# Purple Zilla v McLaren F1 GTR at Thruxton



## David.Yu (Jun 28, 2001)

Ok, despite the provocative title, this was in no way a race, or even a proper track day, but how often do you get the chance to run with an F1? 

YouTube - Nissan R35 GT-R v McLaren F1 GTR at Thruxton race track

(How do you embed again? I tried the yt, /yt tags, but to no avail)

Full write up on Auto-Journals.com.


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## Bajie (Dec 13, 2001)




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## David.Yu (Jun 28, 2001)

Ah, gotcha, you have to leave out the "http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=" bit, thanks!


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## Bajie (Dec 13, 2001)

Sorry, started watching the vid and forgot to say ... 

Nice quality vid there.
Why are the cones on circuit.


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## misters3 (Jun 23, 2008)

David have you not pushed your mirror up?


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## bobel (Jul 26, 2010)

Were you struggling to keep with him or was it closer then you imagined? I always find it amazing that despite big performance differences (not that the GTR is actually that far behind) that most cars are actually only tenths of a second in difference in a race, and that very often it comes down to reactions, gear selection/change etc. To be fair it didn't seem like you were pushing hard but he seemed to pull away a little near the end on the straight. Great Vid though:thumbsup:


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## bobd (Mar 25, 2008)

David wheres the camera mount you dangerous cookie!


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## Aerodramatics (Feb 10, 2008)

Nice driving... was the Maccer on slicks in spitty rain? :runaway:

Cornering speed wise, the MP4-12C GTR should spank the R35... blimey looks like a 600bhp 'Zilla @ 1900kg two-up can match a 600bhp F1 GTR with downforce at 1200kg one-up? :thumbsup:

Really good driving though... even if you was v. linear and the Maccer driver was very dibby-dabby on the brakes... seemed to be loading and unloading his fronts & rears all the time throught the twisties - obviously nervous of spinners and keeping his distance, lol :nervous:

Good to see you both give it some welly once clear of the slow traffic, i.e. R8s, 911s, Fezzas, etc.!

Still, I'm a rank amateur numptie and have no room to talk whatsoever.... :chairshot

Great vid :clap:


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## David.Yu (Jun 28, 2001)

misters3 said:


> David have you not pushed your mirror up?


I like to give the impression that it is possible someone could have been catching up with me and I'd need to know! 

I was tip toeing around (as we all were) trying not to crowd the nice man in the £1.5m car who (like me) had never driven on this greasy wet track before.

The one time he did put his foot down, I was caught napping in 4th gear, but 620lb.ft did a good job of keeping up...


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## misters3 (Jun 23, 2008)

David.Yu said:


> I like to give the impression that it is possible someone could have been catching up with me and I'd need to know!
> 
> .


No i actually mean literally pushed it up so you can see better round left hand bends without compromising rear view.

BTW forgot to say. Kid next door asked me to take him to Knockhill if you ever come up!! Pffftt...what's wrong with my car :lol:


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## David.Yu (Jun 28, 2001)

misters3 said:


> No i actually mean literally pushed it up so you can see better round left hand bends without compromising rear view.
> 
> BTW forgot to say. Kid next door asked me to take him to Knockhill if you ever come up!! Pffftt...what's wrong with my car :lol:


Don't follow. How can you push the mirror vertically up? I thought the mounting was pretty rigid? For video purposes it would be pretty useful to have a quick release and rely just on the door mirrors on track...

Oh, and get a purple wrap and tell the kid next door I've come to visit!


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## Aerodramatics (Feb 10, 2008)

Now there's me really really really fancying a Bayside Blue wrap... (given Midnight Purple's been taken) ! :chuckle:


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## misters3 (Jun 23, 2008)

David.Yu said:


> Don't follow. How can you push the mirror vertically up? I thought the mounting was pretty rigid? For video purposes it would be pretty useful to have a quick release and rely just on the door mirrors on track...


Yup you can push it up! It is pretty rigid, but it does go up!




David.Yu said:


> Oh, and get a purple wrap and tell the kid next door I've come to visit!


The kid is so smart on car design. Reads your stuff in Evo or Autojournals . eg he spotted the Blacklines (rear lights) i fitted on my E91 335D saying they were an improvement. But he didn't see me fitting them. I could hardly tell the difference and i knew!

So i doubt he'd be fooled by a wrap of my car!!  But i liked the idea!


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## sin (Dec 3, 2007)

Good to see the GT-R keeping pace with such.............. legends?

With regards the mirror comment by misters3. Us 35 owners are a bit dim it seems (me included), this thread may explain it better.

http://www.gtr.co.uk/forum/139492-mirror-irritation.html#post1316454


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## David.Yu (Jun 28, 2001)

Aerodramatics said:


> Now there's me really really really fancying a Bayside Blue wrap... (given Midnight Purple's been taken) ! :chuckle:


Here's his Lordship's other 4WD turbo car. I actually think he loves it more than his Veyron!


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## Aerodramatics (Feb 10, 2008)

Now that truly is the mutts nutts ... so much presence :bowdown1:

Why oh why such a boring colour line up for the R35s? :flame:

Not that I'm suggesting the "Sumo Pink" look for an R35.... like the F1 GTR!


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## R35Bren (Apr 4, 2008)

Thanks for sharing the vid David & great job! 

Check out the speed difference compared to the R8 at 2min7 . . . that's what happens when your down 180bhp and nearly 300lb/ft eh! 

That F1 is really hauling arse after you take the 355 but I reckon they would have expected to pull out a bigger gap up to that corner.

Are you still running the Toyo's? Would be great to have seen the same battle on a dry high speed circuit.


