Porsche 911 GT3 vs. Nissan GT-R

Edmunds.com

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noburgers

Mr Salt certainly had one heck of a day out on the road. This article was brimming with the excitement of the task at hand. The character of the two cars is as I expected from previous ones I've read, so I had a feeling the outcome would be Porsche out in front. It was good to hear about how the upgrades in the GT3 are working in a non-track scenario. I wish I had the driving talent (and guts) to push it to the limit like that.

lions208487

I will give Edmunds credit for one thing, and that is they finally picked the correct match-up. They selected a left hand drive Porsche vs a right hand drive Japanese spec GT-R which probably contributed to the driver not being able to handle the GT-R as much as he could have if provided a left hand drive American spec version. That being said, I will admit the Porsche is more refined and balanced, but I would easily take the GT-R just because I have driven a couple and it's an amazing car.

marcos9

Both very nice cars - and both are not silver, which is a plus!

mercedesfan

I honestly cannot understand why anyone would choose a GT-R over a GT3, even considering the $50k price differential. Buying one over a standard Carrera I can see, but if you plan on doing any track driving at all the GT-R is just a piece of work. It overrides your inputs 50% of the time and when it isn't doing that it is slamming into a wall of crippling understeer. Certainly it is absurdly fast. I mean take your breath away and feel a bit of physical pain fast. However, that just doesn't matter to me. If a sports car doesn't become an extension of yourself what is the point? These cars should be about the way they make you feel. The GT-R is one of the most disappointing cars I have ever driven on a racetrack. The way it drives on the street at 8/10ths make you think it would be a phenomenal track car, but somehow a disconnect arises at 10/10ths. A 911 GT3, on the other hand, feels special whether on road or track.

fordson1

Comparing an N/A car trying to suck in 9,000 rpm worth of air against a twin-turbo setup at 9,100 feet of elevation? Whose idea was this?

smcgrath1

30000 more. 70 less horse power. great call edmunds

themandarin

Nissan looks like an Altima coupe w/ sports package

johbot

Funny, you're comparing the new GT3 to a car that's had basically the same tech for the last 6 years. I guess Porsche finally "gets" it since the "R" was beating them since it was released back in late 2007. I do have to admit, the new GT3 does rock though, but comparing it against the GTR is almost too funny in that the GTR is the benchmark for a lot of the new cars being released as of late. 2016 will be here soon enough and the new R36 will set another benchmark for Porsche engineers to go back to the drawing board.

smokeymn

This is basically a reprint of the British magazine Evo's article about the GT3. Being that the reviewers are English and are accustomed to driving right hand drive cars I don't think GTR's spec was a factor. I would imagine the GT3 being left hand drive might have been more of an issue. Interesting article none the less with great photos.

billyporsche

The truth is, both are fantastic cars. The Porsche will always be the best track car because the engine is in the rear. Simple. if you are seriously in the market for a Gt3 or a 991 Turbo/Turbo S cab, i can try help. call me @ 770-643-6100. My name is Billy and I am a certified Porsche sales ambassador.

r35mike

As a 2012 GTR owner I can attest that under steer on a track is an issue, but this is easily resolved by switching to 285/35/20 Michelin PSS. Note the GT3 is on cup sport tires which are DOT approved but very dangerous when wet. also most articles fail to address how detuned the GTR is from the factory. I bumped mine up to 575whp for less the $3k. Switch tires and tune her and you have a totally different car!

pgordon888

As a city dweller with garage parking for only two cars and a toddler, back seats matter to me. Hence I chose the 2014 GT-R over the GT3 (assuming I could wait the year backlog for GT3 delivery).

The back seats in the 991 do not weigh that much so Porsche should really offer them as an option on the GT3, especially now that it is moving closer to the grand tourer capabilities of the rest of the 991 family.

jmunjr

I've driven these cars on the track. The GT-R requires an enormous amount of speed to really shine in the thrill factor. It simply seems kind of boring otherwise, well if you have experience on the track. This doesn't make it an inferior car, it just makes it a different car. Minor suspension upgrades make a huge difference on the track however. Good sway bars alone transform the car tremendously and the understeer diminishes quite a bit, though it is still awesome in stock form.

As for the car "overriding your inputs", if you are a good driver even in R mode this is extremely rare, and if you are a bad driver well then you'll see this more often, though really it isn't necessary. I drive it with all electronics other than ABS turned off and the car really comes alive as it allows you to have a bit more fun. At Circuit of the Americas the GT-R with the nannies off was a thrill and very balanced and predictable. Make a mistake and you are rewarded with a very well designed and forgiving chassis. Unlike many cars you have a lot of control beyond the limit with the GT-R, and as a driver with a lot of track experience this is what I am looking for.

Much of the criticism of the GT-R stems from the fact that many of these drivers aren't pushing the car hard enough and doing so with electronics turned on. I actually find the nannies mostly unintrusive unless I'm trying to horse around or at certain turns at a very few tracks. Turning them off is the key.