2013 Nissan GT-R or 2012 Porsche 911 Turbo S?

Senior features editor Jonny Lieberman recently drove a 2013 Nissan GT-R and a 2012 Porsche 911 Turbo S in a comparo that, at first, seems mismatched. As Lieberman aptly states, “to some folks, a Nissan versus Porsche comparison test makes about as much sense as Snooki versus the Virgin Mary.”

Put the spec sheets side by side, however, and the similarities are striking: both have 3.8-liter, twin-turbocharged six-cylinder engines sending power to all four wheels. Godzilla’s V-6 is rated at 545 hp and 463 lb-ft of torque, while the 911’s flat-6 puts out 530 hp and 516 lb-ft. Both have twin-clutch automatics and Lieberman notes that both are “incredibly, mind-bendingly, tire-destroyingly, reason-defyingly fast.”

How fast? The GT-R only needs 2.8 seconds to go from 0-60 mph, while the 911 is a tick quicker at 2.7. The quarter mile times are 11.1 seconds at 124.8 mph for the Nissan and 10.9 seconds at 127.4 mph. The GT-R only needs 23.0 seconds to complete our figure eight course, while the Porsche does it in 23.2 seconds.

The most important different might be price: The 911 will set you back $178,525 (as tested), compared to the GT-R’s as-tested MSRP of $107,600.

Motor Trend