75-Year-Old Driver Achieves Dream, Goes 200 MPH In His Nissan GT-R

You don't slow down as you get old. You get old because you slow down. If you don't believe us, spend 11 minutes watching the video above. It's okay, we can wait.

This is Barry, a legit enthusiast who motors about in a modest Honda. Judging by his relaxed demeanor, you'd never suspect his other car is an ethanol-burning Nissan GT-R. The first few minutes of the video reinforce this image, showing an elderly gentleman shuffling out of his Civic with help from a walking cane. He moves about his home gingerly, talking to the camera about an impending road trip while musing about it being a lovely day for a drive. Eventually, he reaches the bookcase where there are two sets of keys: one for the Honda, the other for the GT-R. You damn well better know which set he grabs.

It seems Barry has a fondness for speed. It began early on when he happened to see – and hear – an early Porsche 911 pass by. It apparently awakened an inner desire for speed, one that clearly hasn't diminished despite upwards of 50 years since that Porsche encounter. His 2012 Nissan GT-R is certainly capable of fulfilling that desire, even in pure factory-stock trim, which of course it isn't.

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We aren't treated to a complete rundown of all the upgrades, but the Nissan's engine is completely rebuilt, from the crankshaft to the turbochargers. He estimates the engine develops around 1,200 horsepower, and to manage that kind of thrust, the transmission has also been thoroughly upgraded. So yeah, it's quite capable of speeds far beyond that Porsche sighting he had a half-century ago.

To fully realize the performance, Barry headed to Upington International Airport in South Africa. Boasting an extremely long runway, he finally checked off a bucket-list item that we suspect nearly every gearhead has. With room to run, he unleashed the GT-R's modded motor and kept his foot planted to 200 mph and beyond. We ultimately see 351 km/h on the telemetry, which is 218 mph.

"I suppose when I get old, then I’ll have to slow down a bit," said Barry at the beginning of the video. "But I’m not sure when that’s going to be."

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