Nissan GT-R Beats Old Nürburgring Time

Nissan GT-R Chief Vehicle Engineer Kazutoshi Mizuno with Nissan test team

Now they're gunning for the Corvette ZR1

By Zack Newmark
April 16, 2009 1:54 PM
Filed Under: Japanese, Nissan, Nürburgring, Supercars

Whenever a vehicle has so much hype around it as the new Nissan GT-R, people always get skeptical about its capabilities. Nissan, clearly understanding this principle, held almost nothing back in building their latest sportscar.

We all remember its astonishing 7m 29s run around the 'Ring, which beat out the Porsche 911 GT2 by several seconds. Porsche tried to defend their honor by calling "shenanigans," which Nissan defended by releasing video of the run and allowing anybody to inspect the car used for excess tuning or non-stock parts.

Nissan decided to put their slightly updated 2010MY GT-R to the test. The new model brings five more horsepower to the table for 485hp plus modified launch control, retuned gearbox, slightly larger fuel tank, better fuel economy, retuned suspension, and sticky tires. Before its run on the Nurburgring, they also added the optionally available Rays forged alloys.

With former F1 stand-in driver Toshio Suzuki behind the wheel, the 2010 GT-R posted a time of 7 minutes 27.56 seconds, beating last year's model by 1.5 seconds, and increasing its dominance over the 911 GT2.

Wow. Just wow.

Despite the time, the manufacturer claimed that "although dry, the track surface grip was impaired by dust and sand." So, Nissan wants another shot. They're gunning for the time GM posted on their 2009 Chevrolet Corvette C6 ZR1. Nissan will take the GT-R back to circuit in the hopes of beating the 'Vette's time of 7:26.4.

Source: Nissan

Press Release (Click to expand)

Nissan GT-R Snares New Nurburgring Record

The all-conquering Nissan GT-R supercar has set another lap record at the famous Nurburgring Nordschleife in Germany.

A Japanese specification GT-R, running on Dunlop tyres with RAYS forged alloy wheels (V-spec equipment) recorded a blistering 7min 27.56 secs yesterday.

Driven by Nissan's Chief test driver Toshio Suzuki (who recently demonstrated the GT-R to the Australian media in Sydney at Eastern Creek Raceway) piloted the performance coupe.

Although dry, the track surface grip was impaired by dust and sand. Under the direction of Nissan GT-R Chief Vehicle Engineer, Kazutoshi Mizuno, and depending on conditions, the Nissan test team will attempt another record at the 'Ring tomorrow.

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Tags: Nissan GT-R, Porsche 911 GT2, Porsche 911, ring-gate

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Comments

Bristol411S3

April 16, 2009 1:57 PM

I find the Corvette time more amazing to be honest. I'd almost expect a good time from the hugely technically adept GTR, but 7:26.4 from a plastic bodies old nailer like the Corvette?

afterace2

April 16, 2009 2:10 PM

ZR1 have much more power, so no more than a bit over 1 second advantage over the GTR just shows how astonishingly good the Nissan is. It clearly shows that the power is not everything.

skychao

April 16, 2009 2:41 PM

much less weight as well

122

April 16, 2009 4:47 PM

In the ZR1 on board video, the driver made a couple of errors, so i sensed that the ZR1 could've gone a bit faster.

mortz

April 16, 2009 10:46 PM

Why the vette has over 600hp and weighs a lot less and is much more expensive!

April 17, 2009 2:28 AM

the cars on the top of the list are all beautiful, and amazing cars in their own ways, true forces to b reckoned w/ on any street or track. It all depends on wat u the driver is searching 4. Me personally im a heel n toe give me my clutch n stick preferrably rear wheel drive w not too many elect. and let me rip some new ones. So money aside give me the vette

carcrazy1234

April 18, 2009 8:56 PM

the next person that compares the ZR-1 to this ride is truly stupid. with 200 plus horsepower MORE than the nissan and less weight, how the HELL is that a fair comparison? Nissan, well done on this achievement. chevy and all the other people comparing that car to this, lets see chevy or any other car with 485 hp beat this car.

