Normal folk consider hot hatches to be attainable motoring nirvana. If you're slightly well off, you may even be able to stretch to the STIs or the EVOs and bag yourself true (almost) supercar performance on a budget.
Of course, we're not just ‘slightly well off', or even normal: we're loaded. At least, we are today. Or pretending to be, anyway.
You see, there is such a thing as an affordable, everyday supercar and, no, it's not that 20-year-old ‘Vette collecting cobwebs in your garage. We've grouped together three of the obvious and best, to find out which one can finally take pride of place as a bargain backroad bomber.
To make it more complicated, we will also judge these cars on their everyday abilities. So this test is as much about cargo holding as it is about road-holding.
The Audi and Porsche might have an issue when it comes to price, but Nissan sure doesn't. That's been the name of its game since the R32, the original Godzilla, which ran rings around competition that cost twice as much. At Dh440,000 it's still the cheapest way to experience warp speed this side of renting a disused Russian Sputnik.
The R8 sits at the top of the pile with its Dh640,000 sticker — and so it should. It's the most elegant, most vocal, most attention-grabbing, and the only mid-engined car here. If that's not worth a third of a million less than a Lambo to you, go ahead and check your name isn't Scrooge.As for the 911, that slots neatly in between: if you want a coupé, that'll be half a mil, while a cabriolet is 40 grand on top of that (and, for the first time, the coupé runs neck and neck in terms of driving performance).
So, you see, you needn't be a millionaire to own a supercar. Although, yeah, it helps.
Nissan GT-R
Admittedly, once you're sat inside, the GT-R does feel a bit ordinary. Especially compared to the other two. The Porsche and the Audi have amazing cabins that look superb and are built from some of the best materials available. Everything from the leather to the fit and finish is just exemplary. The GT-R isn't even on the same planet here. However, to be fair, the latter costs a substantial Dh200K less that Ingolstadt's finest. Sure, some of the plastics are decidedly low-rent, but it has everything you could ask for: sat-nav, Bluetooth, leather seats, a Bose stereo and a superb multifunction display which shows you everything from turbo boost to g-force.
The best thing about the interior though is that it has four seats. Sure, you won't be able to fit your rugby buddies in the back, but their skinny girlfriends shouldn't be a problem. Which is a real possibility if you have a supercar. It isn't exactly capacious, but it has loads more space than the Audi.
So it is more usable than the other two when it comes to interior accommodation.
It's the same story with cargo space. Since the GT-R is front-engined, it has a big boot. There is enough room to carry a week's shopping — not something you can do in one of the Germans. The ride's not bad either, but there are more comfortable cars out there. Such as, uh, its rivals as featured right here.
Still, when it comes to performance, the GT-R is second to none. Its incredible turn of speed makes it faster than the Audi and as quick as the Porsche. Although on public roads it doesn't shrink and wrap around you like the Porsche. It feels somewhat heavy and its extremities aren't immediately apparent. On the road it is quick, but there is tonnes of safe and very boring understeer. Switch to Race mode and the GT-R transforms into a murderous supercar that is more than capable of taking on Europe's finest.
The Bridgestone runflats make it noisier than the other two, but never to the point of being too uncomfortable. Then there is the subject of looks. It's definitely, er, subjective, but our beauty pageant list looks something like this: Audi R8, followed by the GT-R and finally the 911. To sum it up, the GT-R costs the least, is most practical and great to drive. But does that make it the winner? You'll have to read on to find out.
Porsche 911 Turbo
Don't mind the fact that we have a cabrio here; Porsche couldn't sort us out a coupé in time, and we weren't exactly saying no to the drop-top either. Anyway, the 911 Turbo cabriolet is remarkably close to the coupé when it comes to devouring the same stretch of twisty tarmac. It's as quick as the GT-R, reaching 100kph from rest in 3.5 seconds (conservatively claimed by Zuffenhausen). Our rudimentary tests (hand-held stopwatch) produced consistent results. And just by the way, Porsche won't void your warranty or charge you for a new PDK should you opt to use launch control all day long.
Isn't it amazing what they can do with six-cylinders these days? What takes Audi ten, Porsche does with six, albeit using twin turbos with variable turbine technology and direct injection. Throw in the optional adaptive engine mounts (brilliant stuff), carbon brakes, a twin-clutch tranny plus all-wheel drive, and all of a sudden 500 horses start to feel like you've got a lasso over their necks, permanently. The 911 is frightfully simple to get a lot out of. Having a shallow dash coupled to an upright windscreen helps create a large glasshouse inside, and the traditional upswept front wings of a 911 mean that you're wrapped in nice and snug, cocooned and intensely involved in the experience.
Porsche has always loved heavy steering, and even with today's electrically-assisted stuff, the 911 is a handful to manoeuvre. But at speed, it comes into its own, steering the AWD car more predictably than the other two competitors here.
