So It’s no secret I get to drive a lot of rad cars, the
other day I was blasting up Windy point in a VE SS Commodore, not long before
that I was lapping a GT86 around Bathurst, then there was of course the
completely unforgettable replica Lambo Countach I drove last year. All these
cars are unique and share their own level of personality. But I have a
confession to make, you probably know it anyway; I have always dreamed of
driving something mental, not just a street tuners hypo nut job, but a proper
super car, the kind of thing that tops lap times around the Nurburgring, so
when the surprise opportunity to drive a R35 GTR Skyline came up....yeah....
normal daily operating procedures got put on hold and yes, let’s not beat
around the bush, it’s epic!
I’ll start with the simpletons bit, 300kw at the wheels,
which to be honest in current times might not sound like a lot, but the way
this car puts power to the road is nothing short of incredible. The duel clutch
flappy paddle gear box is razor sharp, short shifting will rip your head clean
off, run it out to red line and you will run out of road before third gear. The
all-wheel drive system has this clever way of assessing when a wheel starts to
lose traction under acceleration and instead of just cutting power from the
engine like you would expect in a traditional traction control system, the
computer cuts torque from either the front or rear wheels leaving the other end
to continue pushing the car forwards. This system takes quite a bit of accustomization,
bury your foot out of a corner, wait for the front wheels to break traction and
then the car continue to accelerate essentially as a rear wheel drive. This
system really comes in to its own when you realize that 300kw’s has zero turbo
lag. Don’t get me wrong, I am sure on a Dyno there is some visible lag, but on
the road, where it matters, it feels every bit as torquey down low as a lumpy
old V8.
The next thing you notice about the GTR is just how quickly
corners arrive. Now I know that’s an old cliché about driving fast cars, but in
the GTR 160kph really does feel like 60 and by the time you glance down at the
dash, you’re already late on the application of the carbon ceramic 6 piston
front callipers, that will, in a hurry, stop you so hard it literally hurts
your face. Once you arrive at the next corner the precision in the steering is
like threading a needle, despite the fact it’s a big, heavy car, weighing in at
near on 2 ton with a two people in it, you point the wheels at any apex, at any
speed and you will be millimetre perfect every time. This is partly from the
incredibly well set up chassis, but again down to that traction control system
that comes screaming in like rocket the minute it senses something is going
wrong. And that leads me to the biggest
problem, driving the GTR while requiring an incredible amount of concentration
is very disconnecting from the road, and I don’t mean by the feel through your
feet or hands. Driving a GTR is a bit like having a conversation with a
personal assistant “Sir, where would you like to go” “I would like to be at the
next corner please” “And how fast would sir like to get there?” “Well, as soon
as we can please”. It sort of feels like, you’re just telling the car where to
go and it is doing the rest....
When I got told ‘you’re driving the GTR tonight’ I honestly
thought I would have that same sensation I get right before I go skydiving,
that sense of adrenalin that reminds you, you are now doing something humans
are not inherently meant to do, I just didn’t really get that the GTR. Please
don’t get me wrong, The GTR was the best car I have ever driven, and by a long
way... But it just feels, unrewarding. .... 
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