Shock Value: Nissan GT-R vs Scion Drift tCs
Why Pit Godzilla Against a Pair of Purpose Built Drift Cars? Why Not?

2010 Nissan GT R Drift Scions Front 1
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Psst. Hey, you. Put down that PBR and check this out. In our latest installment of “things-we-probably-shouldn’t-be-doing-with-a-baby-Veyron” we pit our long term Nissan GT-R against a duo of Scion tCs. Except that they aren’t really tCs. Confused? Click the play button below and watch the video. Then come back for all the behind-the-scenes information.

Cool? Lame? Meh? Maybe this will help:

2010 Nissan GT R Drift Scions Front 5
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Who… is the cheeky Jon Gosselin look-a-like? Yours truly, the author of this piece and chief instigator of all this nonsense. I suggested the idea of GT-R vs tC to editor-in-chief MacKenzie, who loved it purely for the shock value. After all, in what alternate reality does GT-R vs. Scion-anything make sense? Since no good deed goes unpunished, I was assigned to shepherd and host this story, though the sandpaper-dipped-in-honey voice over was provided by MT’s own Antoine St. Claire.

2010 Nissan GT R Drift Scions Front 2
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Where are Ken Gushi and Tanner Foust, and why don’t we see more of them? Though we kicked it around for a while, the shoot actually came together rather quickly. All of it had to be done in one day, which is a lot tougher than you might think since we had to test and shoot both Scions. Little things like the tiny fuel cells in each car (usually filled between rounds of Formula D), tire changes, a three-hour lunch and happy hour conspired against us. Furthermore, Tanner commands millions of dollars to appear on camera, and Ken believes being photographed steals one’s soul (that last part may or may not be true). Without a doubt, both gentlemen would have made the video much more interesting, but there just wasn’t time, people.

Cars have come a very long way in the last 100 years or so. They used to be slow-moving, cumbersome things that weren’t a whole lot better than walking, and they were unattainable to most people because they were cost prohibitive. Plus, there just weren’t that many of them. Now cars are everywhere, and they have changed so much. They not only go much faster and are much more reliable than their predecessors, but they have features that wouldn’t have even been imagined or dreamt about in the past.

Even simple things that most people take for granted like windows that open and close and air conditioning weren’t in the first cars. There were no radios, and there certainly weren’t any navigation systems or diagnostics that allowed your car to ‘tell you’ when something was wrong or the door wasn’t closed tightly. The first cars weren’t much above horse-drawn carriages, and they broke down a lot. People were always fiddling with them to keep them running properly and there were no warranties. Long distance trips weren’t realistic, and there weren’t gas stations on every corner, either. Slowly, though, cars started to develop and acquire more features like air conditioning, heating, and windows that could be rolled up and down – which were eventually replaced with power windows in most vehicles of today.

Radios and things like them came later, and the first were AM/FM only. Eight-track tapes, cassettes, and CDs came along eventually, as did navigation systems, diagnostic checks, and being able to plug your iPod into your car and play the music that’s on it through the stereo. Whether these things are actually needed is debatable, of course, but that doesn’t mean that they aren’t wanted or that they don’t enhance the experience of travelling. Now that there are good warranties on cars and they are very reliable, people can take long trips without being so concerned about them breaking down. There are always places to fuel up and get a snack, and there are auto clubs that you can call if a tyre goes flat or the engine gives up – or if you run out of fuel. It’s nothing like driving a car 100, 50, or even 25 years ago, and it makes one wonder what kinds of options are going to be seen on cars in the future. Undoubtedly there will be many more changes and features to come.

Ford will receive $5.9 Billion in low interest loans from the US Govt Advanced Technology Vehicles Manufacturing Loan Program (ATVMLP). The funding will go towards transforming factories in Illinois, Kentucky, Michigan, Missouri and Ohio to produce 13 more fuel efficient models. Tesla ($465 million) and Nissan ($1.6 billion) were also approved to receive some of the low-interest loans.

From the DOE press release:

Ford Motor Company will receive $5.9 billion in loans through 2011 to help finance numerous engineering advances to traditional internal combustion engines and electrified vehicles. In addition, theses loans will help the company convert two truck plants to the production of cars. Ford will be raising the fuel efficiency of more than a dozen popular models, including the Focus, Escape, Taurus and F-150, representing close to two million new vehicles annually and helping to transform nearly 35,000 employees to green engineering and manufacturing jobs in factories across 5 states: Illinois, Kentucky, Michigan, Missouri, and Ohio. Ford is driving a major upgrade, leveraging a portfolio of technologies, including the direct injection, smart turbocharging EcoBoost engine, advanced transmissions, and new hybrid technologies.

The facilities that will be impacted by today’s announcement include: Chicago Assembly, Louisville Assembly, Dearborn Assembly, Dearborn Engine, Livonia Transmission, Michigan Assembly, Van Dyke Transmission, Kansas City Assembly, Cleveland Engine, Lima Engine, and Sharonville Transmission.

GM and Chrysler were told their finances have to improve before they can receive any loans from the government’s program to loan billions to retool factories in order to make more fuel efficient vehicles. The program was set up by Bush before the TARP program began.

The car companies at the time wanted the loan program, but said the funds would not be available in time to help them survive. Thus, the loans that GM and Chrysler eventually took which allowed them to survive for a few months more before going into bankruptcy.

Ford President and CEO Alan Mulally released this statement on the government loan program:

“Ford Motor Company is proud to be among the first automakers deemed by the government to be among the best companies with the best technologies in American manufacturing and fuel efficiency. This green partnership between Ford and the U.S. government will help accelerate the development of advanced technologies for even better fuel efficiency and emissions. Ford is absolutely committed to fuel economy leadership with every new model we introduce. In fact, we plan to invest nearly $14 billion in advanced technology vehicles in the next seven years. Our partnership with the Department of Energy also will help retool our U.S. plants more quickly to produce fuel efficient vehicles and help meet the new, rigorous fuel-economy requirements.”

Ford anticiaptes they will begin repaying the loans back in 2012