Instant gratification is great, but they also say that good things come to those who wait. So apparently, the anticipation of something can build to make the moment of fulfillment even better than if it was received immediately. It’s like finally digging into a delicious meal after a few hours of salivating at the aroma wafting in from the kitchen.

In this particular circumstance, we find the entrée to be a thick slab of Japanese engineering emanating a bouquet of world-class performance specs. Sitting down to enjoy it is Nick Coombes, who placed his order in 2013 as soon as he heard about the GT-R Nismo’s 7:08 Nurburgring->ke999 lap time. The man is clearly smitten by the car’s capabilities, as this 2015 Nismo is the third Godzilla he’s owned. As Coombes puts it, “once you’ve got GT-R in your blood, that is it.”

To commemorate this first delivery, Nissan->ke62 sent Coombes to Thruxton Motorsport Centre, where GT Academy winner and current LMP1 racer Jann Mardenborough was on hand to help him break in the new toy. The track was wet, which was no problem for the GT-R’s legendary AWD system.

After 17 months of waiting, Coombes seems ecstatic to finally be at the helm of his new dream ride. It’s the ultimate road-going expression of Nissan’s racing pedigree, and should keep him satisfied for a while. That is, until they make a faster one. 

Continue reading to learn more about the Nissan GT-R Nismo.

Why it matters

Only 24 examples of the GT-R Nismo will be sent to the UK, which makes this particular vehicle even more special. It also makes a lot of sense to bring the GT-R Nismo to a track right out of the box. Putting it in the hands of a professional racing driver shows the owner exactly what Godzilla is capable of, and honestly, the car is far better suited to a racing paddock than a driveway anyway. 

However, given the chance, I’d put this thing on display at every opportunity. While not necessarily beautiful in the conventional sense, the GT-R's form follows function. One glance makes the left side of my brain sizzle, as I’m sure it does for other GT-R fans out there.

Nissan GT-R Nismo

What do you get when you let a team of race engineers have their way with one of the most track-focused road cars on the planet? That’s the question Nissan set out to answer when constructing the Nismo version of its hardcore GT-R sports coupe.

Every feature is specifically tuned to offer the biggest bang possible for your performance buck. Rather than crafting flamboyance and flair, the exterior was hewn with exacting standards of maximum downforce and minimum drag, resulting in 220 down-pounds at 186 mph and a 0.26 Cd. Carbon fiber is used for the fenders, hood, trunk lid, and several other components, reducing curb weight by 143 pounds.

Inside the cabin, the motorsport theme continues with Recaro sport seats, a three-spoke Alcantara-wrapped steering wheel with a red center mark, and a sport gauge cluster.

The 20-inch wheels wrapped in Dunlop tires filled with nitrogen meet the pavement, while an adjustable suspension system offers very little compliance for superior handling characteristics. Abnormal amounts of adhesion from the electronically controlled AWD system rocket the Nismo out of corners, which is a necessary feature when considering the 600 horsepower and 481 pound-feet of torque on tap. Making all that grunt under the louvered hood is a 3.8-liter twin-turbo V-6, which receives bigger turbos, optimized ignition, and better fuel delivery over the base GT-R.

This thing is the pinnacle of Nissan’s public lineup, and as such, it doesn’t come cheap: prices start at $149,990.