Nissan GT-R 3.8 V6 Twin Turbo Enhanced vs. Jaguar F-Type V8 S

Nissan GT-R 3.8 V6 Twin Turbo Enhanced

- £74,480

The Nissan GT-R has always been considered a blisteringly quick car. The latest version, the Nissan GT-R 3.8 V6 Twin Turbo Enhanced, is the fastest model yet and it's also the most expensive. But with the price of it falling under £75k, it's still one of the best cars in the world for pound for pound performance.

The Nissan GT-R 3.8 V6 Twin Turbo Enhanced is powered by a 3.8-litre twin-turbocharged V6 engine that develops a whopping 550 bhp and 465 lb /ft of torque. That means a 0 - 60 time of exactly 3 seconds and it'll go on to a top speed of 196 mph. That's faster than anything else £75k can buy brand new, and with a kerb weight of just 1,740, it's insanely fast and agile around a track too.

But then again it should be. After all, the GT-R will lap the Nurburgring in 7 minutes 21 seconds. That's 3 seconds faster than a Porsche 911 GT2 RS and 4 seconds faster than a Ferrari Enzo. Amazing, considering the GT-R costs so much less.

For slightly more than it would cost to buy a Nissan GT-R 3.8 V6 Twin Turbo Enhanced you could buy a Jaguar F-Type V8 S, a car you may have seen on television adverts recently. Whilst pretty, that car is nothing compared to the GT-R performance wise, and would be monstered both on track and out in the real world.

Extracting the full 550 horses the GT-R's 3.8-litre twin-turbocharged V6 engine produces is simple, too, with thanks to 4 wheel drive and the slick 6 speed automatic gearbox; simply plant the throttle and you'll be propelled up the road so fast it'll likely snap your neck. Launch control ensures that 0 - 60 comes up in 3 seconds every time, blitzing everything from the lights including every single road going Ferrari and Lamborghini.

But then we come to the GT-R's down side. It's badge. Sure, you'll show up Ferrari's, Porsche's and Lamborghini's out on the road, but they're still driving a piece of kit that's more desirable. The GT-R is a supercar make no doubt, but it's not a car likely to win the hearts and minds of enthusiasts at a car show.

If you can get over the badge and you earn serious money, the Nissan GT-R 3.8 V6 Twin Turbo Enhanced could be the best purchase you ever make. You'll still need a 4 door saloon for the family, but the GT-R is practical with a 315-litre luggage capacity and it'll even return 24 mpg if you don't thrash it everywhere. Do thrash it and you'll see 16 mpg.

So, the Nissan GT-R 3.8 V6 Twin Turbo Enhanced is the ultimate Nissan GT-R. It's also one of the fastest cars on the road. Can the Jaguar F-Type lay to such a claim? No chance, said the spider to the fly.

Jaguar F-Type V8 S

- £79,950

The V8S sits at the very top of the Jaguar F Type range. A lot more powerful than the 3.0 V6 version, the V8 is being pitched at those who can afford a Nissan GT-R or Porsche 911 but want something a little more classy and simply more stylish.

The 5.0-litre supercharged V8 engine produces 480 bhp and 460 lb /ft of torque, which makes the car good for a 0 - 60 time of 4.2 seconds and a top speed of 186 mph. It's not in the same league as the Nissan GT-R 3.8 V6 Twin Turbo Enhanced as pointed out above, and the performance gap is even bigger in real life than it is on paper.

Still, the Jaguar has its appeals. Namely, it's far more stylish and way better looking than the big, fat and garish GT-R. The F Type is actually my favourite looking Jaguar produced over the past 10 years. The elongated rear taillights look incredible and the four fat exhausts planted in to the rear diffuser show the world that the car they're following means business.

Being a Jaguar, you get much of the same equipment you'd get in a luxury saloon too; automatic air conditioning, automatic climate control, cruise control, sat-nav, Bluetooth, an in-dash DVD player and leather seats come as standard. It's a very modern car the F Type, and has as much entertainment technology as the GT-R does electronic driving aids.

Out on the road the Jaguar F-Type V8 S is simply thrilling to drive. The sound produced by the 5.0-litre supercharged V8 bellows through tunnels and unless there's an A45 AMG nearby you'll hear nothing but your own thunder. It handles well too, despite the heavy V8 up front, thanks to a - unique to the F Type - electronic differential and stability control.

Inside, the F-Type is gorgeous. It's all leather and contrasting soft touch materials; a stark contrast to the plastics and try-too-hard GT-R.

Compared to the GT-R the F-Type is relaxing to drive. It's a more able cruiser and is much more comfortable on UK roads. It eats up miles and it offers supreme comfort for all occupants. The biggest compliment I could give the F-Type is to say it's as good at cruising as the GT-R is as good at lapping the Nurburgring.

But would I personally buy one? At just under £80k, the Nissan GT-R 3.8 V6 Twin Turbo Enhanced offers far more accessible performance than the F-Type at a cheaper price too. It isn't as stylish, it isn't as comfortable, but it's the platinum of performance whereas the F-Type delivers 18 carat gold. Despite this I'd have the F-Type. It's a true GT car in V8 guise and it'll show a clean pair of heels to 90% of cars on the road today. It's stunning, too, and if you can't get the ladies to love you with an F-Type there isn't much hope left for you.

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