Them's Fightin' Words!

[Otto Puzzell]

Porsche calls Nissan a bunch of cheating cheaters who cheat.

With face to save, and a fair amount of Teutonic incredulity, Porsche set out to explore for themselves the legitimacy of claims that the Nissan GT-R posted a much ballyhooed 7:29:03 lap time at the Nürburgring.

Porsche went and rounded up one one the fast but frighteningly-unattractive Nissan speed machines, and was not able to come anywhere near the short-lived "record" time that's been feeding the wet dreams of optically-challenged import fanboys for weeks on end. Said Porsche frontman/engineer August Achleitner:

"This wonder car with 7:29 could not have been a regular series production car. For us, it's not clear how this time is possible. What we can imagine with this Nissan is they used other tires."

What's next in this war of words and wheels? Has Nissan been caught with its knickers down? Will Nissan tell us Achleitner's mother wears combat boots? Or are the Germans incapable of driving a GT with a  front-mounted engine quickly, perhaps still wrestling with the lack of respect from the Porsche faithful for the 928? 

What say you?

[@re]

...one one the fast but frighteningly-unattractive Nissan speed machines...

Frighteningly unattractive? I beg to differ. It's brutal-looking and interesting - unlike most Porsches, whose design appear to be evolving with speed similar to that of crocodiles...

[Allemano]

Slightly off-topic, but, if you have some spare time left:
(quite amusing)

"Top Gear Race Across Japan Nissan R35 GT-R vs. Bullet Train"

#1: http://de.youtube.com/watch?v=q4V20U_BzSY&feature=related

#2: http://de.youtube.com/watch?v=Ja1Px038CNY&feature=related

#3: http://de.youtube.com/watch?v=6YXnmnzmsYo&feature=related

#4: http://de.youtube.com/watch?v=OxojXrQh_bE&feature=related

[Stephen M]

Porsche calls Nissan a bunch of cheating cheaters who cheat.

What say you?

I don't have a dog in this fight, but what I say is only lots of good things can come from this. Corporate throw down on the 'ring with neutral third party driver? Bring it on. Horsepower wars? Bring it on. Assorted R-types and GT-whatever tweaks trickling down into regular production? Bring it on. A serious engine in the Boxster or Cayman finally? Well, let's not get greedy.

If I had to wager, I'd note that the GT-R has bested assorted 911 flavors in numerous magazine track tests. Some scribes have even thrown around the word "embarrass." So there's some serious go under the controversial skin. What's more, I suspect for all its edges the GT-R shape may be a bit more aerodynamic than the slightly evolved beetle that Ferry penned back in 1873. And despite having an extra ~500 pounds on the 911, it's not like ALL that weight is hung over past the rear axle  . I suggest the GT-R's 'front-midships' + rear transaxle may have a few dynamic advantages over the 911's ass-ended pendulum approach.

[Bezor]

Opinions on design are like the well worn cliche.

Interesting that Porsche guesses that Nissan used racing tires for their production car to set a 'ring record over.  What about the ZR-1 did GM use production tires for that car, I seem to recall that they implied that the ZR-1 tested was as off the shelf stock as can be.

Getting back to Nissan tho, with customers complaining about the nannies who talk on this car, as well as, in my opinion, being the worlds ugliest supercar Nissan was needing any shot in the arm they could get in support of their car.