Filed under: Tech, Supercars, Nissan
Nissan drops Launch Control from 2010 GT-R
It appears that GT-R owners won't have to worry about voiding their warranties if they use Launch Control -- for the 2010 model year, the car won't come with the feature. Inside Line is quoting a Nissan exec as saying "It's gone. We just don't want to deal with the warranty nightmare anymore. It'll make the 2009 GT-R really special. It'll be the only R35 with launch control."
We've previously reported cases where Nissan GT-R owners have brought their cars to the dealership with transmission trouble only to be told their warranties won't cover it. It turns out that disabling the car's VDC (Vehicle Dynamic Control) too often, in order to use the Launch Control function, meant Nissan wasn't covering the repairs. The cost to fix/replace the transmission is only $20,000, so you can imagine owners weren't too upset. Apparently the GT-R owner's manual states that damage to the transmission is not covered if it is proven to be the result of using Launch Control with the VDC turned off. In fact, the manual states that the only reason you should turn off VDC is to "rock" the vehicle when stuck in mud or snow. We await Nissan's revised performance numbers. Thanks for the tip, Mike!
UPDATE: Nissan just contacted us to say, "No final decision has been made about the inclusion of launch control on the MY2010 GT-R." So, for now at least, Inside Line's report is just speculation.
[Source: Inside Line]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 5)
CarbonBlack 11:36AM (11/20/2008)
The ZR1 fanboys come out of the woodwork!
-Prepare for immanent nuclear war-
Reply
CarbonBlack 11:38AM (11/20/2008)
Please Excuse Spelling
-THX
Chris 12:16PM (11/20/2008)
Now would all the chumps who favor this sissy automatic transmission please get in line for their well deserved b*itchslappin!
Put a real trasmission in that car, give it a beefier clutch and a skilled driver and that car will get out of the hole just fine. The EVO and STI guys have been doing just fine.
Serves these ladies right that now their car is going to launch like my uncle's Town Car.
BigMcLargeHuge 1:10PM (11/20/2008)
Apparently this car will run 11's all day in the 1/4-mile in Auto mode with NO launch control.
There are only 2 GT-Rs in the 10s right now and both have 600whp or more.
So difference between a stock GT-R with no LC vs. a 600whp GT-R with LC? Less than a second in the 1/4-mile.
The LC just dumped the clutch for you. That was a stupid feature when you can go 99% as fast just by mashing the gas from a dead stop. And that doesn't void warranty.
LC added a little fun factor, but the car is still by no means slow.
http://www.nagtroc.org/forums/index.php?showtopic=26447&st=0&p=374271&#entry374271
why not the LS2LS7? 1:24PM (11/20/2008)
That's funny, I was almost certain you were going to say the difference between the two was lipstick.
BigMcLargeHuge 1:28PM (11/20/2008)
Ha! LOLZ at LS7.
case 11:48PM (11/21/2008)
Congrats to HybridMT getting 11.69 in the 1/4. A guy by the name of Ranger got 11.22 in the 1/4 in a bone stock Z06 with factory tires.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Y-Fq306rzI
then he went and got a 10.85 in the same stock Z06 with drag radials.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=469NvIOiz7U
The guys who got their GT-Rs early and paid $10,000 over MSRP were lucky, now the MSRP is $7,000 more no matter what, AND you don't get launch control!
Justin 11:38AM (11/20/2008)
It really makes sense. It's stupid to have a feature that messes up the car, but then not take responsibility for it.
Obviously, people are idiots and abuse it, but Nissan shouldn't make it so easy and then not expect some issues.
Besides, no one buys a car like that and then resists trying out the launch control...
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MK 11:48AM (11/20/2008)
OR... Nissan could engineer the LC to work without eating cogs/dual-clutches.
tankd0g 12:35PM (11/20/2008)
A launch control that doesn't eat clutches is pretty frigging useless.
Joe K. 12:23PM (11/20/2008)
@MK
Yeah its called the regular gas pedal... Anytime you design a system to rev a car and then drop it into a gear, damage will happen. There is so much force meeting so much resistance, it just won't work without some form of ramifications.
Murray 11:38AM (11/20/2008)
Well there goes the GT-R at the drag strip! Not like it was the drag racers choice anyways.
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xpolarx 2:01PM (11/20/2008)
I thought the launch control was a stupid feature from the onset. Everyone who owns an AWD car should know that hard launching is a bad idea. Giving people an OE feature that makes it easier is an obvious mistake. When I heard about the LC, I just figured the tranny and the differentials must be bulletproof...but that's proven not to be the case. Bad idea, Nissan...prepare to get flamed.
xpolarx 2:02PM (11/20/2008)
I thought the launch control was a stupid feature from the onset. Everyone who owns an AWD car should know that hard launching is a bad idea. Giving people an OE feature that makes it easier is an obvious mistake. When I heard about the LC, I just figured the tranny and the differentials must be bulletproof...but that's proven not to be the case. Bad idea, Nissan...prepare to get flamed.
dukeisduke 11:39AM (11/20/2008)
Next, look for the dealers to start disabling Launch Control through a software change, when GT-Rs are brought in for service.
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Joe K. 12:24PM (11/20/2008)
Why? They get paid when you break it.
why not the LS2LS7? 11:41AM (11/20/2008)
Saw this coming a mile away. Some people just can't be trusted with nice things.
Wonder how long it'll take for people to hack it back on again?
One thing about the GT-R being so computer controlled is that if something like this is turned off, there's often to way to do a similar thing manually.
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tankd0g 12:35PM (11/20/2008)
Ya it would be pretty easy actually. I mean you can put launch control on a Civic for christ sake. It's equally as destructive even without any torque on tap :)
Eddie 11:43AM (11/20/2008)
How come Ferrari and Lamborghini haven't had the same problems with their launch control? Is it because the GT-R has a Dual Clutch?
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why not the LS2LS7? 11:51AM (11/20/2008)
Different clientele. Lower profit margins.
When Porsche Carrera GT customers started fragging the clutches in that thing, Porsche just replaced them free of charge, presumably with strong admonishments that the owners should know better next time.
Why? Because Porsche made huge piles of money on every Carrera GT sold, so they could afford to replace some clutches. Additionally, Porsche also encourages racing and tracking their cars, and so gives more leeway in using their cars aggressively. In the long run, that's good business.
Finally, another big difference is the clientele. You know how if you see a Corvette and an Civic at a light and if you want to get away from the light quickly, you line up behind the Civic instead of the Corvette? Same thing here. As racy as a Porsche is, most of them are sold to the Jerry Seinfelds of the world and not 23 year olds with lead foots.