Shock and awe

That's enough staring already. We really do have Nissan's wonder car for the next eight weeks. Admittedly, it has been a tough job convincing Nissan to lend us one for an extended period, but our persistence has finally paid off.

It's been a few months since I last drove the GT-R, and even though I have tested several supercars within that time, my reintroduction to Godzilla was way more explosive than I had expected.

The GT-R is a remarkable machine, but we didn't get one just for swanning around. Although, there will be a lot of that too. The real reason for this long-term test is to evaluate some of the GT-R's non-supercar attributes. The fuel economy, for example. Nissan claims that if you're careful with the throttle, the GT-R will return 21mpg. Hmm... Considering a Lamborghini Murciélago, which has similar performance will barely manage 10, we really need to try this one out.

Then there is everyday usability. Driving most exotics around town is like wrestling a fat dog up a tight staircase, I'm keen to see how Godzilla behaves when it's let loose in the city. Again, Nissan stresses that the GT-R can easily be used as a daily driver, no problem. In the next few weeks I plan to do exactly that and you will be the first to know if my spine or any bits of the car shatter.

I also plan to put it to the ultimate family test — a trip to Ikea. Since it has a huge boot, I expect it to win this one with flying colours.

The big one, however, is reliability and quality of service. Early GT-Rs were blighted by reliability issues in America, so we are keen to see how this one holds up during its time with us. Hopefully, there will be no maladies to report during its tenure. But irrespective of its mechanical state we will have to take it to Arabian Automobiles for nitrogen fill-ups every few weeks (normal air is considered too unstable for the GT-R's tyres).

I have every confidence in this car and I fully expect it to live up to Nissan's marketing claims. But if it doesn't, you again, will be the first to know.

I owe it to you, the reader. I owe it to the legendary GT-R.

Facts