2013 Nissan GT-R

header-image
Rating7.8

Ranked #1 in 

Midsize Coupe
Write Review
$96,820 - $106,320
Starting Price 
Nathan Dyer's image
Nathan Dyer 

Senior Editor,

Updated on November 3, 2023

ProsConsWhat's New

Mind-blowing acceleration

Suspension on the stiffer side

Increased power output

Superb handling

No manual transmission is available

Transmission has been tweaked to be smoother

High-quality interior

Transmission struggles in traffic

Black Edition gets a new carbon fiber spoiler

Great price point

Specs & Features

$96,820

price

545 hp @ 6400 rpm

horsepower

463 lb.-ft. @ 3200 rpm

torque

6-Speed Automated Manual

transmission

3.8L 6cyl AWD 6AM

engine

-

basic warranty

Overview

The Godzilla, the predator that always took down much larger and more powerful rivals. The name is exactly what the GT-R should be called. For 2013 the Nissan GT-R comes with some significant improvements over the previous year’s model. The engine has been tweaked to generate more power and the transmission to be smoother. The suspension has also been tuned for better performance.

Buying Advice

Even though both trims are the same under the hood and in terms of performance, the Black Edition would be the better choice. It gets a more stealthy look all around along with a more aggressive design language. The black and red theme on the interior further accentuates the Black Edition and makes it look sportier and bolder. 

Comparative Analysis against Competition

For 2013 the GT-R also gains a rearview camera standard in all trims while the Black Edition also gains a new carbon fiber wing. The 2013 GT-R is available in two trim options starting at $96,820 and climbing above $106,320 for the higher-end Black Edition. The Nissan GT-R competes with the Porsche 911 Carrera 4S, Jaguar XKR, and the Dodge SRT Viper, all of which are in the same price range. 

Features
9.0/10

The Nissan GT-R comes in two distinct trim lines namely Premium and Black Edition. Both models come with the same powertrain and underpinnings, but the Black Edition has a more aggressive styling and sportier looks. The engine under the hood of both models is the same 3.8 L V6 mated to a 6-speed dual-clutch transmission. More details on the pricing and features of both trims are listed in the table below-

Trim

Premium

Black Edition

MSRP

$96,820

$106,320

Key Features

Super-lightweight forged-alloy RAYS wheels:

20" x 9.5" (front) 20" x 10.5" (rear)

Special black super-lightweight forged-alloy RAYS wheels:

20" x 9.5" (front) 20" x 10.5" (rear)

 

Leather-appointed front seats with synthetic suede inserts

Black/Red Recaro leather-appointed front seats

 

High-Intensity Discharge (HID) auto-on/off headlights 

Black/Red interior treatment

 

Digital Bose AM/FM/CD audio system with 11 speakers, 

including dual subwoofers

Dry carbon-fiber rear spoiler

 

Nissan/Brembo braking system – 4-wheel disc brakes, 15.4" front and 15.0" rear two-piece floating-rotors

 

 

Dual-Zone Automatic Temperature Control (ATC)

 

We Recommend

Even though both trims are the same under the hood and in terms of performance, the Black Edition would be the better choice. It gets a more stealthy look all around along with a more aggressive design language. The black and red theme on the interior further accentuates the Black Edition and makes it look sportier and bolder. 

Engine and Performance
9.9/10

The 2013 Nissan GT-R comes with a 3.8 L V6 engine under the hood mated to a 7-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission producing 545 hp and 463 lb-ft of maximum power and torque. The power outputs are not as mind-boggling as some rivals offer. But the GT-R is not just about sheer power outputs, it uses the amount of power generated effectively and powers all four wheels to accelerate swiftly. 

The 2013 Nissan GT-R can accelerate to a speed of 60mph in just 2.8 seconds which is an ultra-fast speed not just in the segment or price range, but by the world supercar levels. The GT-R attacks and defeats the quarter-mile in 11.1 seconds which is also an impressive feat. The handling of the GT-R is also on point and it tackles corners aggressively and blasts out of them like a rocket. The Godzilla remains a legend in the performance department.

Model

2013 Nissan GT-R Black Edition

2013 Porsche 911 Carrera 4S

2013 Jaguar XKR

2013 Dodge SRT Viper 

MSRP

$106,320

$105,630

$97,500

$97,395

Engine

3.8 L V6

3.8 L Flat-6

5.0 L V8

8.4 L V10

Drivetrain

AWD

AWD

RWD

RWD

Transmission

6-speed automated manual

7-speed manual

6-speed shiftable automatic

6-speed manual

Power

545 hp @ 6400 rpm

400 hp @ 7400 rpm

510 hp @ 6000 rpm

640 hp @ 6200 rpm

Torque

463 ft-lbs. @ 3200 rpm

325 ft-lbs. @ 5600 rpm

461 ft-lbs. @ 2500 rpm

600 ft-lbs. @ 5000 rpm

0-60 MPH (seconds)

2.8

4.0

4.3

3.4

Quarter mile (mph)

11.1

12.4

12.6

11.7

Top speed (mph)

200

185

191

206

The Dodge SRT Viper is the most powerful one here, while also being the cheapest. It has a behemoth 8.4 L V10 engine under the hood. However, the GT-R beats all of the competitors even while being significantly less powered than the Viper. It is the absolute best choice to opt for in terms of performance and handling whereas, purists who require a manual transmission can go for the Porsche 911 Carrera 4S. 

