{"id":22436,"date":"2018-06-12T17:35:57","date_gmt":"2018-06-12T21:35:57","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/henrypayne.com\/?p=22436"},"modified":"2018-06-12T17:39:11","modified_gmt":"2018-06-12T21:39:11","slug":"payne-nissan-gt-r-and-lexus-gx-show-their-age","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/2018\/06\/payne-nissan-gt-r-and-lexus-gx-show-their-age","title":{"rendered":"Payne: Nissan GT-R and Lexus GX show their age"},"content":{"rendered":"

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As we approach 2020, evolution is delivering us a new species of automobile.<\/p>\n

Thanks to advancements in electronic and materials engineering, new cyborgs have emerged from the lab with light-speed performance capabilities outside, tranquil cabins inside: the\u00a0Audi R8, Porsche 911 Turbo, Chevy Corvette ZR1, Mercedes GT AMG 63. Next to them in our garages are three-row\u00a0premium SUVs sitting on car-like chassis that can haul a soccer team to practice while deftly carving country roads on the way: Mazda CX-9, Audi Q7, Acura MDX, Buick Enclave.<\/p>\n

But dinosaurs from a decade ago still roam the Earth.<\/p>\n

Two of these museum pieces fit neatly in my stable recently: the 2018 Nissan GT-R Track Edition supercar and Lexus GX 460. They are the perfect family couple \u2014 the Lexus a three-row daily workhorse, the GT-R a dazzling thoroughbred. Take the Lexus up north to the cabin; take the Nissan up Woodward to the M1 Concourse.<\/p>\n

In a fast-evolving era where premium nameplates get new bones every six years, they are relative fossils. The GT-R has been around since 2009, and the truck-based Lexus since 2003. My high-class couple is determined to stay hip even as their age is showing.<\/p>\n

Start with the GT-R, aka Godzilla, whose nickname is ready made for my prehistoric metaphor.<\/p>\n

This beast still roars. The U.S. isn\u2019t the only country with a muscle car tradition. The Nissan Skyline GT-R is Japan\u2019s Mustang, a legend that dominated Japanese touring racing for decades. Thus its nickname.<\/p>\n

Nissan put the GT-R on steroids for international export in 2008. It waded across the Pacific and came aboard U.S. shores like no monster we had seen before. It shredded roads, ate Porsches\u00a0and spit out \u2018Vette bones.<\/p>\n

Back then at Car and Driver\u2019s benchmark Lightning Lap competition \u2014 who is fastest around International Raceway\u2019s formidable\u00a04.1-mile track? \u2014 the new kid from Tokyo destroyed the Viper SR-10, Audi R8, Corvette Z06\u00a0and Porsche 911 GT3.<\/p>\n

It achieved this feat with technology stolen from the future: torque-vectoring all-wheel drive, almost 500 horsepower, twin-turbo V-6\u00a0and telepathic handling. Nearly a decade later, Godzilla has been surpassed by many of its peers, but it still remains relevant as one of the most thrilling acts on the supercar stage. Credit consistent cosmetic, interior\u00a0and performance upgrades.<\/p>\n

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Driveway dinosaurs. The Nissan GT-R supercar, left, and Lexus GX 460 family ute offer two of the oldest chassis on the market. The Nissan has kept up with the times, while the Lexus lags even more modern, mainsream SUVs.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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My tester came in the GT-R\u2019s latest wardrobe change, the $131,605 Track Edition. Similar to a Corvette Grand Sport (which offers a base Corvette engine package with the track-hugging aero tweaks of a Z06),\u00a0the Track Edition splits the difference between a $111,000\u00a0base GT-R and the insane\u00a0$175,000 NISMO by offering the latter\u2019s chassis upgrades … but without the 600-horsepower boost.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

The result is still waaaay too much money, but if Godzilla is your kind of show, this is the ticket.<\/p>\n

At M1\u2019s Pontiac test track, the heavy, 3,915-pound GT-R shrunk in my hands. The steering is laser-focused, the stiff chassis balance 50-50 front-to-rear. Only at the limit does the car push, but the all-wheel drive system\u2019s massive grip means it\u2019s easier to put down the car\u2019s nearly 565 horses. M1 chief instructor and pro-race driver Aaron Bambach had never had a GT-R on track and he emerged beaming.<\/p>\n

Of course, maximum track response means switching on all three GT-R drive settings \u2014 engine, suspension\u00a0and AWD \u2014 to R-mode (RACE) for hair-trigger response.<\/div>\n

Try that on Michigan\u2019s battered roads, and you’d better wear a mouth guard. I tried navigating the M-10 Northwest Highway Service Drive \u2014 its pocked roads look like London after the blitz \u2014 and nearly lost my teeth. Even on smooth roads it\u2019s unhappy at low speed, bucking and whining until you turn it loose.<\/p>\n

Driving the GT-R in NORMAL mode lessens the harshness (and the temptation to do 2.9-second zero-60 sprints since launch control can only be activated in R-mode) and allows a look around the cabin.<\/p>\n

GT-R ergonomics have evolved nicely, its knob-drunk dash upgraded with spare controls and a tablet touchscreen. Alas, the touchscreen is slower than Heinz ketchup, doesn\u2019t come with smartphone connectivity and hasn\u2019t a clue what you\u2019re saying when you activate voice command.<\/p>\n

