Nordschleife excluding GP track, 20.6 kms:
www.nurburgring.org.uk/map.jpg

6:55* -- 178.699 km/h -- Radical SR8, 360 PS/650 kg, Michael Vergers (sep,28 05), (*street-legal only in the UK)
7:12* -- 173.600 km/h -- Radical SR3 Turbo, 320 PS/500 kg (test drive 07/03) (*mfr.)
7:14.89 172.181 km/h ? Donkervoort D8 270 RS, , 350 PS/600 kg, Michael D?g (nov,6 05),
7:15* -- 170.48 km/h -- 2008 Nissan GT-R, ?? PS/??? kg (*mfr.) provisional entry,
7:15.63 169.311 km/h -- Edo Porsche 996 GT2 RS, 542 PS/1284 kg, Patrick Simons (sport auto 09/05),
7:18.01 170.236 km/h -- Donkervoort D8 RS, 370 PS/670 kg, Michael Duechting, sport auto 12/2004, >>>
7:19* -- 168.929 km/h -- Radical SR3 1500 Turbo, Phil Bennet (jun,15 03) (*mfr.),
7:28 --- 166.652 km/h -- Porsche Carrera GT, 612 PS/ 1475 kg, Walther Roehrl,(Autobild 07/04)
7:32* -- 164.071 km/h ? Pagani Zonda F, 650 PS/ 1230 kg, (*mfr.)
7:32.44 163.911 km/h -- Porsche Carrera GT, 612 PS/ 1475 kg, definitive time Horst von Saurma (sport auto 01/04)
7:32.52 163.882 km/h -- Gemballa Porsche GTR 600 EVO, Wolfgang Kaufmann (sport auto 01) ,
7:33 --- 163.708 km/h -- Pagani Zonda F, 602 PS/ 1371 kg, Horst von Saurma (sport auto 05/06),
7:34 --- 163.586 km/h -- Koenigsegg CCR, 806 PS/1418 kg, Horst von Saurma (sport auto), oct,17-18 05,
7:36 --- 162.631 km/h -- Porsche Carrera GT, 612 PS/ 1475 kg, factory test driver Walther R? (02)
7.39* -- 161.575 km/h -- Porsche 997 GT3, 415 PS/1395 kg, *mfr. (quote sport auto 05/06)
7:39 --- 161.575 km/h -- Koenigsegg CCR, 806 PS/1180 kg,
7:39.39 161.219 km/h -- Porsche Carrera GT, 612 PS/ 1475 kg, Walther R? (AutoBild 02/06)
7:40 --- 161.217 km/h ? Bugatti 16/4 Veyron, 1001 PS/1980 kg (Wheels magazine Australia, 12/05)
7:40* -- 161.217 km/h ? Lamborghini Murcielago LP640, 640 PS/1655 kg (AutoBild sportscars 01/07) *mfr., company test driver Giorgio Sanna
7:40 --- 161.217 km/h -- Mercedes Benz SLR McLaren, Klaus Ludwig
7:40* -- 161.217 km/h -- Porsche Carrera GT, 612 PS/ 1495 kg, *cold and partially wet track (sport auto 12/03)
7:40 --- 161.217 km/h -- Porsche 997 Turbo, 480 PS/ ??? kg, Michelin Cup Sport tyres
7:41 --- 160.868 km/h -- Manthey Porsche GT3 M410, 413hp
7:42* -- 160.519 km/h ? Ford GT, 550 PS/ 1521 kg
7:42 --- 160.519 km/h -- Mosler MT900S Photon, Joao Barbosa (04)
7:42 --- 160.519 km/h ? Porsche 997 GT3 RS, 415 PS/1420 kg (*mfr.)
7:42 --- 160.519 km/h -- Radical 1500 SR3, 230 PS/510 kg (02)
7:42.9 - 160.207 km/h -- Corvette Z06, 500 PS/1319 kg, Jan Magnusen

 

It will be interesting to see if this is official. Without weight and horsepower numbers it is difficult to speculate if the track time will be anywhere near representative of production vehicles.

My guess is that without a serious change in "speculated" weight or horsepower those numbers seem a little unrealistic. But who knows it could be a prototype of a Japanese market "Halo" car with 550 - 600HP and ridiculously low weight of sub 3200 lbs and a six figure price to match. Big ???? for now.

Looking forward to the first comparos!

