Nissan GT-R Once Again Breaks Previous April 15th Record Lap Time at Nurburgring

"We would like to continue delivering the passion and pride of ownership to our customers by improving its performance every year." nice one mister Mizuno, call us when you brake light speed.

Still does not come close to American Power:

2009 Dodge Viper ACR 7:22.1 2009 Chevrolet Corvette C6 ZR1 7:26.4

So... why are they celebrating? They did not beat anyone but themselves.

I love how they use a Porsche 911 as a chase car.

The ZR1 improved it's time, it is now at 7:22.4

Don't think the 911 is a chase car, looks like the 998 turbo which is still not on the market yet, Porsche was probably testing the car on that day too.

The GT-R doesn't even compare in price to the ZR1 or ACR, so your point is moot.

Besides, a guy who actually paid for a Plymouth Prowler (a laughable ending to a pathetic brand) isn't a credible source of any kind of credible automotive opinion, so it's double-moot.

Don't let Joe fool you. The 7:22 time from the ZR1 was a hoax:

"We can safely report that the time of 7:22.4 is absolutely bogus. We finally got confirmation from Tadge Juechter (Corvette Chief Engineer) that Jan Magnussen was State-side during the time period that the car was at the 'Ring, thereby completely negating the possibility of him driving the car during that session.

When we went to print, we couldn't get anybody to deny the time, and due to the margin between Magnussen's time and Merro's 7:26.4, we felt the '22.4 lap time was entirely plausible.

Thanks for revisiting the issue and we appreciate you bringing it to our attention."- Road & Track Magazine

GT-R gets close to those two cars with much less horsepower. Think about it.

Ring times are useless...just bragging rights. However, even after months (Over a year) of track time the GT-R is still slower than the Viper ACR around The Ring. More impressive, it only took four laps to break the production car record. Imagine if Dodge had decided to invest the time and resources Nissan has at The Ring. The ACR would have gone below 7.20 along time ago.

You can't be seriously comparing the Viper ACR's time to the GT-R's... or Corvette ZR1's for that matter. The Viper is nothing more than a thinly disguised race car. It has R Compound tires, adjustable suspension AND adjustable aero front & rear. It was dialed in to optimum spes before it even turned a wheel at the 'Ring. It's also lighter and more powerful. It's supposed to beat regular street cars.

I can say the same thing about the GT-R. What about all the electronic aids found on the GT-R? Traction control, stability control, electronically controlled suspension etc. etc. All these systems are working on the fly to help the driver.

The Viper is a dinosaur and all the adjustments must be made manually. Also, the Viper wasn't "dialed in" to make its Ring run. It wasn't even geared correctly when it broke the record. Imagine if the driver wasn't on the rev limiter for half of each lap. They ran four laps, broke the record and went home. Nissan has run countless laps optimizing the GT-R for the Ring and still hasn't eclipsed the ACR.

What has been lost in the excitement over the ACR is the standard Viper is quite capable. Its straightaway speed (200mph+)is higher than the ACR, and it handles great too. It just doesn't have the aerodynamic features, shocks, brakes and tires of the ACR. The shocks, tires and brakes can be easily added to the standard Viper.

Finally, the Viper is at a price point similar to the GT-R. Most importantly, it's a car the driver actually drives instead of being babied by electronics.

