gts4diehard

I was out there watching on the day but left before the incident, I met a few people and put faces to names and saw some really nice cars. I know hindsight is always 20/20 but from my experience going to a few track days as a spectator and participant at QLD raceway and lakeside raceway (john fraser driver training sessions) I have to say I was surprised to see the 'racecars' mixing it with the road cars and the numbers of cars on the track sometimes. I can't remember anyone running racecars in the same sessions with roadcars with such performance differentials at those track days, fast cars were always run with cars of similar lapspeed. The rules at those tracks was the same as it was on Saturday, 'you pay for your car' and you were damn careful not to hit anyone elses or get that close just in case. One thing to remember is that it is afterall a track day, not a race, few people run sponsored cars and can risk going 10/10ths all the time and potentially crashing, especially when they are paying for the car! One of the rules they used to run on those trackdays to lessen the chance of cars coming together was 'no passing on corners' which of course isn't as much fun, but after all they were track days and people like to drive their cars home. They also used to only run about 6 cars at a time so if anyone was a schumacher there was enough of a gap that that it would take a while for them to catch up(bearing in mind the drivers were similarly matched). And after each of the sessions if any of the drivers were much faster they would be moved to faster groups; idiots were kicked off the track. I do remember a few incidents at these trackdays but they were all car vs wall/armco rather than hitting anyone else. From all accounts the ZX was going pretty hard but I find it pretty hard to believe that the brakes failed (but were fine afterwards) WITHOUT giving any warning beforehand. If guys want to drive 'racecars' 10/10ths as though they are in a race then maybe they should be running with other racecars and drivers who know to speed up in pit lanes ... I don't think that one would go down well with anyone! certainly not the big boys... and if race car drivers do know to speed up in pit lane then that just further supports the mX drivers reaction, he wasn't a race car driver and it wasn't a race - don't expect non-racers to know how racers think when it's a track day!

also before you have a go, it might be worth checking the bushes in the rear hubs(where the links connect to). Just put the car up on stands and hold the rear wheel at a quarter to 3 and see if you can make the wheel move. If it moves at all there's more than likely some wear in the hub bushes, and probably some in the hicas if its stil there. I replaced all those bushes in a GTS4 a while ago and you could feel the difference when driving once they were all replaced. the car felt very planted and no more squirming.

Hi I have the front subframe/crossmember and rear subframe from a R32 GTS4 for sale. They will fit the R32 GTRs also. bare frames ONLY, no suspension links or bushes fitted. The rear subframe came out of my old 1990 R32 GTS4 when I replaced all the bushes in it. Front subframe is from a front cut. Located in Canberra. Ft crossmember is in good condition but has a bend on shroud near a castor rod mount. Rr subframe is in quite good condition, no damage - minus subframe bushes. Both for $100, pickup only. message me if interested. Stephen

Yeh its a funny thing with some of the dealers, it's like they don't want to make money. This was real strange to me when I brought my '32's over from NZ in '99, where the Nissan dealers were actually selling imports. The NZ guys were only too happy to take your dollars from you and help you out. When I was in Brisi the only Nissan dealer that was helpful was the Moorooka dealer and they were really quite good, getting hold of all the parts I wanted, even including those window rubbing strips for the doors. I don't know if they are still keen on imports as I have been in the ACT for a few years now but they are worth a try!

Just cruising the NZ car sites and saw this for sale at a dealer, not sure if NZ new or JDM one.... 4000kms for $129,000 NZ http://www.trademe.co.nz/Trade-Me-Motors/C...n-203722946.htm If it was a matter of simply bringing it over on a ship then it would be a bargain at around $103,000 Au.

One of my workmates bought a Mazda 3 diesel, they were very impressed with it. Mind you she wasn't coming from a Skyline, and this was in comparison to a Honda Integra but the thing sure has some torque (360 nm) and I think it came with the sports suspension - well the Mazda 3 version of sports anyway! 6spd manual from the MPS versions.... not sure if you can still get them though

The cradle bushes near the doors are silicone filled, if they're stuffed its fairly obvious, the rear ones are solid rubber. When I replace my cradle bushes the front were stuffed but the rears were still ok, no tears in the rubber and looked good. It is harder to tell if the rears are gone. I replaced all four and even though only the fronts were stuffed it was noticeable under hard acceleration out of corners that there was a positive difference. Didn't notice it at all when driving normally though. If the cars a long term proposition then I would do the cradle bushes if not then you would probably get away with the pineapples.

