[BForbes]

Okay many of you kno that the Nissan GTR is coming very soon. I've been on a lot of forums and the general feeling is that its going to DESTROY the new BMW M3. Pricing for the skyline should be around 70k.

There is a good chance it will since it is going after the 911 Turbo.(the nerve huh?) But I am so curious to whether BMW will go all balls out with the CSL version of the M3. I am hoping they do!!!

[Brookside]

I'm sure BMW will always be a very formidable player in this arena.
& you know, it's always more than about objective numbers crunching...one model vs. another.
So much of this is about gut-check how you feel about a car...whether it's on an uber-level like you're talking about or down in 1-series-land.

I've owned Japanese cars and German cars and after awhile it's like,"OK, give me the Bimmer.":wink:

I think that the German companies barely acknowledge the Japanese...they're too busy with their dramas that go on at the top of the German companies-
the in-fighting of a dysfuntional family at VW/Audi/Porsche or the Super-rich Quandt clan that controls BMW and the tweed sports coats over cashmere sweater Prussian aristocracy that blithely rules Mercedes....
and I think at the heart of it they only fear each other.

[spudw]

I'd suggest the Skyline GT-R will be to the M3 what the MazdaSpeed 3 will be to the 130i - good tombstone data, but not quite there on driving experience, innovation, up-market quality. I'd be very surpised if Nissan can deliver on the level of BMW and I don't think the Nissan will be of too much interest to the premium car market.

For its time, the 300ZX was a good car, too. But it never threatened premium carmakers and became fairly anonymous. There are plenty of interesting cars out there, and many with high-output engines, etc. Based on the prototype, I don't imagine BMW (or Merc or Audi) are too nervous...

Also, were the M3 the target (and therefore under threat), I'd think that Nissan would market the Skyline GT-R concept as an Infinity.

[BForbes]

Thanks guys. You both make good sense but I dont know. You never really know. I mean the last skyline was so amazing that if they were to improve on it by 5-10% it could possibly be a phenomenal vehicle.

I mean i was all for the skyline but when i hear others start knocking the next-gen M3 because of it, my enthusiasm for the GTR went out the door. So please BMW, do something. (they might have to Boost that alleged V8 in the M) lol

[LonghornTX]

While the M3 could have a nicer interior and quality feel, the GT-R will likely exceed it in numerical performance (like lap times, 0-60). The GT-R will probably be quite a bit more expensive as well. Remember, Nissan has widely acknowledged that the 997 Turbo is their performance benchmark for the car, and in certain instances, the GT-R has been caught lapping a bit faster.

I look forward to the new M3 and think it will be quite a car, but it is still gonna be 3500-3600lbs, just like the GT-R. Hopefully, I am proved wrong :roundel:.