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Palm Beach Supercar Experience 2010

E&L — Tue, 02 Mar 2010 11:05:35 +0000

Written by Kerry Stratton

The 2010 inaugural event for Palm Beach Supercar Experience (formerly Supercar Weekend) beat the weather and went off without a hitch. This years collaboration definitely took the Supercar event concept to the next level. Building on the last four years, this event truly brought together the best of the best in rare and exotic vehicles on the beautiful newly restored West Palm Beach waterfront. Read after the break for further coverage and photos!

While the weather didn’t play nice all day (intermittent sunshine and free afternoon carwash), it didn’t stop the crowd from enjoying the show. Well over 100 cars were in attendance…everything from tuned Camaros to a Ferrari F50; which was all boss, but the definite show-stopper was the yet-to-be released Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG Gullwing. The first Mercedes designed in-house by AMG is absolutely stunning and pictures do it very little justice. It’s quite deserving of the upcoming Gran Turismo 5 cover. I can’t wait to see it on the road! And with the initial specs, the eventual Black Series will be phenomenal. How do you make a great car better? Simple. Lose some weight.

Another eye-catcher was the all-electric zero-to-sixty in 3.7-seconds Tesla Roadster Sport; I’ve been interested in these cars since they came out and have been patiently awaiting their representation in Florida. Customers who were very patient in taking delivery of their Roadsters made out well; they had the opportunity to upgrade to the much improved Sport. Come to find out, Tesla now has a dealership open not far from Miami that we will most definitely be paying a visit to in the near future. We were one of the lucky few allowed to sit in the car this weekend so I’m thinking a test drive is in order!

Other highlights included multiple Murcielago SVs (a sick Matte Black LP640 spotted @City Place), a Ferrari FXX and a couple Spyker C8s.

If you’ve never been to this event, you really should check it out either at one of the two other dates this year (in New Orleans and the Hamptons) or on the flip side at the 2011 Palm Beach Supercar Experience. With all the new cars expected to drop between now and then, it should definitely be on every enthusiasts’ calendar.

(There are more pictures to come!)

Warranty Voided No More – GT-R Launch Control Now Warranty Safe

E&L — Sun, 22 Feb 2009 23:05:16 +0000

Written By Kerry Stratton and Zach Segal

The Nissan GT-R is back in full force – no need to worry about your precious warranty any more. After speculation that Nissan would completely remove the warranty-voiding launch control system from their all-wheel drive twin turbo V6 monster, a recent press release (below) explains that a new reprogramming of the GT-R’s ECU / VDC system will bring the feature back, and make it safer than ever (More info, pictures, videos, & specifications after the jump).

The Problem: Nissan GT-R Transmission / Transaxle Failures

It’s a commonly known fact now, thanks to YouTube (videos below) and enthusiast car forums, that Nissan’s newest implementation of the R35 GT-R has some issues; the biggest being that of its’ launch control system and transaxle failures. Some Nissan GT-R owners, according to Nissan, less than 1% of all GT-R’s sold, who have pushed their new 480 horsepower Japanese supercars to the limits have experienced some…..”technical difficulties” with their transmission. After a set number of launches the car simply decides that it is time for a new transmission, to the tune of $22,415.38 (plus $1,380.00 for labor). Who knows what Nissan’s thought pattern was, perhaps they assumed nobody would read far enough into the owners manual (pictured below) to use the launch control feature.

After many complaints, Nissan has taken the monster back to the drawing board, and is releasing an update to the GT-R’s VDC system. VDC (Vehicle Dynamic Control) is a computerized “babysitter” that keeps the GT-R under control for those owners with heavy feet. There has also been a recall sent to all previously sold cars that will apply the new VDC re-programming to them. Nissan claims the new programming will allow almost identical acceleration with all safety systems still in place. It’s speculated that to save wear and tear on the Nissan GT-R transmission, new system will rev the motor at around 2,000 RPMs – considerably lower than the current 4,500 RPM launch control. Unfortunately if you really want to get a neck-snapping launch out of your GT-R, turning VDC off does potentially void your warranty on the transaxle, although Edmunds InsideLine indicates that the rest of the warranty on the car will still remain intact.

Nissan’s Official Press Release

Nissan has enhanced the Model Year (MY) 2009 GT-R by incorporating new MY 2010 programming that will optimize clutch engagement control for improved drivability. This upgrade also improves vehicle acceleration with the Vehicle Dynamic Control (VDC) ON/activated.

