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Nissan's racing arm NISMO has released pictures of the sensational Nissan GT-R FIA GT1 racing car. Quite frankly, this level of automotive eye-candy should come with a warning, because when the GT-R's pictures hit our desk this morning, much coffee was spilled.

However, there is one thing to note about the Nissan GT-R FIA GT1 racer - it isn't just a pumped up standard car. No sir, not at all.

NISMO has - to our eyes at least - taken the body of a GT-R and fitted a bodykit. That much is clear. But underneath the GT1 racer sits a heart of darkness, because this Nissan boasts a 5.6-litre V8 engine churning out a mammoth 600bhp and 480lb/ft of pulling power.

And this prodigious power output is channelled through the rear wheels rather than the standard GT-R's four-wheel-drive system - presumably to stop the whole thing exploding - via a six speed manual box.

NISMO - Nissan Motorsport - announced two teams will be piloting this fire-breathing monster in the upcoming FIA GT1 race series: Sumo Power GT from the UK and Swiss Racing Team from Switzerland. Each team will run two GT-Rs and NISMO will be on hand to provide technical support to both.

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