Nissan GT-R vs Ferrari Amalfi

What's the difference?

Even on its Australian swansong outing, the incredible R35 GT-R continues to perform beyond expectations.

Released in late 2021, the final batch of specials spearheaded by the T-spec in regular GT-R and SV in flagship Nismo guises sold out quickly and are already commanding twice and even thrice their recommended retail prices in private hands.

Nobody ought to be surprised. From its glitzy 2007 Tokyo Motor Show debut (on the eve of a global recession at that), the GT-R has been nothing less than an automotive force of nature, moving with calamitous calm to the beat of its own twin-turbo and all-wheel-drive thrum, like nothing else matters. The R35 has seen off countless assassins in its time, including the Lexus LFA and Honda NSX II.

Some 15 years later, this is what a GT-R in T-spec trim feels like in 2022.

An entry-level car doesn’t normally start at half a million dollars but that’s what the Ferrari Amalfi is; the most affordable way into the pride of Italy’s current line-up.

A 2+2 GT with the engine in the front, driving the wheels at the rear, it’s a substantially upgraded and remodelled version of the Roma it replaces. 

No plugs, no motors, no drive battery, just a twin-turbo V8 pumping out 471kW of pure internal-combustion power in a sleek, relatively lightweight two-door coupe.

CarsGuide was handed the keys for a brief stint behind the wheel to see if it’s an improvement on its much-admired predecessor and a worthy alternative to the heavy-hitting, top-shelf machinery it competes with.