ON TRACK

We’ve given our contenders the most thorough test possible on road. Now can they handle the heat on track at Ascari?

- RICHARD MEADEN

TRACK DRIVING HAS ALWAYS BEEN ON the periphery of eCoty. A welcome addition if opportunity arises, but never the heart of the test. However, these days it’s harder and harder to explore the limits on the road, and with the demands of video adding another dimension, there’s ample reason to cut loose and enjoy the cars on a circuit. There are few more suited to our needs than Ascari.

This year we’ve got two cars – the GT R Pro and Trophy-R – that are absolutely dedicated to the task of excelling on track. The GT4 and Project 8 are also blessed with considerable circuit capability, and while the A45 S and Plus Six are very much the dedicated road cars of the test, they too promise to be rapid and entertaining.

The GT R Pro is the most intimidating. That’s a sense largely born out of its on-road demeanour, which is somewhat thuggish. It’s a big, broad brute of a thing, and when you fire it up the whole car pulses with power and potency of the kind that makes your mouth dry and palms moist. Respect is due.

The regular GT R is a fun track car, but never felt fully tied down. The Pro definitely steps things up a notch or three. The chassis is very firm and resolutely resists roll, helping the fat Cup 2s to generate tremendous bite. You might expect the Pro to nail a fast, precise and committed lap (which it does, and brilliantly), but what’s more surprising is how approachable it is at and beyond the limit of those prodigiously sticky tyres. And when driven with more commitment, the 577bhp, 700Nm V8 has excellent and supremely progressive throttle response, so you can work towards the limit of traction in fine increments. That motorsport-style adjustable traction control really helps here, as you can dial out the assistance step by step until finally you’re working without an electronic safety net.