In late October, Nissan's corporate communications department issued the following statement regarding warranty claims against damage assumed to be caused by the supercar's launch control system:
"The GT-R is built to exceptionally high standards and is a true supercar in every respect. It is designed to be operated in accordance with the Owners Manual provided at the time of purchase. The GT-R is not to be operated with the VDC system switched off, except when rocking the vehicle when stuck in mud or snow. Damage to the vehicle, including to drivetrain components such as the transmission or engine, resulting from such operation is excluded from warranty coverage by its terms. As customer satisfaction is our top priority, we ask that our GT-R owners keep this in mind and reference the GT-R Owner's Manual for more details."
Now tired of the continuing controversy, a Nissan official has confirmed that launch control will not be part of the 2010 GT-R.
According to Inside Line's testing, the GT-R's acceleration is dramatically slower without launch control — effectively relegating the one-time top dog of the supercar realm to B-list status. Our test of a Japanese-spec model, which is easily the quickest GT-R we've ever tested thanks to high-octane Japanese fuel, proved how much launch control aids Godzilla's holeshot: Zero to 60 mph required 4.5 seconds (4.0 seconds with 1 foot of rollout like on a drag strip). The quarter-mile slowed to 12.2 seconds. That's a full second slower to 60 (no rollout) and a half-second slower in the quarter mile than the last GT-R press car we tested using launch control.
Inside Line says: Hang on to your 2009 GT-R with both hands. The winner of IL's 2009 Instant Classic award has just become even more valuable. — Kelly Toepke, News Editor
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