Fuel Economy
5.0/10

Fuel economy is definitely not a deciding factor when looking for a car in this segment. However, for namesake, let’s see how the GT-R performs in terms of efficiency. The 2013 Nissan GT-R delivers fuel efficiency of 16 mpg in the city, 23 on the highway, and a combined efficiency of 19 mpg. Along with a higher capacity fuel tank measuring 19.5 gallons, the GT-R provides a respectable combined range of around 370 miles which is actually good. 

Model

2013 Nissan GT-R Black Edition

2013 Porsche 911 Carrera 4S

2013 Jaguar XKR

2013 Dodge SRT Viper 

MPG (city)

16

18

15

12

MPG (Highway)

23

26

22

19

MPG (Combined)

19

21

18

15

Fuel Capacity

19.5

18.0

16.1

16.0

Range (City/Highway/Combined)

312/449/370

324/468/378

242/354/290

192/304/240

The 911 Carrera 4S is the most fuel-efficient model among all of these. The GT-R follows the Porsche with a fairly good fuel economy. However, these models are head to head in terms of range as the GT-R has a larger fuel tank. The Jaguar also has a good efficiency figure considering the fact that it has a larger V8 under the hood. Obviously, the SRT Viper with the huge V10 is the least efficient one.

Interior
7.0/10

The Nissan GT-R comes with a high-quality interior that is not at all aimed at luxury. However, it is still a comfortable cabin made up of superb quality elements and materials. There is also an abundance of soft-touch materials all around the cabin. The Black Edition trim further features a black and red treatment that makes it look sportier and more aggressive. 

The seats are leather covered in the Premium trim while the Black Edition trim comes with Black/Red Recaro leather-appointed front seats. The interior is spacious and the front row seats are comfortable and won’t tire the occupants. However, the rear seats are practically useless while the cargo capacity is that of a hatchback. Overall the GT-R has a nice-looking high-quality interior. 

Model

2013 Nissan GT-R Black Edition

2013 Porsche 911 Carrera 4S

2013 Jaguar XKR

2013 Dodge SRT Viper 

Seating Capacity

4

4

4

2

Front Row (Head/Shoulder/Leg) (in)

35.8/54.3/44.6

N/A

37.4/56.6/43.0

36.6/53.1/42.7

Rear Row (Head/Shoulder/Leg) (in)

31.9/50.0/26.4

N/A

30.2/42.4/27.6

N/A

Cargo Capacity (cu-ft)

8.8

4.8

11.7

14.7

The Porsche 911 hands down has the best interior followed by the Jaguar XKR. The Nissan and the Viper have good quality interiors, but they are definitely not as luxurious as the Porsche or Jaguar both of which are renowned for making luxurious machines. The Viper is a two-seater while others have a second row, they are also practically two-seaters as the rear row is just useless. The following are some of the most important interior features of the GT-R- 

  • Dual-Zone Automatic Temperature Control (ATC)
  • Tilt and telescoping steering column with integrated gauges
  • Leather-appointed front seats with synthetic suede inserts
  • 8-way power driver’s seat
  • Heated front seats
  • Leather-appointed steering wheel and gear shift knob
  • Aluminum-trimmed pedals

How intuitive is the 2013 Nissan GT-R’s infotainment unit?

The GT-R is equipped with a Nissan hard-drive navigation system with voice recognition and a driver-configurable multi-function display system. The system is easy to use and is mainly aimed at displaying the performance aspects of the car for the driver to keep track of. As for audio, the GT-R gets an 11-speaker sound system from Bose that includes dual subwoofers. Overall the infotainment experience inside the GT-R is pretty good by supercar standards. The following are the most important infotainment features of the 2013 Nissan GT-R-

  • Nissan Hard Drive Navigation System with voice recognition
  • Driver-configurable Multi-Function Display system
  • Digital Bose AM/FM/CD audio system with 11 speakers, including dual subwoofers 
  • MP3/WMA CD and DVD video playback capability
  • SiriusXM Satellite Radio
  • USB connection port for iPod interface and other compatible devices
  • Streaming audio via Bluetooth wireless technology
  • Steering-wheel-mounted audio controls and speed-sensitive volume control
  • NavTraffic, NavWeather 

Exterior
8.0/10

The 2013 Nissan GT-R looks aggressive and super serious from the outside. It just has all the characteristics that make it look like an untamed animal. However, it is not a barebones-looking performance car even though it is extremely capable and strong. The GT-R has specific beauty to it that enhances and uses the aggressive elements all around it brilliantly. The Balck Edition looks even more beautiful in my eyes with its whole stealthy look.