Um... no, you can't say the same thing about the GT-R. "ACR" means American Club Racer... this car was meant to be raced. The suspension was designed with road racing and autocrossing in mind, as was it's braking system (Two piece slotted brake rotors, aggressive pads plus DOT 4 fluid... better at dealing with high temps). And your argument about the adjustments being manual is a very ridiculous one. Most serious race cars I know get their suspension adjusted the same way. From FIA GT cars to Le Mans Racers to Formula 1. Most race series in the world don't allow for electronically adjusted suspension, so don't try to make it seem like that's a disadvantage. The fastest race cars in the world make do without tc and stability control, and in street cars that have them, most experienced drivers switch them off anyways when they want maximum performance. In the GT-R, "R" mode deactivates the stability control altogether, and that's how they ran it on the 'Ring. And the GT-R's suspension isn't really all that adjustable, it only has 3 preset settings: comfort, sport (default) and race. It has electronically controlled diffs though, and that's why you cant completely turn off the VDC. In the Viper however, you can adjust for ride height, compression and rebound. The aero is also highly adjustable front & rear: the ACR produces 10 times more downforce than the standard Viper. Plus, anyone who's ever ran R Compound tires will tell you that they alone would be worth a few seconds when compared to even the stickiest street rubber. You call it a dinosaur, but The Viper ACR has ABS, Electronic Brake Distribution (EBD) and nothing changes the fact that it has an 8.4 liter V10 that belts out 600hp and 560lb ft. of torque! All that goodness is wrapped in a package that weighs about 500lbs less than the GT-R. The GT-R has to haul around 3900lbs of heated seats, automatic climate control, sat/nav, premium stereo (with subwoofer!), back seat and decent sized trunk. It's a no brainer that the ACR was meant for the race track. I love the Viper... it's one of my all time favorite cars, but any direct comparisons between the ACR and any standard road car is ridiculous. Also, saying it wasn't dialed in for the 'Ring is naive. They didn't exactly just unload it and run it back to back. It was given a best guess setup to begin with (you would think the engineers would have some idea of how best to set up the car they built) and they tinkered with aero & suspension settings in between runs. And it wasn't geared correctly? Please... the ACR comes equipped with the same Tremec TR6060 in the SRT10. That means it's incorrectly geared too, huh? It's Basically the same transmission in Corvettes, The new Camaro SS, The Dodge Challenger, Caddy CTS-V, Pontiac G8 and the new Shelby Mustangs. Those are geared differently than the Viper... I'll leave you to debate whether or not they're "incorrect" too. News flash: No mass produced street car has it's gearing optimized for any particular track. The fact that the driver bounced it off the rev limiter means he waited too long to shift, not that the car was geared incorrectly. I'm sure the Viper has plenty more in it, but like I said, it's silly to compare it to regular street cars.

I'm just messing with you guys. The GT-R is a great achievement for Nissan. However, I don't believe it's necessary for them to celebrate every time they lower their lap time by a tenth of a second.

Also, I'm well aware many race cars don't have electronic aids (active suspension, traction control, stability control etc.). However, if it were up to the racers the systems would be in place. Especially if they offer a competitive advantage on the track.

Many sanctioning bodies have outlawed these system in an effort contain costs. Even then the teams with resources and creativity have found ways to skirt rules.

We race in a division that is considered "grassroots". Despite that we still have adjustable shocks (Single and Double, double and mono tube). These shocks can be manually (adjusting knob and cable) adjusted by the driver in the cockpit during a race as the track changes. Also, there are manual adjusters to change spring rate too.

That's why I said the GT-R had an advantage over the Viper. Although the ACR has adjustable aero and suspension, it cannot adapt to conditions the way the GT-R's electronics can on the fly. Those changes can be made more efficiently and accurately by the computers than any human.

Comparing Ring times are useless. The only way I would give them any credence is if all the runs are made on the same day, under the same conditions and by the same driver. Too many variables can affect a run.

I saw two GT-Rs yesterday. I'm considering the purchase of a Cayman S, and the Porsche dealership is next to a Nissan dealership. They had a new GT-R on the floor.

Surprisingly, they're pretty rare around here. I'm more likely to see an F430 or Gallardo. I believe I have seen less than five GT-Rs on the road, and never really checked one out.