Frankly, I was so enamored by Godzilla\u2019s roar \u2014 WAAAAAHHHHHRGH! \u2014 over 3,000 rpm that I didn\u2019t need infotainment.<\/p>\n

Alas, the Lexus GX 460 provided no such diversion to take my mind off its old age.<\/p>\n

Built on the same body-on-frame ladder that braces the aging Toyota 4Runner, the midsize Lexus\u2019\u00a0chassis is in the Mesozoic Age compared to similarly priced, unibody competitors like the Acura MDX and Buick Enclave.<\/p>\n

These modern, nimble SUVs run rings around Lexusaurus which doesn\u2019t so much drive as lumber. Happily, a good ol\u2019-fashioned V-8 lurks under the hood providing class-leading torque and 6,500-pound towing capability (useful for when the GT-R just becomes so dang jarring to drive on Detroit\u2019s roads you only want to tow it to Waterford Hills weekend track days).<\/p>\n

GX\u2019s polarizing, full-fascia, window-blind grille says Lexus all right \u2014 but it can\u2019t match the sculpted MDX or the gorgeous Enclave. Interior aesthetics are dated, as are neglected safety systems like blind-spot assist and adaptive cruise-control that come standard on the MDX (if not, ahem, the Buick).<\/p>\n

But the interior of the Enclave is otherwise a modern studio with Apple CarPlay and Android connectivity, roomy cargo, 9-speed tranny\u00a0and easy third-row seat access that the 6-speed Lexus lacks. Even a unique feature\u00a0like the Lexus rear swing gate (just like the old Buick Roadmaster wagon!) is a head-scratcher.<\/p>\n

The swing gate is pregnant with features like a toolbox and pop-open window so you can reach into the boot without opening the gate.<\/p>\n

But when you pull up to the curb to unload that big flat-screen TV, the swing gate opens … the wrong way. Against the curb. So you have to walk around to the traffic side of the car and unload. That works in left-side-of-the-road Japan where the GX was designed \u2014\u00a0but how many three-row SUVs are sold back home?<\/p>\n

The GX 460 is tough and Lexus-dispensable, but it\u2019s even been lapped by the 10-grand cheaper Toyota Highlander. The scintillating, timeless Godzilla GT-R, however, endures.<\/p>\n

Still, when the Track Edition got thumped in Car and Driver\u2019s 2017 Lighting Lap by both the $80,000\u00a0Corvette Grand Sport and $63,000 Chevy Camaro ZL1, some will surely ask: Why did I just pay $131,000 for a Nissan?<\/p>\n

Henry Payne is auto critic for The Detroit News. Find him at hpayne@detroitnews.com or Twitter @HenryEPayne. Catch \u201cCar Radio with Henry Payne\u201d from noon-2 p.m. Saturdays on 910 AM Superstation.<\/p>\n

2018\u00a0Nissan GT-R<\/strong><\/p>\n

Vehicle type: Front-engine, all-wheel drive, four-passenger sports car<\/p>\n

Price: $101,685 base ($131,605 Track Edition as tested)<\/p>\n

Powerplant: 3.8-liter, twin-turbocharged V-6<\/p>\n

Power: 565 horsepower, 467 pound-feet\u00a0torque<\/p>\n

Transmission: 6-speed, dual-clutch automatic<\/p>\n

Performance: 0-60 mph,\u00a02.9 seconds (Car and Driver); top speed: 195 mph<\/p>\n

Weight: 3,915\u00a0pounds<\/p>\n

Fuel economy: EPA fuel economy: 16\u00a0city\/22\u00a0highway\/18\u00a0combined<\/p>\n

Report card<\/p>\n

Highs: Still state-of-the-art AWD handling; wicked\u00a0acceleration<\/p>\n

Lows: Heavy; needs more refinement for the price<\/p>\n

Overall: 3\u00a0stars<\/p>\n

2018\u00a0Lexus GX 460<\/strong><\/p>\n

Vehicle type: Front-engine, all-wheel drive, 7-passenger SUV<\/p>\n

Price: $53,450\u00a0<\/strong>base ($54,380 as tested)<\/p>\n

Powerplant: 4.6-liter\u00a0V-8<\/p>\n

Power: 301 horsepower, 329 pound-feet\u00a0torque<\/p>\n

Transmission: 6-speed automatic<\/p>\n

Performance: 0-60 mph, 7.8 seconds (manufacturer); towing capacity: 6,500 lbs.<\/p>\n

Weight: 5,130 pounds<\/p>\n

Fuel economy: EPA fuel economy: 15\u00a0city\/20\u00a0highway\/17\u00a0combined<\/p>\n

Report card<\/p>\n

Highs: Lexus service and reliability; nifty rear window<\/p>\n

Lows: Boat-like handling; dated interior<\/p>\n

Overall: 2\u00a0stars<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

As we approach 2020, evolution is delivering us a new species of automobile. Thanks to advancements in electronic and materials engineering, new cyborgs have emerged from the lab with light-speed performance capabilities outside, tranquil cabins inside: the\u00a0Audi R8, Porsche 911 Turbo, Chevy Corvette ZR1, Mercedes GT AMG 63. Next to them in our garages are […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[7],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/22436"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=22436"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/22436\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":22439,"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/22436\/revisions\/22439"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=22436"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=22436"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=22436"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}