Maybe you should look at long term reviews from actual owners? People go too deep into this auto versus manual debate and miss the exhilaration of taking a line around a bend that would put one of the competition in the grass. Maybe in an ideal world, you'd have a manual R35 to get everything you desire, but the reality is the majority of highly satisfied owners find other driving aspects overriding the lack of a clutch pedal.

I'm sure the GT-R is great for some people. For others that really want that direct manual transmission feel, it's just not going to be a car for them.

But I do think that once you get up into that supercar performance territory whether you are driving a paddle shift car or a full on manual doesn't really matter at that point, as you start to concern yourself with more important things... like how ridiculously fast you are going!

Well, actual owners will be biased as with anything else people are invested in. I've heard stories of people selling their GTRs because they didn't like the lack of involvement. I'm sure there are plenty more diehard owners who love them (yourself included :)). The short of it is that I'm not competing in races and the fun for me is the act of driving. I like a manual and this car will be used both street and track. Getting groceries in a GTR would be a bore while it's still fun to drive a 6MT 370Z even on the short grocery trips. If I was competing on track as a profession, the GTR might look a lot more appealing. Again, it's just my opinion on the matter. Car ownership and that inherent 'relationship' one develops with the car is a complicated dynamic that is different for everyone.

The lack of driver involvement concerning the Nissan GTR goes far beyond just the lack of traditional manual transmission. You don't have to be a good driver to run fast lap times in a GTR. That just goes to show how computer / electronic driven the damn car is and of course GTR owners will be biased, they just dropped 80k+ on the damn thing! Just go drive pratically any Porsche and then a GTR and you'll see what I'm talking about.

Just to be clear, you haven't driven a GT-R have you?

I have not but I did stay in a Holiday Inn Express last night.

Another good point actually. How the hell does a potential buyer get to drive one? People are nuts to plunk down that kind of change on a car they've never driven. Nissan won't let you drive one even if you wave a wad of cash under the dealer's nose as a serious potential buyer.

It's really not a car you need to test drive to know you want. :tup:

yea until you get a chance to drive the cars in question, hard to give an honest opinion on what's best. i've never driven an R8 but i have gotten the opprotunity to drive several GTRs and taken a 997 GT3 out (with the owner) and run the piss out of it, at least as much as possible on empty public roads. the GT3 is better by far for a driver's car but the GTR makes a better daily and a good choice for someone who hasn't spent a lot of time on a real road course. the GT3 will give you that "little bit more" when driven properly but it's real easy to loose it and i wouldn't have it any other way. the GTR doesn't have the driver involvement of a 6 spd manual 997 turbo or GT3 but it is exhilarating to drive and suuuuper easy to drive stuuuuupid fast. in that way, it may be better depending on what the person is looking for

x1million :tiphat:

I am curios about that, people always tell me that when you are buying a high dollar car (GT-R, Porsche, etc.) you know if you want it. How though?
From what I owned before the Z it would be like going from a Z to a Porsche GT3, a huge step, and I had no idea if I was going to like the Z until I drove it.

You guys are crazy. I bet all you married guys didn't sleep with your wife before you married her either...

very true but, if you come from a Z and decide to roll with the cars in question (GTR, GT3, R8) chances are even if you aren't quite up for it at first, you will want to make yourself a better driver and get the most out of the car. besides, since spear's avatar shows him on track, chances are (and i am assuming here) he knows a thing or two about driving. i'd say he'd be fine in any of those vehicles

Since the "coin" is coming soon (my sister is in the same situation), get ALL of the cars listed in your thread title plus the GT-R. Get er done.

Nissan has nothing to do with if you get a test drive or not - it is all about the dealer. I got a test drive in the fall of 2008 without a signed contract and bought the car an hour later. Some dealers allowed this when they knew you were serious while others said hell no. I had a Ford dealer tell me last week that I couldn't test drive a Raptor - went 10 miles to one that would. I've had dealers that wouldn't let my wife and I take a 370z out for a drive together (the sales guy can't fit in the hatch obviously) and I just left and found a dealer that would.

One thing I'll point out is full auto in the car is useless in normal driving. To make the EPA numbers, the car is set to get to 6th gear as fast as possible. There was a thread about this recently on NAGTROC and most owners reported driving in manual almost exclusively.