I really like the looks of the GT-R. Especially in black. It looks like a brawler. Finally, the price isn't much higher than the Cayman S spec'd the way I want it. It's definitely a performance bargain.

wake me up when they get to 6:00.0

Oh yes, glorious propaganda press releases! Yes comrades, the GTR is a true proletarian car, don't let those bourgeois Europeans tell you otherwise!

people, so wats up with the hate and negative comments. You have to admit that this car is a great package for its price, c'mon now. I can understand your option of buying a 911 or ZR1, but c'mon, you aren't making any sense when saying you'd prefer Dodge Viper ACR....r u kidding me? U gonna drive the ACR on the streets after u lapped the Ring?? That's what I thought! GT-R is one of the best cars produced, the price is an added bonus.

give me the spec - v lap time

People like to dismiss the GT-R based on the lap time alone, and the fact that it's still slower than the ZR1 or Viper ACR. What they always neglect to mention is that this is the regular GT-R. It's true competition is the Z06 Corvette, regular Viper SRT10 and the Porsche 911 TT. It whoops ass on all of them while being cheaper, less powerful and heavier. It gets eerily close the the $100k+ ZR1 (keep cheering about spending close to an extra $30-40K for those three tenths of a second. LOL) The bottom line is nothing in it's segment can touch it. The End. If that's not something to be admired, I dunno what is.

What do you see as Whooping ass ? The GT-R has the same quarter mile as a Z06, the Viper is slightly faster.

Around a track, sure the GT-R is much faster than a Z06 stock but thats to be expected given the Z06 comes shod with run flat Bridgestones that limit grip. Slap on the same Dunlops as the GT-R and your gap is bridged. So while i love the GT-R, saying it whoops the Z06 flatly is totally out of context and a clearly intelligent car guy like you should know that.

As for the 911, wait til it gets its stronger, more reliable PDK transmission. That will put it dead even with the V-spec, let alone GT-R.

Xanavi23:

I'm talking about Nurburgring lap times here. I thought a clearly intelligent car guy like yourself would have realized that. :) This article is about 'Ring lap times. My whole argument is about 'Ring lap times. The GT-R without question whoops both the Z06 and 911 TT in that respect.

Also, the Z06's tire deficit isn't as huge as you'd imagine. The Dunlops on the GT-R are runflats too... as are the Bridgestones. Matter of fact, the Dunlops have the exact same treadwear rating as the Z06's Goodyears. (UTQG 220... which is incidentally the same as the Michelin PS2s on the 911 TT). They're closer in grip level than you'd think.

And I relish the day when the new 911 Turbo variants roll out with direct injection and PDK. Competition is a wonderful thing. I may come across as a Nissan fanboy sometimes but rest assured, I'm a car enthusiast first and foremost. I've always been a fan of the Vette, Viper, 911. Skylines were always a bit of a legend where I grew up though, and I've owned an R32 and R33 so I may be a little biased. I always try to argue fairly though.

Lol, i never called you a fanboy, you're clearly not. I just disagree with just how bad you think a Z06 will get beat. I love the GT-R but i really don't buy certain aspects of the Ring times. Im sure a GT-R ran all of these times we've been given, i just don't think its in total factory condition or on factory boost levels.

Jamaicandude, you don't really believe that Nissan does not tweak the suspension setting along with other things to improve their time on the ring? Did nissan not say that they are always trying to improve the car? What the heck do you think that means? The GTR is a thinly disquised race car just like the ACR.

Scovito:

How many 4000lb AWD race cars do you know? That's the heaviest "thin disguise" I've ever seen. LOL

Yeah, I think that comparing the ACR and the ZR1 to the GTR is a little silly, since the ACR is a purpose-built track-day machine, and both have at least 100HP more, and cost about $20,000 more. The point is that for the money, the GTR is a great performer.

If american cars are all THAT good, why is Detroit breaking apart?

Because no-one is buying them, since they will fall apart in the long run. Anything else?

this car is nothing short of amazing, nothing in its price range can match its superb and NOTHING else on the market with 485hp can match it on or off the track

BOORRRRRINNNGGGGG!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I'm not being funny but Nissan is really overcompensating now. Nobody cares anymore. We get the bloody point already. You turned an ordinary Japanese box into a supercar eater. Big bloody deal. Tell ya what Nissan, why don't you start making some cars with an ounce of passion instead of a technofest. Maybe if you start designing cars that look as pretty as Alfa Romeos and have interiors as bombproof as Audi's and BMW's maybe...just maybe I might consider giving your products a second thought. One diamond in a range of turds and everyone must listen? Psshh. Please! Gimme a break!

adz612, you don't know what you're talking about. Do you even know the history of the GTR, before calling it "ordinary japanese box???" Figures most people posting probably don't even drive. Also the comparison of the Viper ACR and ZR1, hahahaha! So a faster lap time means it's better car. If that is the case doesn't those two cars beat most of what Europe has to offer, so doesn't that make them better then Porsche, Ferrari, Lamborghini, etc... for about a fraction of the cost.

