Horrid blue wheels though.

After my last endeavour in the Audi world with my supercharged Rs4 destroying itself, I was in the market for something fast. Now if you draw up an imaginary budget of let’s say … £30K. In the Uk that gives you a pretty healthy plethora of cars to choose from, especially those which focus on speed. I’d originally wanted an Audi R8. But with only the V8 being in budget and sharing the same power plant as my last RS4, albeit minus a supercharger. The performance and thrills just weren’t there for me. This unfortunately leaves mainly rear wheel driven options. Such as F10 M5s or a load of lovely C63 Mercedes, which by no means are bad cars. However due to the unique weather we often find ourselves victim to within the UK, 4 wheel drive is where’s it’s at if you’re wishing to drive quickly all year round.

I’ve even got a fire extinguisher!

So how did I end up with a GT-R you’re probably asking, well I’ve always loved a car with a story. After browsing through eBay and a few other dedicated car sale sites. I was amazed to find 3 or 4 fairly sorted Nissan GT-R’s for under £30K. Admittedly with some mileage on them but with reputable servicing in their folders and some very nice parts bolted on. My car was situated in York, had some garish blue wheels and a scrape on that mercilessly low front lip. But with a stage 4 package from Severn Valley Motorsports and a full exhaust I was keen to have a look. The seller was a pretty amicable chap. Keen to send me photos of paperwork and we got straight to a price we were both happy with. He even offered to deliver it.

Some gargantuan 380mm stoppers up front and the much loved Michelin Pilot sport 4s rubber.

The car itself is by no means perfect but I would say perfectly respectable for 10 years and 75,000 plus miles. Could I have spent more and bought a cleaner example absolutely! But I’ve always felt that little tidy up jobs are how you bond with a car and build a relationship. Improving it both aesthetically and mechanically. The car makes around 630bhp and is beautifully smooth in full auto. With the renowned bell housing replaced a year ago and an upgraded Litchfield clutch giving me reassurance I can lay power down when the moment strikes. Alcon discs deal with stopping while the renowned Michelin Pilot sport 4s all round lower tyre noise to a dull roar, whilst planting you into the tarmac. This vehicle really isn’t refined compared to its German rivals. But the dual clutch box really throws you forward with tremendous ability it’s a shock to think the GTR is over a decade old now.

A 3.8 litre Biturbo V6 with 3” intakes speed density kit and over 600bhp

So what’s wrong with it I hear you ask… well nothing in the grand scheme of things. The known fault of rain water pooling in the boot causing a boot strut to corrode is happening. So I need to rectify that this spring, the front lip is grazed and there’s stone rash allover the front grills. Apart from that I can’t fault it. For the money I paid I’m positive there’s nothing better or faster out there. Who doesn’t love smashing out 0-60 in under 3 seconds. I’ve bought this as an early birthday present for myself, the shock still hasn’t passed and I can’t believe I own one. I might also add my GTR is fully HPI clear, never crashed and would still set you back less money than even the highest mileage and written off Audi R8s. Despite another 200+ bhp and a gargantuan disparity in ability.

Cabin is a nice place to be however if you’ve a set of shoulders you’ll be too broad for the bucket seats…

I’m hoping this new chapter of semi-supercar ownership will be a chance for me to be open and honest with prospective buyers. Sharing real world ownership and how the GT-R behaves day to day. This is a vehicle with many a rumour and horror story to its name, which is something I wish to quash in the next two years. For now I’m going to learn what the buttons do , drive it very quickly and change those horrible bloody wheels. To perhaps a nice grey or black. Wish me luck.