Vantage V8 vs Nissan GTR

[JohnG1]

Bit off topic but what the hell....

I was out walking with a friend near Grosvenor Square in London yesterday. Walked past a lovely dark blue Vantage V8. She commented "oh, that's pretty, same as yours".

Carried on for a bit and saw a new black Nissan GT-R. Both of us stopped in amazement at just how butt ugly that car is. It's ugly. All scoops and ducts and funny angles and a massive spoiler and horrid rear lights.

Generally I would not kick another persons choice of P+J but you can see some of the styling cues (some, not all) from the Vantage in that car and yet it's as ugly as a bulldog chewing a nettle covered in p1ss dropped from the top of the ugly tree after it's hit all the branches on the way down...

[Pugsey]

Not meaning to be rude but what a strange and possibly, pointless post - or am I missing the point? You'll be telling us the world's round next!

[Murph7355]

Prettiness is not the point of the GTR.

It's an amazing piece of machinery. But for very different reasons to the V8 (which is also an amazing piece of machinery).

I'd really like a go in a GTR.

[bmartin]

GTR is damn quick but ugly, Vantage is rather slow but damn beautiful.

At the end of the day, point of view really much depends on what you are after.

Edited by bmartin on Tuesday 24th June 20:13

[Pugsey]

Murph7355 said:

Prettiness is not the point of the GTR.

It's an amazing piece of machinery. But for very different reasons to the V8 (which is also an amazing piece of machinery).

I'd really like a go in a GTR.

You'll be welcome to a go in mine when it comes. Certainly NOT getting it for it's looks - although ugly can sometimes be good in a brutal sort of way. Talking of ugly, borrowed an X6 for the day today. Crumbs, it drives VERY differently to and much better than the X5 - which itself is v.v.good for a 4x4 - and you know what? Because of that it looked much better by the end of the day. I'm sure the GTR will grow on one after a spell at the wheel too. Unfair to compare pretty much anything with the beauty of an Aston though. I truly wish I could convince myself back into one.

Edited by Pugsey on Tuesday 24th June 20:50

[Trommel]

Hmm. I could buy a Vantage for the same money as my GT-R (when it finally arrives), but I've chosen the better and more capable car.

DB9 is a different matter.

[bogie]

LOL ..and there was me thinking this was a serious thread

how you can even mention the cars in the same sentence is beyond me...you may as well be comparing the Vantage with a people carrier !

You have a big old Jap version of their supercar...its the next step up for EVO and Scooby boys and what the Playstation generation dream about

sure you can make it a very capable car, but it will always be a Nissan.

What next? Nissan make an EVEN more capable version, price it at £100K and take on Ferrari ? ...2nd hand 430 or souped up GTR mmmm.....tough decision

[Trommel]

bogie said:

sure you can make it a very capable car, but it will always be a Nissan.

Not everyone needs to derive their self-worth from the badge on their car.

[Pugsey]

Trommel said:

bogie said:

sure you can make it a very capable car, but it will always be a Nissan.

Not everyone needs to derive their self-worth from the badge on their car.

It's not about "self-worth" (and I'm very sure that's not what bogie was saying) it's about what moves you - tugs at your emotions if you will. When I open the barn doors and ease back the dust sheet that first flash of Rosso Red and a Ferrari badge or Tungsten and an Aston badge ALWAYS does it for me. And that's before I sit and admire the interior or grin at the engine note. So, these cars have already paid back some of my investment before they've turned a wheel.For me the Nissan will do none of those things although I'm sure it will be awesome to drive - but then so are the Aston and Fezza, and many other cars, all in their different ways. For example I could drive all day and never go over any speed limits (unlikely I'll grant you) in my F430 and every mile would STILL be an event - will you be able to say the same for the Nissan? How you can say you've chosen the "better" car is beyond me. Perhaps you meant to say 'better' for you?

Edited by Pugsey on Wednesday 25th June 12:30

[Trommel]

Objectively better - more capable; but it is a special car from what I've seen (although I haven't driven one yet).

I know exactly what you mean about the emotional element (I haven't bought many cars for practical reasons), but how much of that is tied up in the fluff surrounding a brand? Aston and Ferrari are manufacturers like every other nowadays (witness the Aston "Parts Bin Special" approach, and Ferrari's rapidly diminishing image via branding every piece of tat they can lay their hands on).

[bogie]

exactly what Pugsey said ...he got what I meant.

I am a driving enthusiast, and will/would/have quite happily owned kit-car esque things like Caterhams etc, old cars like AH Sprites, MGs etc...Im certainly not your 'poseur' type of owner and dont need a car brand to make me feel good about whatever im driving

There will always be something else you can enjoy in a vehicle, that can be made up of many, many attributes, the Nissan in my eyes has one thing going for it - how fast it can lap the ring, and how much better it performs than a 997 etc....otherwise, it wouldnt be creating as much as a fuss - imagine if it was just a bit more than EVO X performance...everyone would be saying it was far too expensive...but just because its faster/better etc than cars costing a lot more, then its the thing to have.

So for owners purely looking at going somewhere as fast as possible, and having pub bragging rights for Top Trumps etc, then the GTR is king ....thats it I guess...but of course if you really want to go fast around a circuit then there are much quicker purpose designed tools for the job.

