May1
Nissan has announced that its all-mighty GT-R has lapped Germany’s Nurburgring in an astonishing 7 minutes 29 seconds. Godzilla originally ran around the famed track in 7 minutes 38 seconds but, thanks to dryer conditions, test driver Tochio Suzuki piloted the GT-R to a 9 second faster lap time.
What makes the run even more impressive is that it was done on stock JDM tires.
“At last year’s testing, we were frustrated by the conditions at the Nurburgring, always believing that the GT-R could go under seven minutes 30 seconds,” said Kazutoshi Mizuno, Chief Vehicle Engineer for GT-R. “Below seven minutes 30 seconds, the GT-R proves it is among the fastest mass-production cars in the world.”
That lap time places the GT-R ahead of the Mercedes-Benz SLR 722 GT, Koenigsegg CCR and Porsche 997 GT2, and just one second behind the Porsche Carrera GT — not bad for a car down several ponies on each of the competitors. We can’t wait to see where the GT-R V-Spec ranks.
This car is making news in every corner of the world! I was planning on putting in an order on this one, but now that I hear a spec V version is coming, I will wait for that, and it will give me time to save up some more money. If the regular GTR is this fast, I am very anxious to see what the spec V can do. Even the new ZR1 with all its European built performance components will have a tough time matching the spec V version.
come on ZR1 fan boys- make your complaints……….
So what does an F1 car do? What’s the absolute record on this track?
jumpoffit, do you think Nissan lied about the power numbers?
For as much as I hate Japanese cars, I have to give credit were credit is due. This is one hell of a car especially for the price it is selling at. The only concern I have is how much abuse can the drive train take? I know someone is going to post that it is a Japanese car and they last forever and all that non sense, but it will be interesting to see if the GT-R can withstand all the abuse its owners will throw at it day in and day out.
too bad it looks like a Nissan
I lapped Germany’s Nurburgring in an astonishing 7 minutes 29 seconds last night. I love Forza 2.
for a 70K plus car, yeah i think they lied about the power numbers for the car
F1 cars can’t lap the ring I believe due to the course having several bumps in it that would destroy an F1 car. I am not sure on that one thought, but as far as the record goes I believe this is pretty close to it. http://www.radicalextremesportscars.com/news_folder/nord0905/index.php
Damn… I knew it was faster but not by that much. I had looked at the telemetry from the first run, and you could clearly see that it lost speed in a couple of damp corners and that it got held up by a few slower cars but damn… this is amazing.
Is the time “officially” timed by a recognised governing body, or is this going to be forever “claimed” by the manufacturer?
Well… looks like Nissan is still good at fudging HP numbers. That’s a demon.
Has anyone stuck one of these on a dyno yet? The weight and the advertised horsepower just don’t add up to that kind of a time. Didn’t they used to have some mandated limit in Japan that cars could not exceed a certain horsepower? Of course nobody adhered to it except in the sales brochure, but this looks like Nissan is still playing that old game.
The zr1 will beat that!
I have already read that this is the v-spec’s time.And not the Standard version.
johnnycanuck, Japan has limits on horsepower, just like US already has CAFE requirements on vehicle mileage. If you can afford fines/taxes/penalties associated with going over the limit you get the car. People who by those cars in Japan can afford taxes/penalties/fines, just like for performance cars from Europe.
It would be silly for Nissan advertise or publish better numbers then they are: once reporters get hold of the vehicle (and we know they will) bad news can destroy reputation. Ghosn well aware of it, if Nissan isn’t.
The GTR is an awesome machine… there’s no doubting it. Frankly, it better be with the amount of electronic wizardry it packs beneath its sheetmetal… hell, it would even make tripletard look like a good driver!
However… there’s no point even mentioning the ZR1 because it hasn’t lapped the ring yet, just like it’s pointless for GTR fanboys to put the ZR1 down because it too is an awesome machine… we have to give credit wherever its due. Once the ZR1 posts a slower ring time, then the **** talking can commence…
Well, cudos to Nissan, now lets make the styling worthy of such a great powertrain and chassis, shall we? Maybe there will be an Infinity version to fill that role…one can only hope, because this thing is just too ugly to buy.
Very true AMGoff, we’ll see what the ZR1 posts. And for people think that Nissan lied abt the numbers….who gives a fudge. This car is still fast. If a hot lady lies about her age, whose gonna care if she is still hot. Plus i dont think a car company will do that but that my opinion. I will be interesting if they do. Did nissan do this b4 if yes when and on what car? I just wanna know, its not a challange or anything. I know rolls royce back in the day would not even give HP numbers.
Nissan deserves lots of credit—they did it! The GT-R changes the definition of supercar, and for less money.
But RRs of the old were not supposed to be fast anyway.
http://www.brightcove.tv/title.jsp?title=1519677836
The ZR1 will handle way above what a car should be able to do, but even as a huge Vette fan I don’t think it will ever out-handle the GT-R. Minus late 70s and 80s Vettes, they were and still are about pure American cubic inches, torque and power. The GT-R has historically been about handling numbers. Apples and oranges. And as everybody has posted, give respect where it’s due.
Hasn’t anybody considered that Nissan has a much more aggresive map in the test GTR’s that they test in Germany and send to all the magazines…
Perhaps the GTR’s that roll off the production line may have the map closer to the advertised 480bhp.
Or maybe they are all just under advertised. BMW 135i/335i make closer to 300hp at the wheels I heard.
Wow, I guess the V-SPEC really is going to be the fastest around the ring.
BMW claims 300hp at the rear wheels, but I’ve actually heard of stock cars dynoing closer to 340hp. Understating hp numbers isn’t new.
