Porsche rejects GT-R times
BY BYRON MATHIOUDAKIS | 2nd Oct 2008
Speaking at the launch of the latest 911 Targa in Italy this week, the person in charge of the 911, Mr August Achleitner, told GoAuto that Porsche could not even get close to approaching Nissan’s claimed lap times for the GT-R.
He added that when last tested in September, a pair of current-model Porsches comprehensively outpaced the Nissan, with all the cars running within two hours of each other in identical conditions.
“The current 911 Turbo and GT2 beat the Nissan GT-R at Nurburgring,” Mr Achleitner revealed.
Porsche could only manage a lap time of seven minutes and fifty four seconds (7:54) in the GT-R, compared with Nissan's time of 7:29 - set in April this year by a Japanese racing car driver.
In contrast, the rear-wheel drive 911 GT2 stormed around the famous German road circuit in 7:34, while the heavier all-wheel drive Turbo managed the lap in 7:38.
Both Porsches were wearing Michelin Sport Cup tyres – which are what the GT2 and GT3 models wear as standard from the factory. They are available throughout the regular 911 range as an option, except ironically on Australian-bound 911s because of warranty-related issues should owners decide to go racing on them.
The GT-R that Porsche tested was purchased recently in the United States and was said to be “stock standard”.
Asked to offer possible reasons for the time discrepancy between the GT-R tested by Nissan and Porsche, Mr Achleitner believes that the Japanese may have run non-standard tyres at Nurburgring.
He suggested that special racing tyres would certainly improve the GT-R’s times at Nurburgring.
“We imagine that they used other tyres.” With the latest R35 GT-R weighing more and producing less power than the fastest 911s, Porsche’s engineers said that they are perplexed by the Nissan’s record-breaking Nurburgring run for a production car.
“For us it is not clear how the (Nissan’s GT-R) times are possible.
“The Nissan is a good car... but we wondered because this car is more than 120kg heavier than the 911... and uses wider tyres and is a front-engined car...” Mr Achleitner explained.
Porsche was at the Nurburgring in September testing a raft of current and upcoming models, including the next-generation 911 (ubbed the 991-series) due in 2012, and the Panamera four-door sedan that will debut early next year.
Mr Achleitner – whose official title is “Director Product Line 911" – has been in charge of the rear-engined sports car since 2001, and is leading the development of the 991.
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