BENZian

April 16, 2009 2:08 PM

...you know nothing about Corvettes obviously...this site gets a little tiresome with the bashing of all things American. The Corvette beat the GTR and GT2 because its a better car. Personally I would rather have a Porsche GT2 but give the Corvette some respect...

skychao

April 16, 2009 2:45 PM

im not here to bash any car or anybody, nor am i here to support any car, but i just dont like your term "better car". I have huge respect for the zr1 and i think its awesome, but I just believe that for a huge heavy 4 seater, awd car with less power and softer suspension the GTR is a huge feat of engineering and I just believe "better" is not as clear cut as just which car is faster.

jdmgtr

April 16, 2009 4:06 PM

Sorry God, we didn't meant to infringe.

super_car_muscle_man

April 17, 2009 2:46 AM

its a better car? in what way? how does your "measure" work? acceleration from 30mph upwards in a straight line? then yeah, the corvette. everything else, the nissan. open your eyes for the bigger picture. accept the facts and compare in relation to things. ofcourse your entitled to your view, but dont go saying everyone "bashes" american cars - they might just have a more "measured" view than you. p.s no doubt the zr-1 is an awesome peice of kit, and it only adds positively to american cars, but the nissan is better. put it this way - just imagine if they both had the same power...

lucifa

April 17, 2009 4:58 AM

@ super_car_muscle_man

I'm struggling to think of how the Nissan is a better car than the Corvette? While not a huge ZR-1 fan, the only real area I can see that the GT-R is the better car is in build quality and price. Speed in a straight line, speed on a track, looks, sound, sheer excitement and theatre all go to the Corvette, so I'm interested, what measure are you using that defines the GT-R as a better car?

evile

April 16, 2009 2:12 PM

I guess they aren't even going to try to touch the Viper ACR's Ring time.

scratchy996

April 16, 2009 2:28 PM

they leave that for the Spec V.

termigni

April 16, 2009 2:19 PM

i want !

lucifa

April 16, 2009 2:20 PM

*Sigh* and here come the GT-R-ophiles and the Nissan fanboys to crow...

Emrys_Myrddin

April 16, 2009 2:32 PM

Here we go again... What's Porsche going to make up this time? Seriously, just build a better 911... and the ZR1, well, that's not a car, that's a beast!

N20_Purge

April 16, 2009 2:53 PM

It's nice to see they beat their own record... with Spec V wheels... Can't wait to see what the real Spec V will do!

adz612

April 16, 2009 3:16 PM

*yawn* another GT-R story. Getting a bit tiresome now. We get the point! It's a good car. It's all well and good that the underdog comes out so impressive, but geez enough is enough. Great a car it might be, it's still a dull looking thing, and will never exude the kind of passion or style a Ferrari or a Lamborghini does. Strip away the electrics and what do you get? Just an ordinary Japanese coupe. I know what I'm saying is contradictory, but the point I'm trying to get across is, I respect the GT-R highly and anyone fortunate enough to buy it, but I can never love the car on an emotional level.

lucifa

April 16, 2009 6:58 PM

Yay! Someone who shares my exact view. Kudos, mate. =)

thamzn

April 16, 2009 9:16 PM

Strip away the 'electrics' and you get a whole lot of dead owners on the side of the road. How many Lambo/ Ferrari drivers can fully exploit their cars the way they were meant to be exploited? Those 'electrics' are there for a reason.

adz612

April 17, 2009 2:40 AM

fair enough thamzn, but I'd like to point out that is the joy of the art of driving. Yes the safety nets are important I'm not denying that, but to have so many that it strips away the character of the vehicle it's just useless. I've had the pleasure of driving a Porsche 911 (993) GT2 and as everyone knows it's a lairy little beast. But it teaches you an important lesson. Learn to feel the car through a corner, become one with the machine, feel the limitations of its grip, know what the front tyres and the back tyres are doing, feel the suspension work and plant the car exactly where you need it. Not just a case of stabbing the throttle like a lunatic and getting the car all bent out of shape and pray that a computer is going to keep you out of the shrubbery. That's just not driving to me, nor would I think it's real driving to anyone who truly understands cars. Like I say I respect the level of engineering featured in the GTR but I'd rather have well sorted BMW, Ferrari or Lamborghini, switch off every safety net without fear of voiding the warranty and truly indulge in the art of driving. I own a BMW E36 M3 Evolution and I permanently disabled the safety electrics. Best decision I ever made! If I happen to save enough money in the next year or so to buy myself a second hand Ferrari 575 Maranello, I shall be doing exactly the same thing!....although i will dread the insurance costs...

