I was going to post this in response to the NSX vs Evora thread, but my "clif notes" got so long, I'm making a separate thread because it's interesting. Found the links in the R8 forums.
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This is a comparison of the NSX-R with current MR cars: Lotus Evora, Cayman S, LP550-2 Balboni edition, GT-R, and Audi R8.
They are testing on a winding road. Each driver awards points on a 1-10 scale. Tsuchiya will rate how "fun to drift" each car is. Two categories:
1. Steering response
2. Drift control
Hattori will rate how "fun to grip" each one is (basically normal performance driving). Categories:
1. Stability of the tail
2. "comfortable" rating.
By "comfortable" they do not mean ride quality, but rather driver confidence in how the car responds to input. How comfortable you are driving it hard.
Driving impressions
NSX-R
Hattori drives. He likes it, easy to drive, easy to slide around. He seems hesitant about his praise at times.
Tsuchiya drives. He loves it. It is his benchmark for controllability, which is why he bought one. He says it is easy to read (feel) both under and oversteer.
They explain the rating categories, 10 point scale.
Lotus Evora
They note it is similar to the NSX spec-wise.
Hattori comments on the pedals making your feet slant toward the center of the car.
Hattori drives. He says it is not stiff. Sort of softer than expected. The rear is very stable, does not have any of the suddenness of the NSX.
Tsuchiya drives. The way it moves is...not bad. However, you can't use weight transfer to make it move around like the NSX. He says if you change the suspension it would be better.
Cayman S
Hattori drives. The way the rear moves when transitioning from on throttle to off...is not "comfortable."
Tsuchiya drives. He says it feels like it gets "stuck" in the way it moves. There are places where it has a jerky response which he does not like. Right at the exit of a drift, when transitioning from sliding back to gripping, it's not quite right. However, the car can drift and you can enjoy driving it.
Audi R8 4.2
They note the 4.2 actually outran the V10 at Tsukuba Circuit.
Hattori drives. Loves it. Feels awesome. Feels very stable, the way it starts to slide is very progressive. Notes that all stability control is off. The way it turns in is so smooth. The center of gravity is right where the driver is and so it's easy to control. Best so far.
Tsuchiya drives. Fun. Awesome. Driving "correctly" it has plenty of the speed AWD is capable of. Then if you want to fling it around, then it can do that just as well. It makes you say, "Audi's technology is amazing!"
Gallardo LP550-2 (two wheel drive I believe)
Hattori drives. The shift shock is quite strong. There is so much power, it's scary. The throttle pedal ratio is so sharp it's hard to modulate. He turns the stability from off to sport mode. He likes this better. You DO feel like you're in control but.... The narrator says Hattori continues driving, handling the huge power a bit nervously, and maybe this is how you enjoy a Lamborghini? (tongue in cheek)
Tsuchiya drives. Amazing power. Fast. Scary on winding roads like this. Narrator says, "viewers, please don't try this at home." Once the car starts to slide, there's not much room to play. It's a little too scary to hang it out.
Nissan GT-R
Hattori drives. Feels like a modern car. Very robust. Has the best qualities of AWD. Fast. How does it have so much grip?
Tsuchiya drives. Doesn't say a lot. If you get used to it, figure out the right way to brake to move the weight around, it will drift quite well. The 2010 model has improved. Sort of like the R8, but with less area to play in (area in the control envelope).
Ratings
6. Gallardo.
Why last place? It's a real sports car, but on this road it's not really suited very well. If you want to scare yourself, this is a good choice.
5. Cayman S.
So why was Hattori giving it lower marks? He was using the NSX-R as the neutral benchmark and compared it from there. (He rated the NSX as 7 points since it was the first car tested and he wanted to leave room above and below.) The Cayman is a little "thin" feeling. It just doesn't exit corners cleanly, the tail moves around rather than propelling you out. The steering is awesome, as Porsches usually are. Tsuchiya agrees the steering response is really good. He agrees with Hattori that when drifting, the front and rear "stroke" (suspension travel, how it moves) are slightly different. So it moves, then snaps back a little, and he doesn't like that. All this behavior is right at the very high limit, so it's a good car. It IS much easier than the Gallardo.
4. Lotus Evora.
Rated very high in stability. So Hattori's reasoning is that with MR cars, there is a point after the rear starts to slide where you have that "danger zone" that you have to deal with. The Lotus minimizes that with its soft suspension tuning. The long wheelbase and wide stance helps. Good steering feel. Drift control wise, Tsuchiya says it's like the NSX, but if you make it understeer only. Tsuchiya says it is barely at the level where he can recommend the car. He doesn't understand why it is so highly thought of in Europe. Hattori explains that you can make it turn with the brakes, and the rear will hang with you.