Nissan will provide this MY 2010 specification upgrade to MY 2009 GT-R owners at no additional cost. Nissan has already incorporated this programming into the GT-R vehicles in its U.S. inventory and will resume shipping of those vehicles to dealers. We will advise you soon on how to install this new program into all MY 2009 GT-Rs (see below).

The GT-R will continue to offer supercar characteristics of exceptional handling, maneuvering and overall driving experience. This upgrade provides the consumer improved drivability and enhanced acceleration performance with VDC ON (as required by the warranty). Standing acceleration capability with VDC ON (VDC-R mode) will improve compared to the original model-year 2009 performance while such acceleration with VDC OFF will be moderated. Customers should be reminded to drive safely and obey all traffic laws. [Please note independent media reports of 0-60 drive times with VDC OFF (or what the media call "Launch Control") on closed-courses with professional drivers will likely increase after this change.]

The GT-R Owner’s Manual expressly warns against driving with the VDC OFF (except to free the vehicle when stuck in mud or snow) to avoid damage. Repeated acceleration launches with VDC OFF have resulted in some reported instances of damage to the transaxle. Repairs for damage caused by driving with VDC OFF are expressly excluded under the terms of the Nissan GT-R New Car Limited Warranty… Except when stuck, there is no reason to drive with VDC OFF.

This change was initially implemented with the start of MY 2010 GT-R production and has been completed for all 2009 GT-Rs still in NNA inventory… In a few weeks, you will receive the Technical Service Bulletin explaining how to implement this specification change for all remaining 2009 GT-Rs…

Nissan GTR Videos

Nissan GT-R Breaks Transmission on Track

Here is a thread on NAGTROC that details Samurai Speed (the owners’ of the GT-R in the video above) examining/dissecting their GT-R’s broken transmission.

Hitler’s Nissan GT-R Broke Parody Video (From AutomotiveAddicts)

Nissan GT-R Review

Nissan GT-R Review by InsideLine

Nissan GT-R With New VDC Launch Control Update

Nissan GT-R Specifications

Nissan GT-R Engine:

VR38DETT 3.8 liter twin-turbocharged 24-valve V6
Horsepower: 480 hp @ 6,400 RPM
Torque: 430 lb-ft @ 3,200 – 5,200 RPM
0-60 MPH: 3.2 seconds
1/4 Mile (Quarter Mile): 11.6 @ 120 MPH via DragTimes
Cylinder bore x stroke: 95.5 x 88.4 mm
Top Speed: 193 MPH
Emissions: 50 State LEV2/ULEV
Dual overhead camshafts with variable intake valve-timing
Aluminum cylinder block
Electronic drive-by-wire throttle
Fully symmetrical dual intake and low-backpressure exhaust systems

Nissan GT-R Drivetrain:

ATTESA ET-S All-Wheel Drive (AWD) with indepdndent rear-mounted transaxle integrating transmission, differential, and AWD transfer case.
Torque distribution – traction/yaw-based; up to 100% rear; up to 50% front
Electronic traction control
1.5 way mechanically locking rear differential
Advanced vehicle dynamic control (VDC-R) with 3 selectable driver settings:
- Normal – for daily driving; controls brakes and engine output
- R-Mode – for ultimate performance; raises the threshold at which the system intervenes
- Off – For when the driver does not want the help of the system

Nissan GT-R Transmission:

6-speed Dual Clutch Transmission with 3 driver-selectible modes (Normal, R-Mode, and Snow)

Nissan GT-R Brakes:

Brembo® 4-wheel disc brakes – 15 inch brakes front and rear
Front and rear two-piece floating rotors with diamond-pattern internal ventilation
Super-rigid 6-pistol front/4-piston rear monobloc calipers with racecar inspired 3 point radial mounting

Nissan GT-R Suspension:

Front suspension – double wishbone with aluminum upper arms
Rear suspension – multi link with aluminum upper links
Rigid, tubular front and rear suspension subframes
Bilstein® DampTronic system with three driver-selectable modes (Normal/Sport, R-Mode, Comfort)
Hollow front and rear stabilizer bars with tubular torsion-free design

Nissan GT-R Wheels:

Lightweight forged aluminum wheels
- Front wheels: 20 x 9.5″
- Rear wheels: 20 x 10.5″
(High-luster smoke gray finish included with standard tires / Silver finish included with optional all-season tires)

Nissan GT-R Tires:

Bridgestone® RE070R high-performance run-flat summer tires
- Front tires: 255/40ZRF20 97Y
- Rear tires: 285/35ZRF20 100Y

Nissan GT-R Forums:

For more on the Nissan GT-R visit our partner company Automotive Addicts.

