2009 Nissan GT-R - Zero tolerance for asshattery

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Its likely to be the same as a TVR or a Porsche 911 or a Ferrari F430, you track it, you lose your warranty.

The fact they'll give you driver training on a track for an extra fee isn't an issue, that's driver training supervised by a company official and will be written down as an exception in the warranty contract. TVR offered driver training too, that didn't void any warranties but if you crashed then it was not their problem. However outside of any company offer such as the driver training or similar that was stated as specifically not voiding your warranty, tracking the car would.

Like I said, the only difference with Nissans deal over your average other sportscars is that they're offering an honest option of keeping the warranty after a track day, should you wish to.
 
Well at least they are trying to make the dealers some-what honest.

Autoblog
Nissan attempting to reduce markups on GT-R orders
Pre-orders for the 2009 Nissan GT-R have already begun, with 691 certified dealers across the US ready to service the new offering. The expected sales volume is in the range of 2,500 vehicles for the first year and 1,500 anually after that. Do the math and you'll see the equation adds up to limited consumer availability. Mix that with high demand and you know that markups follow. Eager enthusiasts are up in arms over the possibility that their greatest desire might he priced out of reach as a result. Even Nissan expects to see its dealers make an attempt to cash in.

Hoping to alleviate fears of $60,000 fees tacked onto the $70,000 GT-R, Nissan North America spokesman Darryll Harrison spoke with Inside Line about the automaker's actions aimed at curtailing dealer markup. After all, Nissan worked hard to create a high performance machine that sits in a more affordable price range and it wants it to reach its originally intended consumers. Harrison revealed that not only is Nissan requiring all GT-R sales to go through dealership management staff, but paperwork must also be filed with Nissan North America's regional sales offices. The term "counsel" was used to describe the interaction between the dealership and regional sales office. What this "counseling" entails is unknown, but sounds like it involves discouraging dealerships from engaging in egregious rip-off artistry. How successful this approach will be remains to be seen.
Click to expand...

I think this is going to irritate dealers quite a bit, sounds like a huge hassle they are going to have to go through, but they did bring it on themselves.
 
And will make it easier to find one in the Peoria area, I'll bet. I don't think there's many people who can afford cars over $100K in this area.
 
Is there even an authorised dealer there? I've been looking around a little bit but I don't think there is one Nissan ok'd in my area.
 
We've got two Nissan dealers in town, and its hard to say for sure who is going to get the GT-R nod. Gezon has been selling Nissans longer, but has a fairly modest sales volume over the year. Fox (read Amway) Nissan has a much larger volume overall, but they are going through construction, and it always seems like they have more used cars than new cars on their lot.

One hopes Gezon gets the nod, problem is, I hate the new management at the dealer. It caused my Nissan group head buddy to retire early, and my VW group head to outright quit.
 
Dave A
Its likely to be the same as a TVR or a Porsche 911 or a Ferrari F430, you track it, you lose your warranty.

The fact they'll give you driver training on a track for an extra fee isn't an issue, that's driver training supervised by a company official and will be written down as an exception in the warranty contract. TVR offered driver training too, that didn't void any warranties but if you crashed then it was not their problem. However outside of any company offer such as the driver training or similar that was stated as specifically not voiding your warranty, tracking the car would.

Like I said, the only difference with Nissans deal over your average other sportscars is that they're offering an honest option of keeping the warranty after a track day, should you wish to.
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Ferrari Warranty covers all Road & Track use. Lamborghini's is essentially the same.

The only clause is that it won't cover damage, just parts that need to be replaced due to being worn. And it's normally Ferrari's call on that.
 
I'm pretty sure that GM has the same policy on the Corvette. They'd be stupid to think that people aren't going to track their Z51s, Z06s, and eventually ZR1s. If its obvious that you screwed up, no, they won't change it, but due to wear and such, I don't see why not on their "performance oriented" models.

I have never read up on the specifics of the Corvette warranty (usually it is different, I believe), but this is what they say on their standard stuff:

Chevrolet
GM PROTECTION PLAN
The GM Protection Plan is the only vehicle service and maintenance contract endorsed by General Motors and brought to you by GMAC Insurance, the insurance people from GMAC. The GM Protection Plan offers mechanical coverage for the parts and labor costs of repairing covered vehicle components against failure — even if it results from wear and tear (except in Kentucky). Depending on the level of coverage, additional benefits may include:

* Roadside Assistance Program
* Alternate transportation
* Towing
* Basic maintenance coverage for specific maintenance needs
Click to expand...

Chevrolet
WHAT IS NOT COVERED
As the vehicle owner, you are responsible for the performance of the scheduled maintenance listed in your Owner's Manual. In addition to the "What Is Not Covered" section of the Warranty Booklet, this Powertrain Limited Warranty does not cover the following items:

* Powertrain wear items, such as clutch linings
* Wear items, such as brake pads and shoes
* Scheduled maintenance items, such as filters, coolants and fluids
* Any damage caused by owner/lessee failure to follow scheduled maintenance may not be covered by warranty
* Damage due to accident, misuse, alteration or contaminated or poor quality fuel
Click to expand...

