NISSAN is heralding a new level of sophistication for the 2014 version of its fiery GT-R coupe.

Described by the Japanese brand as a refreshed vision of "innovation that excites" the new GT-R will hit the streets before the turn of the year.

It comes with the promise of smoother ride comfort, more refinement, immense road holding and savage performance.

We're talking a 0-60 acceleration time of an incredible 2.8 seconds from the 3.8-litre V6 engine which develops a whopping 550bhp.Top speed is 196mph.

For the new car the suspension has been fine-tuned for better stability while more constant tyre contact is achieved by electronic control of the shock absorber valves.

And with minute vibrations and road noise reduced, a relaxing, comfortable ride is pretty much assured.

Nissan is fitting Dunlop SP Sport Maxx GT 600 tyres as standard and the braking calibration has been retuned for a more firm, linear response at everyday speeds.

As for design, the GT-R certainly maintains its position as one of the most striking supercars around.

Its lights have been updated with high-intensity, multi-LED units to create a distinctive "lightning" motif and there's better headlamp visibility too along with the Adaptive Front lighting System that automatically adapts the angle of the light beam according to the speed of the car.

There's also a new body colour called Gold Flake Red Pearl, with microscopic gold-tinted glass flakes infused into the red paint, creating a spectacular effect as the light catches the finish.

Inside, a choice of three colour schemes includes a new pale ivory trim option, the steering wheel is trimmed in leather and the part-aniline leather seats are embellished with stitched accents.

Prices have yet to be revealed, but the current GT-R model costs £76,610.