Nuff said...

While I think it would add weight and lower the performance numbers, I think it would be a welcome addition. People who buy convertibles are not usually track people and want the best of both worlds.

M3 convertibles do just fine in the high performance luxury car market, as do convertible/spyder versions of most supercars(Ferrari, Lambo, Lotus, ... etc.)

What a stupid article. Who cares if they make a convertible? The GT-R certainly has enough power to pull around a couple hundred extra pounds. If you don't like it, don't buy it.

Negative on this. While a convertible version of this might make sense business wise, and may lure people into buying what was a pure performance car, AS a car enthusiast, its pure BS. Screw that dont like it dont buy it garbage. This would be a kick in the face to most performance nuts. Whomever likes this garbage is a poseur not an enthusiast. You like fun in the sun? Buy a car that was designed as a convertible from the start. Lotus Elise was designed as a convertible from the get go. M3s E46 on up were not as performance oriented as the original E30s which is why those e30s still sell for big money. I still liked the last generation M3s though.

love it!
It will do the Nurbourg ring in 7.27. The fastest haircut ever.

the GT-R is SUPPOSED to be a performance car, not a sedan, not a convertible. Leave it alone.

Their are plenty of other "fast" options out there if you just want to cruise around in a convertible.

As for sedans with Power, Also plenty of other options.

This car is meant for true enthusiasts who want power and handling and all the fun that comes with it.

the GT-R is SUPPOSED to be a performance car, not a sedan, not a convertible. Leave it alone.

Their are plenty of other "fast" options out there if you just want to cruise around in a convertible.

As for sedans with Power, Also plenty of other options.

This car is meant for true enthusiasts who want power and handling and all the fun that comes with it.

I'll stick with my mustang '06 GT convertable. A blend of both worlds and affordable. Leave the GT-R as a performance car for those who occasionally like the track.

The gtr is fine as a coupe but anyone else thing this car is hideous as a vert it was never a really good looker anyway but making it a convertable makes it kinda look like a mustang/350z hybrid which is not a good combination.

no no no no no no NO!

@unkown:

I am a fan of mustangs, nice car, affordable, but NOT EVEN CLOSE to the same world as the GT-R.

A mustang can be loads of fun to drive, and they are "fast", but the GT-R is better in every possible way except price.

"Better in every possible way"?

Gag. Where do I start.

GT-R: 94-to-95-octane fuel that's readily available in Japan.
GT: Regular Unleaded, all day, all the time, at the corner store.

GT-R: $75K
GT: $30K and it's a convertable.

GT-R: Can't do a powerslide or decent burnout.
GT: Well, It can be hard to keep tires on it and sure is fun!

GT-R: "ridiculously harsh" ride according to reviews.
GT: You can sport around and drive around in good comfort, daily.

GT-R: Fastest production car on the track (still?)
GT: Who cares about the track, I drive on the streets.

My point is, and always was, buy the GT-R for an excellent performance car that you love to race and blow the doors off a *cheap* Mustang. Buy a M3, 911, C63, F355, even a Z1-R to do the same thing in style. Buy a Mustang for the fun of it and enjoy driving it daily, especially on the weekends in the sun. Buy a prius if you can't afford the gas. Each his/her own. But it is the GT-R that is "NOT EVEN CLOSE" to the mustang, from my point of view.

Just for the record there is nothing remotely pure about the GT-R Vtfo0lio. Pure sports cars don't have gimmicks like cup holders or navigation systems.

As for this concepts it's even uglier than the coupe and I agree with the author that I hope it never makes it to production.

You guys know that this is just a photoshop mockup that some kid made, right?
Full story... is just this picture, thats it.

The A piller looks like it was cut off with hack saw.

I like it..

When it will be available?

I just want this car with the top down. I dun care if it is expensive or less power or some say it should be leave alone as it, I just like the look and want a convertible. About the harsh suspension...I still think it should be more harder.....this will pissed my girl friend, friends and parent away from borrowing my car...either way, I can always get some mod parts from the world to make it the way I like...yes.....just make it and I m waiting.