OK first of all Ferrariguy don't come off and tell me anything about driving. I own an E36 M3 Evo and an Alfa Spider so I know a thing or two and participate at trackdays when I get a spare moment. Secondly don't question me about my knowledge of cars, especially the history of the Skyline GTR. You clearly misinterpreted what I was trying to say. I never said anything about hating the GTR. I highly respect it, but as far as I'm concerned it is boring. Yeah I know, I come across rather bullish, but enough is enough with regards to the Nurburgring laptimes. I bet you anything if they decide to take the bugger around the 'Ring next week and beat the time by 0.01 of a second they will post it. Like I said We get the point that it's a great car. Just don't keep shoving it in our faces all the time. Gets a bit repetitive if ya get what I'm saying.

Every assh*le compre the basic production GTR to the fully stock tuned ZR1 and Viper...let see 480hp against 600 and more?..and 1700+Kg of the GTR, this is an engeniering masterpice, every one nows but no one want to see it. This is ehy american car company are broken, american car sucks!

It is not an engineering masterpiece. It is a race car just like the ACR.

Try fitting 4 or 5 adults on a viper ...

Try that in a GT-R, everybody in the back is going to want to blow their brains out. The GT-Rs back seat is really not that useful except maybe for one tight fit adult.

just shows that the GT-R still have room for improvement.

engineering masterpiece as you said, the GTR haves passion in it because every angle and every side of the car is functional, and that hand build engine, you can see that the car do haves a lot of passion in it, but in it's pure Japanese style

Why, exactly, are people bashing Nissan for this? Isn't this a car enthusiast website?

So what if Nissan is proud of their car? Isn't that the whole POINT? Do people here really believe that car manufacturers should say as little as possible about their achievements?

Give me a break.

Why some poeple comparing a ZR1 to GTR!!! A ZR1 is a super charged ZO6 with a 153hp more and a lighter body wieght, if the GTR body was made from carbon fiber it'll fly and eats the ZR1 lap time! The GTR is only 1.5 secs slower so 1 sec is nothing. Bring the Hennessey GTR600 to the ring and see what it can do.

You can add lipstick to a pig, but it's still a pig. Ugly and heavy. And seriously reliability issues. Let's at least be realistic here.

its obvious that the more you practice the better you'll get. Practice makes perfect!! Now, my question is where;s the ZR1,shouldnt they be doing the same??

I want the ZR1

Well done Nissan!

I still wouldn't buy one, but I'm not sure why. It just doesn't grab me.

people who get wound up for either side = over compensating. i enjoyed my time with the gtr, as i enjoyed my time with a corvette (modified to roughly zr1 specs). from 4 weeks with each i found they were completely different cars that i would _NEVER_ compare with each other in the real world.

people who argue 10ths of a second need to stop talking trash on here and start spending more time organising their super sweet 16th for mtv.

One thing, we car guys can be really silly when it comes to these things. The GT-R is a wonderful car, point blank. After reading all of these comments, I must say that the narrow-mindedness of some American guys is the reason why most of their cars are overpowered bricks that are only good for a straight line on a track, and total rubbish everywhere else. Some of these same people are the owners of car companies... Go figure.

All I know is the supercharged E46 CSL M3 did 7min 20 sec on the ring. It produced 600 Horsepower and used rear wheel drive. Kind of puts the GTR, viper, and Vette to shame.

And I remember seeing the 911 GT2 take on the GTR on the ring and the GTR got dusted on every straightaway. Say whatever you feel like saying but they are obviously exaggerating this car way to much.

