Nissan GT-R Loses Launch Control in 2010

The GT-R, the performance king in the bang-for-the-buck department, is losing it’s launch control in the 2010 model year, and likely all subsequent models after that.  The launch control is an important feature that helps the GT-R accelerate to 60MPH in 3.5 seconds, so what could the reasoning behind Nissan’s decision?

The Warranty.  Apparently Nissan thought they could make a 480HP super car, give it lots of fancy features from the factory like launch control and then not cover the transmission when it breaks due to using the factory installed features.  Unfortunately for the consumer, this has been a real issue for a number of people.

The procedure to activate the launch control requires that you temporarily turn off the VDC (Vehicle Dynamics Control).  Nissan snuck in a warranty disclaimer which states they are not covering parts that break if it can be proved that the problem was caused by the owner turning off the VDC.  The cost to repair a broken GT-R’s transmission is $20,000, so who would be that upset anyway…

“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” said a Nissan executive.  Brilliant statement: it’s the only GT-R to have a factory-installed mechanism that breaks itself.  Come Nissan, you’re better than that.

Source: Edmunds

GM Releases Facts and Fiction Video

Of Detroit’s big 3, General Motors is hurting the most right now. They have received some financial aid from the federal government already and they recently asked for another $25 billion dollars to invest in green technologies and to help pay their monthly bills.

The General just released this video on their website at GMFactsandFiction.com. It portrays what they believe will happen if the American auto industry collapses, and I must say, they make a lot of very valid points. If you are planning to buy a new car sometime soon, support your American manufacturers and buy domestic!

Who Will Make the Next Fastest Car in the World?

There are lots of fast cars in this world. McLaren set the world speed record for a production car back in the ’90s with the F1 model, topping out at 240MPH. It wasn’t until the early 2000′s that another manufacturer was able to step up and beat it. That was Bugatti with they’re EB Veyron 16/4, the quad-turbo 16 cylinder 1001 horsepower monster that could reach 253MPH. Saleen reworked the S7 in 2006 to include a twin turbo kit, boosting the sleek exotic up to 248MPH. It was close, but not fast enough. Koenigsegg claims that their CCX can top 254MPH, but this remains to be proven and verified at official speed record sessions.

On September 13, 2007, the Shelby Super Car Ultimate Aero Twin-Turbo averaged 255.83MPH on two separate top speed runs, beating the Veyron by 3.11MPH on its fastest recorded run of 257.11MPH. This was a big triumph for SSC and they’ve enjoyed the top spot for over a year now, but the real question is how much longer can they hold that podium position?

It’s only a matter of time before Koenigsegg puts up their bio-fuel powered CCXR which is even faster and more powerful than their CCX. It’s also been rumored that Bugatti will release a Super Veyron that will be 25% more powerful and able to hit 264MPH. Then there’s the Porsche 9ff GT9-R. It’s hardly a production car, more of a mad-tuner’s creation of a highly modified Porsche GT3. Pushing out 1,120 horsepower, there’s no doubt that the GT9-R will be able to top the (unofficial) 254MPH limit that the standard GT9 was able to achieve.

Who will be next to make the claim that they have the worlds fastest car? My money is on Bugatti, but there are a lot of wild cards out there. In the mean time, enjoy this gallery of super cars images.

Novitec Tweaks the Ferrari 599, Adds 188 HP & 159 TQ

Novitec Rosso is an exclusive Ferrari tuner. They take the extraordinary and try to make it even more incredible. Case in point is their latest work on the Ferrari 599 GTB Fiorano. The 599 already had a 6-liter V12 outputting 611 horsepower and 448 ft-lbs of torque. Ferrari stated it could leap to 60 mph in 3.7 seconds, but independent tests showed times as low as 3.2 seconds. Sprinting to 200kmh (124 mph) is done in 11 seconds flat.

So how could Novitec Rosso improve upon something that Ferrari already spent so much time perfecting.
Their first thought was to boost it with a supercharger. Their second thought was to boost it again with another supercharger. The effect was astonishing: 808 horsepower and 607 ft-lbs of torque!

Performance improvements seem to be nominal with a quoted 0-60 time of 3.5 seconds, but since independent tests have already proven the 599 to be faster than Ferrari had quoted, I have no doubt that the Novitec 599 will also be a sleeper.

Cost for Novitec to build a 599′s engine is 47,000 euros, or about $61,300. The tuner also has brake, wheel and aero upgrades available, hit the jump to read the complete press release.

Source: Novitec via AutoBlog

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Tesla Roadster is Fast and Safe?

We’ve learned just how fast the Tesla Roadster is, sprinting to 60mph in 3.9 seconds and running the quarter-mile in 12.7 seconds. Even though there are only a few of these EV’s on the road, there have already been three crashes. The first crash occurred when a technician was testing the vehicle and rear ended a truck. The second occurred in San Francisco when the driver failed to stop fast enough at a stop light and rear ended the car in front of them.