The Black Edition also gets a dry carbon-fiber rear spoiler while the normal trim gets a body-color one. The wheels are super-lightweight forged-alloy RAYS wheels of 20-inches wrapped in high-performance tires from Dunlop while the Black Edition gets special black super-lightweight forged-alloy RAYS wheels. The 2013 GT-R is among one of the best-looking performance supercars. 

Model

2013 Nissan GT-R Black Edition

2013 Porsche 911 Carrera 4S

2013 Jaguar XKR

2013 Dodge SRT Viper 

Curb Weight (lbs)

3,818

3,186

3,968

3,354

Length (in.)

183.9

176.8

188.7

175.7

Width (in.)

74.6

72.9

74.5

76.4

Height (in.)

53.9

51.0

52.0

49.1

Ground Clearance (in.)

N/A

4.7

N/A

5.0

Wheelbase (in.)

109.4

96.5

108.3

98.8

The Porsche is the lightest among all of these machines, which is not surprising as Porsche has always succeeded in aggressive weight reduction. The Jaguar, however, is the longest and heaviest while the GT-R has the longest wheelbase while also being the tallest. The surprising thing is that all of these machines are extremely beautiful in their own ways. The following are some of the most important exterior features-

  • 20-inch Super-lightweight forged-alloy RAYS wheels
  • Dunlop SP Sport MAXX GT600 DSST CTT high-performance run-flat tires
  • High-Intensity Discharge (HID) auto-on/off headlights; 
  • LED Daytime Running Lights; LED taillights and brake lights
  • Dual heated body-color power outside mirrors
  • Power-folding outside mirrors
  • Aluminum hood, trunk lid, and outer door skins
  • Rear Spoiler

Safety
9.0/10

We know that supercars are usually crash-tested by neither NHTSA nor IIHS. This is the case with the GT-R also, so we don’t have crash test scores for comparison and analysis, However, the 2013 GT-R is equipped with a set of safety features. The GT-R comes with a Nissan/Brembo braking system that consists of 4-wheel disc brakes of 15.4" front and 15.0" rear two-piece floating-rotors and super-rigid 6-piston front/4-piston rear monoblock calipers. The following are some of the most important safety features in the 2013 GT-R-

  • Tire Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS)
  • Nissan Vehicle Immobilizer System and Vehicle Security System
  • Zone Body construction with front and rear crumple zones
  • Hood-buckling creases and energy-absorbing steering column

Final Verdict

The GT-R name has always been associated with legendary performance machines. These machines always hunted and killed supercars which were much more expensive than them. And the 2013 Nissan GT-R remains so and holds up the GT-R legacy really high. For $100,000 the GT-R is a superb option as it has a super-powerful engine under the hood and delivers super-impressive handling and driving dynamics.

Trims

    Premium
    $96,820 onwards
    • 1St row LCD monitor
    • 20-inch painted RAYS forged aluminum Wheels
    • A-Spec Sport Seats
    • Dual zone automatic front air conditioning
    • Front passengers heated-cushion
    • Heated mirrors
    • Remote keyless entry
    • Seek-Scan Radio
    • Simulated suede/leather Seat trim
    • Siriusxm AM/FM/Satellite
    Black Edition
    $106,320 onwards
    • 14-speaker Bang andamp; Olufsen sound system
    • Rear cross-traffic assist

Compare to similar cars

Price

$96,820- $106,320

Engine

Gasoline

Rating

7.77

Horsepower

545 hp @ 6400 rpm

Torque

463 lb.-ft. @ 3200 rpm

Capacity

4

Read Review

$111,600

Gasoline

7.05

638 hp @ 6500 rpm

604 lb.-ft. @ 3800 rpm

2

Read Review

$75,600

Gasoline

7.5

505 hp @ 6300 rpm

470 lb.-ft. @ 4800 rpm

2

Read Review

$49,600- $111,600

Gasoline

7.78

430 hp @ 5900 rpm

424 lb.-ft. @ 4600 rpm

2

Read Review

$54,350- $59,545

Gasoline

7.67

580 hp @ 6000 rpm

556 lb.-ft. @ 4200 rpm

4

Read Review

$137,500- $172,100

Gasoline

8.13

400 hp @ 7400 rpm

325 lb.-ft. @ 5600 rpm

4

Read Review

2013 Nissan GT-R vs competitor's 0-60

    Car Name
    0-60 MPH
    Quarter Mile
    Top Speed
    SourceCompare
    3.4 sec--
    2.89 sec13.2 sec150 mph
    3.5 sec--
    3.77 sec13.4 sec150 mph
    4 sec12.3 sec172 mph
    4.1 sec12.2 sec-

