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NICOfest 2008 - Nashville NICOfest at Import Alliance 2008 - Nashville TN For the second consecutive year, NICOclub was invited to collaborate with Import Alliance in bringing a motorsports-themed weekend event to the beautiful state of Tennessee. Due in part to the promising turnout last year, and in order to accommodate more interactive events, the venue was changed to the Nashville Super Speedway, and a perfect location it turned out to be... The Nashville countryside is beautiful, the people are friendly and hospitable, and there's some damn fine imports being built and modded in this area. Your NICOclub staffers rolled in from Phoenix, Atlanta, Louisville, Indianapolis, Alabama, Virginia and other faraway places on Friday evening for a pre-meet dinner at Chili's to discuss the weekend's activities. We knew that HIN was putting on an event at the same time, and knew we'd have to hit it real hard to make sure people chose this event over the ric... errr, 'other' show.
While Nashville and the surrounding areas boast some of the most dedicated car enthusiasts in the country, something we hadn't counted on was that many of the local clubs are comprised of vehicles of ALL makes and models. As a result, several impressive Nissan vehicles wound up dispersed throughout the event, tucked in among the masses of Hondas and other marquees. Regardless, as the NICOfest area filled up, it was pretty apparent that Nissan Corporate chose a great home in Nashville.
As if that wasn't enough to fire up the Nissan enthusiast crowd, the icing on the cake was Nissan Specialty Vehicles employee Jennifer, a stunning blonde who rolled up in a Pre-release 2009 Nismo Edition 350Z (Serial number 0000). Jennifer brought Nismo Z posters, brochures and spec sheets, as well as copies of Road & Track featuring the Nismo Z article. It doesn't get any better than this. Nissan Headquarters also sent Infiniti rep Ethan Snyder, who spent quite a bit of time talking with NICO staff and members. Discussions ranged from past experiences with prior models, to current likes and dislikes about the marque, to what the near future holds for Infiniti as a brand. Through it all, there was a general sense that Nissan and Infiniti are considering the value of the enthusiast and seem to be making efforts to re-establish a relationship with its customers. It's past due and welcomed - Definitely a step in the right direction! Skyline fanatics must have thought they were in heaven, with the full range of modern examples being represented: R32, R33, R34 and R35, all within walking distance. The black 93 GTS-T at the event was for sale, and the owner was quite knowledgeable and fun to talk with - Here's hoping it goes to a good home. The Time Attack portion of the event went on throughout the day and provided an awesome soundtrack to the day's events. At any given moment, from anywhere at the venue, you could look up and see drivers lapping the road course at full-boogie. The cars running the course ranged from FWD coupes to RWD Z's and G's to AWD Audi's. NICO's infield position allowed for the members to watch one chicane from the tent and there were numerous "oops" throughout the day resulting in cones flying and cars running off track. Of note was one Nissan Enthusiast running the Time Attack event in his 5.5th-gen Maxima. Not what you would expect and he was running high on the standings until a linkage bracket broke. Damn shame. Later in the day, just as there was a lull in the action, several select NICOclub members and staffers hit the Nissan jackpot - We got invited to ride shotgun with Colin in the R35 GTR on the road course. The GTR is simply EVERYTHING you've read about and more, and Nissan has a world-class supercar on its hands. The launch control makes the car feel like it's been rear-ended by a speeding garbage truck - But then it just keeps pulling... You expect, when shift points arrive, to be lurched forward slightly, and it's an unsettling and bizarre feeling to actually miss that entire pause and just get pressed back into the seat HARDER. In five laps around the road course, which incorporated the Speedway's main straight, we reached roughly 130 mph, and Colin explained that there was WAY more available. Helmetless, we were limited to keeping things at 70% of full-boil. This car redefines track driving - The harder you push it, the better it performs. Throw it into a corner way too hard, and manhandle it - The electronic stability control and differential control will let it get a little out of shape, but gently step in to offer minor corrections. Just plain impressive. Ham-fist it, treat it badly, and do everything 1/3 harder then you would in a normal track car... We could feel the differentials transferring power in the midst of a turn, but don't go thinking this is some electronic nanny overriding the fun factor - On the stock all-season tires (ugh), there were a few turns where we were in full-slide, yet rather than a gentle lift and gradual reapplication of throttle, you just point it in the proper direction and squeeze on some more power. This thing is so brutally fast, it defies logic - It feels as if it's always scrambling for more speed, even at the apex of a turn. Despite its balls-out nature, this car is refined: With the windows down, we were able to converse at a normal volume at that speed, which was incredibly strange. The interior is beautifully appointed, and the epitome of a gentleman's grand touring coupe. At normal speeds, it's as docile and comfortable as the G37. Rolling back into the NICOfest display area, the looks of envy on people's faces was totally enjoyable - The R35 GTR is a rock star, and everyone wants to be near it.
NICO would like to extend special thanks to Don and the Import Alliance crew - They managed to pull off what has become a major event smoothly and without too many of the hassles that plague many large automotive events. We're already talking with the IA team about how to improve and expand next year's event and we're looking forward to a long and successful relationship with IA and the Nashville Nissan enthusiasts that make this event possible. |
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