The third crash, which happened on October 29th, 2008 in southern France, was much more serious. The accident happened during a test drive where the sales director was demonstrating how sporty the suspension is… at 100 mph. The roads were wet and visibility was reportedly low.

Details are limited, but the accident happened during a high speed turn. The passenger (and potential customer) was ejected from the vehicle upon impact. Fortunately for both of them, their injuries were relatively minor. The driver suffered a broken hand and some bruises. The passengers injuries are unknown, but he has already been released from the hospital.

Check out the carnage below, do you think the Tesla Roadster can be classified as a safe car or were these two people just extremely lucky?

Source: WreckedExotics.com

F1 Season has Ended, Winner Decided in the Last Second of the Brazilian Grad Prix

Going into the Brazillian Grand Prix, the final race of the Formula One season, Lewis Hamilton (McLaren) was seven points ahead of the man in second place, Felipe Massa (Ferrari), for the drivers championship.  For Felipe to win the drivers title, he not only had to take 1st, but Hamilton had to place 6th or worse for Massa to close the points gap and take the championship.

Massa was driving hard and held a commanding lead for most of the race, only falling behind during a pit stop.  Hamilton started the race in 4th place, dropped to 7th, but was able to regain some of his lost ground by the last two laps.  It was raining out and the track was pretty wet.  Many drivers went to the pits to change into a set of rain tires, but Toyota’s rookie Timo Glock took the gamble and stayed on dry tires.  That gamble would prove to payoff, but not for Glock.

Entering the last couple of laps in 5th place, Hamilton had to maintain or improve his positioning to win the drivers race.  It was looking good until Sebastian Vettel was able to squeeze by Hamilton, knocking him down to 6th place.  If these positions held, Massa would take the championship.  Felipe crossed the finish line in 1st place and it looked as though the race was over, but then the unimaginable happened.  Glock couldn’t hold his position in 4th place during the last corner and both Vettel and Hamilton over took him. The whole thing happened so fast, even the camera’s missed it.  Massa, his crew and family were rejoicing over his win, only to find out that Hamilton had taken 5th.

It was as close as close can get and was an amazing finale for the season.  Hit the jump to get a list of the final standings for the Grand Prix and the Drivers Title.

Source: AutoBlog

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Ferrari Might Drop F1 if FIA’s Standard Engine Rule Passes

FIA, the Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile, is trying to push through standards for Formula One teams that will constrict competitive advantages, cut costs and make F1 a pure race for the best driver. Although many manufacturers and race teams are not opposed to measures that help reduce costs, most feel that cost reductions should not come at the expense of technological advancement. Ferrari, who has competed in Formula One racing since 1950, will seriously consider leaving the sport if standardized engines become a new regulation.

The Formula One Teams Association called a meeting Geneva a few days ago to discuss alternative options for cost reductions. Toyota agrees with Ferrari and firmly believes that “Formula One must remain a technological challenge” and that other means of cost reduction must be considered. If Max Mosley, President of the FIA, is able to pass this standardized engine measure it will go into effect no later than 2010. Hopefully FIA will come to their senses and not push away auto manufacturers that support the F1 sport.

Hit the jump to read Ferrari’s full statement.

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Nissan Releases Second Video of the GTR Lapping the ‘Ring

After Porsche accused Nissan of cheating on the ‘Ring to get an unbelievable lap time of 7:29.03, Nissan released this second video to prove that the car was entirely stock and that it had the extra 100kg of recording equipment on board. Check it out, the speed of this car is incredible!

Nissan Serves Up More Proof for Porsche & the World

Nissan wants to make sure nobody is believes Porsche’s claim against the GT-R’s time on the ‘Ring. I thought they had made themselves clear by making an official statement and sending out a press release, but nothing is better than cold, hard proof. Today Nissan released a second video of the GT-R running around the ‘Ring in 7:29 seconds and also included a photo of the tires that were used and currently on display in Sumitomo Rubber Industries in Japan. The video shows the GT-R Nissan before the actual lap, along with the 120lbs of tracking and video equipment that was used to measure and record the GT-R’s performance. The racing starts around the 4-minute mark, hit the jump to watch the whole thing.

Source: GTRBlog.com

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Nissan Motors Smacks Porsche with Another Press Statement: Learn How to Drive

Hoping to set the record straight, once and for all, Nissan issued a press release today outlining the exact details of the GT-R’s record run around the Nurburgring. Not only did they clarify that the vehicle was completely stock, but also that using one-off specialty car to run around the ‘Ring would “have no meaning” to them. In case anyone wants to see the tires that were used to run that hot lap around the Nurburgring, the full set of Dunlops SP Sport 600 DSST CTT’s are on display at Sumitomo Rubber Industries in Japan.