    2013 Nissan GT-R vs competitor's MPG

      Car Name
      MPG City
      MPG Highway
      MPG Combined
      Fuel Tank Capacity
      Range (C/H)
      SourceCompare
      16 mpg23 mpg19 mpg19.5 gal.312/448.5 mi.
      16 mpg24 mpg19 mpg16.9 gal.270.4/405.6 mi.
      16 mpg26 mpg19 mpg18 gal.-
      15 mpg24 mpg18 mpg18 gal.270/432 mi.
      14 mpg21 mpg17 mpg18 gal.252/378 mi.
      12 mpg19 mpg16 mpg19 gal.266/361 mi.

      2013 Nissan GT-R vs competitor's dimensions

        Car Name
        Length
        Width
        Height
        Ground Clearance
        Wheelbase
        SourceCompare
        183.8 in.74.6 in.53.9 in.4 in.109.4 in.
        190.4 in.75.5 in.54.2 in.4 in.112.3 in.
        176.3 in.72.9 in.51.2 in.4.3 in.92.5 in.
        176.2 in.75.9 in.48.7 in.5 in.105.7 in.
        175.6 in.75.9 in.48.7 in.4 in.105.7 in.
        174.6 in.72.6 in.49.1 in.4 in.105.7 in.

        2013 Nissan GT-R vs competitor's trunk space

          Car Name
          Trunk Capacity
          Passenger Volume
          Max Trunk Volume
          SourceCompare
          8.8 cu.ft.79 cu.ft.8.8 cu.ft.
          11.3 cu.ft.165.9 cu.ft.104.2 cu.ft.
          5 cu.ft.-4.8 cu.ft.
          22.4 cu.ft.-22.4 cu.ft.
          22.4 cu.ft.113.2 cu.ft.22.4 cu.ft.
          54.1 cu.ft.52 cu.ft.22.4 cu.ft.

          2013 Nissan GT-R vs competitor's cargo space

            Car Name
            Cargo Volume
            Cargo Volume w/ Seat Area
            Max Cargo Volume
            Bed Length
            SourceCompare
            8.8 cu.ft.8.8 cu.ft.8.8 cu.ft.73 ft.
            15.7 cu.ft.22.4 cu.ft.22.4 cu.ft.-
            51 cu.ft.22.4 cu.ft.22.4 cu.ft.-
            71 cu.ft.5 cu.ft.4.8 cu.ft.-
            12 cu.ft.54.1 cu.ft.22.4 cu.ft.180 ft.
            104.2 cu.ft.11.3 cu.ft.104.2 cu.ft.-

            2013 Nissan GT-R vs competitor's towing capacity

              Car Name
              Payload Capacity
              Weight
              SourceCompare
              840 lbs.3829 lbs.
              -3333 lbs.
              914 lbs.3461 lbs.
              -3208 lbs. -
              -4120 lbs.
              -3175 lbs.

              Top Nissan Cars

              2013 Nissan GT-R

              Horsepower : 545 hp @ 6400 rpm

              MPG Combined : 19 mpg

              0-60 : 3.4 sec

              #1

              2013 Nissan 370Z

              Horsepower : 332 hp @ 7000 rpm

              MPG Combined : 21 mpg

              0-60 : 4.8 sec

              #2

              2013 Nissan Armada

              Horsepower : 317 hp @ 5200 rpm

              MPG Combined : 15 mpg

              0-60 : 7.2 sec

              #3

              2013 Nissan Titan

              Horsepower : 317 hp @ 5200 rpm

              MPG Combined : 15 mpg

              0-60 : 7.6 sec

              #4

              2013 Nissan Maxima

              Horsepower : 290 hp @ 6400 rpm

              MPG Combined : 22 mpg

              0-60 : 6.4 sec

              #5

              2013 Nissan Xterra

              Horsepower : 261 hp @ 5600 rpm

              MPG Combined : 18 mpg

              0-60 : 7.3 sec

              #6

              2013 Nissan Pathfinder

              Horsepower : 260 hp @ 6400 rpm

              MPG Combined : 22 mpg

              0-60 : 8 sec

              #7

              2013 Nissan Murano

              Horsepower : 260 hp @ 6000 rpm

              MPG Combined : 20 mpg

              0-60 : 7.8 sec

              #8

              2013 Nissan Quest

              Horsepower : 260 hp @ 6000 rpm

              MPG Combined : 21 mpg

              0-60 : 8.8 sec

              #9

              2013 Nissan Juke

              Horsepower : 188 hp @ 5600 rpm

              MPG Combined : 29 mpg

              0-60 : 7.7 sec

              #10