GT-R Track Report
Just took the GT-R to the (road) track. Until now, my track cars have been the C6 Z06 and 997 GT3.
Both the Vette and GT3 are outstanding track cars - in very different ways. The Vette is big, powerful, sticky and a lot of fun to throw around. The GT3 is equally fast, but achieves it speed from precision and amazing overall balance.

The GT-R did pretty well. On a dry track, it does tend to understeer (push) on corner entry, then rotate and drift out the rear end on power application mid-turn. One is very aware of its substantial weight, however overall it is very well balanced, and the 4 wheel drive system does a great job of pulling the car around the apex and to turn exit. You can essentially power your way out of the curve. I would say that corner entry speeds are a little slower than either the Vette or the GT3, (because of the understeer), but are comparable by corner exit because you can put the power down so well in the GT-R. Speed at the end of mid length straights was comparable to the Vette (The Vette would be faster at the end of a long straight).

Then it started to rain (hard). It was brilliant in the rain. Mine has the Bridgestone RE 070 tires, which look like dry tires, but they performed very well. By far the best car I have ever driven on a track in the wet. You can slide the rear out, but the stablity system catches it nicely, and continues to power it into the turn. Traction accelerating down the strights was as good as in the dry. My speed approaching the braking points were only slightly lower than in the dry!

So overall a great track car. Certainly does not have the finesse of the GT3 nor the ultimate pull of the Z06, but makes up for both with the terrific 4 wheel drive sytem and brilliant transmission (I should have mentioned that the gear shifts on a track environment are excellent - you can actually shift mid-turn, and the car does not get upset).

By the way, it is very thirsty on the track. My other cars get about 10 mpg on the track - the GT-R only got 5-6 mpg!!

 

Thanks for the review.

Not that I'm an expert, but in my one track outing, I learned quickly to take the "Audi Line" meaning late apex and power out. Otherwise, you scrub and struggle down the apex.

Did you happen to note you lap times? Or maybe a subjective sense of how fast you were compared to cars/folks you know from running with them in your other cars?

 

No lap times yet. I was the only one on the track. I'll probably have it out at the same time as my GT3 some time soon, and I'll do some comparisons. My "sense" however, is that it will turn out similar to the various magazine tests ie. the Z06, GT3 and GT-R will have times that are essentially the same (within the error band of a typical amateur racer of 1-3% difference).