AutocrossAddict@aol.com wrote:
> I'm having a friend overseas get me a Skyline GT-R brochure (English
version) and send it to me.
I can do you one better. :)
I was in Germany for business a couple of weeks back, and I was provided
a CLK
320 Cabrio to help me get around. (DaimlerChrysler is spread all over
Stuttgart).
Well, you're a racer-guy, you're in Germany, you've got a company car,
and
you've got a free weekend. What do you do?
You drive to the Nuerburgring of course! You know, the 21km long race
course
that was too dangerous for F1, so they opened it up to the general
public? 20 DM
a lap?. Can't pass up that kind of seat time!.
Ye gods, what a place! That's a _man's_ track. It drives like a
scaled-up
autocross, except with blind turns, and trees, and more massive
elevation
changes than I ever thought possible on a race track.
While I was there, I bumped into a bunch of journalists from Automobile
(in Ann
Arbour of all places - small world!) Where they were testing a Suburu
WRX, a
Mitsubishi Carisma EVO VI, and a Skyline GT-R. They had some Brit race
car
driver who knew the place driving, and a handful of writers writing.
Well, the EVO VI is mechanically very similar to my Talon, so I crawled
all over
it looking for goodies that might have Talon applications. They started
asking
questions, I started providing answers (as best I could) - and then I
asked if I
could take it for a lap.
"Uhh, NO!" :) But I _could_ get a ride with their driver. So I got a
tour of the
'ring in an EVO VI driven by a guy who knew the place. Fun! And yes, he
was
signifigantly faster than me. ;)
The Skyline doesn't look as big and blocky up close as it does in
pictures.
DG
I'll go along with that last comment. I had the opportunity to go for a
"ride" in a '99 GT-R a couple weeks ago here in San Diego and I was
impressed. Super performance and looks real nice up close. Now that is
what Nissan should import!
Dennis
--
Dennis Currington
1966 Datsun 2000 CSP
San Diego
http://www.geocities.com/motorcity/downs/3245/default.html
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