3. NSX-R
Why 7 points from Hattori? He wanted to leave room above for better cars. So why did Tsuchiya give it 10 and 9 points for steering response and drift control? He jokes that if there were a better car, then he would have bought himself one! He loves how from the first tap of the brakes, you can control exactly how far the tail hangs out by adjusting how much brake pressure you apply. Why the 9 points? He is getting old and wants power steering.
(sidebar: What happens when an amateur drives a Gallardo)
Tail moves around. Lots of traction. Sudden transition from understeer to oversteer. Hard to drive.
2. Nissan GT-R, 2010 model
Hattori gives it 10 points for stability. There's no feeling of "oh the front is gripping, now the rear is gripping," it's actually balanced well. It's almost 500hp, but it transmits that power really well. It feels really safe. The 8 points for "comfort" is because it's so fast. It hides it's weight.
Tsuchiya gives it 10 points for steering. 9 points for drift control. Uphill it understeers a lot no matter what you do. But it still gets 9 points because downhill, you have very precise control of the rear just like the NSX-R.
They laugh at how Tsuchiya rates the top 3 cars with the same points.
1. Audi R8
Tsuchiya comments: The 10 points for steering response are for it's precision no matter what the car is doing. Now about the 9 points for drift control for the top 3 cars...if the NSX-R had more power, he feels it would be even better, something like 9.9. The GT-R's 9 points are valid for downhill, but not uphill. The R8's 9 points are a result of it being like the NSX, but more mature. It is 21st century steering response. If it carried four people he would have bought it. They talk about sticking people in the trunk or on the roof.
Hattori: So the NSX-R is tuned to go fast on a track, so the suspension is very hard. The tires are specialized too. However, when the tail slides, you feel like the tail is very long, moving way behind you. The R8 moves in a way where you are closer to the center of rotation, maybe that point is just behind you. That makes it very easy for the driver to understand what is happening. Therefore, 10 points for "comfort." It's amazing the same company makes both the top and bottom ranked cars (Lamborghini and Audi).
So the top two cars are AWD, and the old NSX still ranks 3. Why is that? Was it because these other cars are not that good, or is it that they are really good and the NSX was also really good?
Tsuchiya: It shows that the NSX was really refined and perfected. It's actually that good.
Hattori: It's amazing to think these two top cars are in a completely different generation and age. And compared to them, it's amazing the NSX-R does this well against them.
Winner: Audi.
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This is a comparison of the NSX-R with current MR cars: Lotus Evora, Cayman S, LP550-2 Balboni edition, GT-R, and Audi R8.
They are testing on a winding road. Each driver awards points on a 1-10 scale. Tsuchiya will rate how "fun to drift" each car is. Two categories:
1. Steering response
2. Drift control
Hattori will rate how "fun to grip" each one is (basically normal performance driving). Categories:
1. Stability of the tail
2. "comfortable" rating.
By "comfortable" they do not mean ride quality, but rather driver confidence in how the car responds to input. How comfortable you are driving it hard.
Driving impressions
NSX-R
Hattori drives. He likes it, easy to drive, easy to slide around. He seems hesitant about his praise at times.
Tsuchiya drives. He loves it. It is his benchmark for controllability, which is why he bought one. He says it is easy to read (feel) both under and oversteer.
They explain the rating categories, 10 point scale.
Lotus Evora
They note it is similar to the NSX spec-wise.
Hattori comments on the pedals making your feet slant toward the center of the car.
Hattori drives. He says it is not stiff. Sort of softer than expected. The rear is very stable, does not have any of the suddenness of the NSX.
Tsuchiya drives. The way it moves is...not bad. However, you can't use weight transfer to make it move around like the NSX. He says if you change the suspension it would be better.
Cayman S
Hattori drives. The way the rear moves when transitioning from on throttle to off...is not "comfortable."
Tsuchiya drives. He says it feels like it gets "stuck" in the way it moves. There are places where it has a jerky response which he does not like. Right at the exit of a drift, when transitioning from sliding back to gripping, it's not quite right. However, the car can drift and you can enjoy driving it.
Audi R8 4.2
They note the 4.2 actually outran the V10 at Tsukuba Circuit.
Hattori drives. Loves it. Feels awesome. Feels very stable, the way it starts to slide is very progressive. Notes that all stability control is off. The way it turns in is so smooth. The center of gravity is right where the driver is and so it's easy to control. Best so far.
Tsuchiya drives. Fun. Awesome. Driving "correctly" it has plenty of the speed AWD is capable of. Then if you want to fling it around, then it can do that just as well. It makes you say, "Audi's technology is amazing!"
