VIDEO: Nissan GT-R files down 'Ring time to 7:26.70
We're starting to get the feeling Nissan is a permanent fixture at the Nürburgring, as the duo of GT-R and driver Toshio Suzuki keep coming up with new times at the famed German racetrack. Back in April, the former F1 driver took a revised GT-R through the 'Ring in 7:27:56, prompting Porsche to call Balderdash, saying that a stock GT-R isn't nearly that fast. Now Suzuki and a right-hand drive Godzilla teamed up to produce an even better time of 7:26.70, and taped it all nice and official so they can show the world.
After the jump is video proof of the speed and agility of the infamous GT-R, being driven by one of the 'Ring's few true masters. The video contains the full 7:26.70 of Suzuki going full-tilt with what looks like just enough fuel to get across the finish line, and an engine constantly in the 6,000-7,000 RPM range from start to finish.
If you think you've seen one too many 'Ring laps, take it from us that the last 30 seconds is incredible. Suzuki goes all-out to get the best time possible, and from the vantage point of the in-car camera, we feel like we're right there next to him -- except we find ourselves feeling for the brake while Suzuki keeps his foot on the gas.
[Source: Carscoop]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 7)
hoyaCS08 9:40AM (7/10/2009)
This is "proof" of nothing - for all we know that car could be boosted to 600hp and be running on slicks
Reply
AM2 9:46AM (7/10/2009)
...another thing also is the fact the no other test driver or race car driver outside Nissan can get close to Nissan's 'Ring time when testing a GT-R.
hoyaCS08 9:47AM (7/10/2009)
That said, Toshio Suzuki is the frickin man, that was one hell of a lap
AruthK 9:55AM (7/10/2009)
couldn't the same be said of any one of the nurburgring attempts that all automakers attempt.
hoyaCS08 9:50AM (7/10/2009)
If they wanted to be really sneaky, just speed up the video footage somewhat. An increase of 1-2% would not be noticeable to the human eye, but could shave roughly 5-10 secs off what was really a 7:40 lap...
Jason 9:56AM (7/10/2009)
Did you hear all of the tire screeching? Certainly not slicks, and the car looked like it had tons of understeer.
hoyaCS08 10:02AM (7/10/2009)
slicks may not screech, but super sticky R-comps that are only good for 3K miles can. Just saying it's very possible that those are not stock tires. Plus put the same tire on all four wheels and you'll still get understeer, just higher-speed understeer.
And yes, you can say that for any of these manufacturer runs on the ring (Corvette, Viper, etc). They are all for marketing purposes, plain and simple. A lot of incentive to fudge a little. This whole bragging rights battle is a little silly.
J Sonne 10:08AM (7/10/2009)
HoyaCS08, then why not take a stopwatch and hold it next to the screen? That's easy enough to test, I'm sure Porsche would not have bothered to buy their own GTR to try to refute the claim if a $2 stopwatch could have done the task.
hoyaCS08 10:14AM (7/10/2009)
the clock in the video is overlaid over the actual in-car footage. What I'm suggesting is take the in-car footage (which is actually, say, 7:45 long) and speed it up slightly, so that it runs in 7:27. Then put the clock over it at normal speed, and presto! A 7:27 lap!
Just imagining all the ways these manufacturers can fudge things is fun. There is absolutely nobody to check or certify any of the claims they make on the ring
tankd0g 10:16AM (7/10/2009)
The stock tires on that car are practically r-compounds anyway, why would they need to 'cheat'?
Gomi 10:21AM (7/10/2009)
You look silly with that tin foil hat on your head.
hoyaCS08 10:28AM (7/10/2009)
Haha Gomi - I'll admit that was pretty funny. Props.
416Hammy 10:54AM (7/10/2009)
I'm giving hoyaCS08 the 'Whiner Du Jour Award' for today.
Gongrats!
Sean Morris 11:16AM (7/10/2009)
Sport Auto did 7:38 in a stock R35 GT-R Euro Spec. When the 7:38 Nissan ring time was announced, no one believed that one either.
http://www.2009gtr.com/2009/06/738-at-nurburgring-by-sport-auto.html
zamafir 11:28AM (7/10/2009)
@AM2
Oh man I love crap like this. Is this news to anyone? Are you expecting Clarkson to be able to hop in Schumi's black FXX and manage the same time he did on the topgear test track? Of Course automakers are going to give their cars to their test drivers, why do you think Walter Röhrl piloted porsche products to so many records?
Some times these comments are just ridiculous.
John R 11:35AM (7/10/2009)
Someone call this guy a Whaaaaaambulance....
Jared 7:59PM (7/10/2009)
I CALL SHENS!
They start the clock at the end of pit lane and stop it right when he finishes going through the right hand corner that goes around pit lane. You can see they stop it when he crossed that white line, yet they started the clock a good few hundred feet forward. look at the tape.
Jared 8:00PM (7/10/2009)
To add on...
You notice in the beginning of the video, the point that the overlaid clock comes onto the screen is the point they stop the clock at the end of the run.
knightuc1992 11:17PM (7/10/2009)
Any idiot with a paycheck can drive the thing (GT-R). Show me one with a proper manual (three pedals and a stick) that can match or eclipse that time, and I'll be impressed.
The fact that the worlds automakers have to go to Germany for testing is more proof that they all still aspire to be like the Germans.
BigMcLargeHuge 12:20AM (7/11/2009)
Jared,
Wow... Way. To. Go.
Not. The ZR1 starts and stops in the exact same places.
It is HOW you time a 'Ring lap. So you don't fly out of the pits, but you can still pit when the lap is done.
Sport Auto does it the same way.