Filed under: Coupes, Videos, Nissan
VIDEO: Tuned Nissan GT-R grenades tranny at the drag strip
Click above to watch video after the jump
The Samurai Speed Nissan GT-R you see above (the one on the right) is a total bad ass. With over 600 horsepower and several other performance-enhancing tweaks, it can do a 10.5-second quarter mile run at a ridiculous 128.42 mph. Samurai Speed has obviously tested Nissan's notoriously finicky Launch Control over 100 times without a single hiccup... until now. The $20,000 tranny recently took a dirt nap on the drag strip with the cameras rolling, and we have video of the carnage after the jump.
You can't hear the tranny fail on account of the other GT-R at the line, but onlookers said the nuclear transmission sounded like a "bunch of metal dominoes in a line and Tiger Woods came by and hit them with his driver." Ouch. It's pretty obvious that Nissan won't be picking up the warranty tab for this GT-R, so Samurai Speed plans to beef up the transmission on its own dime in an effort to continue cranking out incredible times.
[Source: Drag Times]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 4)
CMOS 12:05PM (12/23/2008)
Looked just like any other transmission that grenades at the track regardless of whether it's AWD, RWD, or FWD. Oh well, that's the price you pay to play at the drag strip.
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SimbaDogg 3:11PM (12/23/2008)
yeah...looks like just about any other car that would fail at the track. But...i dont think there's any other car that you would see failing as often as this does.
D 7:11PM (12/24/2008)
What most of you fail to understand is that this GTR went 10.55s in the 1/4 several times before this happend. This car was modified a good bit and at 600+ hp showed that this car didnt have a weak transmission. It just didnt have a modified one to compensate for the add hp. Any car with engine modifications launched in this manner pulling 1.4 60fts without a modified transmission would fail too
Bungle 12:05PM (12/23/2008)
Hahaha... you said "tranny."
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happy_penguin 2:25PM (12/23/2008)
huh huh, huh huh huh, huh huh huh huh.....
..... and "drag".....
I-man 12:06PM (12/23/2008)
here come the warranty 'jokes'...
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Dave 12:09PM (12/23/2008)
That warrantee was toast the second those new floormats went in.
Got 99 problems and a Transmission aint one. It was nice to see how much the stock design could take, but by the same token each drivetrain is unique in the GTR lineup, others may not get to play as much before the boom.
Tristan 12:11PM (12/23/2008)
if you turn on the heated seats and take off 2 fast it voids the warranty!
to bad godzilla dose not have a godzilla trany!
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Sergey 12:14PM (12/23/2008)
Well, could that have gone any differently? It's a Nissan... everyone knows you dont buy a sportscar to launch it off the line and engage in other forms of spirited driving... duh!!!
What will really be funny is when some poor GT-R owner will be racing someone from a stoplight and that happens...
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pistonsrus 12:23PM (12/23/2008)
Modifying any engine without beefing up the accompanying tranny risks the chance of failure. I doubt the guy racing from a stoplight in his stock GTR would engage this problem. Your post screams "Nissan Hater". Go start trouble in another forum. You fail miserably.
Yubastard 1:25PM (12/23/2008)
Ja!! take that! don't mess with my rice...
naggs 4:27PM (12/23/2008)
but it is happening on stock vehicles that are driven hard, its a $70k car that will cost you $15k a year in tires and repairs if you drive it like you stole it all the time
for ANY car this fast, drag launching it for max speed is damaging the vehicle. the mistake that nissan made was to add a button that did it perfectly for you. this lead people to believe that it was as hard for the car to do as roll up a window, so they did it a lot. nissan has learned its lesson and removed the feature from new GTRs. its nissan's fault and they should man up and pay for the repairs for stock GTRs that gernade their transmissions.
Steve_S 12:18PM (12/23/2008)
Just put a good manual 6 speed in it (like what's on the ZR1); seems like it would be more alot reliable and alot cheaper.
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Jason 12:23PM (12/23/2008)
Honestly, it might be cheaper for them to find a way to use a manual transmission, than it will be to buy a new replacement from Nissan...
Chris 12:22PM (12/23/2008)
AMEN!!!!
xpolarx 1:01PM (12/23/2008)
I agree a 100%. Of course, you could also pull the gearset and cryo-treat it. That'd probably buy you another 100 'launch controlled' launches.
I wonder if a dog box would work in a twin-clutch tranny...probably not.
Sergey 1:06PM (12/23/2008)
I have a better idea... buy a ZR1 and call it a day :)
Carlos 1:36PM (12/23/2008)
Cryo-treating is not a cure all nor will it give the car's transmission a new lease on life, new gear sets with wider teeth to increase it's load capacity with more than likely eliminate this problem. Hopefully sometime soon someone will be smart enough to develop compatible dog teeth gears so this will be very reliable.
Jerk Face [GT:xJERKFACEx] 12:23PM (12/23/2008)
Using the term 'grenades' in the title of this article delights me.
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mcspeed 12:26PM (12/23/2008)
Meh I would rather see nissan charge an MSRP of $95k and include a more robust & reliable transmission that can handle aftermarket power levels - you know "overengineered"
Case in point, Toyota Supra's 6 speed can easily handle 600hp. BPU supras have been running for years without transmission implosions. Im not comparing the supra to the GTR, rather pointing out a manufacturer that overengineered some essential components to ensure the car would last with some mods.
As for the comments that any car will implode a transmission at the strip. Not all transmissions are equal, borg warner trannies in vettes, vipers and shelby's have been holding far higher then stock HP levels for years at the 1320.
The nissan unit I believe was partially a cost decision as they wanted an affordable MSRP. We all know they could have specd out a tranny that could handle far higher power levels, but at a much higher cost. In short, the transmission in this car is "just enough" but falls short in the aftermarket dept.
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