Well I read through this thread, so I thought I've give my $.02
Nissan's Nismo marketing
I feel that terms like 'race-bred' and 'track-ready' are not that misleading. It doesn't say 'time-attack ready' or 'competitive racing.' Compared to 90% of cars on the road, if you take it to the track for some 'thrills' (as one member mentioned earlier), it will keep up alright
Comparison
I have raced my RSX-S at the Autobahn in Joliet (full 3.56 22 turn course) from 10AM - 8:30PM going through 4 tanks of gas WITH STOCK BRAKES and only basic suspension work. I kept up the entire day with cars outside my league and had an amazing time. I didn't go through a set of tires or kill my rotors...sure I gave the K20 abuse, but it's still riding beautifully
Needless to say, this year I'm going to get new rotors, SS lines, and Motul 600, but this is beside the point.
Marketing to Who?
I wish we could get a thread somewhere on who actually races their car and to what extent. I know by me, I recognize most people at the SCCA races and tracking is uber expensive so I'd assume that 1/10 of the SCCA-goers even track. Therefore, I agree that Nissan should not have put an oil cooler in. I think they should warranty and back their Nismo (or w/e) cooler though. If the breaks are dangerous, this issue should be address, but they will never be, nor claim to be, at the true 'track-level' of BBK's and race setups.