The article was originally produced on October 9, 2009, some facts and prices may have changed since then.
Audi R8 V10 vs Nissan GTR
You stand there and have to choose a sports car that will give you adrenaline rushes like nothing else, rides that you will soon forget and a lot of joy. You want a four-wheeled rocket with around 500 horsepower. Then we have developed two options for you. Either German engineering in the form of the Audi R8 V10 or Japanese technology wonder Nissan GTR.
Both cars are incredibly ahead of the times in terms of technology and power, you have come a little closer to the horizon of possibilities and how far you can actually take a car with the help of technology. So really there are two big questions you have to decide in order to choose between these two thoroughbred racers, design or price?
If we start by comparing the power packs in the cars and Audi's to begin with. Now a V10 of 5.2 liters and 525 horsepower. The previous model of the R8 had a V8 of 4.8 liters and 420 horses. It was exactly those 100 horses that were missing in the previous version. Now they are there and provide a torque of 530 newton meters at 6500 rpm. This is enough power so it will do without a doubt.
In the Nissan GTR, a hand-built 3.8-liter twin-turbo V6 has been pushed down to help with the power. This results in 485 horses according to Nissan but it is said to be more according to many. A torque of a whopping 588 newtons between 3200-5200 revs gives a rocket kick that makes most people's hearts stop and the roller coaster effect a fact. So engine-wise it's a fairly even race, the Nissan gets away a little faster than the Audi, but the Audi makes up for it at higher speeds.
To be able to experience some real driving feeling, I took the cars to two different tracks to really see what it was all about. The Audi was allowed to come along to Gotland and Gotlandring. A track that I personally really like. The Audi feels really tight in the turns and the power is there all the time. Coming out of the last corner before the straight and pushing the plate into the carpet and letting the V10 rev out in every gear is total pleasure for every sense. The brakes also work really well, but after a couple of laps, the 19 large street tires become a little too hot and you start to rattle around in the turns. A pair of R tires on this would have been the dream.
Since it was Mikael Persbrandt's future GTR that we had the pleasure of testing during a day in Gothenburg, it seemed natural to take a turn at the Gothenburg Raceway down on the banana pier. An incredibly fun concept that is hard to understand why the capital doesn't have something similar. The course is located right by the Götaälvsbron on the Hissing side. Even though the GTR is as big as a block, it feels very easy to handle in the curves and even here the power shoots more than you could wish for. Here, Nissan has chosen to put on a pair of 20-inch puncture-free tires filled with nitrogen gas. This is because nitrogen gas does not expand during heating, which is a consequence of hard driving. The 380 mm brake discs from Brembo keep exactly what they promise and heavy braking happens as calmly as slowing down when walking, it's just the brain that doesn't keep up.
That the Nissan GTR feels big is no illusion, it is gigantic and if you place the Audi R8 behind the GTR, it is completely hidden in the silhouette of the GTR. Even inside the GTR everything feels big, a bit like sitting in an SUV, you look down on people in other cars. Personally, I don't think it should be like this in a sports car, but as previously mentioned, it obviously does not affect the GTR's competence. In the Audi, you sit low and the entire cabin feels tight and incredibly well built. What I didn't become friends with, however, were the chairs. These were of the Gran Turismo style and I often missed standing sideways. A couple of shell chairs would really have been preferable.
The GTR seats provide good support and you feel that you are sitting properly when turning. However, everything feels plastic in the coupe, not at all the German quality of the R8. In GTR, however, you are offered an almost TV game-like control in the form of a display where you can see all possible information about the car while driving. Info on everything from consumption, charge pressure, g-force, gear info, gas reaction, etc. This is really fun to follow and how to treat the car.
So if you look at the above mentioned things, the race is very even between these two cars. and then it's time to bring up the two main souls to choose between Audi R8 V10 or Nissan GTR. Appearance or price tag. The price of these two cars differs noticeably, an Audi R8 V10 costs close to 1.5 million kroner with some extra equipment and a Nissan GTR costs a little over 800 thousand kroner. There is a big difference in price for two cars that are quite equivalent without a doubt. But then we come to the other aspect, the appearance. The Audi R8 has beautiful sports car lines that most people get started on, and when you come for a ride in an R8, there are few who don't stop and take a long look at the car. The Nissan, in turn, is, as I said, as big as a truck and has vulgar shapes with a yard wall at the end. Few who don't know would turn around to take a second look at this car. So the question quarter year simply, Wallet or design, that is the question?
Audi R8 V10
Basic price | SEK 1,405,000 |
Engine | Mid-mounted V10 5.2 L 10-cylinder engine, 525 hp. Torque 530 Nm |
Transmission | V10 Manual 6-speed gearbox, optional R-tronic gearbox, All-wheel drive |
Acceleration | 0-100 in 3.9 seconds |
Top speed | 316 km/h |
Fuel consumption mixed driving according to the manufacturer | 14.7 liters/100 km |
Guarantees | 2-year new car, 3-year paint, 10-year rust warranty, 2-year Audi assistance |
Grade | 4 |
Web | www.audi.se |
+ | Audi R8 V10 Beautiful and tight German construction with a good-sounding V10. |
– | Audi R8 V10 Expensive and sits under all criticism in a sports car like this. |
Nissan GT-R
Basic price | SEK 813,000 |
Engine | 3.8 L V6-cylinder engine with twin turbo, 485 hp, Torque 588 Nm |
Transmission | 6-speed double clutch box, Four-wheel drive |
Acceleration | 0-100 in 4.8 sec |
Top speed | Top speed 314 km/h |
Fuel consumption mixed driving according to the manufacturer | 12.4 liters/100 km |
Guarantees | 3-year new car, 3-year paint, 12-year rust warranty, 3-year Nissan assistance |
Grade | 4 |
Web | www.nissan.se |
+ | Nissan GTR The price for such a rocket, incredibly powerful. Fun with the video game-like control panel. |
– | Nissan GTR The design and the size and the plastic quality feel. |