I think the term 'misuse' is a bit of a loose definition, but there is otherwise no outright denial of service due to racing, other than the issues with general wear/tear that you could otherwise do yourself.

At least where I'm standing, if something fairly "normal" fails in a high-performance car when doing the high-performance driving it was designed to do, thats GM's fault, not the driver's.
 
But they will still refuse to repair it on warranty if they think it's been done on a track. I wasn't aware Ferrari did cover thier vehicles for track use but the majorty of manufacturers warranties will not continue to legally cover your car after you track it nor are they legally obliged to. I'm not arguing that all do, just the majority. The ones that do allow you to track the car and not to worry are a minority. I am only arguing this case because of the ammount of anti Nissan drivel that was being posted in relation to thier warranty which is better than most in that it at least gives you an honest option of keeping the warranty.
 
Oh yeah, we know that... If I took a Dodge Avenger to a racetrack and one of the wheels came off, yeah, they'd laugh at me and hand me a bill for $3000 of work.
 
Joey D
Is there even an authorised dealer there? I've been looking around a little bit but I don't think there is one Nissan ok'd in my area.
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Yeah, Uftring Nissan in Peoria. Uftring owns a BUNCH of dealerships in the area, he's pretty rich, even has a Jaguar/Land Rover dealership, (and two Chevy dealers...and a Ford...and a Chrysler,) so he probably has the clout to get a GT-R out here. There's also an Xtreme Nissan in Bloomington, but between them and Uftring, I'd bet it'd show up at Uftring.

The main problem there, though, is if the big dealers in Chicago decide they want them all, they'll probably get first dibs.
 
Okay... Ferrari covers it... my bad, too. But most other manufacturers won't... that still stands.

And, RE: Corvette ZR1: reliable?

In my dictionary, powerful sportscar + reliable don't often mix. The current Z06 has had that brake brouhaha... and my Uncle's Viper goes through more serpentine belts than I do tires... it's not a jab at American sportscars, though... Lambos and Ferrars are kind of famous for spontaneous combustion (we had an F430 go up in flames near my house a few months ago... on a 40 mph cruise through the countryside... at least it was covered under warranty), while Lambo powertrains are notoriously finicky.

Granted, GM has an ace up its sleeve in that big, unkillable engine... but I'd wait to see how well the GT-R and ZR1 do in the real world before passing judgement... Nissan's reliability has often been spotty in the past (and I still think the QR-series should have gotten an engineering overhaul before they started selling it...), but they tend to make very good, very reliable turbo engines.
 
IMG_1798s.jpg


dyUntitled-1.jpg


bone stock GT-R with BP Ultimate 102 unleaded, (which is still pump fuel).... 520 bhp @ 6,617.

IMG_1813s.jpg


so, that's 40bhp+ with slightly higher octane fuel. In US that octane rating would be 96.
 
The highest octane in Michigan at least is 93 that isn't considered "racing fuel".
 
I don't know where you guys buy gas but here in Louisiana, as well as in my old place (Virginia) the highest Octane you can buy is 93. 96 is something I've never seen in any state and 102 is unheard of. :odd: :rolleyes:
 
Kent
96 is something I've never seen in any state and 102 is unheard of. :odd: :rolleyes:
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That's why he mentioned that 102 would be 96 in the US, the European and American rating systems are different. In here you can get 98 octane fuel from just about every station and it's probably the equivalent of that 93 grade stuff of yours. Our run of the mill fuel is the 95 octane which is the equivalent of the 91 grade of yours. The 102 octane fuel is still in the trials.

Wikipedia - Octane rating
It should be noted that this higher rating seen in Europe is an artifact of a different underlying measuring procedure. In most countries (including all of Europe and Australia) the "headline" octane that would be shown on the pump is the RON, but in the United States, Canada and some other countries the headline number is the average of the RON and the MON, sometimes called the Anti-Knock Index (AKI), Road Octane Number (RdON), Pump Octane Number (PON), or (R+M)/2. Because of the 8 to 10 point difference noted above, this means that the octane in the United States will be about 4 to 5 points lower than the same fuel elsewhere: 87 octane fuel, the "regular" gasoline in the US and Canada, would be 91-92 in Europe. However most European pumps deliver 95 (RON) as "regular", equivalent to 90-91 US (R+M)/2, and deliver 98 (RON), 99 or 100 (RON) labeled as Super Unleaded.

In the United Kingdom the oil company BP is currently trialling the public selling of the super-high octane petrol BP Ultimate Unleaded 102, which as the name suggests, has an octane rating of RON 102. Although BP Ultimate Unleaded (with an octane rating of RON 97) and BP Ultimate Diesel are both widely available throughout the UK, BP Ultimate Unleaded 102 is (as of October 2007) only available throughout the UK in 10 filling stations.
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...I've seen 100 octane fuel when I've been down South at Sunoco before. It was quite a few years ago, as I recall I was in Northern Alabama the last time I had seen it. Its around, normally the Union 76 and Sunoco stations will have the higher octane fuels (being "racing" fuel companies and all).
 
http://www.autoexpress.co.uk/news/autoexpressnews/216951/ultimate_nissan_gtr.html

Thought the Nissan GT-R was already too hot to handle? Think again! Not content with the standard car’s blistering performance, the Japanese firm is developing a mighty V-Spec flagship – and we have all the details.