ShinyG

April 16, 2009 3:38 PM

I had the chance of seeing not one, but two of these monsters at last week's 4Tuning Show in Bucharest. While very impressive at first glance, the car failed to impress me with it's "presence". Godzilla is a tough name to deserve, and in my opinion, the GT-R failed miserably! I won't say anything about the performance as the bunch of drunk people in the pictures above prove once and for all that the car is very fast around the Nring. All they have to do now is stop the gearbox from self-destructing, make the electronic gadgets easier to use by people not familiar with PS3s , selling the car at the price advertised, pricing the optional extras at a decent level and actually producing enough cars to meet demand. Apart from these minor hick-ups, the car is perfect... Did I mention it's damn ugly?

Edited by user on April 16, 2009 at 3:40 PM

mortz

April 16, 2009 10:50 PM

It only costs $1500 to replace the broken gear from using the launch control but most cases its over 200 launches and what do you expect to happen.

ianton

April 16, 2009 3:53 PM

i love the gtr...better thane most car but ferrarsi and lambo and prosches just have the names...thats y they are more highly rated and much more expensive...give me a gtr anyday...

madness

April 16, 2009 4:04 PM

i dont know what planet ur living on my friend, but on this 1, "ferrarsi" and "prosches" sound like cheap knock off's of the real deal! haha

super_car_muscle_man

April 17, 2009 2:51 AM

lol @ madness. i bet they have Polex watches too! :P

ADCAR

April 16, 2009 3:58 PM

GT-R is trying to beat every body on track , but it doesn't mean it is better than other cars like Porsche, Ferrari etc. Still cant compare it to 911 , not even close. If I got the money I will go for Porsche 100%. don't really care for split of seconds to be proud while I'm stock in traffic.

amirbooboo

April 16, 2009 4:15 PM

GT R WILL NOT BE FASTER DAN A CORVETTE ZR 1

MTC

April 16, 2009 5:14 PM

GTR is fast because of its tires. If the Corvette ZR1 is using the same kind of near semi-slick tires, it would be alot faster

mortz

April 16, 2009 10:52 PM

Have you not seen the size of the tyres on the vette!!

carcrazy1234

April 18, 2009 8:57 PM

and have u seen the 200 hp extra power the corvette has? lol

GRAVE

April 16, 2009 5:21 PM

why comparing a 638hp with a 485hp? a 1 sec is a small time and if the GTR got the same engine in the ZR1 i'm sure it'll do it in 7:23 or even less.

Edited by user on April 17, 2009 at 3:37 AM

dbehmoaras

April 16, 2009 5:41 PM

No it wouldn't because it wouldn't be able to get all of that power down, there fore more wheelspin, loss of traction...therefore slowing it down.

scratchy996

April 16, 2009 8:26 PM

@ dbehmoaras , are you so sure about that ? the GT-R has AWD . what about the Veyron then ? it has a lot of power and can use it all without problems.

joshg_5

April 16, 2009 9:31 PM

First of all, that's BS.

Second, if that's the way you're thinking, then lets give the ZR1 AWD and see how it does!!!

sub 7 minutes right there!

