Left brain: logic. Right brain: emotion. When trying to maintain the reins of this beast, both sides of the brain are constantly challenged. When to shift, when to lift, when to brake, when to turn in and when to get back on the gas to make the quickest progress. And while the calculations go on in the left hemisphere, the right side is almost numb with disbelief and the adrenal glands work overtime to keep you on high alert. Dip into the throttle a little deeper each time and you'll eventually activate the most primal region of the brain, the reptilian, the part of the brain that governs survival. This car is that scary.
On the dyno, it'll send 568 hp and 590 lb-ft of torque to the rollers. That translates to around 710 hp and 755 lb-ft to the flywheel when you factor in a 25% drivetrain loss. It does so with the help of custom intercoolers, Garrett T-25 hybrid turbos, billet diverter valves, a GIAC chip programmed exclusively for Meridian Automotive Design and a Cargraphic "medium" exhaust.
In charge of the unenviable task of putting that power to the pavement are Continental SportContact2 tires (265/30-19 fr, 315/25-19 r) stretched over HRE 841R three-piece wheels. The LC Racing titanium coilovers and GT-3R swaybars deliver spot-on handling, but even they succumb to the laws of physics with rear-end squat under hard acceleration in the lower gears and tire squirm when exiting a corner as the boost starts to roll in.
To stop the madness, Meridian bolted on eight-piston Brembos and 15-in. rotors up front and a 14-in./four-piston combo in back. Pedal feel is slightly softer than what you'd expect from Brembo; their effectiveness, however, is unquestionable.
A B&M short-shifter up front and a TechArt rear linkage short-shifter provide solid, perfectly weighted and well-defined selections that rank up there with the best shifters in the business. And as you're cradled in the GT-3 seats, your hands twirl a chunky Gemballa 320mm steering wheel. Behind you is a factory roll bar to keep the chassis tight.
On the outside, this car wears a Gemballa 750 EVO bodykit comprised of a front spoiler, side skirts, rear bumper cap and carbon-fiber wing. Meridian contributed its own special touch by flaring out the rear fenders by 2 in. and the fronts by 1.5 in., adding much needed curvature to a pre-pubescent body and paying homage to the Turbos of the old skool.
Forget the bullet-train similes, the time travel clichff,s, the catapult comparisons. They don't apply because it's hard to define the intangible, to quantify that which can't be measured. Meridian's 996 TT simply outruns hyperbole.