Your friend and mine Mr Steve Sutcliffe is currently over in Japan, driving the new Skyline GT-R (it doesn't matter what Nissan says, it will always be a Skyline). You'll probably be planning on reading his words on this very website on Saturday morning, possibly over a bacon sandwich. And if you're like me, you'll probably be looking forward to the write-up as much as the salted meaty goodness.
I've got one serious question to raise before all the excited frothing kicks off, though: was I the only person slightly confused by the fact that this new Nissan has managed to bust the 'agreed' 286bhp Japanese power limit by the small matter of 200bhp?
Before we all begin celebrating the disappearance of a silly, self-imposed power ceiling on all Jap motors, it's as well to know how Nissan coaxed the authorities into allowing such a potent machine. Because the truth is rather sinister.
In Japan, the GT-R's sat-nav (it doubles as the drive computer, left) is linked to the engine ECU. This means it knows where it is, and in principle at least, how fast it is allowed to travel at any given place. Sound terrifying? Well it should.
Nissan has stopped short of the full big-brother treatment, but for now the Japanese car is limited to 112mph on the road and will only allow the full 190mph once the navigation software is certain that the car is on a circuit.
Many people see the new GT-R as the resurrection of a great sports car, but the irony is it might just have launched the technology that will terminally damage enjoyable road driving in the future.
Technorati tags: Nissan GT-R, sat nav, speed limiter, Harris