[ru']

Okay, recently got my first Skyline, a tasty R33 GTR running about 330 at the wheels.

My previous car was a 2005 scooby wrx with about 260 at the flywheel (permanent awd).

So, the GTR is trying to run me off the road; it's a bit scary in the wet to be honest (not that this is necessarily a bad thing)... In anything other than straight-ish circumstances I would be much faster in the Scoob than the GTR.

It's got lowered springs (unknown), I believe standard shocks but I'm not sure.

Seeing as I've never driven one before, I'm keen to get some feedback - please use the poll, and and/or add anything you see fit!

Cheers,

Ru'

 

[davidc]

you will find the Skyline a bit tail happy at first compared to a scooby....they still handle very well for a long heavy car....

after a few months of trial and error (hopefully not much error) you will find it just as capable as scooby....but hopefully a bit more fun....

 

[ru']

Cheers for the reply (and for the votes, everyone who's voted so far, although I'm a bit confused as to how someone could vote for all options when the last one is 'none of the above'...).

One of the reasons for getting the GTR was to have something more entertaining than the scoob, which was just too easy to drive fast.

What's the best way to deal with the rear stepping out? I'm guessing it's keeping the power on (to a certain extent), but how much do you have to apply opposite lock? (Okay, not full lock, but you know what I mean, I hope).

How much can you feel the rear wheel steer? Is it easy to tell when it's steering compared to when it's sliding?

So much to learn, love it!

 

[chief-long-shin]

this is something i'm confused about also as my GTS-T has Hicas

When going around a roundabout rapidly i assume the steering at the rear is turning in like the front.

What happens when the power is delivered then?

Does the hicas stay operational effectivly swinging you round like a pendulum or does the hicas sense the extra power and back off the steering.

Just seems a bit odd with the 4 wheel steering if you have a lot of power going down as the wheels would be facing the right way to spin you quicker when they break traction?

Hope this makes sense in my explanation

 

[Нi5]

hicas does nothing for roundabouts, it's designed to make lane changing on the motorway easier.

regarding the rear stepping out on a GTR, get yourself a torque adjuster. You can then adjust the bias of power to the front wheels, and find it a much better car in the wet

 

[chief-long-shin]

When does the hicas cut in then? I'm thinking i was misinformed when i was told its anything over about 30mph?

(best get my ass on the temprimental search function i think )

 

[ru']

hicas does nothing for roundabouts, it's designed to make lane changing on the motorway easier.

regarding the rear stepping out on a GTR, get yourself a torque adjuster. You can then adjust the bias of power to the front wheels, and find it a much better car in the wet

Cheers for the info. Each time I drive it I'm getting more used to how it behaves, and I'm guessing that this will continue for ages.

I'm getting some 'new' (i.e. to me) wheels at the weekend with saome decent tyres so I can see how much of a difference that makes.

Maybe I'll add a torque adjuster to the huge list of things I have planned (sadly it's appearing at about number 98 at present...).

 

[jae]

Anti-intuitive

Is what I found with the R33 GT-R. That moment when you are convinced you are going to die messily, DO NOT LIFT OFF. The HICAS promptly gets confused and: Presto! you're arse end first in a hedge.

Keep the power on but do not accelerate or ease off. With constant power the GTR will make it's way out of situations where Imprezas and Evos would hedge themselves.

However, you are now driving a ton and a half of car. No matter what super-duper traction systems you have, the laws of physics still apply. The problem is that where average cars have that "going... going..." moment, the GTR's systems are such that all you get is "...gone!" There is hideously little warning when it goes, and it breaks real fast, seemingly with a vindictiveness unique to the GTR.

For the R33 GTR, Falken FK451 are the tyre of choice, especially if you're on 18's. However, they have a nasty trend of getting skittish in the wet when nearing the end of their life. That being said, I've managed 12000 miles out of a set.

And always, always replace all four tyres at once. No excuses, no question. Do it or suffer a car that thinks you are loosing traction because of the difference in grip between old and new tread - it is that sensitive.

