[CJFusco]

Wow, that really IS a big car...

I just bought the new issue of evo (and the new issue of excellence). evo puts the GT-R against the Vette z06, the Audi R8 (battle of the uglies?), and the 997 GT3. I haven't read the articles yet, but I have skimmed them and looked at the numbers.

Drag strip:
Corvette Z06
0-60: 3.9 sec.
0-100: 8.5 sec.
0-100-0: 14.0 sec.

Nissan GT-R
0-60: 3.8 sec.
0-100: 8.9 sec.
0-100-0: 13.9 sec.

They call it equal in performance terms, with the GTR getting a slight edge in "feel".

Against the equally-ugly Audi R8 on public roads, evo gives the nod to the GT-R, even saying that build quality is "close to what you'd expect from Porsche." At speed, the Audi can't keep up with it.

Bring on the 997 GT3.

Here are the numbers around the Bedford Autodrome's west circuit:
Porsche 911 (997) GT3: 1:22:6
Nissan GT-R: 1:21:7

That's right, the Nissan actually posted better numbers than our champ. Actually, the Nissan was barely slower around their track than the Ferrari Enzo, and just two seconds slower than our Carrera GT. Hey, at least ONE of our horses can beat it... even if it is a $400,000 horse going against a $65,000 challenger. "While you're teasing out the right balance in the GT3, the GT-R is simply powering through," writes evo.

The GT3, evo insists, is still more involving and more "dynamically malleable" and "deliciously tactile" than the Nissan... but it's a terrifyingly close contest. Both cars are awarded 5 stars out of 5 stars by evo.

At under $70K, it looks like Nissan has a serious winner. I wouldn't want one - it's too big, too ugly, too racer-boy-ish - but it sure has my respect.