For an automotive journalist, the words "Let's go for a ride" can be some of the most fearsome. This phrase usually translates into "I'm going to scare you into soiling your shorts," or "Use the little bag in the door pocket if you feel ill." When Ken Bennett spoke those words as he wheeled behind my back my first reaction was to clench my teeth and tell him my helmet was in the car. After struggling with my chin strap and the five-point harness, making sure that the memory card on my camera wasn't full, and making sure my glasses weren't going anywhere, we began rolling down the pit lane. Hammer down took on a whole new meaning when the GTR launched. I was a little concerned when I looked in the side mirror and saw another Audi swiftly approaching from behind, but the concern quickly faded as I was pinned against the seat. The first corner arrived rapidly. Make no mistake about it-the 2Bennett GTR is one quick machine. On acceleration I didn't feel any turbo lag. The engine just kept on pulling.
The all-wheel drive and Toyo RAs made quick work of turn one. Some of the more technical among us would have used a g-meter to see how well the suspension was keeping the tires in contact with the asphalt, but I had something better: my Canon EOS 1D Mark II. Equipped with a lens and flash, it weighs about four to five pounds. Somewhere around turn four I made the mistake of trying to take some pictures. The camera was nearly ripped out of my hands when Ken flung the GTR into an off-camber right-hander. Good thing I still had the strap around my neck. This acted like a HANS device for the camera, but it didn't do much for my neck. The camera bounced off of the front of my helmet as Ken accelerated hard out of the apex and into a short straight. Then came the left-hander. Until then, I'd never quite had the experience of having a camera mashed into my face like that. I specifically bought an open-face helmet so I could get the viewfinder closer to my face when taking rides like this. I have since re-evaluated my need for a closed-face helmet. In the end, I decided just to watch and experience Ken's piloting for a while.
Watching him drive the GTR using the hand controls is like watching a cross between Speed Racer and your favorite martial arts film. His fluid motions while turning the wheel, twisting the throttle, and pivoting the wheel for braking is something you must see in person to fully believe. Mix this with the sensation of speed and the body-bending, gut-wrenching g-forces the car is capable of generating and you're in for a hell of a ride.
Andrew warned me beforehand the GTR that wasn't really designed for a track like the Streets. "The car really struts its stuff at courses with longer straights and corners," he said. He could have fooled me; I know for a fact that the speedometer read 95-mph-plus in some of the straights. And because of the size of the tires that number is probably on the low side. After a few more feeble attempts at photography, I had Ken pull into the pits so my overloaded synapses could decode the experience I was just put through.
A few closing thoughts. If you are considering GTR upgrades for your A4 or S4, beg for a ride in the 2Bennett Audimotive S4 GTR if it ever comes to a track near you. It's what the second seat is for. I'm really proud of the fact that they didn't have to hose the car out after my ride. And to the ec editors: You may as well use some of the in-car shots since I didn't have to add new boxers to my expense report.
DrivetrainLongitudinal front engine, all-wheel drive
Engine2.7-liter V6, dual overhead cams, five valves per cylinder, twin turbocharged and intercooled RS4 intake with APR Bipipe, APR software, 2B exhaust and crankcase breather system, modified RS4 K04 turbos, dual aluminum intercoolers, 2B engine and transmission oil cooler kits
Suspension2B Coil Program adjustable coilovers, 2B adjustable control arms
Brakes2B stage 2 GT brakes
Wheels And TiresForgeline SX3, 11x18Toyo RA1, 305/35-18
ExteriorCustom 2B GTR widebody panels
InteriorEight-point roll cage, custom steering, throttle and brake control mechanism
PerformancePeak Power: 500 bhp (est.)