Nissan GT-R /C – driven with a DualShock 4 controller

Nissan’s involvement with the Gran Turismo series is pretty well known (look at the number of Nissans in GT5), and to celebrate 20 years of that partnership and the release of the new Gran Turismo Sport, the carmaker has created this – the Nissan GT-R /C.

If the name wasn’t enough of a giveaway, what you’re looking at here is a full-size, remote-control GT-R that has been modified so it can be driven entirely with just a DualShock 4 controller for the PlayStation 4.

These modifications include four robots that operate the steering, transmission, brakes and throttle, along with six computers mounted in the rear that update the controls at up to 100 times a second. The controller is linked wirelessly (one km range) to the GT-R /C’s onboard systems, and a computer interprets the joystick and button inputs before directing the robots appropriately.

The lucky individual who gets to try out the one-off project car is none other than Nismo athlete Jann Mardenborough. If you’ll recall, Mardenborough transitioned from videogame to real-life driving when he won the Nissan PlayStation GT Academy competition in 2011.

Let loose on the Silverstone Circuit, Mardenborough controlled the GT-R /C from the cockpit of a helicopter to set a fastest lap of 1:17:47. The car also managed an average speed of 122 km/h around the circuit, and hit a top speed of 211 km/h.

As Mardenborough isn’t in the car to judge the vehicle’s speed through the corners, a Racelogic VBOX Motorsport sensor was installed to relay speed data to a LCD display in the helicopter cockpit. Also, two safety systems allow operators to apply full ABS braking and cut the engine in the event of the main operator loses control of the vehicle.

“This was once-in-a-lifetime, truly epic stuff. The GT-R /C has brought my two worlds together – the virtual of gaming and the reality of motorsport – in a way I never thought possible. The response from the car when using the controller was far more engaging than I thought it would be,” said Mardenborough.

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