Apples & oranges dude. That M3 wasn't stock. I can never understand how people like you think it's logical to compare a highly modified car to a bone stock one.

i just want to say, all of you who r talking about the GTR having so much less computers are not saying about how the viper and corvette have so much less computer systems working with them. now i am not saying that they ae direct competitors i mean on the road, forget about the viper unless you want to end up an unrelaxed wreck with a broken back [thats my favorite car i am talking about there :(] but in the real world the corvette stands a chance, ppl saying about hah ride and noise are reffering to the ZO6 and think the ZR1 is the same but it is actually very civilized (until you cane it). the piont i am making is that each car does the same thing just in diferent ways, the GTR does it with technology, the viper and corvette do it with power. i am not trying to knock any car i just had to correct some ppl. oh and 1) i beleive what evile was trying to say is that the team with the viper did not have much time to prepare it to the pricise specification for the ring like gear ratios. 2) jamaicadude, you call the GTR a regular street car, you say the viper's R-compound tires are stickyer the the best 'street' rubber and you say ppl are paying an extra 20-30G for a 10th of a second. first of all a regular street car is a nissan sunny, regular street cars dont have 480hp, twinturbo v6's, dual clutch gear boxes (some do) and are made to compette with a porsche 911 (much less the turbo!). secondly ae u saying the viper's tires are not street legal. and thirdly your paying extra for, power, name, history and exclusivity. there will be less vipers and corvettes than GTRs. oh and dont F1 cars have traction control and there are alot of race cars with traction control. lastly the corvette was not driven by some serious racing driver

I can't make sense of everything you're trying to say, but let me try to address the points that are directed at me.

1: F1 cars do NOT have traction control. It has been outlawed since the end of the 2006 season. I'm sure some race cars do, but I clearly said the fastest race cars don't... and they don't.

2: Yes, an R-Compount tire will offer significantly better handling than a W or Z rated street tire.

3: In my book, the 911 TT, Corvette ZR1 and Nissan GT-R are regular street cars. The Viper is a street car based club racer special modified specifically for track use. It comes with race rubber and adjustable aero/suspension standard. It can't be considered a regular street car any more... just like Ferrari Stradale models.

4: Arguing about Name, history and exclusivity is all well and good... if you're arguing with someone who cares about that stuff. Me, I'm more interested in what a car can do.

5: Jim Mero was one of the lead engineers on the ZR1. Him and his team were in Germany for weeks perfecting the ZR1. If you took an F1 driver with no prior experience in either the ZR1 or on the Nurburgring, chances are he'd be slower. It's no coincidence that historically, drivers are usually quicker on their home tracks than elsewhere. Mr. Mero spent quite a long time huslting GM's finest around the 'Ring, and he got very efficient at it. Give the guy some credit.

First off People, its time for us all to grow up and realise what the Ring tests are. A test to see what each car is capable of. There are some things to know about race tracks.

1) Every race track, depending on ambient temperatures, wind speed, direction, track surface temperatures, weather and consequential moisture retention will have variances in laptimes even with the same car on a different day even if said car has the same driver. This applies to regular tracks with say a 1:50 laptime. The variances will account for as little as .1-2 to as much as a second. Which is alot on regular tracks.

The Nurburgring is just over 20km, to put it in perspective, its 4-5 times the length of the average circuit. So the same variances that apply to all tracks apply here except the amount of time that they can "displace" is massive on a track soo long. On a track this long, the difference can be up to 4-5 seconds or maybe even more.

This is the reason we can't compare laptimes from cars that have been run on different days, in different times of the years.

The Ring is the worlds greatest race track but due to the reason that makes it such a great challenging track but for the same reasons that make it so great, makes it not a very good place to be 100% accurate in lap time comparisons.

Very good post!

Well said...

Exactly, all of this hootenannying about fastest cars around the ring, most horsepower, stickiest tires and all of that jazz, at the end of the day, when you are stuck in traffic, which most of us are most of the time, do we really care?

