IF I SIMPLY presented the GT-R’s statistics and test data, you’d be impressed at its worth in the supercar world. Alternatively, I could use strings of expletives and onomatopoeia (whoosh!) to communicate some of the thrill and emotion that comes with living at warp speed. But then I’d have to censor most of the first and the latter would be more akin to reading an Action Comic series. Seriously though, my time in the recently reinvigorated GT-R is a blur. Fact is, like The Matrix, you can’t be told what the GT-R is, you need to experience it for yourself. But I’ll give it my best shot.

IMAGE GALLERY HERE

EXTERIOR

It’s a big car. I mean massive. There’s no tarmac scraping here; it towers over the supercar stalwarts from Italy. Its profile easily blots out German efforts such as an Audi R8 or Porsche 911. Even Honda’s NSX looks like a Dinky car in comparison. The reason for all that heft is twofold. Firstly, the GT-R heritage is a long line of medium saloons. So it shares ride height with something like the similarly blown BMW 335i Coupe that’s pulled up alongside you at the red light, spoiling for a fight – he really shouldn’t be doing that. Secondly, it has to be huge, by virtue of all the tech packed beneath that long bonnet and into that complex drivetrain charged with sending mega blasts of power to Dunlop-wrapped 20- inch alloy hoops filling each pumped arch. The lightweight bodywork is also clever, with scientific honing arguably overpowering sheer beautiful sculpture. The end result doesn’t sit well with purists, though I find it wholly deserving. It certainly stirs emotion in the type of enthusiast who can see the beast beneath that physics-defying veneer. And it still turns heads violently thanks to its heavily-muscled body. The most recent update has added sparkly LED running lamps (hate them), and a redesigned carbon fibre rear diffuser (love it). Little else changes, though mild aero tweaks have added 10% more downforce and scalped the drag coefficient from 0.27 to 0.26. Even in ‘business suit blue’, little visual edginess is lost: think of it as an assassin in stealth mode, Gucci style.