Every time I see a GT-R I feel like I’m looking at a computer-generated character, as though a comic book page or game frame came to life in front of me. They feel like the stuff of hyper reality, existing purely for the purpose of being the best at what they do. Naturally, I associate them with Japan, and I’m sure that part of the allure for a lot of us is the mythical midnight Wangan runs that we’d all love to go on, or the touge blasting that Dino so often tempts us with.

But what if I told you that I thought that one of the best R35s anywhere in the world was actually built in the quiet English countryside? Is that even possible?

For me, R35 tuning should feel as close to factory, whilst changing as much as possible. It’s like a respectful homage to the original engineers who originally fanaticized over every aspect, but you can still improve the marque.  The suspension demonstrates this theory well. Undeterred by the legions of press and test drivers who sung the standard setup’s praises, Iain went to Bilstein and Eibach and didn’t come back until he was happy. The improvements made were just that, whilst being entirely valid. Much like Nismo would do in Japan, his way of thinking is similar. In fact it’s something Iain does very well…

So going back to my original question, is this better than we’ve seen come out of Japan? Take away the need to see your favoured names and look long and hard at that spec list. Is there a better all-round GT-R in the world? I’m not saying there isn’t, and I also need to say that this is not a claim Iain makes – he’s very humble about what Litchfield Motors and the team can do. But again, by creating a bespoke development package, you know something is right, rather than relying on somebody else telling you so. Yes, I realise the irony of writing that in an article!