AutoBild Sportscars - Corvette ZR1 vs. Nissan GT-R

The GT-R is just epic!

Almost 200hp short on power, more than 200kg heavier... yet still fastest on the track! While the ZR-1 is known to be a super-fast car, too!

This car is indeed quite incredible. Stunning performer, regularly beating more powerful, more established, much pricier cars...

Amazing machine that is.

GT-R will always be my choice. The Corvette is just...Blah. I'm much more impressed with the new Camaro.

Super-car performance from Zr-1 is indeed a great mark & with the price-tag she holds, it's intelligent business!

However, I'll take Gt-R over her, any day with no hassles! She is probably the best machine ever from Japan! :t-cheers:

Wow the GTR is much heavier, much less power, much lower displacement and power band and yet it pulls a better lap time. I give this due to superior braking technology and the first 3 very short gears up to 160 km/h or so.

What do I need a Corvette ZR1 for when I can get -



Hennessey Performance has successfully completed the most crucial step in developing its ZR1-powered HPE700: Getting the Corvette ZR1's LS9 motor to fit in the engine bay of the new Camaro. John Hennessey just sent over these images that show the before and after, and from the look of things, the supercharged 6.2-liter V8 fits nicely.

The engine cover that's visible through a polycarbonate window on the Corvette ZR1 lines up nicely against the Camaro's firewall and it appears there's still some room left in front of the engine. While the LS9 normally produces 638 hp in the ZR1, as its name suggests, the Hennessey HPE700 will be shooting for over 700 horsepower. Only 24 examples will be produced and Hennessey has already sold 11. If you're interested, check out the official specs and features on the Hennessey Performance website.


- It Fits! Hennessey successfully shoves ZR1 LS9 into Camaro

^^ These times are noticeably influenced by the temperature, the altitude, the driver etc.

So comparing two cars tested elsewhere and by someone else is not completely fair.

BTW, is the Launch Control available in Europe for the GTR or not?

I heard that Nissan amazingly refuses warrantee if you use it, and that using it leads to gearbox damage... Shame if true!

I'm not so sure the brakes are superior (although edmunds.com has an article showcasing that the brakes are pretty well though out). The ZR1's brakes are carbon ceramics, while the GT-R's are steel. Even so, it's surprising to see the GT-R this close to the ZR1 in braking (it actually beats the ZR1 in 200-0 braking). The ZR1 easily has the advantage in swept area/tonne.

The 2010 GTRs have new software that actually has launch control that won't void your warranty. The software is also available for retrofit to 2009 models. I believe the new one is not as extreme (launch at ~3000 rpm vs 4000) as the old illegal one, but just as effective. The reason the old one had warranty issues was cause you had to disable VDC to use it, while the new one doesn't need VDC to be disabled.

I can't listen to it, but many thanks.
If I understood well, the use of the old LC was leading to gearbox damages and the warranty didn't cover it, is that right?

However... if the car can't stand the old launch control...why offering it?

If I throttle to the max in Neutral in my old automatic Merc, and then put the lever on Drive, my gearbox won't be so happy. I can understand that.

But if there is a button on my car that does just that, then why can't I use it?

If there is a Launch Control, it should work. And be covered by waranty.
If not, just don't offer it!

But I see the problem is solved now. That's good, and retro-fit is possible!

Funny thing is that the euro-spec e46 M3 SMG did face the same problem, with voided warranty over the gearbox/axle problems caused by a "too frequent" use of the lauch Control...

No there is no button that says 'launch control', nor is it documented in the manual how to access it. What it says in the manual is how to get out if your car is stuck in the snow/mud by disabling VDC (Vehicle dynamic control - I guess Nissan's version of DSC in BMW). People have been using that feature to launch it at 4000RPM. The manual clearly says disabling VDC is only for 'getting out of snow/mud' and you should always have to drive the car otherwise with it enabled. So Nissan has been denying warrnty based on that. Where it gets fishy is, while there is nothing in the manual about 'launch control', Nissan's officials itself has been touting the 'get out of snow' mode as launch control in videos and interviews. See the video where Jay Leno is testing the GTR, there is a representative from Nissan saying how the car has launch control. I bet there will be law suits based on that.

What the new software does is have a offical launch control (tough they still don't call it that since it is banned in Japan I beielve) that can be used while VDC is still on.

Corvette for me please.


M

yea, that is what is strange, it was never an official feature, but they unofficially marketed it.