Who says we don't treat our 4Seasons test cars with loving care? Our Nissan GT-R was recently treated to a hand wash by executive editor Joe DeMatio.
"Hand-washing the GT-R was very satisfying," he says, "and it allows you to notice again some of the interesting shapes at work here: the convex horizontal crease in the C-pillars, the indented round taillamps, the intricate layering of materials in the front air dam, the air vents in the hood, the way the rear wing integrates (not so well) into the trunk lid-it's hard to get your chamois in there."
Although DeMatio developed a deeper appreciation for the Nissan's styling, he also identified a hesitation when accelerating quickly away from a stop with the transmission in manual mode. Online editor Phil Floraday had a similar complaint:
"Last night I was driving down a street with a series of stop signs spaced one block apart. Each one was a hit-it-and-then-wait-a-moment-for-acceleration-to-happen situation. Okay, so the GT-R wasn't designed with stop-and-go driving as a top priority, but for this kind of money it should work well in all situations."
The GT-R's turbocharged engine and its automated manual transmission are two major elements that give the car its high-tech character.... Read full article