Or so the song goes - a short break from a relationship and you come back feeling stronger about the object of your affections.
Since I bought the ISF, yes I had driven the Lexus on a few trips, both personal and business, and had gotten used to its driving characteristics - and even though I think the ISF needs sharper feeling handling, admittedly it is easier to drive around town and is more luxurious than the GT-R.
Even last time I went to
Nissan Prince Motorsports (now no longer in Shinagawa but Kameido), I drove the Lexus:
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No one there seemed to know what this car was... |
This was because I had accompanied my friend Thomas who was dropping off his Midnight Purple R33 GT-R off for some maintenance, and I had some other chores to run that day as well.
But this morning would be different - not only was Thomas' car ready to get picked up, but I wanted them to do some work on my car, and the part I had ordered had FINALLY come in:
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Both look great in their respective ways. |
So after Thomas came over, we drove over together and about 45 minutes later:
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Just experimenting with taking photos in shadow |
I have to say, driving the r33 is truly awesome. I was so happy to be back behind the wheel. The engine, the noise, the feeling - all awesome!
Body rigidity is still a bit better in the Lexus, but the throttle response in the r33 (NOT drive-by-wire) was precise with no lag, the RB engine's pull from low to high when the turbos kicked in, the way the car handles, low to the ground and with the Ohlins dampers, the whole package is nice. The steering is heavier in the r33, but there is so much more communication to the driver. Of course, while the driving dynamics were great the exhaust noise really did get tiring after awhile - I may have to do something about the exhaust - the
Blitz E-ESC works but only when
I'm stopped at a light. Oh and weird but I still think the seats in the r33 are better (more comfortable) than those in the ISF, which themselves aren't bad. Put it this way, once I sit down in the 33, I don't need to move or adjust. In the Lexus, this week I learned that I readjust (shift my position, etc.) after about an hour.
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Was actually another nice sunny day |
Anyway, once we got there I immediately engaged in conversation with the Motorsports Division staff. Meanwhile Thomas got his car back, all problems he was concerned with were fixed and he was happy. While tuners are great, it's the dealerships, especially those who have a Motorsports Division, who know how to actually fix the stuff that isn't drivetrain or suspension related...
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Nice rear end shot of Thomas fiddling with his Aerocatch latch. |
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The car is actually quite dirty... |
Because I had an appointment with them:
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Circled in red is my name and my car's license plate digits - it's nice to be welcomed in writing! |
And so I mentioned to Nefuji-san, chief of the Motorsports Division, all the work that was needed, large and small, which I figured could be taken care of while they installed the new part.
One of the items was to see if they could figure out how my front tire wouldn't rub on full lock. I had tried
some ideas but it didn't do much. Another was to order, if they still exist, an OEM
Series 3 lip (for my collection). There is also the
hose that Mine's replaced earlier this year - but not with the silicon (i.e. longer life) hose as I had wanted. We also discussed some future plans for the car, which of course I will document here in this blog but is probably a few years down the road.
Anyway once all the requests were in, I bid my car farewell:
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They had already moved my car into the Motorsports service bay, out of the sun... |
Oh, and for those of you who are asking what part I'm having installed? Well, I'll give you a hint - take a look at those boxes on the left, the answer is contained therein...