Nissan has responded to claims by Porsche that the Japanese company cheated by using non-standard, semi-slick tyres on its record run at the ‘Ring earlier this year. Porsche had bought a Nissan GT-R in the US to test claims that the car had become the fastest around that world famous track, and their cars beat the GT-R’s time. The two cars used were a 911 Turbo and a GT2. Now Nissan has given some free advice to the likes of Porsche.
“We are aware that several auto makers have purchased the GT-R for their own testing and evaluation,” said a statement from Nissan. “Like all GT-R customers, we recommend that any auto maker buying a GT-R should follow the recommended run-in procedures, service schedules and maintenance to ensure the maximum performance from their car. In addition, we offer performance driving courses for prospective and current GT-R owners to help them get the best performance from their car. We would welcome the opportunity to help any auto manufacturer with understanding the full capabilities of the GT-R.”
Additionally the contested rubber used is still in Nissan’s possession and is used for promotional purposes. An offer to view it is open to any non-believers. Nissan continued to say testing the GT-R with additional equipment and/ or non-standard modifications would be pointless to them. “The GT-R was designed from the start to be a supercar that could be driven anywhere, anytime and by anyone,” says chief engineer Kazutoshi Mizuno.
In fact, goes Nissan, had it not been for the extra 50kg or so of weight it carried in order to record the record lap run, the GT-R would have been even quicker. Is this the end of this spat of the giants?
Nissan Responds to GT-R 'Ring Time Accusations
Nissan GT-R / Nissan
'Y'all can't drive'
Related Articles
-
2010 Porsche 911 Turbo Laps Nurburgring 10 Seconds Faster than Predecessor
(32 comments) -
Nissan GT-R Nurburgring Rapid Response Vehicle
(16 comments) -
Nissan GT-R Beats Old N?rburgring Time
(59 comments) -
National Geographic Channel Features Nissan GT-R Special Documentary
(22 comments) -
Nissan Offers Tires & Another Video Against 'Ring Time Accusations
(30 comments)
Add a Comment
Login
Comments (124)
unknown
"In addition, we offer performance driving courses for prospective" well there you go...
October 9, 2008 6:06 pm
autoque
At the end of the day, Nissan is a Nissan and Porsche is a Porsche. I would choose the latter without a second of hesitation.
October 9, 2008 6:33 pm
Murcielago2006
I would take the GT-R over any Porsche anytime, including the Carrera GT. To me, Porsche's brand name is not even close to real supercars like Ferrari and Lambo.
October 9, 2008 11:20 pm
carcrazy1234
with the carrera GT u went too far :P if u can afford a carrera GT u can definitely afford two or three GT-R's... why not buy both??? i sure would lol... definitely if i was given the choice... id go for the GT. you know why??? cuz that engine note CANNOT be beat. that's the most unique engine not ever... its like a symphony lol
October 9, 2008 11:40 pm
Pentium
The Nissan GT-R is great, awesome, fantastic I know! but come on Porsche will still be Porsche guyz...
and if Nissan so sure about GT-R capabilities, why not settle this on Track, show us some action ;)
October 10, 2008 4:57 pm
9TNine
You know there is a speed restrictor on the GT-R that limits its max speed to some 112 mph!
You don't think Porsche...?
Nooo... the Germans aren't that silly are they...?
October 9, 2008 6:42 pm
JTZ
u actually think nissan would admit they used special tires??
This is vital to the GTR reputation- their advertisement agency came up with that statement.
Now what is true or false we will NEVER know! unless a third unbiased party bought a GTR randomly and got the same driver to drive the ring ...
Soo in the end its win win .. porsche can calm the GTR is secondary to its products keeping its enthusiasts happy
and Nissan saves face for its GTR owners..
To blindly believe both of them is foolish ... its win win for both companies.
October 9, 2008 7:06 pm
_M7_
Porshe...baby crying, if you dont know how to made a good car dont say some one else lies..snd the engine its so deam superior than the porsche...and the gearbox, uff put all that power properly on the weels...the GTR its just a real engiener work
...and you dont just pay for the badge
October 9, 2008 7:08 pm
Pentium
Why everyone just go like babies when talking about the GT-R?
the car is good, I love it very much, but it's not like Porsche cars...it's another feeling....not the same standards...don't just start yelling like that...
