For years, automakers have recorded their Nürburgring Nordschleife lap times for internal testing and PR purposes. However, the situation escalated in 2008 when Porsche accused Nissan of falsifying results. Thus, simple engineering tests turned into a major political battle and a fight for brand reputation. This is reported by Autocar.co.uk reports .
It all started when Toshio Suzuki completed the track in the R35 GT-R model in 7 minutes and 29 seconds. This result was faster than the 911 Turbo of that time. Nissan advertised this success, even using slogans like "The Germans were defeated." This seriously angered Porsche representatives in Stuttgart.
To clarify the situation, Porsche bought a Nissan GT-R at its own expense and tested it on the track. As a result, the car recorded a time of 7 minutes and 54 seconds, which was significantly slower than the time announced by Nissan. Porsche experts suspected Nissan of using special tires and modified engine settings.
Even today, electric cars like the Tesla Model S Plaid are trying to set records on the track with various tricks. Nevertheless, the struggle for real engineering achievements and honest records continues. The Nürburgring remains the most prestigious and controversial testing ground in the automotive industry.
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