Nissan GT-R 3.8 V6 Twin Turbo Enhanced 2dr Car Review - March 2012

The GT-R’s 3.8 litre twin turbo V6 petrol engine serves up an incredible 542 bhp at 6,400 rpm, while the torque figures stand at 466 lb-ft. This translates to a top speed of 196 mph, whilst travelling from 0-62 mph occurs in an incredibly fast 3.0 seconds. The car’s blistering acceleration and power is kept in check by strong carbon composite brakes and the steering is light but offers useful feedback, and there is no shortage of grip on the road - making this car powerful but controlled.

In terms of refinement, the GT-R is not the quietest place to be. There is plenty of road noise on the motorway, and the engine roars at high revs. However, this is all part of the experience.

The GT-R looks and feels every bit a supercar. The interior cabin features a leather trim dashboard, high-quality plastics and is well-built. The GT-R has a vast array of equipment and comes with alloy wheels, climate control, cruise control, electric front windows, electric mirrors, a stereo, and heated leather seats as standard. It also features Bluetooth connectivity, MP3 connectivity, satellite-navigation, xenon headlamps and metallic paint whilst rear-parking sensors are available at additional cost.

The dashboard is very high-tech and has a multitude of switches that offer 11 separate read-outs including steering input degrees and measuring G-forces through corners. The driving position is excellent, there is seat height adjustment and the steering wheel alters for both height and reach. All-round visibility is good too.

The GT-R will seat four people at a push. The cabin is roomy for a supercar and the boot is a decent size too with a 315 litre capacity.

In terms of safety, the GT-R is top-notch and comes equipped with six airbags as well as features such as stability control and other electronic aids to keep the car firmly on the tarmac. It also has an alarm and deadlocks to ward off thieves.

The GT-R does no harm to Nissan’s proud reliability record, and the electronics should cause no problems. The engine is hand-built and the chassis is precision aligned whilst a three year warranty for 60,000 miles is offered for additional assurances.

The GT-R is priced at £71,950, compared to the Porsche 911 Turbo or Audi R8 V10 that are both priced from £110,000. For under £100,000 there is nothing that comes close. It comes equipped with a good range of features but, as expected, fuel economy is poor - achieving just 23.5 mpg on a combined cycle - and running costs are also high as the car falls under the highest price brackets for both road tax and insurance premiums: groups M and 50 respectively.

However, its reliability record is amongst the best in its class and it features a hand-built engine and precision aligned chassis and a large boot which make it fairly practical for a supercar. Resale values are also strong too.