Woooo-hoooooo!!!! The G at the track! (long)
Joined: Nov 2006
Posts: 3,754
Likes: 8
From: The US of A
Woooo-hoooooo!!!! The G at the track! (long)
Spent the day at this place: www.motorsportranch.com
This is a free event sponsored by Grubbs Infiniti when you buy a G from them; very cool, well-organized, and fun.
Here were the highlights:
Arrive, sign in, and meet the pro driver that's teaching the course. There were five '07 sedans, and three coupes. Beautiful line-up of cars, PG (me), BO, LS, with a mix of Sports and Journeys. The most interesting parts of the track (I learn later) are the off-camber 160 degree by the lake, and the 100 degree Big Bend.
After he explains the course, we go play follow the leader to practice hitting the apex, where to brake, etc. He's now in an '06 sedan, and each lap we get a little faster. We're not going that fast, and the G is acting bored; the paddles work great, and it's a cool to feel the tires warm up and traction improve in the corners. After a while we're going fast enough to floor it out of corners - this is already a good way to spend a day.
Second session: Faster follow, with the trail car swapping after every lap. When my follow lap is over, I slow down to let the train of cars behind me pull through, and the howl as eight G's simultaneously nail it is very cool!!
Third session: Solo, with only three other cars on the track. Each lap is faster, until I'm breaking 100 at the end of the straight after Big Bend. Now the G is working hard, but there's never a sense of a problem or lack of control - nail it up the straight, hard on the brakes, into the apex, let the car slowly drift out to the track edge. There's just a hint of understeer until you get on the gas hard, at which point it feels pretty neutral. I pass the guy in front of me (
), and am having a seriously good time. Imagine a fast kart track (the real kind), but in your G!
Final session: Okay, last chance to really hit it. After one lap to warm up the tires, faster and faster. In fact, the G continued to build speed until I started wondering what exactly WOULD happen if it shed a tire or something. One conjectures that at this speed, having a mechanical problem could be interesting...
Anyway, at this point I'm going (to me) really fast. The car drifts in pretty much every corner, I'm very close to the track edge leaving the turns, and on the final straight I hit 4th about 2/3 of the way up and nudge 110 before diving on the brakes (hard). The brakes on the G are awesome, both the Sports and the Journeys had a ton of brake power and no reported fade. And both corner really flat, even in fast turns (lots of intertia) there isn't much body roll.
Bottom line: It's sort of surprising that an '07 sedan, which is not a sports car, is this good on a track. I can think of a REALLY long list of cars that aren't capable of this - and it was cool to finish the session, then drive four hours home in comfort. After a wash, completely back to normal with no ill effects.
Oh, one other thing: The final part was riding in a coupe driven by the pro driver. Okay, that was REALLY fast - that guy can drive
Oh yeah, I'll post pics when they arrive.
This is a free event sponsored by Grubbs Infiniti when you buy a G from them; very cool, well-organized, and fun.
Here were the highlights:
Arrive, sign in, and meet the pro driver that's teaching the course. There were five '07 sedans, and three coupes. Beautiful line-up of cars, PG (me), BO, LS, with a mix of Sports and Journeys. The most interesting parts of the track (I learn later) are the off-camber 160 degree by the lake, and the 100 degree Big Bend.
After he explains the course, we go play follow the leader to practice hitting the apex, where to brake, etc. He's now in an '06 sedan, and each lap we get a little faster. We're not going that fast, and the G is acting bored; the paddles work great, and it's a cool to feel the tires warm up and traction improve in the corners. After a while we're going fast enough to floor it out of corners - this is already a good way to spend a day.
Second session: Faster follow, with the trail car swapping after every lap. When my follow lap is over, I slow down to let the train of cars behind me pull through, and the howl as eight G's simultaneously nail it is very cool!!
Third session: Solo, with only three other cars on the track. Each lap is faster, until I'm breaking 100 at the end of the straight after Big Bend. Now the G is working hard, but there's never a sense of a problem or lack of control - nail it up the straight, hard on the brakes, into the apex, let the car slowly drift out to the track edge. There's just a hint of understeer until you get on the gas hard, at which point it feels pretty neutral. I pass the guy in front of me (
), and am having a seriously good time. Imagine a fast kart track (the real kind), but in your G!Final session: Okay, last chance to really hit it. After one lap to warm up the tires, faster and faster. In fact, the G continued to build speed until I started wondering what exactly WOULD happen if it shed a tire or something. One conjectures that at this speed, having a mechanical problem could be interesting...
Anyway, at this point I'm going (to me) really fast. The car drifts in pretty much every corner, I'm very close to the track edge leaving the turns, and on the final straight I hit 4th about 2/3 of the way up and nudge 110 before diving on the brakes (hard). The brakes on the G are awesome, both the Sports and the Journeys had a ton of brake power and no reported fade. And both corner really flat, even in fast turns (lots of intertia) there isn't much body roll.
Bottom line: It's sort of surprising that an '07 sedan, which is not a sports car, is this good on a track. I can think of a REALLY long list of cars that aren't capable of this - and it was cool to finish the session, then drive four hours home in comfort. After a wash, completely back to normal with no ill effects.
Oh, one other thing: The final part was riding in a coupe driven by the pro driver. Okay, that was REALLY fast - that guy can drive
Oh yeah, I'll post pics when they arrive.
Last edited by G35Now!; Feb 27, 2007 at 08:11 AM.
Registered User
Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 96
Likes: 0
Oh, how I wish there was a GT style racetrack around here. I'd really like to experience the limits of this car, what it was made to do.
It may have four doors and a backseat, but as far as I'm concerned, the G35 is essentially a sports car.
It may have four doors and a backseat, but as far as I'm concerned, the G35 is essentially a sports car.
Registered User
Joined: Jan 2007
Posts: 1,328
Likes: 0
From: Pasadena California USA
OK.
I AM JEALOUS.
What an amazing experience - I'd give my left NU** to do this. Or at least a left something!
Pics!!! SOON!
Thanks for the great description - sounds like you had a blast.
I AM JEALOUS.
What an amazing experience - I'd give my left NU** to do this. Or at least a left something!
Pics!!! SOON!
Thanks for the great description - sounds like you had a blast.
Joined: Nov 2003
Posts: 30,233
Likes: 175
From: Rothesay, New Brunswick, Canada
Wow, that's awesome man. I am so envious that you got to do something like that in your G. I can only imagine how fun that must of been. Post up some pics when you get a chance.
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Awesome write up, sounds like a lot of run. Although I must admit that other than taking my G to the 1/4 mile strip, I don't think I have the guts to endanger it on the track. IT IS my daily driver after all...
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Joined: Jul 2002
Posts: 389
Likes: 0
Originally Posted by mx22o
awww, i wish NY has something like this =\
Gawd bless Texas. It's like a whole 'nother country.
Originally Posted by G35Now!
Oh yeah, I'll post pics when they arrive.
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