Gallardo LP550-2 (two wheel drive I believe)
Hattori drives. The shift shock is quite strong. There is so much power, it's scary. The throttle pedal ratio is so sharp it's hard to modulate. He turns the stability from off to sport mode. He likes this better. You DO feel like you're in control but.... The narrator says Hattori continues driving, handling the huge power a bit nervously, and maybe this is how you enjoy a Lamborghini? (tongue in cheek)
Tsuchiya drives. Amazing power. Fast. Scary on winding roads like this. Narrator says, "viewers, please don't try this at home." Once the car starts to slide, there's not much room to play. It's a little too scary to hang it out.
Nissan GT-R
Hattori drives. Feels like a modern car. Very robust. Has the best qualities of AWD. Fast. How does it have so much grip?
Tsuchiya drives. Doesn't say a lot. If you get used to it, figure out the right way to brake to move the weight around, it will drift quite well. The 2010 model has improved. Sort of like the R8, but with less area to play in (area in the control envelope).
Ratings
6. Gallardo.
Why last place? It's a real sports car, but on this road it's not really suited very well. If you want to scare yourself, this is a good choice.
5. Cayman S.
So why was Hattori giving it lower marks? He was using the NSX-R as the neutral benchmark and compared it from there. (He rated the NSX as 7 points since it was the first car tested and he wanted to leave room above and below.) The Cayman is a little "thin" feeling. It just doesn't exit corners cleanly, the tail moves around rather than propelling you out. The steering is awesome, as Porsches usually are. Tsuchiya agrees the steering response is really good. He agrees with Hattori that when drifting, the front and rear "stroke" (suspension travel, how it moves) are slightly different. So it moves, then snaps back a little, and he doesn't like that. All this behavior is right at the very high limit, so it's a good car. It IS much easier than the Gallardo.
4. Lotus Evora.
Rated very high in stability. So Hattori's reasoning is that with MR cars, there is a point after the rear starts to slide where you have that "danger zone" that you have to deal with. The Lotus minimizes that with its soft suspension tuning. The long wheelbase and wide stance helps. Good steering feel. Drift control wise, Tsuchiya says it's like the NSX, but if you make it understeer only. Tsuchiya says it is barely at the level where he can recommend the car. He doesn't understand why it is so highly thought of in Europe. Hattori explains that you can make it turn with the brakes, and the rear will hang with you.
3. NSX-R
Why 7 points from Hattori? He wanted to leave room above for better cars. So why did Tsuchiya give it 10 and 9 points for steering response and drift control? He jokes that if there were a better car, then he would have bought himself one! He loves how from the first tap of the brakes, you can control exactly how far the tail hangs out by adjusting how much brake pressure you apply. Why the 9 points? He is getting old and wants power steering.
(sidebar: What happens when an amateur drives a Gallardo)
Tail moves around. Lots of traction. Sudden transition from understeer to oversteer. Hard to drive.
2. Nissan GT-R, 2010 model
Hattori gives it 10 points for stability. There's no feeling of "oh the front is gripping, now the rear is gripping," it's actually balanced well. It's almost 500hp, but it transmits that power really well. It feels really safe. The 8 points for "comfort" is because it's so fast. It hides it's weight.
Tsuchiya gives it 10 points for steering. 9 points for drift control. Uphill it understeers a lot no matter what you do. But it still gets 9 points because downhill, you have very precise control of the rear just like the NSX-R.
They laugh at how Tsuchiya rates the top 3 cars with the same points.
1. Audi R8
Tsuchiya comments: The 10 points for steering response are for it's precision no matter what the car is doing. Now about the 9 points for drift control for the top 3 cars...if the NSX-R had more power, he feels it would be even better, something like 9.9. The GT-R's 9 points are valid for downhill, but not uphill. The R8's 9 points are a result of it being like the NSX, but more mature. It is 21st century steering response. If it carried four people he would have bought it. They talk about sticking people in the trunk or on the roof.
Hattori: So the NSX-R is tuned to go fast on a track, so the suspension is very hard. The tires are specialized too. However, when the tail slides, you feel like the tail is very long, moving way behind you. The R8 moves in a way where you are closer to the center of rotation, maybe that point is just behind you. That makes it very easy for the driver to understand what is happening. Therefore, 10 points for "comfort." It's amazing the same company makes both the top and bottom ranked cars (Lamborghini and Audi).
So the top two cars are AWD, and the old NSX still ranks 3. Why is that? Was it because these other cars are not that good, or is it that they are really good and the NSX was also really good?
Tsuchiya: It shows that the NSX was really refined and perfected. It's actually that good.
Hattori: It's amazing to think these two top cars are in a completely different generation and age. And compared to them, it's amazing the NSX-R does this well against them.
Winner: Audi.
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