2010 GT-R Launch Control Controversy Explained on video 

i cant wait for 20 more years to pass, then ill finally be able to afford one of these with like 150k miles on it, LOL

I have the 2010 model with 20k on it . Never used the ‘launch control’ as called , simply hold brake till rpm hits 2500 to 3 and release . Much less strain on drivetrain and boy does it go . Great video thank you .👍

Finally, a true explanation for what we perceive to be Launch Control and the true intentions of VDC from the chief designer himself.

Awesome! Engineering with common sense is the key to success in any situation! What Nissan GT-R simply does is that it simply provides the wheels enough torque so that the tires don't slip, and then the full torque is applied... Now since the tire is already rotating, when full torque is applied, the additional torque is slightly higher than the frictional coefficient of tires...that's the reason you'll hear a slight slipping sound after the initial launch is done... Just awesome!!! Hats off sir!

I wish there was more reporting like this. Concise questions, answers and explanations that are easy to understand. A great report.

I cannot believe after Hiroshima, japan would give us such and amazing piece of machinery.

Very good video. Explains things quite clearly that I had always wondered.

From my Frontier, to my Altima, to my Titan, and then hopefully, someday, soon preferably, my GTR, Nissan has never let me down. You guys rock.

great interview, precise and clear.

As to why they call it "launch control": The "launch" of the car with VDC off being "faster" was just a coincidence. Besides, with reprogramming of the transmission software, they showed there's no need to turn off VDC to get a good launch with the 2010 GT-R (eg note at 3:01 Mizuno recorded a 0-60 run of the 2010 GT-R with VDC on: 3.3 secs! That's just .1 slower than the best recorded 0-60 of the old 2008-09 GT-R with VDC off, 3.2 secs).

That's one of the points of traction control - regulating the amount of torque being sent to the wheels for maximum traction. Wheelspin means loss of traction, so one way to prevent it is to allow some clutch slip (a bit similar to the way ABS prevents brake locking). Engine Rev control is another. The main feature of AWD in sports cars is improved handling while cornering, hence it's standard in today's WRC cars and some of the newer supercars like the Murcielargo.

My reference about the tires was that an all wheel drive car will see less of a difference in traction by switching to a race tire than a rear wheel will. That's a fact. All wheel already compensates for the traction issues some. Not that it wont be faster just not as much of a difference. It takes more skill to drive rear wheel fast, there is less room for error and the AWD can save your ass at times. So unless its a dedicated car a lot of week-end racers might prefer the GTR, AWD is easier.

@local282forlife the engineer says nissan doesn't call it "launch control." if your car is stuck, VDC OFF allows wheelspin, so you can rock the car back and forth, otherwise it would just sit in place with VDC ON. The manual states you could POTENTIALLY void your warranty with VDC OFF outside of a "stuck" situation. When people turned VDC off to enable "launch control" they put themselves open to voiding warranty, and that's what happened. VDC ON "launch control" is faster, anyway--no wheelspin.

with electronic traction controls, you can have more direct power and less "slip" since you now have more precise control over it, to the point you can transfer power to the limits of avaliable traction measured by sensors. but this is also what makes some traction controls "disconnected" with the driver since it is more "drive by wire". either it unresponsive and less fun or too abrupt/harsh and dangerous. the technology is better now ranging from ZR1 to F460.

Wow dude thanks for the video i missed that when it was on tv. Btw. that lap took over 30 min.

He said that the tires are spinning while release the brake and the trans is plenty of torque - why not set the trans, when you set VDC off, the full power for RWD, then when the time is passing the power can be transfering power to FWD - more and more and more power (they can calculate it, the traction for FWD can be on the limit but with thinking of power limitating parts in GT-R). When they would do it there will be issues with the trans no more and with awesome acceleration.

The corvettes ZR1 brakes are the same as the brakes on the enzo and probably the best brakes on the market. It's suspension is magnaride, a magnetic setup that can change its rate based on need and circumstance. Both of those things wouldn't be a problem. You're right typically they are but not in this case. I'm willing to bet that in the next yr or two chevy will give the ZR1 more power because it's so easy on a supercharged car, that way they can stay competitve.

Well at least this clears up this entire mess about this VDC off topic. Since I'm planning on getting this car some time in the future, I don't want people making fun of me about the warranty. I'm glad this case can finally rest

And another thing: the GT-R's AWD (known as ATTESA or Advanced Total Traction Engineering System for All-Terrain) is not always at 50/50 Front-Rear torque split at all times. It starts off at RWD by default (actually 2/98 F/R), but automatically sends some torque to the front wheels if wheelspin is detected.

