Some will argue that the 2013 Nissan GT-R is too tame, overly sophisticated, and even soft, making it an unworthy successor to the R34 GT-R. True, the current generation GT-R is loaded with more tech than a spaceship, well not quite but you get the picture, and worse yet, flappy paddles have replaced the tried and true stick and clutch. What you're left with is a driving experience that may not be quite as engaging as many GT-R enthusiasts would expect. No one can argue that and we all know this story by now. But, let's also consider what else the GT-R was known for, the GT-R became the legend that it is, especially within tuning communities, due to its amazing performance in stock form and seemingly limitless potential. In that regard, the GT-R is still every bit a true GT-R and then some. A stock 2013 Nissan GT-R comes with 545 horsepower and 463 pound-feet of torque. Meaning, that there's plenty of power on tap and being delivered via an all-wheel drive system, per usual. This combination of insane power and incredible grip enables the 2013 GT-R to hit 0-60 mph in just 2.7 seconds. That type of speed is hard not to fall in love with. Whether or not that's enough for you to forgive the fact that the car is doing all the work, effortlessly swapping through gears at the blink of an eye, is something that only you can determine based on your own preferences.
Aftermarket tuners, such as AMS Performance are also showing that the sky is still the limit. Initially, it was said that the GT-R wouldn't be highly modable, but again in the right hands the Nissan GT-R can be modified to a point that will have your average car igniting in flames at the mere thought of producing the power that the GT-R is capable of. AMS started with the Alpha 12 GT-R, a ridiculous build that produces over 1,300 whp at 35 psi of boost! What that equates to, besides one heck of a ride, is a quarter mile time of 9.05 seconds. You simply cannot produce those numbers, let alone maintain street-ability at the same time in many other cars. The R34 was one of the few cars that could consistently surpass the 1,000 horsepower mark without needing to be towed to and from the drag strip. Now, the R35 finds itself in the same company. More recently, AMS Performance has taken things even further with their newest build, the AMS Alpha Omega. The Alpha Omega runs the ¼ mile in 8.62 seconds at 173.81mph. It also holds the GT-R top speed record of 218mph, completed at the Texas Mile.
Which begs the question, isn't this what the GT-R is all about? Great stock performance, value, and amazing potential, a tuners wet dream. By now, it should be safe to say that the R35 easily fits the same mold as the R34 in that regard, yet there are still naysayers out there. If you're really hung-up on the transmission you could always take a page from the Ben Sopra GT-R, which uses a Holinger sequential, slightly moving things in the right direction.