Toshio Suzuki's GT-R Nurburgring Lap

A ride on the wild side for PH with the GT-R 'Ring record-holder

Perhaps I shouldn't have told Toshio Suzuki I wanted to be scared witless as the Nissan GT-R development team mechanics strapped me into the seat beside him, ready for a 'hot lap' of the Nurburgring.

Toshio Suzuki - GT-R legend

But the truth is I've sat next to racing drivers at other circuits on 'media experience' days, and while they're usually happy to play up for journalists with a bit of sideways action in the slower corners, it's usually pretty obvious they've been briefed not to actually try and kill or maim their passengers.

Perhaps they do things differently in Japan, but my lap of the old Nurburgring with Suzuki san felt more like an episode of that crazy Japanese TV show Endurance.

Evidently taking my instruction in deadly earnest, the former F1 driver and Nurburgring GT-R record-holder catapulted the car out of the pits and onto the track, then proceeded to assault my senses with sickening violence for the next seven and three quarter minutes.

Yep, that's right I've been 'subjected' to a lap of the 'Ring in a mind-bending 7 minutes 45 seconds - a mere 20secs slower than Suzuki san's GT-R lap record. (I didn't time it myself, but 7:45 was Suzuki san's post-lap estimate for a 'flyer' driven at the same pace - and the timer on the video seems to bear this out.)

While the ride was just the teensiest bit alarming at times (ahem!), it was utterly, mind-bendingly good fun. Well, you don't need me to tell you that...

So thank you Suzuki san, for the ride of a lifetime!