Nope. The GT-R was NEVER intended for hard launching in the first place. GT Racing in Japan (which is obviously the intended racing category of the GT-R) has Rolling Starts, not Standing Starts, which would make Launch Control moot. So the warranty is simply based on the EXPECTED usage of the GT-R. Common sense - use something in a way it was never intended, then break it in the process, then you're on your own. (for example, a chain saw meant for wood - use it on metal, it breaks, tough luck)

Because those cars were designed with Drag Racing and Hard Launches in mind. The GT-R wasn't - in Japanese GT racing (which this car was primarily built in mind), races have Rolling Starts, which makes Launch Control moot.

They don't have to show it. VDC is normally turned off in those conditions, otherwise the wheel spin would cause the engine to cut-out to minimize it; kind of like when you try and rev to move, and suddenly the engine quits.

ANY car can be built to have selective rpm limiters as this "launch control". it's just no one does that because you will completely fuck up your drivetrain. many cars allows for some "slip" to buffer the power transmitted from the powertrain to the drivetrain, either the clutch or stall speed and lock-up in automatics. you lose some power/acceleration. the reason can be intentional: reduce the shock which can cause the wheels to lose traction or if traction is there, break the transmission.

i saw one of these all black tints and the black rims looks amazing man

My current Turbo running at 600bhp is the quickest turbo i have owned. Its even getting to the point of un-useable power, especially in the wet. The PDK turbo I loaned from my dealer was 100bhp less and so much quicker off the mark due to the pdk box. Not overall as quick but really made be think about pdk for a change. My dealer is usually pretty accurate - Turbo S will be 530bhp and ceramics as standard. He tells me 3 years for next 998 turbo and 580 bhp standard to compete with 458 italia.

First i like the GT-R. They only feint the problem by decreasing revs+smoother torque curve, overboost, hrottle response too. Please check how porsche called and use the launch control mode, when you're stuck you don't need the wheels to spin, you'll dig with your tires. For reliability they must fix the transmission cooler which is under estimated and the hardness of the 1st and 2nd pignion gear. Other supercars have launch control for drag launch...

At supersonic speeds, or in F1 races (where .001 seconds is considered critical), yes. Not so much with normal road cars.

So far GM only started selling Chevy-branded cars in mass production in Asia just a few years ago (and most of them are in fact rebadged Daewoo cars), and they're still rare around here. Outside Korea, Toyota is the most common car in Asia.

Pretty much. Nissan said that it wouldnt honor warranties if "Launch Control" was used as it wasn't designed for the use the general public was using it.

Sounds like a class action lawsuit to me. I was contemplating picking up a GTR last week and found out about this issue. If they want to sell more cars, and their sales figures have been slipping, they need to come clean on this issue and fix the problem. I am not going to buy any car, especially an 85K high performance car with known issues of reliability and voided warranties by using a factory built feature. They must deliver the 0-60 time, PERIOD

this is the absolute dream car for anyone who is a fan of AWD, or those of us that need it for part of the year.

The Top Gear Test track: GT-R: 1:19.7 Z06: 1:22.4 Fuji International Speedway: GT-R: 1:56.5 (stock) Z06: 2:12.996 (with modified brakes)

Good video keep it up fellas.

Nope. They NEVER called it launch control. That's exactly what Mizuno is saying. Someone else without Nissan's authorization called it "Launch Control"

Depends how deep the snow is. You can't throw it around when its all around you. Your wheels just spin no traction, no moving just tires spinning.

my brother has an 09 gt-r and the launch control helps alot in the snow! ALOT

I'm calibra turbo owner for 5 years now, and I am aware of 4x4 advantages and handicaps. R35 has button that pushed, revs to 4.5k rpm and releasing the brake u have a no mistake acc 0-62 mph in 3.3-3.5 sec, that is called lunch control.. And all so u have ur warranty voided. They described that button as mud escape! which is not. However I am HUGE fan of R35 GTR my self.. sry for my english is bad.

You all should spread this to people, esp. magazines who don't know.

Expect about £125k for Turbo S and add another £10k for cab version. Porsche don't get it wrong, thats why we've waited so long to put PDK in the Turbo model. I've asked my local dealer to hold my Gen 2 Turbo deposit for hope of getting allocation for Turbo S. UK dealers are to get no more than 2 cars allocated per dealer, one expected to be coupe and one cab. They have tested their launch control for 2 years to get it right. Did you know launch control is now no longer available in GTR?