Edited by user on April 17, 2009 at 6:53 AM

lucifa

April 17, 2009 5:06 AM

dbehmoaras has a point - you couldn't just give the GT-R nigh on 700hp and expect the car to be able to handle it. Being so heavy, the GT-R has to cut a fine balance with the electronics to be able to manage its power. Give it the same power as the Vette without making drastic changes to the traction control/stability programs/4WD system etc and the rest of the car just won't be able to handle it.

harshreality

April 17, 2009 9:02 PM

Thats the whole point between the 2 cars you nits.. the GT-R is a better car through design and sophisticated engineering and technology. Dont kid yourself into believing it cant handle much more power. The ZR1? Seriously 6.2 liters and you still need a superhcarger to get over 600 hp??? Give the ZR1 all wheel drive? How do you propose they do that? Outsource the job(which GM does with the majority of complex engineering designs) to a more advanced company? What a joke. Making a truly great all around performance car takes more than just adding cubic inches everytime you need power or adding fatter tires everytime you need more "handling".

joshg_5

April 18, 2009 12:26 AM

Mad...

What I said about a ZR1 with AWD was a intentionally unrealistic and rhetorical response to the previous unrealistic comment about putting a 6.2L in a GT-R

dbehmoaras

April 16, 2009 5:40 PM

It's tough to compare the GTR to the ZR1. Two completely different cars. The GTR is a tight sports car, like an F430. The ZR1 is a muscle car through and through. It just so happens that it handles extremely well on the track, and it's a damn good car. That said, I'm with the ZR1

Edited by user on April 16, 2009 at 5:41 PM

scratchy996

April 16, 2009 8:29 PM

no, the GTR is a muscle car, heavy, 4 seats, lots of power. the ZR1 is a tight sports car , like the Ferraris and Porsches it competes against in races. see what i did there ?

joshg_5

April 16, 2009 9:29 PM

Agreed, the GT-R is too huge and bloated to be a true sports car, or at least in the same league as the ZR1

super_car_muscle_man

April 17, 2009 2:53 AM

lol well put scratchy.

alamak

April 16, 2009 5:46 PM

it all depends on what you want, your financial status, if you are a speed freak or semi speed freak.....and again, financial status!!! most ppl here can't afford all the cars mentioned above..... (Ferrari - very rich and very successful) / (Porsche - rich, classy, freak/semi-freak) / (ZR1 - torque freak...high pain tolerance for sub-par interior) / (GTR - young, racer image(i guess))...

honestly, if I would go for the GTR just because its provides a balance for on/off track use....IMHO

Edited by user on April 16, 2009 at 5:48 PM

Joe_Limon

April 16, 2009 7:47 PM

lolol I didn't know that this interior needed a high pain tolerance. http://reviews.carreview.com/files/2008/08/2009_chevrolet_corvette_zr1_interior.jpg

kimbo

April 16, 2009 8:17 PM

yup, ZR1'a interior is very comfy and long distance travel is not a problem. It's the way the ZR1 drives and sounds that makes it savage and brutal car.

scratchy996

April 16, 2009 8:31 PM

maybe he meant visual induced pain.

joshg_5

April 16, 2009 9:28 PM

Guarenteed the ZR1 will post a better time yet again with warmer weather and a better target to beat.

As much as I respect the GT-R, it ain't no ZR1 magnifico

9TNine

April 16, 2009 9:44 PM

Fabulous Car - the GT-R! Well done Nissan.

mortz

April 16, 2009 10:38 PM

Good on ya Nissan, but most of new it was only a matter of time.

andy

April 17, 2009 7:27 AM

they dont care about ZR1 ring time , vette is fast but its not good as GTR or 911 turbo on some points like interior quality, design, feeling, equipments, and standing out from other cars...i like GTR more and more when i sit into it and look over the dashboard, inside vette is just boring plastic panel and cheap finishing quality

porschekrazii

April 20, 2009 7:54 AM

buddy you saying a ZR1 don't stand outfrom a crowd ..? have you even seen one ..? it definitely caughtmy eyes ..!

mc959

April 17, 2009 11:23 AM

I think Porsche is waiting too have the V-spec laptimes and on that base they will make a better Turbo(998 Turbo) that will beat the V-Spec, then Nissan will come with the Nismo GTR and beat the time, then Porsche again with the new GT2(998 GT2)and if Nissan still got a better car, Porsche will bring the Carrera GT II(1000kg - 750hp) let's see if they can respond on that one....

loyo

April 17, 2009 8:17 PM

I really don't care much about which car did better in the Nurburgring anymore, as they both were driven by professional race or test drivers. For me, what counts here is how fast can a regular person make them go around the ring (or any other race track), and I think the winner in that respect is the GTR. These are supposed to be everyday supercars, not something that can only be driven by somebody with at least 15 years of racing experience. I just can't imagine anyone on their first try around the Nordschleife in a 600HP RWD-Vette, without spinning it and therefore crashing it before even getting to Wehrseifen.

