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Old 11-28-2008, 03:10 PM   #17 (permalink)
sbsmoov
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Quote:
Originally Posted by AK370Z View Post
True but lets keep in mind it'll be really hard for any of us to achieve that run. They basically beat the crap out of the car since a. It's not their car and b. They are told by Nissan to push the car to it's ultimate limit (gotta love their job huh!). But an average Joe like you and me, would never push their car to that limit. They probably had to do at least 10+ very hard launches to get that number. Even though the number is impressive and good for their (Nissan) sale, 5.1 is bit more realistic.

I thought the purpose of these tests is to assess the maximum performance of a vehicle--to push it to the limits. Whether or not we are able to achieve the same results is irrelevant because most of us are not professional drivers.

Would you prefer that the car be driven and tested by a layperson or your grandma? Would that provide an accurate assessment of the car's maximum performance? Of course not! It would be more of an assessment of the driver's lack of skill.

For example, do you think most of us can achieve the same results as those of a professional race car driver? Of course not. The reason professional drivers are used is to get the best possible assessment of a vehicle's performance when driven skillfully or as close to perfect as possible.

To be skeptical of MotorTrend's test results based on a belief that "an average Joe like you and me, would never push their car to that limit" is missing the point completely. The point is this: what's the maximum level of performance that's achievable from a vehicle when it's driven at the limits or as close to perfect as possible.

Last edited by sbsmoov; 11-28-2008 at 04:57 PM.
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