Finally, do not let anyone talk you into removing the HICAS 4WS unless it is definately playing up. Which means the car will twitch alarmingly while travelling in straight lines, a behavior that will manifest when travelling on uneven road surfaces - such as the ridged concrete sections of the M27 - or when playing loud music with good base. Subs in the boot are an excellent way to provoke this.

Apart from that, take it easy. This car takes six months for you to learn, because it is a different machine. However, when you get the hang of it, it is the finest point to point car in existance.

All being well, see you on the 30th and we can have a further terribly thrilling :shakehead: natter about GTR handling.

PS: Looking at your posts, I would recommend full laser alignment as well.

 

[Kevacky]

Just tag on the end of this, I too got my GTR on wed and the difference between that and my GTST is interesting, the GTST is a real giggle but has a switch to change the characteristics of the traction, snow - off - power, the GTR has a gap... should there be a switch? I'm convinced it's switched to scary. God I love it.

 

[TREG]

Having owned 3 Imprezas the best advice I could give you is, dont drive it as you would your Subaru.The Gtr will bite back on any lift off on corners and takes some throwing about at first. I would get the suspension looked at, maybe fit a Tein and also fit a Torque controller, untill your used to the handling.

 

[ru']

Cheers for the further info, all good stuff.

I must admit it bit when I tried to provoke it like I did with the scoob: throw it into a (large) roundabout exit - private road, of course - wang the wheel over, come right off the power, step back on the power...

Not surprising it slapped me round the chops! :spank:

Out of interest (I know I should search, and post another thread) - what tyre pressure are people running on standard 17" wheels? I've got it at about 31 psi all round at the moment.

 

[TREG]

Cheers for the further info, all good stuff.

I must admit it bit when I tried to provoke it like I did with the scoob: throw it into a (large) roundabout exit - private road, of course - wang the wheel over, come right off the power, step back on the power...

Not surprising it slapped me round the chops! :spank:

Out of interest (I know I should search, and post another thread) - what tyre pressure are people running on standard 17" wheels? I've got it at about 31 psi all round at the moment.

Around 30/31 should be fine. Fit a torque controller first, then you can drive it like your scoob.

 

[General Banter]

Learn to drive full stop, you big woofter

 

[Нi5]

It's also worth mentioning that the V-spec model is designed to work differently to the non v-spec, and is (apparently) easier to get the back end out with.

 

[ru']

It's also worth mentioning that the V-spec model is designed to work differently to the non v-spec, and is (apparently) easier to get the back end out with.

<Mr Burns>

Excellent!

</Mr Burns>

 

[cong]

yep i found out that in the wet the car twitches when i drive normally or when i hit a small puddle

 

[mugwuffin]

Do bear in mind if you have **** rubber and I would suggest standard springs or standard shocks it will handle like a bag of ****. Having just bought my second GTS-T I can say its quite possibly the second worst handling car I have ever driven, my old one was by far the best. Complete chalk and cheese same model. However, my latest one is standard and the last one had lowered and much stiffer suspension, huge tyres and strut braces front and rear, so I'm planning the same for this one. I hope it will sort it, it can't be any worse than it is now. My last one was brilliant in the wet, and fantastic in the dry, never did the arse go unless I wanted it to, my advice is check your tyres, and suspension, if you can drive some others with a different setup you might find you need some minor changes and it will transform it. That is unless your not used to driving RWD cars. A friend of mine drove his FWD drive around the ring, in a RWD drive he would have been dead after the first two bends, so it might be that you need to adjust your driving style I recall a GTR not being permanent 4WD, and shifts its power about as required, which I guess could take some getting used to.

 

[ru']

To be honest, the car handles brilliantly; the driver seems to be more of an issue!

I haven't driven a rwd car since about 1989, and that had around 60 bhp...

I'm learning all the time, but mostly to give the GTR some respect.

I need to do a track-day or similar, somewhere where there's plenty of run-off!

 

[G.BTurbos]

the best i have found with the gtr has been said...

do not ease off

keep the power in but smooth and constant, if you feather it it becomes very jerky and hard to control....i have found

sometimes i give a foot full when i feel the power at the front wheels...fooking love it
carl