It's reasonable to say our expectations were exceeded when we drove Nissan's storming R35 GT-R at Japan's Sendai Raceway last December (more here), but the prospect of an even quicker variant is positively cause for salivation.
We always knew a hardcore V-Spec ('Victory Specification') version was in the works, and said variant has recently been spied at the Nurburgring, and Euro reports suggest the stripped-down, pumped-up GT-R stopped the clocks at a staggering 7min 25sec.
Let's put this in perspective: The standard GT-R's benchmark time (albeit on a partly wet track) is quoted by Nissan at 7:38, which is already quicker than a Porsche 911 GT3 or 911 Turbo... not to mention the missile-mimicking Bugatti Veyron.
However, a lap of 7:25 places the GT-R V-Spec ahead of the vaunted Pagani Zonda F Clubsport (7:27), Porsche Carrera GT (7:28), Porsche 997 GT2 (7:32) and Koenigsegg CCR (7:34).
If the GT-R is the bang-for-buck king, the V-Spec is shaping as the undisputed grand emperor.
The key to the V-Spec's pace is much the same as the recipe for the Lamborghini Gallardo Superleggera and Ferrari F430 Scuderia -- less weight, more power and tweaked aerodynamics.
Spy pics of the GT-R V-Spec reveal a new front splitter, modified rear spoiler, and different wheels to those worn by the standard car (pictured).
Reports suggest kerb mass (1740kg in standard form) has been pruned by more than 150kg via extensive use of carbonfibre and the deletion of bits deemed non-essential.
The 3.8-litre twin-turbo V6 has also reportedly been worked over to yield an additional 50kW-plus, taking its total output to somewhere north of 400kW.
All in all, it sounds like a formidable bit of gear, but we're somewhat apprehensive about the V-Spec's ride quality, given that the cooking model is hardly cosseting over any surface that isn't billiard-table smooth.
Honour roll - the fastest production cars at the Nurburgring
6:55 Radical SR8
7:12 Radical SR3 Turbo
7:27 Pagani Zonda F Clubsport
7:28 Porsche Carrera GT
7:32 Porsche 997 GT2
7:34 Koenigsegg CCR
7:38 Nissan GT-R
7:39 Porsche 997 GT3
7:40 Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren
7:40 Bugatti Veyron 16/4
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