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It's a technological tour-de-force without rival; but computer chips alone do not make a classic performance car. Stuart Milne looks at why this saloon is more than a match for anything from Europe or America.

Back in 1957, Nissan launched a new saloon. It boasted 60 mouse power from its 1.5-litre engine and looked like a battleship. It was about as fast as one, too.

Spin forward 50 years and the Skyline is better known on dragstrips and race tracks the world over for being just about the fastest saloon car money can buy.

OK, the last of the line R34 model might have a top speed of 'only' 160mph, but its acceleration was savage. Floor the accelerator and dump the clutch and the GT-R would chase the horizon like a rabid dog; the 60mph marker would be passed in 5.3 seconds. Seven seconds later, it will pass 100mph.

That's fast, but not because there's a particularly powerful engine under the hood. OK, 280bhp is a hell of a lot, but it's devastating pace is more to do with the sophisticated computer systems that constantly vary the amount of power sent to each wheel.

Chuck the big saloon into a corner and you'll feel it thinking for you. When the left front wheel starts to spin, power will be reduced and the surplus distributed to the wheels with the most grip.

This keeps hairy mid-corner moments to a minimum.

Like most Japanese performance cars, styling is more function over form. Where Italian supercars are often sold on looks first and pace second, the Skyline wears its blistering performance on its sleeve; not giving a fig for a fashion trends. A bit like a world championship darts player.

In its range-topping V-Spec guise, the Skyline's looks are dominated by front and rear spoilers at the bottom of the bumpers, which regulate the flow of air under the car for maximum downforce. Oh, there's an adjustable rear wing too.

And while the standard car is capable of 160mph, tuned models have been known to clock 250mph!

Thanks to its twin-turbo setup and bullet-proof engine, extracting more power is simple. A quick exhaust and air filter swap can liberate plenty more horses. Combine this with a bigger intercooler, a tweaked engine computer, some hot cams and a couple of bigger turbos and you'll be knocking on the door of 450-500bhp.

There are plenty of Skylines in Japan - and a few in the UK that have twice that.

So what will a Skyline GT-R set you back? Only a handful of the last model were officially imported through Nissan dealer Andy Middlehurst, so you'll pay upwards of £30,000.

The previous generation R33 were are all grey imports, but depending on specification they can be had for around £12k upwards. Now that's a serious performance bargain.