Again you're assuming AWD is always "on" (i.e. 50/50 F/R split 100% of the time), which was the case of less sophisticated cars (like the Jaguar X-type AWD). Not the more exotic cars like the GT-R - as I stated, it starts off 2/98 F/R, but adjusts to as much as 50/50 if there is wheelspin detected. Some variants of the ATTESA actually start off 100/0 F/R on some older Skylines (using direct drive to the front wheels and a viscous coupling to the rear wheels instead of a center LSD).

that thing takes off so fast yet so smooth

It's for getting out of being stuck in mud/snow. That way you won't have to have someone get behind and push unlike ordinary cars.

Your not listening, he said the current US spec car doesn't have a "Launch Control", secondly turning the VDC off is meant to be used if the car is stuck in snow and the VDC should be turned back on after you've gotten the car free. So if you're using it to get the car out of mud, you shouldn't void the warranty. But of course if you're using it incorrectly at the drag strip, more than likely your asking for a voided warranty.

@local282forlife You obviously didn't listen carefully. The GT-R will STALL at 1600 RPM if there is a certain level of wheelspin if VDC is left on, and thus would happen in snow - ie you rev, then suddenly - CUT! The engine's rev limiter kicks in and you don't move. The effect is similar to the anti-stall on F1 cars where rather than cut the engine, the clutch is disengaged if the onboard computer decides the engine might stall on launch, and the car doesn't move.

Yup the ZR1 was tuned for the 'rings lap it inclouded a roll-cage, recaro sport bucket seats different suspension and maybe some other mods. The real ZR1 lap time was 7:38

Nope, the thing is you are stubbornly calling it launch control when it is not. What really happens when you "turn on launch control" in the GT-R is turning off Stability/Traction Control (VDC), which when turned on would automatically apply brakes to the wheels or cut engine power a bit whenever wheelspin occurs, which would make it more difficult to get out of snow/mud (kind of like the "anti-stall" on an F1 car).

In what races? The only known race series where the Corvette and the Nissan GT-R raced directly against each other was the 2008 Japanese Super GT (albeit different classes - the GT-R was in the GT500 class). The overall winner? The GT-R gave its drivers the Driver's Championship. The car (regardless of driver/team) won 7 out of the 9 races. (The Corvette that took part, in the GT300 class, barely made an impression; it was beat by the GT-R's lower class sibling, the 350z, in that class)

this is so cool, they actually adapt to the user's use of their product

Ozzy - have had 10 turbos in all - tend to replce every year. Latest one is the only one I have ever had tuned - its 600bhp - sounds awsome but it bordering towards the 'too much power' in certain of situations. Dry days and warm roads are great but we don't get too many of them here. Have Turbo S due in May/June - apparently press release from Porsche is due within next 2 weeks on the Turbo S.

if you paid attention to the video, it was never called "launch control." More like "VDC off mode." All the tech put into the car is not only to assist people who don't know how to drive. It's also to make fast drivers truly fly. Think Michael Shumacher is a pansy for having all that tech in his car? Didn't think so.

I've read in the gtr official forums that the frequant using of that "launch control" can litterally destroy your gearbox. There was some guys that was really upset about their GTRs dead gear-boxes.

Rather, it's an all-weather feature. Say you're parked outside and there's a sudden snowstorm. Most cars are stuck till it dries up, unless you fit tire chains on. The GT-R though can simply drive away.

Thank you!!!! i agree !

Other cars with the "launch control" can rev and dup the clutch (or the new flappy gear box) as man times without any damage. When they say they reduced the rpms to reduce the stress on the equippment....sounds to me that the gearbox is still a weak link.

THANK YOU!!

@local282forlife He was talking about the stall point. Thats like a normal auto transmissions torque converter. Different method same principal. A higher stall point will put less power down so you will have less torque to the wheels and less wheel spin.

@local282forlife It is NOT ideal to have as low as possible RPM for slippery conditions - it doesn't matter. What matters is wheel speed, and that is controlled by the clutch. The reason for the high RPM is not to stall the engine because of a sudden dip in grip. What the "launch control" does is make sure you don't spin the tires as much by doing trickery with the clutch, which means that if you use it to launch, it will very quickly tear apart the clutch.

It's not that hard to comprehend people, They made the VDC off option for quick starts, most likely for racing, BUT they put it in the manual as "a way to get out of snow/mud" so that they would not get in trouble for condoning racing.But since idiots were using it casually they blew their transmitions.