Shark

April 18, 2009 1:54 AM

First let me say that I am very fortunate and thankful that I have the means to buy and own a number of supercars. Last year I took order on the ZR1 and the GTR which I added to my collection which includes the Ferrari 599, Murcielago, and a Porsche GT2. Yes, the GTR is a real good track car and with its AWD and electronic aids allows me to go faster in to corners than my other cars, but you can not compare an AWD car to a RWD. The driving dynamics are very different and it is more than just horsepower that comes in to play. In addition, the GTR is the worst daily driver even in comfort mode compared to any of my other cars, it just beats you up unless you have very smooth roads as on a track. In addition my newly acquired ZR1 most definitely is much more of a drivers car especially if you are a car enthusiast that really likes to be connected to a car and be in control of manually shifting gears by having to use both feet. As well, it is a surprisingly very comfortable car to drive all day, whether in traffic, or on an open road. These comparisons of the GTR should be done with other cars with approximately the same horsepower, AWD, and all with professional drivers behind the wheel on the same day at the Ring and then can you really make a fair comparison. Another thing that time achieved on the Ring in the ZR1 was done by one of the engineers, and not a professional racer, when a professional racer did take it on the Ring, he achieved a 4 second quicker time and it was done on a cold day where the tires could not warm up to optimal traction. All in all these cars each have a market of buyers they are targeting and it allows people of various means to be able to experience the performance, speed, and handling of what these days is considered a supercar...

cronan

April 24, 2009 12:49 PM

Morons! It´s the Z06, you should compare it to. It has 500bhp and 644Nm, witch is more than the GT-R, and weights a lot less than the GT-R. But it´s a more fair competitor, caus they are in in the same poweroutput-range. (The GT-R beats it in possible ways.) When Nissan makes a 600bhp+ version, then you could compare it to the ZR1!

harshreality

April 26, 2009 2:49 AM

The Z06 engine is a joke.. 7 liters for only 505 hp???

JT29

May 4, 2009 7:18 AM

IMO, this GTR showing thing is a bold statement.

A statement for all the doubters, to prove them wrong: That Japanese in a direct sense (or Asian in the broader term), as the world know them good only for their sushi n samurai, really make a breakthrough for the category that they are not famous for: making a super fast car. They are the master for making cheap cars but not powerful car. They break the stereotypes and left the supercar manufacturers (predominantly European & American) to start introspecting themselves and give Japanese some respects.

Yes, everyone is right, this is just another sporty looking, japanese plasticky car coupe compared to the muscular and mean looking continental cars. Yes, everyone is right again to say, the drive would be dull for everyday driving. Yes, everyone is right too, if money is there to be spent, people would prefer continental cars.

All of the above is not the point. The point is, Japanese(Asian) showed the whole world, they are in the race for superfast cars. Dont underestimate them, 10 years from now who knows? Not only the number of sales they win, but also championship and Asian pride.

Reaper

September 23, 2009 3:56 PM

ShinyG. Dude if you think the new Nissan GT-R is ugly then you have no taste. And they may have gotten some PS3 parts in it but, it doesn't mean you can't use it. Me personaly, I am a Nissan fanatic. I Love this new car. Its really unbelievable, fast, powerful, and the design is also epik. Just admit and say you love it. And beating the old record is a historical moment. Also the ZR1 is a joke. Its worthless. I don't like it. I've driven both the GT-R and the ZR1 and i would prefer the GT-R any day. With the AWD it is faster off the corners, the speed isnt as fast but it has grip. I prefer the Nissans anyway. They may be tuner cars but i absolutly hate muscle cars. They are way too overrated. I will own a GT-R one day.

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