Nissan also thought it was a good idea to let Porsche and any other auto maker know that Nissan does offer driving lessons to help people understand the full capabilites of the GT-R. Nissan also wanted to remind everyone that to ensure maximum performance from their GT-R, they should follow all break-in procedures, service schedules and routine maintenence. Sounds like Godzilla is confident that they will win this shoving match, hit the jump to read Nissan’s full press release.

Source: AutoBlog

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Pollution Reducing Statues Erected in Minnesota

With the grand opening of the new St. Anthony Falls Bridge on Minnesota’s I-35 comes two new pollution reducing statues. The statues are made of a specially formulated photo-catalytic concrete which helps convert gases like carbon monoxide, nitrous oxides & sulfur dioxide to higher oxidized states by using ultraviolet sunlight to accelerate oxidation at the surface of the structure. This is similar to the operation of a catalytic converter as the byproducts of this oxidation are less harmful for the environment then the unchanged gases.

These new statues are 30-foot tall and resemble the international cartographic symbol for water. This is a pretty cool idea, it’s more thinking like this that we need to help reduce our overall impact on the environment.

Source: AutoBlog

Ford’s MyKey Technology to Limit’s Teens Freedom with Cars

You know that little chip that’s inside your car key, which is the reason replacement key’s can cost $100+. Well now that chip can do a lot more than drain your bank account. MyKey is based on technology that Ford has developed over the last decade, which allows the car to see what key is in the ignition and apply different driving rules for different keys. Here’s a quick breakdown of MyKey’s primary features:

• Programmable speed limiter
• Speed alert chimes at 45, 55, or 65mph
• Traction control cannot be turned off
• The seat belt warning chime sounds and the radio is muted until the seat belt is buckled
• Maximum radio volume can be limited to 44%
• Low fuel warning comes on when range is limited to 75 miles. This normally happens with a range of 50 miles.

MyKey will come standard on the 2010 Ford Focus and will be an option on many other vehicles made by the big Blue Oval.

Source: AutoWeek

Nissan Got the Memo, Says No to Cheating on the ‘Ring

The head honchos over at Nissan have responded to Porsche’s experiment with a GT-R on the Nurburgring. The official statement from Nissan is that the GT-R which ran the ‘Ring in 7:29 was running on the optional Dunlop tires, which are offered to all GT-R buyers. Furthermore, it was a standard showroom-spec GT-R which had no modifications to improve it’s power output.

So what about Porsche? Did they not opt for the better Dunlop tires? Were they running on the cheaper Bridgestone’s? Were they sandbagging and not pushing the GT-R as hard as they could? Maybe the driver they used just can’t drive as well as Nissan’s driver could.

Stay tuned, Porsche or Chevy should be chiming in soon.

Source: Drive.com.au

Ferrari Doesn’t Want a Piece of the Sedan Market

If you’re interested in a 4-door sports car made by one of the worlds premiere super car builders, you’ve got a couple of options.  From Porsche comes the Panamera, Aston Martin has their Rapide, and now Lamborghini has its Estoque.  But not Ferrari.  Ferrari isn’t interested because Ferrari hasn’t forgotten its roots.  Ferrari hasn’t forgotten that it is a racing team first and that the only reason it has a small production line on the side is to help fund its R&D.  A brave statement when the car industry is in it’s biggest slump in decades, but I applaud them for maintaining their focus and not diluting their brand.  Bravo Ferrari.

Source: Motor Authority

Porsche takes a Stand Against Nissan’s Lap Time on the ‘Ring

Ever since the Nissan GT-R ran around the Nurburgring in a blistering 7 minutes and 29 seconds, the auto industry has been ablaze. The GT-R is heavier and has less power than many of the cars it beat around the ‘Ring, but Nissan claimed it as their lap time in an official press release. Most people were shocked, many were stunned, but auto makers from around the world questioned the validity of the time, particularly Chevy. Now Porsche has done their own testing with a brand new GT-R they purchased from a US dealer.

Porsche claims their GT-R was completely stock, untouched with production tires and the fastest time Porsche could achieve was 7 minutes and 54 seconds, a full 25 seconds slower than Nissan’s claimed lap time. Porsche also ran stock 911 and GT2 models within two hours of the GT-R and got around the ‘Ring in 7:38 and 7:34, respectively.

August Achleitner, the 911 product chief at Porsche, stated “for us, it’s not clear how this time is possible. What we can imagine with this Nissan is they used other tyres.” If his guess is right, Nissan most likely used a semi-slick racing tire. Achleitner also wanted to be very clear that he was not speaking bad of the GT-R, in fact he commented that it was a very fast and consistent car, but the claimed lap time just didn’t make any sense to them.

This is a bold statement from Porsche and I for one can’t wait for Nissan’s response to it.

Source: CarsGuide

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