2016 Nissan GT-R rendered

Hungarian design master X-Tomi has released an impression of what the next Nissan GT-R could look like, and has shown how the styling of the Japanese carmaker's Sports Sedan could translate onto the performance hero.

The Sport Sedan Concept unveiled at Detroit motor show is believed to be pointing to the development of the next Maxima sedan, which is due for a refresh. However X-Tomi has adapted its cues to the GT-R and the sleek nose with its sweptback headlights look to be a good fit.

A new generation of the GT-R is rumoured to be just a couple of years away, but in the meantime Nissan gave the current car a dose of steroids to develop a Nismo version at November's Tokyo motor show.

The GT-R Nismo's twin-turbocharged 3.8-litre V6 engine has been tweaked to deliver 441kW of power and 650Nm of torque -- 37kW and 22Nm more than the current GT-R's 404kW and 628Nm -- with revised intake and exhaust systems, upgraded fuel pump, bigger and harder-breathing turbos drawing on the GT3 race car, and improved individual ignition timing for each cylinder.

We’ve already test-driven the 2015 GT-R NISMO on the track at Japan’s Sodegauro Forest Raceway and found it to be even easier to drive at very fast speeds than the previous model

Watch the Nissan GT-R Nismo video review

The suspension -- with three modes: Comfort, Normal and (track) R -- has also been revised, with specially-tuned springs and custom-developed Bilstein DampTronic dampers front and rear, and specifically-developed links for the double-wishbone front.

The GT-R has already clocked a lap at Germany's Nurburgring with a time of 7:08.679 -- yes, nearly 12 seconds behind the Porsche 918 Spyder's Ring record of 6:57. However, Nissan is stressing that the GT-R's time is a record for a 'volume production car', while the 918 is a small production run -- and much more expensive than the GT-R.

Watch the Nissan GT-R Nismo Nurburgring lap video here

This reporter is on Twitter: @KarlaPincott