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• Nissan GT-R /C - driven by a DualShock4 controller
• Piloted by NISMO driver Jann Mardenborough
• Controlled from the cockpit of a helicopter
• Top speed of 211km/h at Silverstone
London, UK – Nissan has created the ultimate remote-control car for gamers – the Nissan GT-R /C.
Celebrating the release of Gran Turismo Sport, the one-off project car was extensively modified to be driven entirely by a DualShock4 controller.
A few millimetres of button movement or joystick travel are all it takes to unleash the GT-R’s full power. The remote-control vehicle is capable of a top speed of 315km/h – not restricted for the purpose of the project car – with no one sitting behind the wheel.
The GT-R /C was put through its paces by NISMO racing driver Jann Mardenborough, around Silverstone’s famous National Circuit. Mardenborough controlled the GT-R /C from the cockpit of a Robinson R44 Raven II helicopter, which had been given special permission to operate at a low altitude.
In 2018, the Nissan GT-R /C will be used in a tour of primary and secondary schools in the UK to promote future careers in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths) subjects.
Watch the remote-controlled GTR below:
The car
The GT-R /C was engineered in the UK by JLB Design, using a standard-spec 404kW V6-powered 2011 R35 – the same year Jann Mardenborough won GT Academy.
On Mardenborough’s fastest lap (1min17:47), the GT-R /C averaged 122km/h and reached a top speed of 211km/h – the ‘driven’ average for the 2.6km/h loop circuit is around 134km/h.
Image: Quickpic
The GT-R /C is fitted with four robots that operate the steering, transmission, brakes and throttle. Six computers mounted in the boot update the controls at up to 100 times a second.
The unmodified DualShock4 connects to a micro-computer which interprets the joystick and button signals and transmits them to the GT-R /C’s on-board systems. The wireless operation has a primary control range of 1km.
Image: Quickpic
To help Mardenborough 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.
The GT-R /C is also fitted with two independent safety systems, operating on different radio frequencies, which allow two additional operators to apply full ABS braking and cut the engine in the event of the main operator losing control of the vehicle.
