Dan Neil's review of the 2012 GT-R
Appropo to the ZR1 post discussion
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Appropo to the ZR1 post discussion
Jun 11, 2011 4:13:28 PM
nberry:
BTW, I hope the top end speed limit is not a sign for the future in all cars.
C'mon Nick, when did you last get up to 112mph driving to Starbucks?
If it makes you feel better: That speed restriction probably only applies to cars sold in North America.
fritz
It is interesting that Nissan would impose those low speed restrictions. I wonder if they do it to their other cars.
FWIW, Starbucks is out since the Ferrari was sold. Not much action when a Porsche pulls up in front of Starbucks. To use Dan Neil's phrase "as common as house flies".
Jun 11, 2011 4:49:12 PM
I believe that top speed limit function is indeed only for North America and Japan. Also I think I remember reading that when the car detects that its in a track using the GPS and its track database, it will disable the speed limiter during that time its in the track.
Jun 11, 2011 5:13:53 PM
I believe all Japanese cars sold in Japan have a 112mph speed limiter.
In export versions the limiter is set to 155mph, including the USA market cars.
The GTRs performance is largely due to BW Germany for the transmission and turbos and to Italy for the brakes.
A friend of mine owns a GTR. I assure you they go faster than 112mph. The ride and noise arent as bad as Dan Neil whines about. What you do feel is the cars weight. Its fun to drive but the view out over the dashboard and the angle/shape of the windshield are eerily similar to Datsun 240Z. They arent really lithe or nimble to drive like a lighter weight european sports car. The center of gravity feels lower than in a Corvette though FWTW.
I also thought it was interesting the Neil in the video stated the "numbers of the GT-R do not add up". He was referencing the stated weight and HP. He speculated that for political reasons Nissan is not telling the true hp of the car. He thought it could be significantly higher.
Nick, The stated weight and HP "issue" vis a vis the GTR is a red herring.
What people did not, or may not understand, is that the GTR was the first sports car in the modern era to be successful at the mechanical challenge of getting lots of hp output to the ground, enough so to overcome the extra weight associated with it. Its the control and integration of its AWD, traction sensors and applied power that is so successful.
There were other 500hp cars before it that could not manage to transfer engine output into accelleration with the efficiency of the GTR.
Look at the Porsche Turbo S and you will see how Porsche has managed to better Nissans' digital control of throttle, transmission, output, to maximize power getting to the ground.
Its the integration of the various systems that effectively negates the extra vehicle weight. Think of it as a kind of automotive force multiplier.