I never said "pure sports" car man. Pure performance, and it shows by the track times. Btw, I own an S2000, thats about as pure sports car as you can get, aside from your RX-7 or a Lotus. You want a pure sports car, you get a pretty punishing ride. I however have cupholders, 2 in fact, but then again I'm not real fast either. :(

@yes... want it
I am sure the school kid who photoshopped the picture will be happy to build the car for you. Just double the money he gets for his paper route.

Wow, and the pissing has begun.

I find it really odd everyone goes back and forth on how superior this car is versus another. There is no such thing as a "pure" whatever car. Everything has a trade off, if you want power sliding, tire smoking fun, then you don't have excellent traction. You want gut churning, vision blurring traction you don't have slides or a comfy ride. You want posh, super cushy let the bubbly pour comfort, well you get a limo.

The point is, technology is only advancing at the upper end (and that's usually in race form). You can not have your cake and eat it too. I think I'd choose a 911 turbo as my "exotic" (if we call it that?) of choice. It's reasonably fast, good handling, but won't break your pelvis.

About the most "pure" performance car I can think of is the McLaren F1. Check out the Top Gear episode it's a hoot.

I'm also a huge fan of the old school low tech approach. Solid rear axle, push rod engine, 4 in the floor, slap a blower on there and have some serious fun. Now that's your weekend cruiser.

Pelvis's heal... I like my toy cars as radical as I can get them and still get around on public roads safely.

The stock 'stang is far too well behaved for my taste, but the nice thing about them is that if you want radical, there's a huge aftermarket just waiting to supply it. In fact most sports cars have healthy aftermarkets for those of us who don't care as much for streetability.

We judge all these cars (GT-R included) like they're static things... you buy it and drive whatever you get good or bad. Real life doesn't really work that way for most motorheads... with some time and money you can take most of the sports cars on the road and make them crazy fast with relative ease. Making them handle is a bit more of a challenge but you can do that too to a limit.

The GT-R might be a bit more challenging because of the high level of electronics integration with basic systems... but I doubt that will keep people with the money to blow from cranking them up enough to make the stock model seem like a grocery getter.

My personal favorite street cars are the ones that don't require modification to fit the 'pure' performance category... cars like the McLaren F1, Ferrari F40/F50/Enzo, Ariel Atom, Ruf 911, Cobra (and some of the better kits like the Factory Five Racing models), Ford GT/GT40, Porsche GT... and I'm sure there's a whole lot more that I'm forgetting.

@cobaltssman

sorry i havent been on here for a few days yes toip gear is one of my favs, the bbc has some really good shows sometimes and then there are some horrible ones too... benny hill...ect

spank it easy!

d

Screw that I want raw power. I dont want a double turbocharged v6 that has to run 95 octane fuel for $100 a gallon. Piss on that for that cash I will buy a Tesla. Figure out how to bypass the stupid governor. Then I will have instant power and insane top speed for pennies a gallon. And protect the environment.

well i would rather this than ford making the mustang station wagon.

I'd like to see a convertible version made, as long as it doesn't cut into the production numbers of the hard top. More GTRs on the road is good, even if some are topless.

The thought of a mustang station wagon hurts my head. I don't see why everyone is so object to a GTR convertable. They're still going to make the coupe....

@mickk:
Doesn't Ford already make the Mustang station wagon? Ohh wait, maybe not, but it DOES corner like a station wagon... on stilts... on ice. ;)

I think this is a nice concept. Of course not all the performance is there, but it IS a convertible. I would sacrifice some performance for open-topped fun. At the same time, I wouldn't expect the same level of performance as a "real" GT-R. Different beasts altogether if you ask me.

Maybe that is really Nissan's problem here - it shouldn't be marketing this as a GT-R but as its own line. Then I doubt we would hear any complaints.

