I feared many things taking my FC RX-7 out for its first-ever track day this year. Driving it for 300 miles and pushing it to the limit on the circuit could have broken something. But the problem I expected the least came from the gearbox. Shifting gears at a fast pace under high load proved impossible.
The last time I complained about this grinding to a mechanic, he stared at me and said: "Your car is 30 years old. It won't be perfect; enjoy it the way it is." Of course, I've already found the parts I need to restore my gearbox to its former glory, but the operation could be challenging. My point is that manual gearboxes are fun and thrilling to drive. But you might be delusional if you think you can keep up with a modern automatic transmission.
Based on this idea, I estimated the outcome of the following drag race. In one corner, we're looking at a wild R34 GT-R with a fully built 2.8-liter RB engine and a massive G40-1150 turbocharger. Reportedly, it has a maximum output of 900 horsepower and only weighs 3,395 lbs (1,540 kg). Next to it, it's the more modern R35 GT-R. This one only has a light tune, as some would describe it.
But even so, it should still be good for around 700 horsepower. It might have to deal with an extra 440 lbs (200 kg) but also uses a modern dual-clutch transmission to optimize straight-line performance. If you disregard this aspect, the R34 should theoretically crush its rival to the quarter-mile (402 meters). The rolling race is the day's first challenge, as this avoids any drivetrain failures early on in the game.
The R35 sprints into the lead from the get-go, and you can see the driver of the R34 is struggling with every gear shift. One mistake later, he can no longer keep up with the black GT-R. The two cars are neck-and-neck on the second run, but it's obvious the transmission on the R34 is acting up again. With so much power on tap, I'm sure its owner can find a much more capable gearbox if he wants to squeeze every bit of performance out of his vehicle.
With that out of the way, the two GT-Rs line up for the conventional drag racing format. We all know the R35 is a master of this craft, and there's no way its predecessor can get a clean start. After two runs, Godzilla has to admit defeat. And I wouldn't be surprised if the gearbox needs a quick service after what it has been through. If the R34 can run the quarter-mile in 11 seconds at this stage, it could do it in 10 seconds with a PPG sequential gearbox.
The things Dragos enjoys the most in life are, in no particular order: cars, motorcycles, diecast cars, and drifting. He's seen (and driven) many vehicles since he started his writing career back in 2009, but his garage currently houses a 1991 Mazda RX-7 FC3S Turbo II and a 1999 Suzuki SV650-S. Full profile
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