This day was inevitable. With an additional 38 horsepower and 17 pound-feet of torque on board, plus a reprogrammed gearbox and a more aerodynamic body, the new 2012 Nissan GT-R was always going to be quicker around a track than the outgoing 2011 model.

Today we find out just how much quicker, and which better track to demonstrate the ingenuity of Nissan’s engineers than at the notorious Nordschleife-Nurburgring. The video below shows the 523 horsepower and 451 pound-feet of torque facelifted GT-R complete a lap of the ‘Ring in just 7 minutes and 24.22 seconds, eclipsing the time of the 2011 model by a whole two-and-a-half seconds!

Corvette fans will be quick to point out that this new time is still two seconds off the pace of the ZR1 but with a hundred horsepower disadvantage, GT-R fans have nothing to be ashamed of. In fact, the 2012 Nissan GT-R is still one of the fastest models off the blocks, with a 0-60 mph time of just 2.9 seconds.

Enjoy the video below, which unfortunately is in Japanese but includes some words from GT-R chief designer Kazutoshi Mizuno. Then, click here for the full rundown on the 2012 Nissan GT-R.