October 10, 2008 5:02 pm
radmeister
Hmmm interesting, no real reply to the accusation other than saying porsche doesn't have competent drivers....Porsche has more time on the ring than any other auto maker, has won more races than any auto maker and is in more racing categories than any auto maker. For some reason i find it hard to believe that they can't find a driver good enough for the GT-R. And if that's the case then NO real driver other than their magical nissan test driver could ever possibly drive the GT-R as fast as that lap time. I pity anyone who truly believes that the GT-R is faster than an Enzo, SLR, Zonda and Carrera GT. At the end of the day no matter how amazing your engineering is the same rules of physics apply. Carrera GT has better drag coefficient, much better HP/Weight ratio, better suspension, and better brakes. All the GT-R has is AWD, if that's the case then the new RS-6 sedan should beat the GT-R.
October 9, 2008 7:18 pm
dimeNickel
your ignorance is so pathetic....
the AWD on the GTR is so advance it leaves the rest of the manufacturers in the age of carriages. Its capable of negating many disadvantages of the car.
October 13, 2008 8:49 pm
radmeister
Oh yeah it defies the laws of physics thats how good of an awd system it has.... Last time i checked Nissan doesn't have real heritage in AWD, the big 3 are Audi, Mitsubishi and Subaru. Like i said if AWD is all that made this car godly then the RS6 sedan should eat it alive.
October 14, 2008 11:32 am
dimeNickel
if you think that having all your four wheel being powered is equal AWD, then go drive ur lovely RS6 and get smoked by the 300- hp skyline r33, technology from the OLD DAYS also known as 10 to 13 years ago. the AWD on the subaru,mitsu, RS6 and even the porsche nowadays is honing a blade that already really sharp, but the GTR AWD is abandoning the blade and introducing the world to a pistol as a weapon.
October 18, 2008 5:28 am
Pentium
They are just talking, I'm starting to not believe them!
why not showing some real things?
October 10, 2008 5:06 pm
out4ride
If the car was made from begining as super car and anyone can drive it as they say then I should be able to make up even better time then their driver since I can race too. This doesn't explain anything. Put the cars on the track with same drivers and let them loose.
October 9, 2008 7:33 pm
MadMaTTer
Sorry to say but thats a pretty lame response from Nissan, to attribute it to proper break in procedures and maintenance and neeeding a performance driving course to drive it. Cmon, the guys testing the cars are the ones winning races and teaching the courses, an yet alone from porsche that has so much racing history. then to say "we still have the tires we used", probably the ones they used to get there before they put on some R-Comp. again not trying to knock the GTR, just the response from Nissan. I am not so sure who their target audience is any more.
October 9, 2008 8:06 pm
Fly50
?Take it to the streets.? One Nissan plus their driver and One Porsche plus their driver head to head at Nurburgring, winner takes all. Or just let ?The Stig? drive them both at Nurburgring; ?What do you say TopGear??
October 9, 2008 9:00 pm
si1982
Porsche is a bit too arrogant to appreciate the fact that there are better cars out there....
instead of taking on the challenge in a constructive manner, Porsche is reacting like a 6 year old whos' just been OWNED!
October 9, 2008 9:15 pm
Tiziano
i agree with si1982. as an italian and ferrari enthousiast, i didnt like porsche and german arrogance all my life. ferraris are better :) now i have reason to laugh as well. porsche is really behaving like a 6-year-old.. calm down guys.. admit that the gt-r is better and try to build a better car next time.
oh and... just try to design your next car differently as well. since ferdinand porsche made the first one, all porsches look the same.. it's booooring...!
miserable germans..
October 9, 2008 9:54 pm
catchmyshadow
proud of ferrari being owned by FIAT, one of the least reliable carmakers on earth?
instead u should admit that without a certain german race driver ferrari most likely would be dead and burried years ago...
October 9, 2008 10:17 pm
mc959
@ Tiziano
Just to lett you know that the F430 and 599GTB are way behind the 911's in the Nurburgring lap times, not mentioning the GTR, so then Ferrari is worser then Porsche cause their cars are a lot more expensive then Porsches
October 10, 2008 9:27 am
Get_real
Ferrari not arrogant? Don't make me laugh. When a magazine dares to let another car win in comparison tests, they make it very difficult for that magazine to get another test car in the future. Nobody is more arrogant than Ferrari. Their cars are not faster than equivalent Porsches and the GT-R but they charge even more than Porsche. Only for the badge. Your naive man!
October 11, 2008 12:06 pm
Sowtz
why where gt-r's spotted at the 'ring' with race tyres? zr1 is the fastest, cause look at the stats power to weight, grip and aero. gt-r motor and gear box are not as good as the 911 turbo motor (3.8L vs 3.6) or the new pdk trannie. wont proof look at the mantenance of the gtr, plasma lined cylinders have to be rebuilt every 12 month! think about it the thing is close to 1800kg dry weight.