-AL

 

I wonder if this is the same tidbit that came out awhile ago. A few months ago a car magazine published the same time and it caused an uproar. Many thought it was complete BS and others thought it might be a typo and still others thought the magazine could have made a mistake in timing because it was by hand. I tend to go along with the typo. 7:51 instead of 7:15. Judging by the other times, a car with the characteristics that we are hearing 7:51 seems logical. You can’t get around Newton’s laws. Then again it could be a special car that is a test bed for how far the car could evolve. Again, so many questions that can’t be answered now and so much speculation that leads nowhere. Check out this link to motortrend http://forums.motortrend.com/70/6280...-nu/index.html

 

7:51 would be an embarrassment to Nissan. that doesn't even exceed 997tt or Z06. they did not build the GT-R to come out of the box already defeated by the cars it will be most compared to.

expect at least 997 GT3 times or much better --for the stock base model GT-R --not the model variants that will be much more powerful. N1 or "600R"Nismo variants of the GT-R will more than likely be on par with Carrera GT.

 

Hey Bonze, I definitely believe that it will do better than 7:51 but if you compare the vehicles with similar power-to weight characteristics (7.8 lbs/hp), the time of 7:15 doesn’t make sense. According to spy info, the car was a few tenths quicker than the 997. So with that in mind a good guesstimate would be in the low 7:40s maybe high 7:30s but 7:15, that’s a bit far fetched. The Ring is about 13mi. around and Laguna Seca 2.2mi around. So let’s say for math’s sake the distance is 6X. A few tenths (let’s say 3) times 6 is 1.8 seconds faster around the ring. According to the chart, a 997 with cup tires did 7:40. The standard Porsche 997 weighs in at 3600 dry with 480bhp on tap. AWD is the same. The GTR “specs-ulation” is 3500 with 450-500 on tap. If the GTR has 480 on tap, would you agree that it should be in the range of the Porsche. In the chart, the GTR is in the range of full-bred racecars. Again more speculation.

 

like i said, expect the GT-R to be in GT3 territory, beyond the 997tt. variants should get into the 7:3x range and maybe a quite a bit better more than likely --and this will "shock" the press and the skeptics alike-- as the GT-R may very well climb into Carrera GT range, thereabouts, before it's all said and done.

hear me out here: lock, stock and barrel ----> the GT-R is a race car. that has been the entire modus operandi of the GT-R program since day one. more properly, it's a homologated race car for the street. i can nearly guarantee you --even as i sit here guessing-- that the GT-R has been, will be, and is 100% homologated which is more than likely the track version that has made the alleged "7:15" Nurburgring times.

yes, i find 7:15 extremely hard to swallow. but remember that a homologation special can be whatever it takes. and this is exactly what the GT3 Porsche is: a homologation series. as is the GT2. they did not make those cars "just because." they made them to comply with FIA rules to race them as road cars in GT series. such as ALMS, LeMans, CanAm, etc... the car that is making the "7:15" lap time is exactly this kind of car:

look:
http://www.rallycars.com/Cars/Homologation.html

excerpt:
""In order for a vehicle to be able to take part in FIA approved races it has to be produced to a minimum number of units by its manufacturer, 5000 for the GroupN class, 2500 for the GroupA class and 200 for the now extinct GroupB. These units have to be similar, in aspect and mechanically, to the ones that will effectively take part in racing i.e. if the racing vehicle has a 4 wheel drive transmission so must also have the homologation base vehicle. Certain mechanical and electronic parts that are present in the racing vehicle must also be present in the homologation base unit. If modifications are required to the competition version then a new series of street going vehicles that include them will have to be produced. These cars were bred by racing for racing."

 

It would be cool if Nissan redefines the super non-exotic car market with a 7:15 GTR. I believe it is possible, but I think it is unlikely to be a US version that sells for around $70k. (God I sure hope not... otherwise its gonna lead to a second mortage and likely divorce!)

Realistically, we are probably looking at the "Halo" version. With the AWD technology of the GTRs and some serious horspower combined with factory NISMO tuning and lightening of the chassis anything is possible. Unfortunately, like the Ford GT, various Ferraris, Lambo's, and other exotics it would likely be out of the grasp of most enthusiasts.

Eagerly awaiting more info...

-AL

 

You guys are GTR enthusiasts and have every reason to be optimistic and excited. Until the numbers are actual they can be anything. But anything less than 7:40 is certainly wishful thinking. It's a great time but there's no way no how this car is gonna get close to 7:15 - that's a fantasy and it ain't happening.

 

you are 200% incorrect about the wishful thinking of 7:40. the GT-R will easily make that and better. the GT-R will be among the fastest production cars built; the base model more than likely on par with the GT3, and Carrera GT in factory Nismo variants.

it is more a fantasy to expect anything less than that.