Because of its upright seating position and small dimensions, the 911 is the easiest to get the most out of. And possessing Porsche's Sport Chrono Plus gadgets, you have a myriad options concerning the suspension and traction control. Leave it be, and you will get some understeer, but definitely not more than a GT-R experiences in normal mode, or in anger. Admittedly, the R8 has no such worries.
Fool around and switch everything off, and all four of the 911's tyres will go up in smoke. It's a split personality though, because if you stick to smooth throttle inputs (on the traditionally stiff pedal), the amount of grip available to you will defy belief. Even bends strewn with sand patches don't require easing off — in fact that would probably be a worse idea than just planting your right foot and letting the grip sort you out.
Best of all is the 911's ability to keep the crazy stunts coming all day long, and just shrug it all off at the end. It is a sublimely well engineered vehicle.
If you need further proof that this might be The One, consider that the 911 is by far the cleanest of all three (270g C02/km) and most economical (25mpg, no problem).
Hey, we did say we'd be talking economics, so if you tally all those fuel savings, you just might find that the Dh540,000 cabriolet or Dh500,000 coupé starts making sense.
Not so fast though, because there is still one car to go…
Audi R8 5.2
As brilliant as the Nissan GT-R and Porsche Turbo are, the R8 5.2 is the only one that looks and feels like a ‘proper' supercar.
The mid-engined layout, the high-pitched wail of the V10 and the drop-dead gorgeous looks mean that it presses all the right supercar buttons.
OK, the cabin may not be as quirky as a Lambo's but it is easily better built. Step inside and there is little to fault. Everything from the super comfy seats to the steering wheel is exactly how it should be.
One of the best things though is the ride quality. We always thought that the GT-R had one of the smoothest rides for a super coupé, but the R8 takes it to a new level. It is easily the most comfortable car here. But, surprisingly, that doesn't take away from its supercarishness.
Drive it quickly and the V10 screech makes it more memorable and special than the other two. And it's not all show and no go. The normally aspirated 5.2-litre unit develops a not unsubstantial 518bhp, propelling the R8 to 100kph in 3.9 seconds and all the way to a top whack of 316kph.
Then there's the subject of aesthetics. When it comes to looks, the R8 has the others licked. In fact we'd go as far as to say, that it is one of the best looking cars on the market today.
Things are not that great when it comes to everyday practicality. There's a tiny boot in the front and a parcel shelf in the cabin and that's it. It is the least practical here and if you spec all the carbon fibre bits that we have in our test car, it is also the most expensive at Dh640,000. However, you will be able to see where all the money has been spent.
The R8 is extremely planted and well balanced, with none of the scary supercar histrionics at high speed or embarrassing lurches in the car park. Although the gearbox is still a clutchless manual jobbie, which makes gear changes less smooth than the surgically precise Porsche and Nissan. It is also the most tail happy car here despite the all-wheel drive (15:85 front-rear torque split). In essence, the R8 has the looks, the vocal prowess and the character of a supercar. But is that enough to beat the other two?
Verdict
The idea of this test was to find the best everyday supercar. ‘Everyday' being the key word. So we're looking for usability, practicality, price, looks, performance — the whole lot. Predictably, picking a winner is tricky, because they're all immensely talented. The GT-R is the most practical, but the R8 is the most comfortable, the best looking and the best sounding. The Porsche is superbly put together and rabidly quick, but the Nissan is cheaper. That said, the R8 and the Turbo aren't a Nissan. So if it's bragging rights you're after, don't even think about the GT-R; the European cars are definitely more desirable and evoke stronger emotion.
However, if someone put a gun to our head and forced us to pick one, we would grudgingly say it's the GT-R. It's more sensible than the other two, matches both when it comes to performance and is the cheapest, apart from the fact it needs to be serviced more often than the other two. But we'll overlook that bit. And although the cabin quality isn't anywhere near the same level as the other two, it is well kitted.
So Godzilla is the best everyday supercar — but only by a microscopic margin.
Model R8 5.2
Engine 5.2-litre V10 Transmission Six-speed AWD
Max power 518bhp @ 8,000rpm
Max torque 530Nm @ 6,500rpm
Top speed 316kph
0-100kph 3.9sec
Price Dh650,000
Plus True supercar, cabin, sound, rev-happy engine, handling
Minus Not impressively fast in this company, expensive (for a budget supercar)
Model GT-R
Engine 3.8-litre V6 twin-turbo Transmission Six-speed AWD
Max power 485bhp @ 6,400rpm
Max torque 588Nm @ 3,200rpm
Top speed 310kph
0-100kph 3.8sec
Price Dh440,000
Plus Cheapest and fastest — job done
Minus Cheap inside, difficult to get the most out of on public roads, more frequent service visits
Model 911 Turbo
Engine 3.8-litre flat-six turbo Transmission Seven-speed AWD
Max power 500bhp @ 6,000rpm
Max torque 650Nm @ 1,950rpm
Top speed 312kph
0-100kph 3.5sec
Price Dh540,100
Plus Quickest car here, brilliantly built and rewarding to drive
Minus Not as involving as the R8; no drama
