For all the snorting performance of the Nissan, the GT-R is surprisingly old fashioned in the cabin. I guess the real cutting edge stuff has been saved for under the bonnet, encased in a hand-built,3.8-litre twin turbo engine.

The steering wheel is a rash of buttons – probably too many to even consider if you are driving the GT-R with gusto – and a pair of elongated flappy-paddle gear changers that just add to the sensation you are travelling very fast indeed.

The entire instrument binnacle adjusts with the steering column, so you will never have any excuse for not seeing the speedo hit 100mph in just a matter of seconds. The seats are actually quite comfortable – I can even squeeze the dog onto the back seat.

The infotainment system is thoroughly entertaining, My favourite screen today is the one that shows G-force settings on acceleration and cornering! Surely every car should have one?

The best piece of advice I was ever given about driving a high performance sports car was never press my foot on the accelerate – just squeeze the toes.

I was driving a Maserati on the Ferrari proving track in Italy. At the wheel was an  elegant woman racing driver who steered the 3200 with a passion normally reserved for the bed chamber.

A memorable moment for many reasons but I digress. If ever a car demanded elegant squeezing of the toes it was the GT-R. Today I drove to the supermarket in Chipping Norton and tweaked the accelerator on a mini roundabout.

Well, you can imagine the consequences. Fortunately, the traction control and four-wheel drive sorted the problem out in an instant. But be warned, 550bhp on a wet day in a car like the Nissan demands the driving skills of a scintillating Italian racing diva…

Tucked away in the small print, at the end of the GT-R press pack, are the official fuel consumption figures. Of course, you can take them with a pinch of salt because NOBODY can ever get anywhere near what a manufacturer claims is possible (Ford being the worst offender).

Urban 16.6, extra urban 32.1 and combined 23.9mpg. I usually slice 5mpg off combined to get something akin to real world driving, except the temptation to floor the accelerator in the Nissan will no doubt reduce that dramatically.

So when the vermillion red GT-R was delivered this morning, I was a bit shocked to read the on-board computer claiming 12mpg! Yikes, this is going to be an expensive week – especially as I’m heading down to Goodwood later for a BMW event.

According to the press pack, the official 0-60mph is 2.84 seconds, although again, just how I’m going to measure than on my wristwatch will be something of a challenge.

The GT-R is a monster, however you look at it. I hate the colour, so that doesn’t help. More late tomorrow when I’m emptied the tank. Twice.

Well, yes, it should have been here last Thursday but some young hack has stuffed it. So Car Couture has been waiting patiently for Nissan’s outrageously fast coupe to land.

From Tuesday we will be steering a rocket that can accelerate from 0-60mph in 2.8 seconds – in the same league as the McLaren P1 and LaFerrari.

Despite a hand-built engine, it’s massively cheaper than both. What the Nissan may lack is the right badge on the bonnet.

Should that be an issues? If you like speed, of course not. Some would prefer the Jaguar F-Type for its historic cache but can sheer brute power be enough to persuade us? Find out from tomorrow, with daily reports every day…