You’ve surely read the copious amounts of literature on the nature of Godzilla, and having test driven it (read the full review in the Car section), we can say it’s mostly true: it’s as fast as blue blazes and flexible too, so you can drive it like a complete nutbag or a nun if the mood so strikes.

Godzilla!

But the main debate is whether the GT-R has a soul – some motoring writers have criticised it as being simply too efficient and clinical.

Sure it uses technology to go fast – lots of engine electronics, a twin-turbo 3.8-litre V6, Nissan’s super-advanced ATTESA-ETS all-wheel drive system, a dual-clutch gearbox that sits in the rear.

But that’s like saying an F-16 isn’t as good as an F-15 because it uses fly-by-wire instead of hydraulics. What’s more important, and this goes beyond pedantic thinking, is if it provides that sense of control coupled with edginess – it’s arguable that the supercar patina is acquired by crashing!

For example, the Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution X  is a very similar car (turbo engine, AWD, smarter than your average bear electronics) and undoubtedly quick. But driving it one gets a sense of being mediated by the computer.

The GT-R provides a lot more directness, maybe because it’s smarter, but still the electronics also won’t catch you all the time. It’s drivetrain also has a rear-wheel bias so it feels like a traditional supercar.

We’ll be sampling something else in the coming week that’ll help put some perspective on things. All I can say for now is, it’s Italian.

But in the mean time what do you think makes the soul of a supercar?

Design? Racing heritage? The sense of being flung into a tree at any moment? A tendency to rust? The complete lack of civil amenities? Should a supercar be about mere, brute performance or technical supremacy? Let us know!