While the standard GT-R produces 473bhp, the range-topper is tipped to deliver a huge 550bhp from its twin-turbo 3.8-litre V6. The 16 per cent power boost will be matched by a substantial 150kg weight reduction to make the V-Spec one of the most hardcore supercars on the planet.

And the modifications won’t stop with performance upgrades – the body will get an aerodynamic make-over, too. Our picture shows how efficient the standard car is at slicing through the air, and a wild bodykit complete with side skirts and splitter will give the V-Spec maximum downforce at high speeds. Inside, the cabin will be stripped out to help reduce weight, but the dash-mounted touchscreen will remain. In fact, by the time the model arrives, the features available in the hi-tech system will be even more advanced, giving greater control of the set-up on the move.

Nissan has two very specific targets for the thrilling newcomer. Firstly, its engineers are desperate to complete a lap at Germany’s Nürburgring in less than seven minutes and 25 seconds, to take the circuit record.

And they are also keen to topple Porsche’s 911 GT2 and GT3 from the top of performance trackday wish lists. But the extra pace won’t come cheap. The GT-R is set to cost around £55,000 when it goes on sale in the UK in March 2009, and the V-Spec will add £20,000-plus to that. It will join the range before the end of next year
 
It was to be expected, I think. My guess is that it V-Spec will be a quick one, but yeah, we'll find out soon enough. They were saying what, 100kg lighter with the extra gusto? Should make up for some interesting performance runs I assume...
 
150kg lighter, that will bring the weight down to a fairly decent level for a car of type and size.
 
Oh yes, I can see it now...
GT-R V-Spec vs Viper ACR vs Vette ZR1 vs F430 Scud vs Gallardo LP550 vs 997 GT2
That would make for one very amusing comparison test... :sly:
 
75000 pounds for a V-Spec sounds pretty awesome. A GT3's roughly that, isn't it? Though, even with 150kg shaved off the stock GT-R, we're still looking at a car 200kg heavier than a GT3... though an extra 150hp to match. And with PASM on the GT3, I'd bet it's not going to give up a huge amount of stability to the 4WD Nissan.

Should be very interesting.
 
Venom800tt
Oh yes, I can see it now...
GT-R V-Spec vs Viper ACR vs Vette ZR1 vs F430 Scud vs Gallardo LP550 vs 997 GT2
That would make for one very amusing comparison test... :sly:
Click to expand...

Thats the kind of stuff car guy's wet dreams are made of!
 
skylineGTR_guy
http://www.autoexpress.co.uk/news/autoexpressnews/216951/ultimate_nissan_gtr.html

Thought the Nissan GT-R was already too hot to handle? Think again! Not content with the standard car’s blistering performance, the Japanese firm is developing a mighty V-Spec flagship – and we have all the details.

While the standard GT-R produces 473bhp, the range-topper is tipped to deliver a huge 550bhp from its twin-turbo 3.8-litre V6. The 16 per cent power boost will be matched by a substantial 150kg weight reduction to make the V-Spec one of the most hardcore supercars on the planet.

And the modifications won’t stop with performance upgrades – the body will get an aerodynamic make-over, too. Our picture shows how efficient the standard car is at slicing through the air, and a wild bodykit complete with side skirts and splitter will give the V-Spec maximum downforce at high speeds. Inside, the cabin will be stripped out to help reduce weight, but the dash-mounted touchscreen will remain. In fact, by the time the model arrives, the features available in the hi-tech system will be even more advanced, giving greater control of the set-up on the move.

Nissan has two very specific targets for the thrilling newcomer. Firstly, its engineers are desperate to complete a lap at Germany’s Nürburgring in less than seven minutes and 25 seconds, to take the circuit record.

And they are also keen to topple Porsche’s 911 GT2 and GT3 from the top of performance trackday wish lists. But the extra pace won’t come cheap. The GT-R is set to cost around £55,000 when it goes on sale in the UK in March 2009, and the V-Spec will add £20,000-plus to that. It will join the range before the end of next year
Click to expand...

Shouldn't be too hard if the GT-R did it in 7:38....
 
about the warranty issue, somone from japan went to the nissan high performance center and asked them about the warranty, this was the reply:

Have not read the entire thread but just wanted to chime in with the info i got from the nissan high perf center near me. they said the warranty for the engine is seperate to the car warranty. also, chosing "circuit mode" when you get to the track does not void the warranty. disconnecting the speed limiter also does not void the warranty. what they told me was the agreement gives them the RIGHT to void the warranty if they feel any damage to the engine has been caused by using the car on a circuit, ie over 180kph. as everything is logged it's pretty easy for them to spot this.
 
Ah, sensible then. I assume thats the case for most, if not all, sports car warranties.
 
Like I said, everyone was getting bent out of shape over nothing. Again. This car seems to bring out the worst in people.
 

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