Nissan GT-R vs. Scion tC Drift Cars

MotorTrend

Executive editor Edward Loh pits our long term Nissan GT-R against its strangest competition yet -- a pair of Scion tC drift cars from the Formula D drift racing series.

Transcript

00:00 The Nissan GT-R. 485 horsepower, 6-speed dual clutch transmission and all-wheel drive.

00:24 It will pull 1g laterally and hit 60mph in just 3.3 seconds.

00:31 The GT-R runs the quarter mile in 11.9 seconds at 120.1mph.

00:37 On the way to a top speed of 193mph.

00:42 To get around the Nürburgring Nordschleife, it needs just 7 minutes, 28 seconds.

01:01 So is there anything the GT-R can't do?

01:10 Drift, that's right.

01:12 The GT-R isn't made to drift, at least not as good as these two cars.

01:32 We're down here at El Toro for a very special event.

01:35 Scion has invited us to check out their drift team, which is composed of the Scion Racing

01:40 RSR Drift TC and the Rockstar Scion Drift TC.

01:43 Now both of these are purpose-built, high-performance drift cars that compete in the very competitive

01:48 Formula D series.

01:49 And before we agreed to come down, we had two stipulations.

01:52 One, we'd have to be able to test the cars.

01:55 And two, we wanted to bring our own high-performance machine, the GT-R.

01:59 So let's see how they run.

02:02 First up, acceleration.

02:05 Ken Gushi's car features a 2.2 liter turbocharged four-cylinder, putting out 450 horsepower

02:12 and 350 pound-feet of torque.

02:14 Zero to 60 is reached in just 5 seconds flat.

02:21 His quarter-mile time, 12.5 seconds at 128.8 miles per hour.

02:27 Next up, Tanner Faust's Rockstar TC.

02:31 This car features a Toyota TRD NASCAR motor, laying down 650 horsepower and 500 pound-feet

02:39 of torque.

02:40 Zero to 60 is reached in a blazing 3.8 seconds.

02:44 And the quarter-mile comes up in just 11.3 seconds at 135.6 miles per hour.

02:55 Next up, 60 to zero braking.

02:58 Gushi's car comes to a stop from 60 miles an hour in 160 feet.

03:04 Faust manages to stop shorter, sliding to a stop in just 114 feet.

03:10 Up last, Motor Trend's unique figure-eight test.

03:14 Gushi takes a more conservative approach around the course, keeping his back end in check.

03:19 He records a time of 26.2 seconds at 0.72 G average.

03:25 Faust, on the other hand, takes the smoky approach, letting the tail hang out.

03:32 His time, 25.4 seconds at 0.8 G average.

03:39 So those are the numbers.

03:45 But the truth is, these cars aren't about the numbers.

03:48 Neither of them even has a speedometer.

03:50 What these cars are about is sliding, slip angle, and tons of tire smoke.

03:55 So let's see how they get down to business against our GT-R.

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05:06 Whether it's gripping the pavement or shredding it,

05:09 machines like these are what we live for.

05:12 The numbers, they're important.

05:14 But not nearly as much as the incredible sensation

05:17 you get behind the wheel of a true purpose-built machine.

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05:45 (whooshing)

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