Ban On Grey Gt-r's ?

[scathing]

Why does anyone think that any car dealer, least of all a Nissan dealer, gives a flying fk about any enthusiast community?

In other countries, they do.

Citroen went out and polled car modifiers to see what they like when designing their little hatch, which is a staple for tuners.

In the US, you can spec out your Nissan with Nismo parts. Other US dealers also offer a great scope for customising, above the usual floor mats and boot liners.

The greatest example is the new Mini. You can option it out to over double its base price, and the list of options goes for so long its pretty much impossible to see two identical Minis unless one person deliberately copied another.

Even HSV knows that the only reason they're still not churning out shit fibreglass bodykits in a shed is because of the strength of its enthusiast customerbase.

Enthusiast doesn't necessarily mean modifier, so you could consider a lot of companies that engineer their cars for their customers' tastes (like Lexus with the interior of the RX330 since Mark Levinson didn't find the cabin space conducive to good acoustics, VAG who offer a dozen different setups on the same platform, with different brands, depending on what kind of car you want, and then lets not even get into the customisation options of the big boys like BMW's Individual program, Bentley's Mulliner setup, Rolls and Maybach who build-to-order, etc).

You'll notice that most of these brands are aspirational because they let the customer get what they want, rather than telling the customer what they should have. This is why Nissan Australia is basically regarded as a cardigan car company.

[R338OY]

Fascinating thread. Fascinating discussion.

I don't like the news article and i really don't like Nissan Oz. They're imbeciles and disconnected from the Nissan owner's community. Importing is the heart and soul of the GTR here, and they're just going to 'block it off' because they can give us a sh!tty warranty. I don't give a f**k about a warranty so much as a clean car for a fair price.

130k sounds reasonable. 150k is too rich imo, and compared with prices in Japan and the USA.

[ylwgtr2]

annnnnnd this is how they thank us..........

if the price they sell here = the price you buy from japan + all the rest of the cost , then I guess it won't be so bad. But if they want to put $50,000 "dealer adjustment cost" as BMW puts it, then I'll shit in their show room.

hahaha...i will see your turd on the show room floor and raise you a crap in the ashtray

[Rav]

If Nissan australia are the only ones aloud to sell them that means they can put the price up the dogs, All they care about is how much money they can make and not the small time imports.

[N1GTR]

I have a question.

Why does anyone think that any car dealer, least of all a Nissan dealer, gives a flying fk about any enthusiast community?

Car dealers care about one thing & one thing only: How much money they can make out of selling you a shiney new car.

It consumes them.

If they get to shaft the second hand import industry in the process it is, for them, just an added bonus.

Its not the dealers, they dont care about anything unless it makes them another sale for their monthly target.

Its the head office

[MYRB30]

Manufacturers not giving any support to grey imports is nothing new, and will always exist....Anyone tried getting factory subaru parts for that STI motor they imported?????You'll get no help.....Tried getting the J spec bumpers for a vr4 from mitsubishi?????You'll get no help....

These new nissans...well their engine, and body control management has been designed with alot of control given to the dealers. Its getting really hard for workshops outside of the manufacturer to get the software to work on these cars, even for really simple stuff. Try programing a late model Nissan key at home... IT CANNOT BE DONE! A trip to Nissan is required.

This information may never be released by Nissan, so your grey import may end up being a nightmare that will not idle, drive, rev or even start......

Yes it ticks me off to the utmost degree, but Renualt (main shareholder of Nissan) need a return on the money invested to keep "Your Nissan" company alive (nissan walks a fine line between viable and bankrupt....only the french were game to purchase it).

Ask yourselfs how you would be if some competitor was undercutting the business you work for.

If you think Nissan are being unfair, hows about you do a degree in automotive engineering (you'll need fluid, aerodynamic, thermal, elctrical etc degrees also) and get a job at your local car manufacturer and produce a car similar.

Truth be told the GTR is a bargain, and remember what happend to the dodge viper. It hit the market at $50,000 us, and is now at $200 000 i think, its so popular that they didn't have to increase production, they increased the price.

The R35 GTR was built to rival the exoctics, and to beat them. A consequence of that is that only a lucky few will be able to say they can afford one.

[scathing]

they're just going to 'block it off' because they can give us a sh!tty warranty. I don't give a f**k about a warranty

If you were to put down $130,000 on a car I'd hazard to say that you'd start giving a f**k about a warranty.

If that hand-built engine lets go because of a manufacturing fault, you'd be shitting bricks having to replace it out of pocket.

[GTR R35]

It is a great discussion, but I would never buy a grey imported R35 unless it was for the track only.

There are just too many uncertantied. Issues with the Audio, GPS and speed limiter are things that come to mind.

I remember looking at the Lexus SC400 back in the early days when the TV, satnav and radio could not work because of the electronics.

This will be multiplied 100x with the new GTR as it has a heap more gizmos. Warranty is also a very important factor in my new car purchase. When you spend $100k> you want a nissan warranty, 3rd party insurance warranties with their limits will not cut it in this segment.

