Nissan GT-R Red

We could rabbit on forever about the GT-R’s myriad dash read-outs, trick four-wheel-drive system, switchable transmission calibrations, various suspension settings and improved aerodynamics, but what really makes Nissan’s seminal muscle car so truly epic is its hand-built twin-turbo 3.8-litre V6 engine. Now producing 562bhp and 470lb ft. of torque, the upshot of this outpouring of power is gut-churning acceleration, with a launch control-aided 0-62mph time of 2.7 seconds, and a top speed of 196mph. Equally, there are few, if any engines that pile on revs with such effortless abandon, as the pistons race to challenge the implosion-preventing 7000rpm red line. However, while state-of-the-art not so very long ago, in these days of super-smooth, unfeasibly flexible transmissions, the GT-R’s rear-axle-mounted shifter now seems rather antiquated. While the latest software upgrades have improved up-shift quality, low-speed downshifts can still be heard and felt clanking away. In the unlikely event you find the standard GT-R too slow for your needs, the Nismo edition raises the stakes even higher. It uses the same basic engine, but with a whole host of internal modifications raising the power to 591bhp with a corresponding drop in acceleration times.