Thanks to its ATTESA E-TS artificial intelligence all-wheel drive, the Nissan GT-R is just as good for drag racing launches as it is for drifting. Well, the driver of the Godzilla in the clip below somehow manages to do both at the same time, except this run is not exactly a good one.
The temperature and amount of rubber on the drag strip surface are not always ideal, with this playing a very important role in the safety mix.
With the VR38DETT twin-turbo V6 heart of the GT-R being taken as high as 2,000 hp (at the wheels) these days, having all four wheels doing the pulling, doesn't necessarily mean you're safe.
The GT-R slide in this footage is an example as good as any. The Nissan was racing a Mustang, but not too long after the launch, the car loses grip and swerves violently to the right, going from its lane, through that of the Ford and looking determined to hit the wall.
After what seems to be a piece of late countersteering and just as late braking, the guy behind the wheel did a quick change of reaction.
As the driver explains at the end of the clip, it was at this point that he decided to get off the brakes, stepping on the gas just as his GT-R was about to hit the wall.
The car missed the concrete barrier at the side of the drag strip by inches, with this generation quite a reaction from the public. In fact, this is the closest call we've seen so far this year.
We can't say we are exactly surprised to see the GT-R driver unwilling to prolong the post-race chat. However, the man's reaction, when the camera guy asked him about the crash, was just as unusual as his save.
Oh well, at least the supped-up GT-R walked away unscattered.
In his quest to bring you the most impressive automotive creations, Andrei relies on learning as a superpower. There's quite a bit of room in the garage that is this aficionado's heart, so factory-condition classics and widebody contraptions with turbos poking through the hood can peacefully coexist. Full profile
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