Video: watch a Nissan GT-R melt snow with exhaust flames

A deserted, snowy car park. A Nissan GT-R. It doesn’t take a genius to work out what happens next.

Yes, winter is here. Which means a few months of vital research into how your car reacts on a low-grip surface. And this GT-R owner, as the video above demonstrates, is especially dedicated to the task of discovering how to destroy snow using nothing but a 3.8-litre twin-turbo V6, four-wheel drive and a heavy right foot.

With a naughty exhaust note and new wing, this Godzilla obviously isn’t standard. Especially as it belches fire off-throttle or when launch control is engaged. Fear this, snow.

As we found out on a Swedish ice lake earlier this year, the mighty Nissan is rather effective at negotiating slippery situations thanks to its unique all-wheel drive system.

See, the GT-R is equipped with a rear-mounted transaxle in a car with a front-mid-mounted engine. That might sound a bit odd, but it helps balance the GT-R’s weight distribution to 53:47 front to back.

It also means GT-Rs have a 98 per cent rear bias under normal driving conditions, but with the capability of switching to 50:50 front-to-rear pretty much instantly.

Brainy stuff that sounds complicated, right? But what does it mean in reality? Well, if the video above is anything to go by, a 500-plus bhp, four-wheel-drive snow blower. 

Don't try this at home, kids.