Jann Mardenborough took time out of his Japanese racing programme to drive a new breakthrough project from Nissan and PlayStation, the Nissan GT-R /C.
Celebrating the release of Gran Turismo Sport and marking 20 years of Nissan involvement in the Gran Turismo gaming series, the GT-R /C was extensively modified to be driven entirely by a DualShock®4 controller. Gran Turismo Sport has just been released.
The project car was put through its paces by the NISMO Super GT racer and GT Academy winner around Silverstone’s famous National Circuit. Mardenborough controlled the GT-R /C from the cockpit of a helicopter.
On Mardenborough’s fastest lap (1:17:47), the GT-R /C averaged 76mph/122kph and reached a top speed of 131mph/211kph.
“This was once-in-a-lifetime, truly epic stuff. The GT-R /C has brought my two worlds together – the virtual of gaming and the reality of motorsport – in a way I never thought possible,” Mardenborough said.
“The response from the car when using the controller was far more engaging than I thought it would be.
“Steering, acceleration, and braking were all intelligently configured, allowing for controlled application so I could really get a feel through the corners and hold it steady down the fast straights.
“Driving a full-size, remote-control GT-R to 131mph at Silverstone whilst chasing it down in a helicopter was an unforgettable experience. Now that’s innovation that excites!”