BUYING A USED GT-R
Having been on sale for the better part of a decade, there are plenty of used GT-RS to choose from. Prices for early, higher-mileage cars seem to have bottomed out at about £35,000, which still represents very good value for money given the performance on offer, not to mention the driving experience.
However, running costs can be astronomical, so it is important to go in with your eyes wide open. Consumables such as tyres and brakes are used at an alarming rate, while many maintenance jobs come with big bills. The timing chains can stretch, causing the tensioners to wear, for instance. Replacing them is an engine-out, £2000 job. The deployable bonnet, meanwhile – which pops up in the event of a collision with a pedestrian – is single-use and can cost as much as £10,000 to replace.
There are just 10 Nissan High Performance Centres in the UK that are approved to service GTRS. Sellers today write ‘full NHPC history’ in ads to indicate the car has only been looked after by a High Performance Centre.
With each new model year, Nissan tweaked the suspension settings and lifted power outputs. Really well-looked-after cars from 2011 or 2012 start at about £45,000.