Nissan GT-R review - MPG, CO2 and running costs

It used to be something of a performance car bargain, but on the face of it, the Nissan GT-R isn’t cheap, following some steady increases in price. True, the basic model can deliver the kind of performance you would expect from a car costing nearly twice as much, but there are plenty of slower Porsche 911s that may tempt you for the same money.

Running costs will be in the supercar category thanks to expensive tyres, steep servicing and pricey insurance. And you’ll need to budget for big fuel bills, too – Nissan claimed 23.9mpg on the NEDC test cycle, but WLTP testing has seen that figure decrease to a best of 20.2mpg for the lower powered engine and 19.6mpg for the Nismo. These figures will drop to single digits if you utilise the car’s full performance potential. 275g/km CO2 emissions mean high tax bills for company car users, too.

Insurance groups

There’s not much out there that can go meaningfully faster on the Queen’s highway, and as a result GT-R owners can expect pretty steep insurance quotes based on a Group 50 rating for the whole range.

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Depreciation

Older-generation Nissan Skyline GT-Rs are popular with performance car enthusiasts, because they offer stonking performance and potential from easy upgrades. Nissan only ever imported a handful of R33 and R34 GT-Rs into the UK. A number of cars also came to the UK as grey imports, but their cult status means their value remains high.

Depreciation for the R35 GT-R is very good, with figures quoted in the 60 per cent range, which makes it one of the best cars for sale for retained value after three years.

However, considering the car costs upwards of £80,000, you'll still lose plenty of cash, although if you can afford a GT-R, then you probably can take the hit. In comparison, the Porsche 911 Carrera 4 is in the mid 50 per cent range – and you’ll lose more again on all the extras you had to buy to match the GT-R’s spec.