Just shows what happens when you focus on the fast bucks from the easy sellers (big suvs etc), and not on the future. It's a crazy situation because if you look at the car range GM makes, they have access to a huge range of vehicles, including small economical cars (from their Euro brands etc) and it makes no sense that they didn't make the most of it! There are a few car makers in trouble but not to the extent of GM and Chrysler, just shows how mismanaged the company was.

check RDA for some info, other than that the suppliers site would be a start... 2 articles here about it.... http://www.rdabrakes.com.au/index.php/technical.html

I think people are forgetting the most important part of Nissan's 7:29, the driver! Cars don't drive themselves yet or though maybe the R40 GTR in the future might! How many people are ex- F1 drivers? 7:29 is not an everyday GTR time, it was done by an ex-F1 driver who had put in a massive number of laps around the ring. Most people even if they did the same number of testing laps would not come close to that time, Nissan's driver showed what the car is capable of, if someone knows the car well and has the SKILLS. Porsche can't say the car isn't capable of that because their test engineer can't do it! Porsche either needs to get a better car or a better driver!

Should be an interesting year for GM and the other US makers according to this article....GM must really be stuffed (even more than they have been in the last few years) if GM can't even wait until Feb to be bailed out, which is only 10 weeks away. It would really be a shame to see this impact our manufacturers since the Australian companies are actually producing a decent product these days. http://www.news.com.au/business/story/0,23...from=public_rss General Motors chief executive Rick Wagoner said the US automaker would need state help before Barack Obama takes over the White House in January, telling industry publication Automotive News that time was of the essence. "This is an issue that needs to be addressed urgently," he said, calling on the Government to "overshoot, not undershoot" the level of assistance. His call for support came as GM shares lost 23 per cent yesterday after analysts at Deutsche Bank said they expected the stock eventually to be worth nothing at all. "Even if GM succeeds in averting a bankruptcy, we believe that the company's future path is likely to be bankruptcy-like," the bank said. Mr Wagoner said the entire US auto industry was suffering, with sales expected to be down by more than three million vehicles next year in the face of the global economic downturn.

Was just checking out some details for Bathurst, and came across this site, http://www.drivebathurst.com/, is anyone here going to run their cars in this event? looks a bit expensive but given the opportunity would be a good blast! It would be interesting to see how some of the newer GTRs would go on the track.

lol.... I take back part of my comment then, regarding '3rd gear', I may have been a little harsh. Porsche just needs to take a better driver to the track before they dismiss the times of others, maybe Sabeen could do better, didn't she go around in about ten minutes in a diesel transit! I can imagine it now - a future Porsche Headline....'Nissan Nurburgring time is fake!' with the following attached .... Grandma could not get near the time of 7:29, recording a time of 25 min, on a sunny day using slick tyres! Officials say that the time is impossible to attain despite Grandma being a talented Ford Fiesta driver ....

Item: R32 Front subframe, off of R32 GTS4 will suit GTR (not sure about the 2wds) - minor dent by castor rod mount on one side. Age: R32 - oldish Condition: good - note: No suspensions links or anything attached to it. Price:$75 To Fit: (What car) R32 GTS4/GTR Item: Rear Subframe, off of R32 GTS4 Age: R32 - oldish Condition: good, silicone bushes removed - note: No suspensions links or anything attached to it. Price:$100 To Fit: (What car)- R32 GTS4/GTR Item:RB20 injectors stock (6) Age: R32 - oldish Condition: - came off a working engine, have been sitting for a while, will more than likely need a clean Price: $25 (for all 6). To Fit: (What car) - R32s with a stockish RB20 Item: front brake hoses (rubber) Age: 3yrs old Condition: as new, still in plastic bag, Price:$35 for the pair. To Fit: (What car)R31, were for a R31 TI (auto) Location: Canberra Contact: PM if interested Comments: Will post brake hoses and injectors, buyer to pay packaging and freight, Pickup for the subframes. Cheers Stephen

1) ex formula driver vs test engineer 2) GTR developed pretty much for that purpose 3) Corvette and next Viper are even faster - if I were Porsche I'd be more upset about losing to these two! 4) Porsche - build a new car with technology and performance that matches the price! 911 is a great car in its various guises but its time for the evolutionary development to stop and the revolutionary to start! so can't get past third gear, hmm..... 16 seconds slower than the Porsche, out of 7min 38 works out to be about 3.5% slower, so even if you test with a lesser driver, and use only half the gears available it is only 3 % slower than the Porsche - I'd say that makes the GTR even more impressive! Porsche 911 - 'No other car will ever have its number!'.....might be time for a whole new car and a less desperate ad campaign because the 911 is getting seriously owned!