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Mercedes-AMG GT R vs. Nissan GT-R Is an Odd Drag Race

Didn't Nissan trademark the use of the letters G, T, and R in that order? Apparently not, because Mercedes calls its green monster GT R, only without the hyphen.
Mercedes-AMG GT R vs. Nissan GT-R Is an Odd Drag Race 4 photos
Photo: YouTube screenshot
Mercedes-AMG GT R vs. Nissan GT-R Is an Odd Drag RaceMercedes-AMG GT R vs. Nissan GT-R Is an Odd Drag RaceMercedes-AMG GT R vs. Nissan GT-R Is an Odd Drag Race
Despite sharing names, these two couldn't be more different at first glance. The Nissan is a continuously revised version of a car that was amazing ten years ago. Its all-wheel-drive was amazing back in the day, earning it the title of "supercar killer." It's also called Godzilla, which is oddly reminiscent of "the beast from the Green Hell," a nickname earned by the Mercedes model at the Nurburgring.

Of course, nowadays everything has AWD and/or fantastic launch capabilities. The GT-R has also nearly doubled in price, but it's still way less expensive than the German car.

There are also similarities between the two... other than the name. They have V-configuration twin-turbo engines at the front, feeding a trans-axle dual-clutch at the back. The Nissan just happens to send power back to the front, which is one of the reasons why it's about 200 lbs heavier. Power output is about the same too, as Carwow's Mat Watson points out.

While the GT-R has AWD, the GT R features all-wheel steering, not that this would help in a drag race. It's also got traction control you adjust using a knob, again something that can't be showcased in a straight line. But both are in some way reacting to the features of a particular Porsche 911 model.

Right, let's talk about the race, which starts with a surprisingly good launch from the AMG GT R. Yet somehow, the Japanese model quickly comes back and gets the lead. By the end of the quarter mile, the Merc claws back some of the difference by stacking all its advantages, but there's only a whisker between them, even in the brake test.

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About the author: Mihnea Radu
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Mihnea's favorite cars have already been built, the so-called modern classics from the '80s and '90s. He also loves local car culture from all over the world, so don't be surprised to see him getting excited about weird Japanese imports, low-rider VWs out of Germany, replicas from Russia or LS swaps down in Florida.
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