And of course if youre the family guy that must have a single do everything vehicle, then I can see the appeal of a GTR, but if you can afford a few cars, then of course you can have a much better GT, a better track car, a better estate/family car etc

Its the usual horses for courses, but I really dont see Aston, Ferrari, Bentley, Rolls Royce, Maserati et al getting worried about losing sales to Nissan....Porsche maybe, but again, thats their core market - the do everything, good all rounder sportscar for the family guy.......

[Trommel]

bogie said:

Porsche maybe, but again, thats their core market - the do everything, good all rounder sportscar for the family guy.......

Yes - I wouldn't pretend anyone would buy one instead of a 599, but it makes a 997 Turbo at £100k+ look very silly. I think the lap time hype detracts from the car's achievments.

[Pugsey]

Trommel said:

Objectively better - more capable; but it is a special car from what I've seen (although I haven't driven one yet).

I know exactly what you mean about the emotional element (I haven't bought many cars for practical reasons), but how much of that is tied up in the fluff surrounding a brand? Aston and Ferrari are manufacturers like every other nowadays (witness the Aston "Parts Bin Special" approach, and Ferrari's rapidly diminishing image via branding every piece of tat they can lay their hands on).

That was my point - it's only more capable if those capabilties fall within the parameters you personally set for a car. If they do then that's fine and it WILL be an awesomely capable bit of kit I'm sure.

As far as the emotional effect that a Ferrari or Aston may have then I can assure you that for me 'branding' and branded items - that you so rightly describe as tat - play no part in my love for either marque. I remember sitting in an original Dino way back when, when I didn't really even know what it was, and being awestruck. Branding had nothing to do with it. And that's the feeling I still get. In fact I'm pretty sure that most of that stuff is sold to non Ferrari owners anyway. Plus, I have to say, that if the first thing that springs to mind when you look at an Aston - inside or out - is 'parts bin special' then you may also be the sort of person who looks at a Hockney or Warhol and derides it because the guys used emmulsion paint instead of the finest oils. Does the thing work as a whole or not. I think the AMV8 does.

Finally I repeat, that if you and I go from my house the ten mile B road round trip to my local village and back you in the Nissan me in say, a V8 or F430, given the roads there will be little opportunity to go fast and I guarantee you I'll still get out with a stupid grin on my face - which will have been there from the moment I opened the garage. Will you? That's pure soul that is - not branding.

Incidentally, you may have picked up elsewhere that I too have a GTR on order. I'll use it for day to day transport and am looking forward to finding out what it's all about but I'm betting it'll go after a few months without a seconds look back. In fact just seen your post above re Porsche Turbo and yes that's the sort of roll I see at fulfilling - at near on half the price.

Edited by Pugsey on Wednesday 25th June 14:48

[bogie]

Trommel said:

bogie said:

Porsche maybe, but again, thats their core market - the do everything, good all rounder sportscar for the family guy.......

Yes - I wouldn't pretend anyone would buy one instead of a 599, but it makes a 997 Turbo at £100k+ look very silly. I think the lap time hype detracts from the car's achievments.

for sure ...if its a toss up between the two, I will take the GTR, and spend the money Ive saved on something with a wing and slicks, and a trailer

[LongLiveTazio]

I'll be interested re: suspension settings when it arrives here, if it manages to be as quick with a more compliant ride for our crappy roads then it's a hell of an achievement.

...

And I rather like how it looks. Sorry!

Keep us updated, Pugsey!

[sjc]

This is rather ironic for me! I also have a GTR on order for delivery in 2009.However I'm getting cold feet for a couple of reasons. Firstly, for such a big car there wasn't any room in it behind me,which effectively makes it a BIG 2 seater coupe,and we all know of another 2 seater coupe don't we? The other reason is that my car is nigh on 18 months away and a certain V8 coupe is likely to be in the £40K's by then.One will be the ultimate(for the money)point to point all-weather car,the other a car that you can enjoy at half the pace with that " special" feeling. The badge doesn't come into it for me ,unlike a few on here it appears.I've had 4 TVRS,an HSV,and 2 Nobles because every prestigious badged car I've driven has been a disapointment ( DB7,DB7 Vantage,355,360,550,3200,4200,Gransport etc)I hope a drive next year in a V8 Vantage will halt the trend,in which case I've got a nice decsion to meke.

[will77]

I had an early ish delivery slot on a GTR, order placed late last year. At the time i was looking to swap my RS4 for the GTR which would have been ideal. However, after recently moving and having ample space for something "special" it wasnt long before i had doubs about the GTR. It is awesomely capable and I think quite interesting to look at, unique if nothing else but after test driving a Vantage my mind was made up Collected it today and cant stop smiling, although the chip in the wind screen with 40 miles on the clock I picked up on the way home did remove it briefly.........

[Trommel]

I live in London - if I bought a Vantage I'd spend half an hour on the pavement trying to work out which one in the row of them was mine.

[Luckyluciano]

Why you colour blind?

[bogie]

LOL ...if you want a rare site then dont buy a Nissan...Ive got a nice Purple TVR Sagaris, one of about 150 in the world....you rarely see them anywhere