This is great to hear for Nissan, but it just means that the markups to buy the car will be even bigger.
Here is where Motortrend strapped the GT-R to K&N’s Dynojet for some interesting results. http://www.motortrend.com/roadtests/coupes/112_0803_2009_nissan_gt_r_dyno_test/results_analysis.html
Unfortunately, there is no actual sanctioned, officiated event like this at any track.
Cutting Hot laps just is not a sport in and of itself. Though arguably it could be.
If there were, I would have little doubt that, despite my feelings for the car, the GT-R would reign largely unopposed for some time.
Nurburgring seems to be the the kind of track for a car like the GT-R. I don’t know if it would fair ad well at other tracks. It is basically, in video game terms, “taking the hard course on easy mode”.
The GT-R V Spec (LLN missed that point) has beaten the 996-911 GT2 at Nurburgring. The 997-911 GT2 has just recently gone on sell in Europe, so there will still be a fight. Also the Carrera GT still stands unbeaten. Though out of production, it is still a major benchmark.
For the CORVETTE, If no one steps up to take the car “to the wall” then wants the point? GM showed up to test and setup the suspension and went home. They did not try seriously for a hot lap and it is doubtful they really ever will. The C6 Z06 and the ZR-1 are and will likely be running at least 10 seconds behind what they are capable of.
The CORVETTE itself, at it core, was meant as a race car for the 98+% of all the on-road auto races in the world. It wasn’t targeted at any one car at any one track, regardless of qualification for competition. I’m sure the CORVETTE development team will continue that mindset seeking only to raise the car’s overall potential and capability.
I’m sure GM is looking very hard at cars likehte GT-R while developing the C7, said to be due between 2010-2012. They know that they have a car that, in the tradition of American performance, what you buy is just a starting point. Though the ZR-1 is supposed to be the Factory “Killer App”, I think that thought process of, leaving room for personal touches and improvements, still pervades.
If GM really wanted to go “balls out” from the start I don’t think they would have ever built the ZR-1. They would have built a car even closer to the C6R that the Z06. Basically the C6R with an interior, a curb wight of under 2900 lbs, a higher revving 650hp engine (Flex fuel just to be prepared), and so stupidly fast, quick, and agile, that if the GT-R could beat it, it wold be by a slim margin and a lot luck.
But that is just dreaming.
Verdict: The C6 CORVETTE is not suited for competition at this level at this venue due to the nature of the car requiring a more advanced and capable driver than is commonly available. The NISSAN GT-R R35, for the Common driver, with deep pockets, is the winner. (That hurt to say.)
great job to nissan! finally they have a tour de force to be reckoned with! congratulations!
Nordschleife lap record: 6:11.13 achieved in a Mod’ Porsche 956 in 1983.
Wondering what a Heavily modified V-Spec could do.
seems so perfect that its too boring to drive. i do have to say id spend the money on a ZR1 or a 911 GT3 instead. Unless you are a race car driver you will never care about the extra seconds while you get bored instead of actually enjoying the car. Drive a geo metro around a track full bore and then drive a GT-R around at the same pace as the metro, and i can almost guarantee youll get a bigger smile with the geo.
I drove a borrowed Suzuki Swift in Greece once in the mid-1990s. Drove it like I stole it and the cops were on me. I bombed my way into the town square at 05:00 AM and pulled the handbrake, sliding the car right into a ****ing kiosk. It was Snickers flying this way, Cokes that way. I got out and picked up a few bars, and lickety split I was zooming down the freeway again with a giant dent in the rear quarter panel. I can’t imagine replicating the rush, not in any ****ing exotic sports car.
nicetry: thanks for the link. If anything Nissan is sandbagging just a little.
I just really want the V-Spec….
The ‘08 Honda Accord Coupe just lapped the world-famous 13 mile Schmeckel Estates BoredLeife Ring in 21 minutes 14 seconds.
I thought you all should know that.
^^ FAST. LOL. 3 times slower than this GT-R.
fuzz40- True, also because of some of the inclines that they experience.
Didn’t ever think that I would hear more about a car than we heard about the Camaro. Now we are, and it is this one. I am actually starting to like it more and more, especially after seeing some videos of it (Jay Leno) rather than just seeing the pictures.
That said, I don’t want to hear anyone comparing this and the ZR-1. They are two completely different cars targeted at completely different people. The ZR-1 is classic American, while the GT-R is tech-geeky (in a good way I guess) Japanese.
Where is Ferrari and Lambo in all these? Kinda makes them look like jewelry on wheels now…
really, really good point, Veda.
You can be sure Z06ified is hiding to be sure! your corvette is still several leagues down my friend to get to the GT-R wait till the V-Spec hits the circuit! oh Yeah.
nobody listens to anyone that gets horny for a taurus, im sorry.
**** THE BORING ASS RING! This is America, the land of go on green, and that’s the game we play to lighten the pockets of the unwary.
lol A4, I’m pretty horny for a Cobalt…
If Corvette fans need to be worried and hide, then Mustang lovers will summarily have to commit suicide…
“^^ FAST. LOL. 3 times slower than this GT-R.”
At 35% of the GT-R’s price. Makes perfect sense…
For fuzz40 and 6ix:
“F1 cars can’t lap the ring I believe due to the course having several bumps in it that would destroy an F1 car. I am not sure on that one thought, but as far as the record goes I believe this is pretty close to it.”
This is not entirely true:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nordschleife_fastest_lap_times#Unofficial_F1_Lap_Record
Although I would also assume that Nordschleife would probably destroy an F1 car prepped for any of the standard circuits.