October 9, 2008 9:59 pm
catchmyshadow
"In addition, we offer performance driving courses..."
as if they could teach a legend like Walter Roehrl some driving skills, haha mugs (and cheats)!
October 9, 2008 10:07 pm
Jamaicandude
The Porschephiles toss accusations of cheating and talk about their precious 911 and Nurburgring times as if the 'Ring is the only place the 911 has had it's rear engined ass handed to it by the GT-R. As far as I know, it's pretty much everywhere. The GT-R beat the Carrera GT around the 'Ring too, and at Top Gear's track. A lot of tests were done in customer cars as well, debunking the "ringer" theory. Does no one remember the thrashing the 911 got by the GT-R around Buttonwillow when tested by R&T? 5 SECONDS! In 2.73 miles! The 'Ring is almost 14 miles long... now the math is never absolute, but to say the gap between 911 and GT-R is impossible is just dismissive and ignorant.
October 9, 2008 11:13 pm
GanSan
Different track = different corners, straights and conditions. You = ignorant.
October 10, 2008 6:16 am
Jamaicandude
You're the ignorant one, who obviously cannot read properly:
"...now the math is never absolute, but to say the gap between 911 and GT-R is impossible is just dismissive and ignorant."
The math is never absolute... meaning you can't plug in the differences on one track and extrapolate onto another. Any 7th grader would have understood my statement.
My point was that if it the GT-R could manage a 5 second gap at Buttonwillow in California heat in June, then it is indeed IGNORANT to think it's impossible to do have the margin of victory that it did at the Nurburgring... in much cooler weather and on a lower friction surface where it's AWD and torque vectoring (the 911 lacks the latter) would give it more of an advantage.
Go back to playing with your Hot Wheels. Leave the grown up conversations to grownups.
October 10, 2008 7:50 am
mc959
@ jamaicandude
5 SECONDS! In 2.73 miles! and on a 14miles track it only can pull 8 a 9 seconds away of the Turbo, i think your not so realistic if i may say so. your telling bullsh*t
October 10, 2008 9:34 am
Jamaicandude
Why have you guys deleted my post? Just because it points to a test by another publication? That's laughable... anyways,
@ mc959:
Go look up GT-R vs. Z06 & 911. Plug in the words "Buttonwillow" and "Steve Millen". I would tell you exactly where to look, but these blog cops might delete my post again. Anyways, when you find it just sit someplace quiet and reflect on how silly you made yourself look.
October 10, 2008 6:30 pm
evo82
Pah they must have done it on a playstation. GT-R looks spectacular and all but Porsche is a timeless classic. Just let the Stig prove that good german engineering beats japanese tech anytime.
October 9, 2008 11:44 pm
boyke69
The Stig did. The GT-R went around the test track in 1.19.7, and the Carrera GT did it in 1.19.8. Personally, I like the GT-R more than the 911, but I'd definitely have the GT over the Nissan any day.
October 10, 2008 3:51 am
evo82
Arr the stig must be one of the specially trained japanese drivers :)
October 10, 2008 9:47 am
Aesthetics
I am sure the 'promotional' GT-R is far quicker than the off the shelf one, which is exactly porsche's accusation. nissan has already said they usa a promotional tyre set, and not a showroom set yet before this fiasco started nissan never ever 'promoted' they were using 'promotion tyres'
October 12, 2008 12:53 am
Share, rate & save
More Photos
Latest Videos
Volkswagen Golf GTI Cabriolet
Toyota GT86 driving dynamics detailed
Toyota GT86 design details
Toyota GT86 engine details
Audi e-bike in action
2013 Mercedes G 63 AMG trailer
2013 Audi RS4 Avant Trailer
Marisa Miller in Buick Enclave Commercial - behind the scenes
Chevrolet Corvette ZR1 to pace Indy 500
Nissan Juke R in Desert Nemesis short film
Latest Stories
Latest Photo Albums
BMW Zagato coupe
70 photos
2012 Worthersee GTI Fest
1
75 photos
Beijing Auto Show babes
5
31 photos
2012 New York Auto Show babes
5
13 photos
2012/2013 Audi A8 Hybrid
2
93 photos
Geneva babes
6
58 photos
BMW M550d xDrive
2
98 photos
Mazda Takeri concept
6
72 photos
