’s no doubt it would destroy all the M5s and M3s we had available to drive.

And there’s the rub. The GT-R is a crowd-pleaser of epic proportions. But is it classy? I think not…

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Nissan GT-R – 12mpg On A Good Day. It’s Going To Be An Expensive Week

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Tucked away in the small print, at the end of the GT-R press pack, are the official fuel consumption figures. Of course, you can take them with a pinch of salt because NOBODY can ever get anywhere near what a manufacturer claims is possible (Ford being the worst offender).

Urban 16.6, extra urban 32.1 and combined 23.9mpg. I usually slice 5mpg off combined to get something akin to real world driving, except the temptation to floor the accelerator in the Nissan will no doubt reduce that dramatically.

So when the vermillion red GT-R was delivered this morning, I was a bit shocked to read the on-board computer claiming 12mpg! Yikes, this is going to be an expensive week – especially as I’m heading down to Goodwood later for a BMW event.

According to the press pack, the official 0-60mph is 2.84 seconds, although again, just how I’m going to measure than on my wristwatch will be something of a challenge.

The GT-R is a monster, however you look at it. I hate the colour, so that doesn’t help. More late tomorrow when I’m emptied the tank. Twice.

 

 

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Nissan GT-R – World’s Fastest Production 4-Seater On Test From Tomorrow

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Well, yes, it should have been here last Thursday but some young hack has stuffed it. So Car Couture has been waiting patiently for Nissan’s outrageously fast coupe to land.

From Tuesday we will be steering a rocket that can accelerate from 0-60mph in 2.8 seconds – in the same league as the McLaren P1 and LaFerrari.

Despite a hand-built engine, it’s massively cheaper than both. What the Nissan may lack is the right badge on the bonnet.

Should that be an issues? If you like speed, of course not. Some would prefer the Jaguar F-Type for its historic cache but can sheer brute power be enough to persuade us? Find out from tomorrow, with daily reports every day…

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Nissan 370Z Nismo – Alright In White

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If I was buying one, I probably wouldn’t choose white. But that aside, the 370Z is the perfect antidote to the sanitised BMW, Audi and Mercedes sports cars that blend in and then disappear in a supermarket car park.

That certainly won’t happen with the Nissan. While some of the styling reminds me of a Porsche 911, it’s the sort of car that could give you a complex, if you worry about people looking at you.

It’s impossible not to fall for 370Z. It sticks two fingers up at the mainstream opposition, all is all the better for it. If you want a coupe that dares to be different, take one out for a spin.

It’s a muscle car for the modern age. Heavy steering, long-throw manual gearbox and brutish looks. Most importantly, it will make you happy, every time you see it parked on the driveway.

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Nissan 370Z Nismo – Fairlady?

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Nissan has only ever surfed the edge of performance car. But when the Japanese manufacturer has dipped its toe, the vehicle has been branded with a Z. Not surprisingly, in the UK they became known as Zed cars.

The first appeared in 1969 when Nissan was still branded Datsun here. However, the Nissan Fairlady Z was only sold in Japan until it was rebranded 240Z and sold abroad for the first time in the early 70s, followed by the 260Z and 280ZX in later years.

The re-styled 300ZX arrived in 1983 and it survived in various forms until 2000, when many thought the age of Nissan sports cars was gone for good. Not so, and the 350Z, which sports the DNA of our current 370Z test car, was introduced three years later.

The 370Z is still known in Japan as the Fairlady – a moniker thankfully dropped for the European market!

 

 

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Nissan 370Z Nismo – Interior Design

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There are several reasons why the 370Z feels amazing to drive and one of them is the cabin. The dashboard lay-out is a cool combination of retro and modern that makes BMW and Audi appeared rather dull by comparison.

The seats are low slung, with part electric adjustment, the six-speed manual gearstick falls easily to hand, while the steering wheel material is tactile and easy to grip.

The transmission tunnel, transferring all that power from the engine to the back wheels, is large but it also makes the perfect arm rest, with a roomy cubbyhole and single cupholder.

My only real issue is that the Nismo is strictly a two-seater – there is no space in the back at all for passengers. The luggage area is respectable but the rear screen lies very low and prevents any large objects being stowed.

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Nissan 370Z Nismo – An Easter Egg Of A Sportscar

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It’s difficult to find a petrol station open on Easter Sunday – so driving the Nismo requires a little extra care. I’m managing 23mpg, even though I’m trundling about like a octogenarian. Apologies to any such readers out there…

On the upside, that 3.7-litre engine is just explosively fast. I’ve read reviews claiming it’s course and outdated but in a age of silky smooth, turbocharged units, the Nissan is refreshingly engaging. So, if you want BMW/Audi ease of use, go elsewhere.

We’ve had a week of dry weather but today the heavens have opened and I imagine the 370Z is going to be quite a handful, with 340bhp going through the back wheels.

Still, with 19-inch alloys as standard and razor-sharp handling, what else could you need to enjoy your eggs this Sunday?

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Nissan 370Z Nismo – Fast & Furious

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Nismo is the motorsport and performance arm of Nissan. Not as well known as BMW M Sport, or the performance arms of other European manufacturers, Nismo has still competed in Le Mans, Daytona and the GT Championship.

When the 370Z Nismo model was launched last year, Nissan insisted the car was not a full-blown Nismo variant, more of a makeover. All I can say is, when are they planning the real Nismo 370Z because this one is outstanding.

While the 370Z has always been a heavy car, tweaking the 3.7-litre V6 to 340bhp adds the extra performance the Nissan needs to border on super car potential.

Some have called the engine harsh but I disagree – think of it as more of a sophisticated muscle car and you won’t be disappointed.I love driving this Nissan, even at humdrum speeds it feels superbly balanced and sharp.

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Nissan 370Z Nizmo – Easter Funny

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More tasty than a hot cross bun with lashings of butter… Yes, the 370Z is just the sort of coupe that makes you long for a sunny, dry weekend to engage with a British country road.

If you want light steering, easy to park and good visibility, then try a Golf GTI and blend in the with crowd. The Nissan is an absolute monster of a car but it has one extra missing from most hot hatchbacks – it’s fantastically great fun and will put a smile on your face. Guaranteed.

I can even forgive it the crazy rear spoiler, which I’ve decided is a lot prettier than it appears on first sight. It’s big, large enough to take a suitcase strapped to the top, but you have to be a big, bold character to own a car like this is the first place.

Of course, all this fun has a price and I’m watching it happen in front of me. The fuel gauge is dropping at an alarming rate. Like 22mpg, ouch.