Last week I found myself up at Sendai Hi-Land for an invitation-only event sponsored by Nissan, Nismo, Nova Engineering and NordRing. I was there to check out the new Club Track edition of the R35 GT-R that will soon be available to customers in Japan. Since Mizuno-san and his Nissan development team were there at the same time testing the upcoming 2011 R35 GT-R, understandably so, no cameras were allowed. If you are interested in seeing what the R35 Club Track edition looks like you just have to take a look at the shots the guys at GTR-World.net put up. After spending a whole day checking out countless R35s blast around the track I had to get back in my ride for the day and embark on the long drive back to Tokyo.
I thought it would be a cool journey to document because one, I was behind the wheel of a very special car, and two I was on a bit of a mission to beat the system. You see traveling on the Japanese highway system can be very expensive. Simple use of the Shuto in Tokyo will cost you ¥700 just over $8, and this can be if you lap the C1 for the whole night or if you jump on the "high-roads" for just a few miles. Driving up to Sendai from Tokyo the previous day cost ¥6,500 or $76 for use of about 220 miles of the Tohoku Expressway. If you travel as often and as far as I do you can kind of understand costs rack up quickly. So short of taking out a mortgage from the bank just to cover highway tolls the Japanese fit ETC machines to their cars, an Electronic Toll Collection system that works off of your credit card and allows you to not only receive a little discount on charges, but also drive through the toll gates without stopping. An average ETC machine will cost you $120~180 depending on the model and you have to sign up for a special ETC card from your credit card company. All very time and money consuming stuff but something that will eventually pay itself back over time, especially if you travel on the weekends. Since early last year the Japanese government decided to lower highway tolls during the weekends to promote more traveling within the country, a futile attempt at stimulating more tourism and help the stagnant Japanese economy. It works pretty well as half of the population of Tokyo now spends most of the time in traffic on the highways during the weekends as everyone travels to the same places at the same time! The lines entering Tokyo on a Sunday night can span as much as 25 miles as everyone rushes back, trying to pass the toll gates before 12 am. So this is precisely what I wanted to do with the R8 V10 I was driving last Friday. Taking it easy in the drive and hitting the toll gate past midnight would allow me to save ¥5000 or just under $60!
So my drive began very slowly. I took it easy leaving the circuit, filled up the huge tank in the R8 and headed towards the Tohoku Expressway. I stopped off at the first Parking Area (PA) I found and decided to get a few snaps of the uniquely styled German supercar.
Unlike the R8 I drove last year this beast is powered by the 5.2L V10 that can also be found, albeit with a different tune, in the Lamborghini Gallardo. This directly injected F1-inspired motor churns out 525 HP at 8,000 rpm and revs all the way to 8,700 rpm, providing a sublime soundtrack at the faintest pressure on the throttle.
The carbon airbox is joined by yet more carbon panels around the engine bay, everything is hidden, not one cable, tube or hose can be seen. Everything has that Teutonic feel of perfection and functionality to it, just what you would expect in a car of such stature.
The V10 model gets a slightly different center grille and LED headlights compared to the V8, not to mention a different wheel design.
The carbon side blades are a nice touch against the brilliant white of the body. The carbon door handles are an aftermarket addition.
The V10 is really quiet at lower rpm as the valves in the exhausts close to take full advantage of the big silencer. Above 3,500 rpm or thereabouts, all hell brakes loose and that unmistakable offset sound of the two 5-cylinders banks drown the cabin. Anything above 6,000 rpm and you are in heaven.
So off I went to cover a little stretch of the Tohoku, the idea was to drive until the sun set and stop off for a few more pictures.
Taking it very gently the V10 manages to return some pretty good fuel economy giving a 600 km (373 mile) range estimation with a close to full tank.
As I entered Fukushima-ken I began passing through some nice mountain ranges as the sun slowly crept below the horizon.
The R8 was fitted with a state of the art GPS radar system that constantly scans for upcoming speed cameras and can even catch Police cars, how, I don't know! A very handy gadget!
So before it got too dark I stopped off at another PA. As I was driving the little rear spoiler had raised up automatically to help some of the hot air from the engine bay escape. You can also manually lift it or lower it at a push of a button.
The interior is a very nice place to be. The design, fit and finish and overall quality is pure Audi with every detail meticulously engineered. The seats are very comfortable and supportive without tiring you on long drives.
Which brings me to the only thing I didn't like about the R8 V10, the R-Tronic gearbox. Much like on the V8 model I drove last year this now outdated gearbox is far too savage in its gear changes, requiring the driver to lift off the throttle to avoid a neck-snapping jolt. Why Audi didn't come up with a smooth dual-clutch for this car is beyond me. In Japan the 6-speed manual option is not available.
Behind the V10-only 19-inch wheels are the massive ceramic brake rotors, a very special option that gives amazing braking performance. The pedal feel is a little wooden however and hard to judge, but something you get used to quickly.
You can't argue with the looks.
Back on the road the traffic was very light, which meant smooth sailing with the music playing and cruise control doing its job.
Passing under the Tohoku Shinkansen bullet train line, which connects Tokyo to Hachinohe in Aomori-ken. Too bad there wasn't a train zooming by at 200 mph!
The radar detector gave me plenty of warning for all the speed and traffic cameras along the way.
This is the Nihonmatsu exit of the Tohoku, the gateway to drift heaven, Ebisu Circuit! I'll be back here in a few days for the D1, and again in a couple of weeks for the G1-GP and the Summer Drift Matsuri!
I stopped off again for a break and ended up parking next to this AS Mori truck which was carrying Hirota's old Verossa. They were obviously on the way back from Ebisu.
It's funny how a lot of the press didn't like the LED DRL's on Audi's a few years ago, now everyone is doing it! Very cool if you ask me!
From then on it was a long drive in the middle of nowhere, darkness came and so did the rain. The plan was to stop for dinner around Utsunomiya in Tochigi-ken, an area of Japan famous for gyoza, or Chinese dumplings. However something came up. I came across a couple of fire trucks with their lights flashing and sirens blaring. Before I knew it…
…traffic had come to a complete stop. After not moving for about 20 minutes people began to get out of their cars trying to see what was going on. According to the traffic information channel of the radio there had been a pretty serious accident and emergency services were trying to clear the road and pick up the pieces.
It took almost an hour and a half to get moving again and as we drove past the accident spot…
…I was sad to see a destroyed S15 Silvia. The front half of the car was no longer there; the impact had been very severe and the occupants had already been taken away by ambulance.
After grabbing some dinner (finally!) I came out of the food court at the PA to find an R34 GT-R parked behind the R8, so just had to get a shot!
As my gentle drive towards Kawaguchi in Saitama-ken, the end of the Tohoku Expressway, continued I was about a mile out when 12 am came around, meaning the weekend, and the ETC discount, had officially started.
Kawaguchi here I come!
Having an ETC machine means you don't need to stop and pay the guy at the booth, just slow down and pass through the gate…
…and check the charge on the display (apologies for the blurry picture but it was challenging to drive through the tight toll gate while looking through the viewfinder!)
A couple of miles it was again through another toll gate, this time for the Shuto expressway that runs around and across Tokyo.
In no time I was in Shibuya trying to get out onto Route 246, but again hit traffic. This is the exit from the new Yamate tunnel which exits at Ohashi.
Wasted another 30 minutes as the poor Audi's clutch had to deal with crawling speeds.
Friday night traffic in central Tokyo can be pretty brutal but after jumping onto the R246 I took a quick right turn and used back streets to get home, ending my long, and discounted journey from Sendai.
-Dino Dalle Carbonare