Nissan GT-R v the World: GT-R v R8 v 911 v STI v Evo v Elise

http://www.edmunds.com/insideline/do/Features/articleId=126453

We're in a 2009 Nissan GT-R, helmet on, seatbelt fastened, left foot poised to release the brake and unleash Godzilla's wrath. But we're not on a racetrack. In front of us there are 22 miles and 402 turns of the best driving road in the world, Southern California's Glendora Mountain Road. We've covered this ground thousands of times, but today it's different. Today there are two California Highway Patrol cruisers stationed at either end of this twisting strip of sun-drenched blacktop. It is our personal playground for the afternoon.

The radio crackles the "All clear" and with the GT-R's engine revved to a launch-controlled 4,500 rpm, we release the brake and let the big Nissan do what it does best: twist physics into knots.

This process is repeated all afternoon in a collection of today's quickest and most capable road cars. The list includes a 2008 Audi R8, 2008 Lotus Elise SC, 2008 Porsche 911, 2008 Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution X MR and 2008 Subaru WRX STI. We didn't discriminate: Rally cars, focused rear-drive performance cars and everything in between was invited to the party. In fact, there's only one genre missing from this otherwise comprehensive list — the big-power, rear-drive supercar. But it wasn't for a lack of trying.

Fact is, we asked Chevy for a 2008 Corvette Z06 and we asked Dodge for a 2008 Viper SRT10, but both refused to loan us their cars — presumably because we'd be testing their best metal against the almighty GT-R.

Sniff, sniff. Does somebody smell chicken?

Category:

Autos & Vehicles

Tags:

• Nissan
• GT-R
• Audi
• R8
• Lotus
• Elise
• SC
• Porsche
• 911
• Mitsubishi
• Lancer
• Evolution
• Evo
• Subaru
• WRX
• STI
• Edmunds
• Inside
• Line

[FidiAdrianosTV]

I'd choose the Evo or R8 , they're much more fun -_0

[hashiriya007]

How fair is it to put a $35k STI against a $120k R8? This was a mismatch.

[PoGoNugen]

@hashiriya007 its just as fair as putting a $37k Evo vs a $120k R8 =P

[afr126]

@FidiAdrianosTV its a v8 R8 tho. the fun one has the v10 :D

[GuitarnScythes]

Funny how they bring a 6-figure Audi R8 and not even bring the Lotus Exige instead of the Elise

[thlin]

@M3ntalMind those couple seconds count a lot.. depends on what you want and what you can afford.I know I can never afford a ferrari or lambo but GT-R =)

[242DEE]

@hashiriya007 the evos 35k and its only 1 sec slower than the r8 stis suckk

[innie721]

@JustiiBear "just did a video"? that video is 3 years old.

[M3ntalMind]

How about numbers/cost? Evo is only couple seconds behind and it cost 1/2 the price of a gt - r

[JustiiBear]

@23vegita really? they just did a video where the zr1 smokes the gtr

[23vegita]

The zr1 is not all that fast let's see how it does when the 2013 gtr comes out