We've all marveled at the reported performance of the Nissan GT-R, many wondered if such performance is even physically possible. Porsche for the first time ever weighed in, magazines raved, web sites castigated, video evidence has been questioned. In other words, there has been much entertainment for tracktard gearheads.
Now, call us cynical skeptics, but so far we have not seen evidence that satisfies us one way or the other about the GT-R and other cars it has been compared to. "Godzilla the Giantkiller"is just too good a magazine selling headline not to be taken with a grain of salt. There have been many tests but none have had the level of detail or transparency to convince us fully.
So here is what we propose: Axis of Oversteer will supply a Porsche GT2 and we make an open call to curious owners of a Nissan GT-R to provide Godzilla for head-to-head testing.
Let's get something out of the way: I've read comments about Axis being a Porsche fanboy site. I can assure you we have no vested interest in Porsche A.G. Of course we LIKE Porsches, what true car maniac does not but our main interest is performance. CG owns a
GT2 it's true, but I guarantee that is only because he could not find a 430 Scuderia at a premium that would not include the removal of precious body parts. We drive BMW and Audi, I even have a soft spot for Renaults when I go to Europe! We get into arguments with people all the time because we call for the death of the stick-shift and proclaim the virtues of paddle-shifters (though, ironically, at the moment none of us owns a car with a robo-box!). In other words we are interested in how to go fast not in what to go fast in.
I can guarantee we don't care what the results will be but we DO CARE how conclusions are reached and how data is gathered.
So how would this work? Obviously this would be in consultation with with the GT-R owner but the main goal is to eliminate as many variables as possible.
Here are the basic points:
- Cars will be tested on the same day, under the same conditions.
- Cars should be stock (disclaimer: CG installed rear seats in his GT2).
- Both cars will carry data loggers and video cameras.
- All results will be made available on our site.
- We are based in NYC so testing would be at one of our local tracks, to be determined.
Here are the safety/insurance points:
- A fair test requires the same driver in both cars, ideally a number of different drivers in both cars and we understand that this might be a sticking point. While we welcome support from track insurance companies that may want to be involved in this project and allow for a more complete test, CG is willing to guarantee the GT-R owner MSRP as a contingency. CG would drive and the GT-R owner would ride in both cars to even things out. If someone can guarantee for the GT2 then we can have a further data point.
- There has been some controversy about the GT-R warranty, we would run the GT-R in whatever mode the owner is satisfied will not void Nissan's coverage.
Again, in the interest of full disclosure, while CG can play the part of the Stig's latin cousin very well, he is in fact the head of a successful company and happily married with 3 kids....you would not be putting your life in the hands of a Red Bull fueled Gran Turismo 5 champion.
We would like to thank Chris H for his help formulating this idea and look forward to getting to the bottom of this, we truly are curious and want to find out what we can.
Join us, we'll gather data, feed it into the nearly infallible Axis STFU3000 Supercomputer and let the chip fall where they may!
Feel free to leave comments with your suggestions and if you are that GT-R owner
CONTACT US asap!
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It snowed here in NYC yesterday and while it seems these days most people are terrified by any hint of sliding, I immediately took my car out and relished any amount of slow speed sideways action I could manage... It was great fun and a rare treat while it lasted.
I hope you have read Drivers Republic latest "issue". They got to do the comparison we all would like to do and concluded that, essentially, Porsche was right when they claimed something was odd about Nissan's Nürburgring lap times. Chris Harris is a good driver, probably better than most auto journalists so his impressions have more weight with us. When he says there may have been 15 seconds more in the GT-R but certainly not 30, it's believable.
You have enjoyed Zampa's Porsche 996 GT3 video below, now let's switch to the next generation of flattened VW Beetle, the 997.