@crossfire

I love the Tesla its proboably the first electric car i would buy and its made in america, (body, and suspension by lotus) its shit hot and i think its going to be a hit.

as far as the GTR its the best of the best right now and the only problem i see is they need to figure out how to make more of them as they will sell out right away. dont waste time on convertables ot sedans, just up the production of these to atleast 5000 a year.

@dennisil
how is the gt-r the best of the best. I can rattle off a list of cars that are better then in in many aspects and ones that have been sold out longer. I cant carry 8 people in a gt-r so its no good at that. Its not as fast as a radical or ariel atom on track so its not the best at that. Gets 25ish mpg on the highway so its not the best at that. There is no best of the best. While the gt-r is good at many things upping the sales a year will reduce quality(something nissan isnt known for anyway) and drive down the collectibility of the car.

@ Unknown

you might not be able to cary 8 people in a GTR but i know how i can fit 10 people, Dwarfs...

top gear powerlap time :
1:19.0 – Ferrari Enzo
1:19.5 – Ariel Atom 2 300
1:19.7 – Nissan GT-R
1:19.7 – Ferrari 430 Scuderia
1:19.8 – Porsche Carrera GT
1:19.8 – Lamborghini Murciélago LP640
1:20.4 – Koenigsegg CCX [6]
1:20.7 – Ascari KZ1
1:20.9 – Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren

I think the sane choice would be a GTR if it was going to rain. The atom is an awesome car and so is the radical but they are not practical in a rain or snow situation and the GTR could be driven slowly and peacefully, also you dont need to wear a crash helmet... it looks to be sitting pretty with cars that cost 6 times as much as itself in some cases, i think its good bang for yer' buck.

As for MPG... you think the jerk that can afford to buy that car and pay 20K over the sticker price is worried about our recession or gas prices???

Ok so now we need to wory about quality control.. can i remind you that every GTR is hand built in a clean room enviorment not unlikle the ones used by AMD and Intel, so i dont think the quality of the car will ever come into question as they are not built anywhere neer the same place wehre they assemble the sentra...

I used to own a 1995 Nissan Pathfinder SE 3.0 V6 and i never had one complaint about the car, the only thing i did to it was have the injectors swapped out after 80k miles and the power door locks in the rear where not always working right. otherwise rock solid.. i wish i still had her so i could have a awesome winter beeter, oh well...

yes and the ford gts were hand built at the saleen factory by a group of engineers and they are know to be very reliable as well. Plus if your driving your gtr in the snow or rain you really need to take a look are your car choices as you have made a bad one. Street tires + snow = power = accident. My point was the gtr is not the best of the best and if im diving the car on sundays like a normal person with a 100k car would do I wouldnt be in a gtr because its not flashy its a new cell phone which will be replaced by a newer model it just doesnt have the classic looks. Your pathfinder to me shows problems with quality control. If my current car needed teh injectors swapped at 80k miles id be annoyed plus if the door locks didnt work id be even more annoyed. See as youve shown yourself this car is not the best of the best but its good although not the pinnacle of cars.

@dennisil
you seem to have missed the top 5:

Gumpert Apollo: 1.17.1 (last episode)
Ascari A10: 1.17.3
Koenigsegg CCX: 1.17.6
Pagani Zonda F: 1.18.4
Maserati MC12: 1.18.9

@Starsky & Hutch:

thanks i know i left them out of my post as i felt they where irrellevent as all the cars where much more expensive than the GTR.

that Gumpert was sweet, 4.2 liter Audi twin turbo all carbon fiber beast... i think the name sucks though, my personal favorite was the Koenigsegg CCX/R with the top gear wing, it is awesome looking and 4 superchargers??? what???? they are due to have some thing new come out soon i hope.

The atom is the only other car than the GTR to be priced compeatatively and it has no roof. but at 300hp its proboably one of the fastest cars out there, "it will totally destroy your face"...lol