Nissan GT-R can't take aftermarket wheels, unapproved race tracks are out
Motor Trend's Scott Kanemura sat down with Michizio Niikura, the president of MINE'S Motor Sports, the first aftermarket firm to get its hands on the new Nissan GT-R. The conversation centered on the roadblocks Nissan has put in place to stymie high speeds and limit modifications to the GT-R.
We've previously reported on how the GPS system fitted to the GT-R would remove the 111 mph (180 kph) speed limiter when the car arrives at a track, but according to Niikura, it will only work on pre-approved racetracks. However, the GPS sensor doesn't automatically remove the limiter by itself, it has to be manually changed by navigating through a series of menus on the GT-R's touch screen. While having to go to a Nissan-approved track is daft in its own right, it's even worse when you leave. After the track day, owners are required to head on over to a Nissan High Performance Center where a $1000 safety check is performed. Don't do it and the factory warranty is void.
Another rumor that began circulating after the Tokyo Auto Salon has also been confirmed: aftermarket wheels are out. Supposedly, all the GT-Rs on display at TAS had to be driven in on the stock rollers, jacked up and then fitted with the tuner's chosen wheels. Due to a sensor mounted on the valve stem, if the GT-R is driven with aftermarket rims, an error code is thrown on the dash. And although MINE'S has fitted a custom exhaust to their shop car, they've found that any modification to the intake system causes the ECU to go haywire.
While all these findings are
[Source: Motor Trend]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 5)
Rboyett 6:40PM (2/07/2008)
The more I hear about it, the more I dislike this car.
Scratch that....
The more I dislike Nissan.
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SPF 6:40PM (2/07/2008)
Why would Nissan do this? I don't understand...
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paul34 6:42PM (2/07/2008)
So much for beating the 911.
At any rate, as to the second part of this article - what exactly is the problem again? The TPMS sensors? Most new cars come with them, and that doesn't mean one cannot use new wheels.
You just take off the sensors, then mount them on the new wheels. Simple. People with newer cars do it all the time. Owners of my car, a tC, have to do as such to avoid the error as well.
At any rate, the draconian and money-grabbing measures are pretty disappointing, to say the least. But then again, all these strict draconian measures may show a fear of revealing shortcomings in their engineering.
I want to say I'm surprised, which I am a bit, but then again - when I remember it is Nissan we're talking about here, it is not surprising. They need every advantage they can get (evne making advantages artificially) to cover their shoddy engineering.
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brian 6:43PM (2/07/2008)
Thankfully Technosquare is down the street, and JWT isn't too much further away. :D
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GTX141 6:45PM (2/07/2008)
There's always ways around this crap. Tuners have been finding ways since the dawn of time.
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Polly Prissy Pants 11:09PM (2/07/2008)
Tell that to the folks who want to do a simple rear gear swap in a 300C or Charger. They've been on the road over two years and it's still an impossibility due to "technology".
mochanges 6:46PM (2/07/2008)
A roadblock for now, but tuners will find their way around each of these.
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Seoultrain 6:48PM (2/07/2008)
With all the Nissan dealers shafting their customers with markups, I guess Nissan as a company felt left out, and decided to do some reaming of their own. If you wanna see how technology is a double-edged sword, look no further than this car.
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James 6:51PM (2/07/2008)
shoddy engineering? by no means am I a Nissan fanboy, but you have to give credit where it's due. The SR, CA, RB, VG, VQ engines have all been fantastic, and Nissan's transmissions are stout, though not as smooth as say, a Honda. i suppose your tC is the pinnacle of great enginnering and performance, eh?
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srDRIVEN 6:52PM (2/07/2008)
honestly, I love this car just the way it is. Would exhaust and a wheel package be nice, you bet, but it's not essential. I highly doubt that any car putting up the jaw dropping figures this one is would be guilty of cutting corners or having shoddy engineering
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J.Crew 6:55PM (2/07/2008)
Take the lock off the c@ck Nissan!! People with the money for this thing will do the mods regardless of the warranty being void... it is a cost of having fun to most tuners and those guys always find a way. Besides, something breaks, that gives the opportunity to upgrade in most cases.
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VP 7:08PM (2/07/2008)
another reason to get the z06.
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Dolemite 12:47AM (2/08/2008)
Indeed.
Aki 7:01PM (2/07/2008)
What's the point of all the locks though? So that Nissan has a monopoly on the aftermarket?
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jcar302 7:11PM (2/07/2008)
None of this will mean anything in a year, there will be plenty of companies cracking the computer on this car, just like they do on every other vehicle on the planet.
Nissan's probably doing it because they don't want to be paying for warranty work.
Either that or they don't trust the reliability of the car under heavy abuse.
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zamafir 7:17PM (2/07/2008)
Go read any well written article on the new GT-R, learn about the results of 1000hp sklyines and hoonage in japan, and you'll understand the face nissan is trying to save here. I think they're worried of the potential of this car tuned to aggressively, and the easier access to money we find today then say during previous generations. In short, it would appear they're not keen on the possible negative backlash they might receive should enough people hooning heavily tuned GT-Rs kill enough of themselves or others. At least, that's what they've mentioned several times in interviews.
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why not the LS2/LS7? 8:41PM (2/07/2008)
Wow, Nissan should hire you as their chief apologist.
Does this mean companies like Ferrari, Lamborghini and Chevy are fools because they don't limit their cars from being modded up to 1000HP?
Hell, Chevy gives you a guide to how to tune your ECOtec up to 800+HP, tells you which parts to buy and where to get them.
http://www.gmperformancedivision.com/performance_articles.aspx
Why is it Nissan has to be asses about this while other companies find advantage to helping out the quest for power?
mk 7:20PM (2/07/2008)
I agree, people will get around this...
but this type of corporate behavior is DEPLORABLE.
People buy your product. NISSAN does not own the car after they sell it to you. They should not be able to control it the way they seem to want to.
And hurdles can be cleared. For a price. And that price factors into the buying decision, if you plan to do anything beyond stock, and that may turn the tables.
Free Market. Look it up, morons. (I mean NISSAN decision makers.) You are free to c0ck up your cars before the sale, and dictate warranty terms. Everyone is free to flip you the bird, and buy a Porsche, Corvette, or whatever else they want. Which I would encourage, simply on principle.
I don't even like OnStar due to it's chassis tie ins, and a nanny-state accident reporting black box recorder. That turns me off of GM, and any other company that employs similar measures. This kind of thing by Nissan makes that look kinda tame, considering the clientele that the GT-R is supposed to attract.
And it makes me all the less likely to choose a G37 in the future, from a company that I know behaves in this manner.
Get over yourselves, Nissan.
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thomasgwoolsey 7:36PM (2/07/2008)
What is with Nissan? Are these things supposed to be "improvement?" You don't accidently get aftermarket wheels. You just buy them. Why would a car company want you to have to deal with an error code fir this?
I have a new I idea. Lets have an error code for the following potential issues:
1. Listening to Kenny G
2. Blacking out/tinting windows
3. Sitting too close/far away from the steering wheel
4. Slouching in the drivers seat
5. Closing the doors too forcefully
What are they trying to do - annoy their customers to death? This is stupid and terrible. In other words, it is terribly stupid.
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Aki 8:29PM (2/07/2008)
"1. Listening to Kenny G"
I think an error code should be thrown for any car with Kenny G playing inside.