While I do not care much if Grey GTR's are allowed, I do not think the $20k difference in price will not sway most buyers to choosing Grey over a nissan Oz spec unit.

[R338OY]

If you were to put down $130,000 on a car I'd hazard to say that you'd start giving a f**k about a warranty.

If that hand-built engine lets go because of a manufacturing fault, you'd be shitting bricks having to replace it out of pocket.

I agree. But you're mangling my comment, i said:

I don't give a f**k about a warranty so much as a clean car for a fair price.

I didn't say warranty was bad. I said Nissan Oz were bad.

[Duncan]

BTW you are spot on Scathing.

Nissan Aus have already shown themselves true to form and refused to even source parts for the guys racing the R35, let alone supporting or helping them.

Also - they can't race the R35 it is not eligible for any category it could be competitive in.

Production Cars - over the price cut off

Improved Production - would need to run 35mm restrictor it would be farked at that weight

Sports Sedans - legal but it would get eaten alive

Supercars - lol right. not even if they ran a carby on it/

Nations Cup - 4wd are banned from next year. This category was its only real chance.

AASA - Yes it is OK there but it doesn't have the profile to make it worthwile.

Tarmac rally is their only chance and lighter evos are always the car to have (tyre life issues)

[nisskid]

i dont understand why nissan are so worried, i was under the impression most revenue is made from servicing not the sale of the cars, hence even grey imports will bring in $$ with servicing costs etc.

[Guest]

Fascinating thread. Fascinating discussion.

I don't like the news article and i really don't like Nissan Oz. They're imbeciles and disconnected from the Nissan owner's community. Importing is the heart and soul of the GTR here, and they're just going to 'block it off' because they can give us a sh!tty warranty. I don't give a f**k about a warranty so much as a clean car for a fair price.

130k sounds reasonable. 150k is too rich imo, and compared with prices in Japan and the USA.

If you were to put down $130,000 on a car I'd hazard to say that you'd start giving a f**k about a warranty.

If that hand-built engine lets go because of a manufacturing fault, you'd be shitting bricks having to replace it out of pocket.

I agree. But you're mangling my comment, i said:

I didn't say warranty was bad. I said Nissan Oz were bad.

It will be hard enough getting the parts out of Japan for a Grey Exported car to fix a fault let alone working out who is going to pay for it and if you think this is not the truth please someone prove us wrong by getting a price with confirmation of availability and that you can buy it on a new Transaxle Assembly with transfer case, Crankshaft Bearing Set and a Turbocharger Assembly for VIN CBA-R35-000012 from your connections in Japan.

Their is 3 R34 GTR's currently for sale over $120,000 in AUS Link with another 4 in the $90,000 to $110,000 so how can you say a new R35 is worth $130,000, their wont be much price difference between Nissan and Grey imports for various reasons including getting stock and what people with money to burn will pay for the status of owning one.

Their is more speculation on this subject then what you might see on a stock market forum so when it finally plays out more people who know nothing about this industry will be proved wrong then correct due to assuming what might or should happen.

In business you do anything you can to stop competition affecting your bottom line so why is Nissan expected to do a couple of people a favour by not bringing them in especially going on the status it will bring to Nissan.

[scathing]

I agree. But you're mangling my comment

I didn't say warranty was bad. I said Nissan Oz were bad.

I never said you said the warranty was bad. I said you said you thought a warranty was [/i]irrelevant[/i] compared to getting a car "at a fair price". When you're putting down $130K, I'd beg to differ.

You could buy the most immaculate looking grey import that's ever graced our shores, that's only done mileage from the factory to the dealership to the owner's home to the auctions to the boat yard to the compliancing centre to your driveway. It could be driven by a guy so mechanically sympathetic that he cries a little every time a part moves. It could even cost you $120K.

But if you got a car with a manufacturing fault and the engine blows up, with the resulting oil leak sprays all over your tyres puts you into a pole.....with your "fair price" grey import you'll be paying for the repairs yourself. And its not a $15K R33 GTS-t you're fixing in a market that's flooded with spare parts.

Edited March 12, 2008 by scathing

[ylwgtr2]

Manufacturers not giving any support to grey imports is nothing new, and will always exist....Anyone tried getting factory subaru parts for that STI motor they imported?????You'll get no help.....Tried getting the J spec bumpers for a vr4 from mitsubishi?????You'll get no help....

These new nissans...well their engine, and body control management has been designed with alot of control given to the dealers. Its getting really hard for workshops outside of the manufacturer to get the software to work on these cars, even for really simple stuff. Try programing a late model Nissan key at home... IT CANNOT BE DONE! A trip to Nissan is required.

This information may never be released by Nissan, so your grey import may end up being a nightmare that will not idle, drive, rev or even start......

Yes it ticks me off to the utmost degree, but Renualt (main shareholder of Nissan) need a return on the money invested to keep "Your Nissan" company alive (nissan walks a fine line between viable and bankrupt....only the french were game to purchase it).

Ask yourselfs how you would be if some competitor was undercutting the business you work for.

If you think Nissan are being unfair, hows about you do a degree in automotive engineering (you'll need fluid, aerodynamic, thermal, elctrical etc degrees also) and get a job at your local car manufacturer and produce a car similar.

