Godzilla Returns

Nissan’s GT-R doesn’t start up with a roar so much as an explosion.
Press the start button, and the hand-tuned engine lets loose a blast of sound and vibration so intense that its nickname, Godzilla, seem like an understatement.
It’s been about a decade since the GT-R supercar hit American shores, and since that time it’s seen modest improvements in performance and a big jump in cost. Priced from $113,540 this year, it’s not the bargain it used to be.
Still, it’s hard to think of many sports cars that generate this much speed and excitement for the money. The latest hybrid Acura NSX is more expensive and felt more electronic than explosive when I tested it last year. The Audi R8 also costs more but lacks the GT-R’s monumental, all-wheel-drive grip.
The Porsche 911 may be its closest match, but the 911’s German demeanor is so different from the Nissan’s more tech-forward, Japanese philosophy that it’s hard to imagine too many buyers cross-shopping them.
Thus Godzilla stands virtually alone in its all-wheel-drive, thundering niche.
After driving it for a week, I’m struck by how well the GT-R balances being intimidating and livable at the same time.

Its sheer speed can be downright terrifying. According to both Motor Trend and Car and Driver tests, it accelerates from a standstill to 60 mph in 2.9 seconds. It makes the world become a blur faster than what most mere mortal drivers like myself can comprehend.

Still, it’s accessible.
AWD traction is part of the reason why, instilling confidence with its seemingly endless reserve of grip and predictable, linear handling.
An easily adjustable suspension and traction-control system help make ordinary drivers feel superhuman, too. I loved playing with the settings to see how the car responds differently, dramatically so in some cases, to the various traction settings. It made me pine for a track day.
Adjusting the handling feels almost like playing a video game. Many racing games try to model real-life cars, but the GT-R takes the opposite approach by putting video-game fun into the vehicle itself.  It turns every road into your Playstation.
The GT-R received several evolutionary upgrades last year, including new turbochargers that respond faster at lower RPMs.

Its engine remains one of the best I’ve ever experienced. The 3.8-liter, twin-turbocharged V6 makes 565 horsepower in a delicious, smooth, titillating way.
Still, you can’t ignore that this is an aging car. Its polarizing look hasn’t changed much since its debut, and its dated cabin doesn’t justify the high price — admittedly not the reason anyone should pick a sports car.
What I love about it, and what hasn’t changed since this car’s birth, is how unique it is. It can change from a mean, snarling Rottweiler guard dog to a gentle Labrador puppy depending on how you adjust the video-game traction control settings, and routing the power to all four wheels gives it fantasyland grip.
If you want more speed and can afford its $210,740 price, the NISMO GT-R makes 600 horsepower and adds extra carbon fiber to save weight.
Godzilla, indeed.