Issue link: http://www.e-digitaleditions.com/i/745887
November / December 2016 46 zones, followed by time on the short but technical polished concrete course to practice understeer/ oversteer and throttle control techniques. Finally, we ended up on the wet kick plate runway where I struggled to keep the winged Cayman on the straight and narrow but ended up executing at least a couple of nearly perfect 360-degree spins, which amused my instructor greatly. Through it all, the GT4 handled it with grace and aplomb. The GT4 is a masterpiece on track; supremely competent, but forgiving enough when pushed to the limit. To quote Chris Harris: "What a thing". We make our mid-session pit stop, grab a cold bottle of water and walk over to our waiting Lava Orange GT3RS. After reading all of the articles, and watching all of the YouTube videos, I was not sure of what to expect, but we sped through a brief orientation, adjusted my seat, strapped in and lit the beast. The snarling, maniacal sound of that 500 HP naturally aspirated 4.0 liter flat 6 permeates the cabin, as there is no sound insulation. We head out slowly onto the main course to put some heat in the massive Michelin Sport Cup 2's. Kevin informs me that this car, unlike the GT4, is much harder edged with little room for error at the limit. I heed his advice, leaving the traction control on and work up to speed slowly; focusing on smooth steering inputs and throttle discipline. Turn in is even sharper than the GT4, and the suspension feels much firmer. This is a physical car to drive fast. Kevin continues to provide solid coaching feedback on my lines, as we make our way through the tight technical stuff and then finally onto the front main straight, where I roll into full throttle for the first time. The engine noise is intimidating but intoxicating, and as you approach the 8250-RPM redline the car shifts hard and breaks the tires loose into second and third gear. I barely have enough time to blink, but then hit the PCCB's hard. "Way too early" Kevin yells above the engine noise. This was to be a repetitive theme for the next few laps until I built up enough confidence to really believe in both the equipment and myself. The GT3RS' braking ability from high speeds is simply stunning and borders on insanity. As initially intimidating the car is to drive at speed, once settled in and focused, I was able to