Truth be told the GTR is a bargain, and remember what happend to the dodge viper. It hit the market at $50,000 us, and is now at $200 000 i think, its so popular that they didn't have to increase production, they increased the price.

The R35 GTR was built to rival the exoctics, and to beat them. A consequence of that is that only a lucky few will be able to say they can afford one.

Im interested about programming the key in your back yard thing...........people have told us in the past about this type of thing with late model motorbikes.....we can train ANY key,second hand or new to suit an ECU...and i am not sure about other model nissans but i have a 34 gtr and i know how to train that key to suit the seimens box under the dash.....i assume that all nissans of this era have the same or very similar system...Therefore its not a matter of information being released....its a matter of how much work you want to put into something and how determined you are......and who cares if the local distributor doesnt help you out with certain things......ok so if i wanted for instance hot up stuff for a BMW.....i sure as shit wouldnt be calling BMW australia......i would contact germany....therefore who gives a shite about nissan australia???In relation to a competitor under cutting your business,i run my own business and often get "XXX will do it for XXX price" My response is you get what you pay for and if i am going to go broke i would rather be sitting out front in a banana lounge than busting my balls The car is cheap.....even 200k is bollocks all these days...its just people have deep pockets and short arms........If i bought one and it didnt have a warranty,i wouldnt be concerned........ Further more id like to take to those rotten looking barges with a good old fashioned 5lt can of fuel and a box of matches.......Go the 34

Edited March 12, 2008 by ylwgtr2

[scathing]

i dont understand why nissan are so worried, i was under the impression most revenue is made from servicing not the sale of the cars, hence even grey imports will bring in $$ with servicing costs etc.

They won't service the cars.

Ignoring the general rule that Nissan stealerships don't touch cars that didn't come through Nissan Australia's head office, they might not even be able to.

The cars will have JDM interior spec and tune, which their grease monkeys will not have been trained for and their diagnostic tools may not interface with. With how high-tech the car is, software differences may be enough to "break" the electronics and render the car inoperable.

Ask anyone who's ever flashed a piece of electronics with the wrong firmware for that revision or serial range. Even if its for the same make and model of component it can cause it to not boot. I've had customers basically destroy routers by uploading firmware for a "Rev 3" version on their "Rev 2" hardware.

[scathing]

Tarmac rally is their only chance and lighter evos are always the car to have (tyre life issues)

Even tarmac rallying doesn't have the profile to really make it worthwhile. Targa Tassie has a reasonably high profile, but its only one event a year. I can't even remember the name of the rally Brock killed himself in, which goes to show how famous that event was.....

As an aside, do you know what rules Jim Richards is talking about here? It says the rules have hobbled the exotics like his Porsche while benefiting the cheap "Japanese all wheel drive rally cars".

I'm wondering if the R35 would fall under the "Japanese all wheel drive" definition and see bolstering from the rules, or fall out of the "rally cars" class and be considered exotica. If its the latter, then the GT-R is screwed at Targa Tasmania too (unless the rules changed again this year).

[Duncan]

haha that article is a funny read now, kind of in the past but sure enough a WRX won last year. Yes the regs are kind on evos and wrxs and to some extent GTR because they allowed manufacturer options (ie 32 GTR can run 18x8 wheels instead of 17x8, which in turn allows bigger brakes too).

Also boost is free but not many other mods are which really helps the turbo cars. GTRs etc are in M2 which do allow some freedoms while M1 like the porkers are basically stock.

The rules have been tweaked again this year but not too much. Certainly there is a good field of GTRs entered which is a nice change from porsche, porsche, porsche, porsche from prior years.

[hungry6]

I think alot of ppls are speculating prices on the new GTR base of what it cost...

I think the sticker price on the day will shock a few ppls and will have a few wanting refunds for deposits after learning of the "official" price.

I cannot for the life of me, see the new GTR below $150K. More closer to $175K on road. This is the reality. sites like this and OS have generated so much interest in the new wheels that they will charge what ever the market will prepare to pay.

OZ. is a fairly small market and if the allocation is smaller than number of waiting customer, then we have a situation nissan wants to be in and I think this is going to happen.

So anyone say they will only charge this because it only cost them that, really havent bought a "specialty" $150K plus car.

Ohh the warranty will be on the same term as the Tiida, but you can bet your balls on it, if anything was out of the norm flashes up at the servicing time, you will be notify by mail to stick your warranty in the shredder. This is what the hi-po Euro do, reason why not so many are moded, and I cant see Nissan doing anything otherwise.

[R-PWR]

Hmm lets just say that its not far to see a r35 gtr with full legal australian rego plates on it. No details disclosed

[gazza750]

Well there is alot of it about.

I read the title of this thread and thought to myself, great finally someone is doing something about all the skanky GMG R32 GT-R's about the place. No such luck.

The shame of it is the journalists don't understand enough to pick up on the Nissan PR flack's bullsh!t.

my thoughts exactly ..

i read the post and immediately thought yayyyyy no more damn ultra rare gmg 32's