Nissan defies the natural order

It’s the genius in its chassis engineering that has had other manufacturers scratching their heads and winding up power outputs to obscene levels in an attempt to keep pace.

The latest GT-R will have them reaching for their drawing boards again. Somewhat remarkably, the car’s creator noted in 2007 that as jaw-dropping as that car was, the real deal would be three years away but it’s here now and, well, it doesn’t look much different.

Underneath, however, the suspension has been wholly overhauled, the engine power goes up to 523bhp, torque takes a great hike and virtually every detail has been fettled and honed. The interior quality has improved considerably and there’s now a broader range of GT-R variants to choose from.

There will be those who decry the Nissan as a one-trick pony, a vehicle that can shine on a lap of the Nurburgring but which possesses an otherwise narrow band of talent.

The latest GT-R broadens its appeal somewhat - albeit at a price - but those who doubt the Nissan are usually those who have never driven one. The GT-R is a complex, capable and charismatic car that just got a whole lot better. More power to it.

If you’ve never driven a Nissan GT-R before, expect to have your performance goalposts blasted into the next postcode.

The latest car offers even more power, upping what was a suspiciously conservative looking 479bhp up to a more wholesome 523bhp, conveniently identical to the latest Porsche 911 Turbo S.

The big difference comes in the breadth of torque now available, which should make the GT-R an easier car to drive faster more of the time. And in case you were wondering, using the launch control feature no longer invalidates your warranty. Expect to notch a sprint to 60mph in around 3.5s and a top speed knocking on the door of 200mph.

Nissan say that that the ride hasn’t changed much, which means that, based on our experience of the old car, you’re likely to find it distinctly firm.

Many rivals seem to have resolved a better compromise between ride and handling, but the ‘Comfort’ mode of the electronically adjustable dampers now at least should help out here. A carbon-fibre strut brace has stiffened the front end and steering response ought to be improved as a result.

Parking manoeuvres should be eased by the car switching into rear-wheel drive below 6mph and when the wheel is turned more than halfway.

Nissan engineers seem quietly confident that this adds up to a package that Porsche’s 911 will find tough to match. Exact lap times are subject to a number of variables but it’s fair to say that the GT-R is closely comparable on a hot lap to Porsche’s 620bhp 911 GT2 RS.

A revised version of Dunlop’s SportMaxx GT 600 tyre offers superior high speed stability. Bigger front discs put some serious punch into the braking system