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## David.Yu (Jun 28, 2001)

R35Bren said:


> Thanks for sharing the vid David & great job!
> 
> Check out the speed difference compared to the R8 at 2min7 . . . that's what happens when your down 180bhp and nearly 300lb/ft eh!
> 
> ...


Yup, very worn R888s now! I was caught napping in 4th, it would have been a lot closer in 3rd, but as I said, I didn't want to spook the driver into spinning off anyway... :nervous:


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## 1Rosco1 (Jan 18, 2009)

Andy is a bloody good driver and I'm not surprised he was being sensible in the F1 in those conditions. Only takes one little slip and it would be rather regretful!

Seriously... if it was dry, you would not see which way it went even with your car being as capable as it is. Google his car and you will see what it used to do before becoming a road car. It was ralph Schumachers race car for a few years :thumbsup:


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## David.Yu (Jun 28, 2001)

1Rosco1 said:


> Andy is a bloody good driver and I'm not surprised he was being sensible in the F1 in those conditions. Only takes one little slip and it would be rather regretful!
> 
> Seriously... if it was dry, you would not see which way it went even with your car being as capable as it is. Google his car and you will see what it used to do before becoming a road car. It was ralph Schumachers race car for a few years :thumbsup:


Yeah, that would be why it says "Schumacher" on the side of his car! 

Thing is, on rather dodgy road Michelins, the F1 is not quite as otherworldly as you'd think.

I ran against Mark Hales in Nick Mason's F1 GTR at Brands Hatch a few years ago. I was in my Corvette Z06 on its Goodyear runflats and there was, in Mark's own words, "only about 1 second a lap" in it.

So, yes I expect Andy's car would be quicker than P Zilla, but wouldn't be surprised if it was not by much.


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## 1Rosco1 (Jan 18, 2009)

David.Yu said:


> Yeah, that would be why it says "Schumacher" on the side of his car!
> 
> Thing is, on rather dodgy road Michelins, the F1 is not quite as otherworldly as you'd think.
> 
> ...


Yes there may well not be. I would never underestimate the GT-R, but in full race trim with the right tyres, that F1 should be phenominal. One main problem the GT-R has is it's lack of negative camber on the front and it won't turn in. If that could get sorted well, it would be much much faster.


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## David.Yu (Jun 28, 2001)

1Rosco1 said:


> Yes there may well not be. I would never underestimate the GT-R, but in full race trim with the right tyres, that F1 should be phenominal. One main problem the GT-R has is it's lack of negative camber on the front and it won't turn in. If that could get sorted well, it would be much much faster.


Crikey if that F1 GTR was on the correct racing slicks, of course there is no road car that could keep up on a circuit!

I bet even a standard R35 GT-R could beat a road going McLaren F1 with each on their original spec tyres though...


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## 1Rosco1 (Jan 18, 2009)

David.Yu said:


> Crikey if that F1 GTR was on the correct racing slicks, of course there is no road car that could keep up on a circuit!
> 
> I bet even a standard R35 GT-R could beat a road going McLaren F1 with each on their original spec tyres though...


Now that I would find hard to believe. Fact is anyone can get in a GT-R and be quick.... Even I managed a 7.47 lap last time I was at the Nordschlieffe with a bog standard car.

To get on the pace in an F1, you have got to be loaded to **** with plenty of experience or a very talented driver with a lot of experience and no financial worries if you bin it :thumbsup:


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## David.Yu (Jun 28, 2001)

1Rosco1 said:


> Now that I would find hard to believe. Fact is anyone can get in a GT-R and be quick.... Even I managed a 7.47 lap last time I was at the Nordschlieffe with a bog standard car.
> 
> To get on the pace in an F1, you have got to be loaded to **** with plenty of experience or a very talented driver with a lot of experience and no financial worries if you bin it :thumbsup:


Did you mean you would _not_ find that hard to believe, i.e. a standard R35 could beat a standard F1 around a track?

It is quite incredible though isn't it? I remember watching Tiff on Top Gear cane that F1 around Goodwood and being sure I would never get to drive a car that fast, and yet, now I do, every day!

Even the 0-60 time in my car is faster than Autocar got for the F1, with the 0-100 time not that far behind. For £54k...

Not knocking the F1 in anyway of course, I love it, but boy has technology moved on over the last 15 years.


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## 1Rosco1 (Jan 18, 2009)

David.Yu said:


> Did you mean you would _not_ find that hard to believe, i.e. a standard R35 could beat a standard F1 around a track?
> 
> It is quite incredible though isn't it? I remember watching Tiff on Top Gear cane that F1 around Goodwood and being sure I would never get to drive a car that fast, and yet, now I do, every day!
> 
> ...


Yes I did mean I would find it hard to believe that a GT-R could be as quick as an F1. What I was trying to say is that put me or you in both cars and we would easily drive a GT-R to much nearer it's potential than we ever would with an F1, hence any that you came accross on any track day are very unlikely to have been giving it plenty of beans. If you told my Lewis or Schuey were driving at the time, I would believe you, but if it was an owner of the car, it is unlikely. Biggest factor here is driver.

I'm not saying they are miles faster than the GT-R but all the figures they have ie weight/power etc and previous lap records of any circuit says they should be noticeably quicker.


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## git-r (Nov 15, 2005)

David.Yu said:


> I was tip toeing around (as we all were) trying not to crowd the nice man in the £1.5m car who (like me) had never driven on this greasy wet track before.
> 
> The one time he did put his foot down, I was caught napping in 4th gear, but 620lb.ft did a good job of keeping up...


Yeah it looked like you were both taking it easy.. it's quite hard to work out how wet it was on the vid but seeing as you hardly used full throttle it looks as though there was very little grip!

Amazing to see such a car on a track day:thumbsup:

Must have been an expensive/exclusive day out...

I'd like to see a vid of your car with you properly on it:thumbsup:


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