Click above for high-res gallery of the 2009 Nissan GT-R
A Florida man named Scott Weires has canceled the order for his long-awaited Nissan GT-R. Why? It's not that he was disappointed in the car's performance credentials, far from it. The problem is that the GT-R is equipped with a 'black box', similar in theory to the kind found on airplanes to help determine what went wrong in case of an accident or breakdown. By the end of 2012, car buyers won't have a choice as to whether their new car is equipped with a 'black box,' or Electronic Data Recorder -- they will be federally mandated to carry one. These devices track information that could be useful to the manufacturer in determining exactly what is, or has been, going on with a car. There are a few worries, though, that warranty claims could be denied if the automaker, Nissan in this case, deems that the car was being raced or abused in some way or by police or lawyers to determine culpability. Nissan's GT-R carries an on-board recorder that keeps track of the past few day's worth of driving and cannot be disabled. In the case of Scott Weires, an attorney no less, that was enough to look elsewhere. Would it be for you?
[Source: AutoWeek]
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 5)
why not the LS2LS7? @ Sep 24th 2008 4:02PM
I saw a GT-R at Best Buy the other day. It's less imposing in real life. This is a good thing, as it looks positively oversized in photos.
I didn't stop to take a look inside it.
zamafir @ Sep 24th 2008 4:28PM
... i'm not surprised? there's nothing remarkable about the interior, it's positively pedestrian compared to anything save the ZR1 or Z06.
Omer @ Sep 24th 2008 4:52PM
Its funny i was in Dubai last week and I saw couple of GTR on the road and I felt it didn't stood out either. Dubai is filled with fancy cars and for some reason so it a good place to a comparison. I couldn't place GTR in the same level as other high end cars even though I know GTR is a better car for the money and would flat out kick their ass. The car is not really that imposing which make kind of bland even though its really powerful. Case in point I would pick AMG MERC/M car/Aston over a GTR any day.
john @ Sep 24th 2008 8:57PM
Ok, I'll pick the Astin Martin over the GTR anyday, but M3 and AMG Merc over GR? booo!! It's basically the same money and GTR would murder those two anyday. Just because it made in Europe doesn't mean it any goood. It's just a brand name with outrages maintenance costs. I saw a GTR the other day on a truck with a bunch of Infinitis and 350z. And it stood out. This was made to be a porshe 911 killer and look at all the 911, they all look the same since 10000BC.
naggs @ Sep 26th 2008 5:55PM
i saw one the other day, bland, most notable for the huge wheels
toronado455 @ Sep 24th 2008 4:04PM
This shouldn't be federally mandated. It should be a voluntary opt-in for consumers. Just like any other accessory.
bc @ Sep 24th 2008 4:31PM
Installation isn't mandated. What takes effect in 2012 is a requirement that if they are installed, they record a particular set of data at a minimum. Whether they are installed is up to the manufacturer, as it is now.
knifetramp @ Sep 24th 2008 5:15PM
Leave it to a lawyer to want to hide from other lawyers.
Judy Zik @ Sep 24th 2008 5:40PM
The problem is when an automaker sticks a box like this in doesn't take long for them to start using the data to keep warranty claims down. The only thing faster than this car's lap time will be the time it takes for them to download your driving history and try to use it against you when an engine or transmission blows during the warranty period. Plus the next step will be that they will decide that tampering with or disconnecting the black box voids your warranty. Then there is the insurance companies and potentially law enforcement using this against you in a crash.
No thanks.
That One Person @ Sep 24th 2008 7:32PM
I hope it does keep warranty claims down. And hopefully it lowers insurance rates, too.
And I hope it does it's job by putting people in court who should be there.
Randy @ Sep 24th 2008 10:56PM
I agree, it should not be mandated! As well any car that can go 150MPH or has any ability should not have its warranty voided. If you make a car that can do something, you must warranty repairs when a customer DOES something in the car that it was marketed to do!
.
V3LOCIP3D3 @ Sep 25th 2008 2:05AM
@That One Person
What lobbying firm do you work for?
Either that or you must get screwed over all the time with that naive attitude.
inteller @ Sep 24th 2008 4:04PM
sounds like an opportunity to make a device that can disable that thing at will. It is your car, you can do whatever you damn well feel like. When it needs to go back to the shop, have the device reenable the black box.
Keith Griffin @ Sep 24th 2008 4:05PM
There are already devices recording info on vehicles, such as when the airbag deploys. What lawyers like the one from FLA need to do is get tough standards put in place restricting the use of the data in civil suits.
TJ @ Sep 24th 2008 4:07PM
Looks like 2011 will be the last model year vehicle I purchase.
Chad @ Sep 24th 2008 4:39PM
Exactly what I was thinking.
James @ Sep 24th 2008 4:49PM
Same here. Does anybody have a list of current cars equipped with a data logger like the black box mentioned in the article?
dsharp23 @ Sep 24th 2008 5:20PM
along with the "get your gas burner while they last" buys, I'm going to have to stock up on my collection before i can afford it!
montoym @ Sep 24th 2008 6:44PM
Well, you can be sure that pretty much any GM car with OnStar(soon to be all of them if not already) has a black box of sorts.
The Onstar site lists the Corvette as one of the models that does not have the Automatic Crash Response system, but I'm sure it will be added in the future. There appears to be about 11 models that don't currently have ACR.
The crash response system is what utilizes the "black box" part of OnStar and it supposedly only records if you are in an accident. So, you should be able to track your car without fear. I imagine the GT-R's system is similar.
Many cars already have similar systems and drivers have no idea beacuase for 99.9% of us, it doesn't matter. Plus, the data gathered from them can help in designing safer vehicles down the road.
Here's a quote from the Onstar section of Howstuffworks.com,
- "In addition to airbag deployment and impact severity, the Vehicle Comm and Interface Module can also record whether you're wearing your seatbelt or how fast you're driving. It keeps data related to events immediately before, during and after a crash for about 45 days. The Call Center retains received information for over a year so that it can maintain quality and follow-up on customer complaints.
OnStar says that it passes this information on to auto manufacturers to improve vehicle safety. However, critics speculate that it could also be used to:
clear auto manufacturers of wrongdoing
deny warranty repairs
find you at fault in an accident
increase your car insurance premiums or change your coverage" -
Read more here: http://auto.howstuffworks.com/onstar4.htm
Derek @ Sep 24th 2008 9:33PM
All the more reason to just get an aftermarket ECU. Rip the stock electronics out, put in an aftermarket stereo, tune the engine and enjoy.