Certainly no mention of Launch Control on Nissan's website for the GT-R, or any of their cars (even Nissan USA). Go ahead and try and do a search there - the term "Launch Control" will turn up nil.

Apart fromthe PDK in a porsche which has not yet broke and carries a full warranty for use with launch. You will never ever ever see Porsche having to release a video on how and why they have had to re-programme cars software to stop them blowing up

Great info, for those who plan to stay stock. Who keeps the GTR stock?

@sailorenlil I heard that they had looked at using another manufaturers gearbox but it was just rumoured at the moment. They will get it right - no doubt and my guess is they will improve it next year. Waht do you reakon the turbo S will do performance wise? Official figures due out early Feb.

None car maker calls it launch control doesn't make it any less launch control because of that. For Porsche ESP is PSM doesn't make it any less ESP. BMW calls AWD Xdrive doesn't make it any less AWD because of that. Nissan can call this however they want its still launch control.

lol DID HE JUST SAY THE YEAR OF THE CAR WAS AN " O-10'" LOL

It's still very confusing even listening (oh well reading) to that Mizuno guy for several times. But what I think he said was that "launch control" mode is to "control launch out of slippery surfaces" mode so that you can actually start moving? dunno confusing.

These are not excuses for an unreliable system. VDC Off's use is clearly stated in the owner's manual, and any use outside of this is clearly out of specification for the system. He states that the suspension will not settle under the torque of the VDC Off mode. Obviously, this is not the way to launch the car. Anyone who says otherwise is either in their teens or totally oblivious to the facts. I refuse to call VDC Off "launch control", because that's simply not what it is.

@raphaelstrangelove Clutch or torque converter has nothing to do with whether something is automatic or not. That is just what people are use to it being. The term AUTOMATIC means something that happens without your intervention. It is technically called a semi-auto because you can do both. A MANUAL transmission can only be shifted manually. It will NEVER shift by itself or have the ability to do so. The GTR can be driven in full automatic mode all the time. A Manual car cannot.

The original quick times were unauthorized demos not endorsed by Nissan. The only reason Nissan modified the 2010 cars is that those American customers were too stubborn to follow instructions properly. I wouldn't be surprised if Nissan would decide to create another block of the GT-R with a real Launch Control for the American market in the future (probably the new Spec-M I keep reading about, or maybe even another "spec" model still in the drawing board).

No. in japan they have crazy snow storms, its not just a situation that you get caught in , the GTR and past AWD GTR's have been for daily use in japan , wether it be in snow , rain , gravel and other weather conditions , its not a show pony.

Assumptions will get you no where, but I will explain to you that here in america, alot of spoiled kids have been picking these up, and from what I've heard from a few nissan dealerships here in Socal, that they will buy the car, and just slam right out of the place when they buy it, which we all know is TERRIBLE. They dont follow nissans RPM to Mile guide. Something that should be used by ANY GT-R owner regardless.

Accelerating? 0-60 time for the Z06 was 3.8 seconds. That was proven by many magazines and officials. The 2009 GT-R's time was 3.5 seconds. That,too,has been approved by officials,and not just Nissan's claim. The braking distance is 104 feet,which is 2 feet shorter than the Z06. Handling wise,the GT-R is much better because of its 4WD system. That's just common sense. When driving through a slalom,it's faster than the Vette,at 72.9 mph. The Z06 does 68.5 mph.

I heard Nissan doesn't cover the transmission on a GTR, is this true? Because I'm in the market to buy a GTR model 2012 or 2013. This is crap if they don't cover it.

@kryptonek88 I totally agree that the Vette is awesomely great and that the GT-R needs some more work. But they are definitely doing what they can and I have absolute faith in their dedication and determination to fix whatever may need to be fixed (despite the fact that I am not a Nissan guy in my heart).

any car will brake if u keep dumping in to drive with the revs up,awd just brake faster .good information. thanks M

the GTR, with the response in its acceleration and the fluidity in its lap times makes nissan a leader with AWD and their system at peak performance. but to not understand this and abuse the system as if it was a hinderance and harm the drivetrain by diverging to use such a bypass i feel GTR owners deserve a $22,000 bill or having this "launch control" unavailable and now intergrated as a slightly more aggressive and unavoidable "slip control".

I think they set their secondary rev limit (launch control) at 3k, because they got tired of warranty claims. I have my STi's secondary rev limit (launch control) set at 4k, and I still get some drama from the wheel spin.

