Say hello to the new Nissan GT-R Nismo GT3

Road-legal, track-focussed cars are great fun. But normally a little pointless, because no matter what their makers claim, they’re usually inherently compromised on track by all the bits necessary to make them road-legal, and compromised on the road by all the bits designed to make them good on a track. If you’re rich enough, why not buy a super wafty daily, and then a proper, uncompromising track car that isn’t hamstrung by a set of numberplates?

Something like this – the Nissan GT-R NISMO GT3, freshly updated for 2019 and available to order now for ¥60,000,000, or about £410K (before taxes…). Nissan’s done a GT3 version of the GT-R since 2012 – it’s won Super GT and Blancpain championships, and took overall honours at the Bathurst 12 Hours in 2015.

This year’s car promises “significant advances” over the road-going GT-R and its GT3 predecessor. The 3.8-litre twin-turbocharged engine – which gives “over 542bhp” and “over 470lb ft” – is mounted 150mm further back and lower for better weight distribution. There’s new suspension, better flexural and torsional rigidity, a newly designed, more reliable six-speed sequential transmission, better brakes and even a more efficient air-conditioning system.

As track day cars go, it’s a fairly committed one, no? But we're sure that doesn't make you want it any less.