Edmunds' GT-R Blog: Reckless Driving?
I know we're not exactly safe on the moral high ground here. Eagle-eyed readers will be sure to scan TTAC's archives for any and all admissions that the reviewer drove at extra-legal speeds. (My entirely fictional take on the Porsche Carrera GT.) But it's clear from Edmunds' blog of their current road trip that they have no compunctions telling the world that they're driving the new Nissan GT-R at monumental speeds on public roads. The " Making Time" video of the GT-R's speedo shows Senior Writer Ed Hellwig pushing the car to somewhere between 165 and 170mph on a Western highway. In fact, the blog contains numerous off-hand (if not downright boastful) references to law-breaking velocities, including a flippant description of getting pulled-over for [a reported] 91mph. There's a video of Bonneville Salt Flats' hoonage sans helmet with the comment "that was only 130." I know many of you will view any objections to this type of journalism as sanctimonious codswallop, but doesn't the fact that impressionable teens idolize the GT-R oblige Edmunds to show a bit more journalistic responsibility? And aren't they criminally liable for that video?
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There is only one place for that kind of driving and that's on a test track or other such purpose designed facilities. One can understand all the exicitment a car such as the GT-R creates but Edmunds should not demonstrate such total disregard for the law but even worse, for common sense! On the subject of influencing others, the assumption that all humans will use good judgement and be able to say to themselves something like: 'Well I would love to see how fast my GT-R goes and I have a good idea which Highway Edmund's used but I am not a professional driver so I won't do it' , is flawed in the extreme. Even a cursary understanding of human nature shows this clearly. This sort of video WILL influence someone to copy it and someone WILL be killed or seriously injured. Our love of cars, speed and performance is not worth this cost.
like it's surprising that they drove the GT-R like that? You all know that before he wrote for Edmunds, Scott Oldham was the editor for Sport Comparct Car? One of the most hilariously deliquent car mags out there? Or, rather, it used to be - when Oldham was editor.
Once again, TTAC is pandering to the Politically Correct. How fast do they (safely) drive on the German autobahns? Oh, yeah, but it would be a big moral (enviro) faux pax to drive like that in the land of the Puritanical... Ma guvnment says it just ain't safe.
I can see both sides of this debate. Easily. Personally, as well as professionally. I just don't think it's a good idea for a website-- a "mainstream" car website-- to encourage illegal activity. I've just amended Stephan Wilkinson's GT-R review to reflect that opinion. But the fact that I put it up in the first place shows how deeply inured I am to the idea of serious speeding. Take that as you will.