Nintendo.

Touche. =)

Where do I begin... firstly, take a bloody average time Nissan.

The GTR is already highly proclaimed so what the heck is your intention wasting resources to improve lap times unless you are making improvements to the car itself... which defeats the purpose of calling it a stock GTR countless times

And for the record, is this a PR stunt to get more buyers since Nissan is in the red in terms of profitability?

These lap times have a real meaning if you've ever put your tires on the ring.

The ring is THE track and if you like cars, you should respect that..

ZR1 and GTR are very good sports cars. Full stop

Look at the wheels!!! They don't look stock, and I guess the tires are not stock as well.

I Dont Care!!

Congrats Nissan! I own a new GT-R, and also own a new ZR1 and as was already said they are very different cars so a comparison is a waste of time. By the way the new 2010 ZR1 will be even quicker in the hands of a race car driver such as Jan Magnussen, according to the Road & Track article it will knock off more than 2 seconds off the ring time and more if a professional racer is behind the wheel. I have to say as a daily commuter I prefer the ZR1, much more comfortable to drive you don't feel every crack in the pavement Check out the new features of the ZR1 and the rest of the Vettes: http://www.roadandtrack.com/article.asp?section_id=10&article_id=8080

I like both cars, but I would have to say that the GTR is no different than the ACR. Both are beefed up race cars. They both have tons of race car technology in them. I also believe the 2010 ZR1 will start to get racing technology as well.

Jamaicandude, a lead engineer is no race car driver no matter how good he is. Jan would definately lower that time. Your out of your mind dude.

Wow... I love it when you guys selectively read. I said a racer with no experience in either the ZR1 or on the 'Ring would probably be slower than Mero, who was out there with the development team for well over a month. I've seen it happen. I've seen SCCA pros try to take on regular guys at their home circuits and get owned... not saying the 'Ring is Mero's home track, just trying to make you guys understand how important familiarity is when racing. There's a reason you have practice & recon laps. Sure, after some practice the pros will have the edge (someone like Magnussen with previous 'Ring experience would more than likely be quicker right off the bat) but you guys are silly to think that Mero was just some average guy tossed behind the wheel of GM's highest performing car ever, to run it flat out on possibly the most demanding race track in the world. It doesn't add up. The guy obviously has some serious skill. Michael Schumacher balled up a Ferrari prototype on the 'Ring just last year, and it wasn't pushing as much power or torque as the ZR1... and he's the winningest driver in F1 history. Think before you speak. It's not even like I'm bashing the ZR1 either, so I dunno what you're getting your panties all twisted up for. It's childish to try & put down the driver just to make the car look good. The ZR1 is an amazing machine, and Jim Mero is one helluva driver. 7:26 in a street car on street tires? Yeah, give the guy the credit due.

Alot of people are magic deprived. You guys are willing to believe anything. The day a so-called regular street car beats a race car around a track, will be the day it is considered a race car as well. There are a bunch of touring race cars with much less hp than some street cars yet they can't be touched on the track. Now why is that?

i love this car i saw a red one today in town it was so sexy that i took a picture of it and the guy driving it laughed at me, and he even waited until i took the picture ROFL ROFL ROFL

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.

ok ,lets end this once and for all. I did nurburgring in a subaru touring car with less horsepower in 6.30 on my old playstation 2, so try beating that.

Hahaha.. Yea, lets see them beat your Subaru's 6:30, Weezy!!!

At least the Viper and ZR1 are warrantied on the track. The GT-R is not. That's putting your money where your mouth is!

@prowler97

senseless comments like yours are the reason that most of the Carfans in europe are thinking that Viper or Corvette owners are social disputable!

Let´s see where the so-called "american Power" will be after Chrysler and GM is bankrupt......hehe

cheers

Most white people who don't admit GTR is the best performance car for the price are either stupid or ethnocentric kinds who believe White people always are better and make better things too. This becomes very prevalent in car business because it's passion for male humans. White people are too arrogant, most of anti GTR comments without valid or point are posted by such kinds.