Thank you.

sure it's not, where are you basing that opinion from. Consumer Reports from what I recall has always rated the corvette quite high. Swap the rear tires to slicks and watch the time drop by at least 1 sec in the qtr. Change to a track tire like a hoosier when youre at the track and watch the time drop. I think an experienced tracker will prefer the corvette, the average man the gtr. Remember they are built as street cars first. The nissan awd will benefit less from track tires. Both great cars

@player1vladimir Have you ever been stuck in the snow? Spinning your tires helps tremendously.

nissans are reliable dude, heck any car is reliable if you take care of it and just do really basic things like checking and changing all fluids, and making sure you put the right fuel into the car(IE i know someone who puts 87 petrol into supra when it says 91 petrol) but you're right, sdaying to someone you own a nissan gtr doesnt sound as nice as saying you own a porche cayman s or something in that case the nissan is much faster but the porche is a higher class car

Yes, launch control is made to avoid wheelspin at start.

And since LC ver.1, wasn't really an LC.. It's not Nissan's fault of dealing with all that bs that they dealt with if the general public are too lazy to read the manual. Nissan is actually being generous when they made a new LC, which if you want to think about it.. it's the ONLY TRUE LC for the GT-R.

The Nurburgring. The Corvette C6 Z06 did 7.42 whereas the 2009 GT-R did in 7.29. The 2010 GT-R did 7.26 but that was not confirmed,only the 2009 model. Even so,it makes no difference. The GT-R beaten the Z06.

Even if they used track tyres,it doesn't make a huge difference,because numerous other track tests were made by numerous other officials,magazines etc,and the GT-R just outshines the Z06. It's that simple. If you still deny this,then you really did not do your research properly.

@R31K88 i dont think the gtr has ever been about inefficient fun. efficiency is top priority hence no wheel spinning lunacy.

Doesn't sound like you've been stuck in the snow before. Spinning your tires throws the snow away so that you can escape. I would imagine it works similarly to a tractor pull.

Cool it's easier on the gearbox. Does the VDC still void the warranty?

This is really funny - somehow I could never see Porsche having to put out a video saying how their cars need a software upgrade to stop them falling apart.

Just had loand of new PDK Turbo from my dealer and launched it loads of times -they also tell me they launch it daily, and have done at least 50 or 60 launches since they put this demo model on the road. Regarding the wording - misuse - thats their way out of fixing it under warranty.I can tell you that Nissan have never fixed a clutch under warranty in any GTR and customers have had to pay to fix their cars- hence the talk everywhere of their engineering faults.

In other words, you are willing to directly dispute a manufacturer's claims. Why don't you go ahead and sue Nissan Motors for falsification (or false advertsing or whatever)?

Watch a totally independent review on motortrend as svtmallUT says. Its 4 seconds to 60. Launch control is discontinued on all new cars from now. Thats why they are upgrading the software for the old cars with launch. Just had loan of PDK turbo from my local dealership and launched it about 10 times over 2 days. No clutch problems - infact the dealer tells me they launch it daily for demo's - I have been told Turbo S due in May, 530bhp, maybe it will be as quick as the Datsun? And warrantied?

Nice video but i didn't see the use of the VDC off thing...

you can still void the waranty if you lauch with vdc off. The differance is that with the 2010 model there is no performance advantage to launching with vdc turned off. So why would you?

one more thing.....the reason why zr1 and viper lap times is because they are NOT STOCK.....the gtr is just a 00:00:30 seconds behind the NON-STOCK zr1

Someone better tell Kazutoshi Mizuno that the 2009 brochure says "Launch Control."

oh mizuno~ funny you can say that breaking the back end lose isn't fun haha. does anyone know if this conversation applies to the version 2 software on a 2009 model as well?

It's seemed like a foolery to say that: "VDC off was made for get out of mud" - OK, but some electronic "helpers" is made so limited that in slippery conditions would rather be off (i dont mean that the electronic in GT-R is limitating).

@Ozzy9111 New 997 TurboS due out May 530bhp , warranty on transmission, sub 3 seconds to 60, Porsche is just teasing the Datsun boys. I'm running a 600bhp 997 turbo maunal. I'd be lucky to even get near the PDK turbo, I borrowed one last weekend, the gearbox was unreal.

They say VDC on still gives good acceleration - wonder how those times compared to with VDC off?

at least their launch control is remarkable in the latest GT-R models.