Exotics and Luxury Community Comments:

What are your thoughts on the Nissan GT-R and the issues it keeps having on broken parts due to launch control. Should Nissan honor or void the warranties on the GT-R? Leave us a comment below.

[Source: Inside Line and Automotive Addicts

Supercar Weekend Pictures & Video

E&L — Tue, 27 Jan 2009 03:58:58 +0000

Written by David Raffa, Kerry Stratton, and Zach Segal

The sound of high revving exotic cars filled the city of West Palm Beach this weekend. Speeding blurs resembling red ponies and yellow bulls could be seen passing through nearly every intersection. This could mean only one thing: Palm Beach Supercar Weekend had returned for 2009. As in years past, exotic cars from all over had made the voyage to Palm Beach, Florida for the three-day event consisting of expensive cars, beautiful women, and trendy parties. Rewind a month: When John Temerian, Co-Founder of the event invited us this year to cover the event, how could we say no? It’s hard to beat looking at some of the finest exotic and luxury vehicles in the world in beautiful seventy degree weather right on the water.

There were of course Ferrari 360’s and F430’s, Lamborghini Gallardo’s and Murcielagos, BMW M cars and Mercedes AMG’s; but in this crowd of diamonds in the rough there were a few even more spectacular vehicles on display. The vehicle catching the most attention this year being the Ferrari P4/5 owned by James Glickenhaus. This beautiful one-of-a-kind creation began life as an Enzo, the last remaining unsold Enzo in the world at the time. Glickenhaus purchased this car and brought it straight to the masterminds at Pininfarina to have it transformed into a modern day Ferrari P3/4. This brought the price of the car to a staggering $5 million. Also on display was a beautiful blue Koenigsegg CCX attracting quite the crowd consisting of those in love with the car (such as myself) and those that had no idea what it was.

Now what would a car event be without vendors showing off their latest products? My personal favorite vendor display was that of 360 Forged. They had a beautiful display of vehicles lining the waterway of Flagler Drive including a few Corvette Z06’s, a Porsche 997 Turbo, A Ferrari F430 on Carbon Fiber Wheels, and my personal favorite, a CLS63 AMG. All of them of course adorned with the latest and greatest in aftermarket wheels. VQ Motoring also had a stunning brigade of vehicles – a highly modified Nissan GTR, a Porsche 997 Twin Turbo, and a modified Audi TT. It’s unfortunate that the opposing display was that of what may be the ugliest car I have ever seen. A Renntech built Mercedes Benz GLK350 Spec R Hybrid. At first glance I thought I was looking at a Scion xB but upon closer inspection I realized that it was in fact a Mercedes with a gigantic wing and enough extra sheet metal screwed onto it to build a small airplane. I’ve been told this was supposed to be a rally car replica but that doesn’t change my opinion of its looks. Sorry Renntech, I still love your work on the rest of the Benz lineup.

Luckily I was able to wash the bad taste of this car out of my mouth with the free champagne being served in the VIP tent we visited next. Amongst free refreshments we were also offered an air conditioned trendily decorated retreat complete with a great DJ. In true VIP fashion the area was kept exclusive to those holding passes, allowing us to escape the huge crowds and take a break in a relaxing environment.

Supercar Weekend brought an incredible crowd together. I had the chance to meet Anthony Carbone and Vinay Menone of MadWhips and Carzi. It also just so happens that Matt Farah of the popular online video show Garage 419 was filming with his crew. We chatted for a little while and I had some pictures snapped which are below the photo gallery.

As the event winded down the sounds of the cars yet again filled the air and echoed off the surrounding skyscrapers as everyone returned home to get ready for the eagerly awaited VIP rooftop after-party at Two City Tower. We pulled up to the building and were greeted by a number of eagerly awaiting valet parkers and event organizers. After a quick name check and a short elevator trip we arrived on the top deck. This exclusive affair was complete with several bars, our beloved DJ as seen earlier in the VIP tent, gorgeous models displaying the latest in fashion from Emilio Pucci, and a breathtaking view of the surrounding city. It was a beautiful event and a great way to end an even greater weekend. The organizers of this event deserve a lot of respect as they have, once again, pulled off something spectacular for the 4th year in a row! The team here at Exotics&Luxury looks forward to attending Supercar Weekend again in 2010.

Anthony Carbone of Carzi.com and MadWhips.com

Zach & Matt Farah From Garage419

Palm Beach Supercar Weekend Commercial

Scott Levinson & John Temerian

Head over to Carzi to view additional pictures and Anthony & Vinay’s review of Supercar Weekend 2009. If you want to see more pictures of the infamous Sharpie Lamborghini Gallardo, head over to Automotive Addicts.