The businesses in question are accused of sourcing the grey imports from Japan for sale in Europe, which infringes the carmaker's trademark rights.

Nissan said its lawyers had contacted the companies concerned requesting them to stop and would take legal action in the English courts should the warning be ignored.

It also warned that these imports would not be covered by the manufacturer's warranty. The GT-R is not due to go on sale in the UK until March 2009. “We have been made aware of a significant increase in activity in the import trade of certain vehicles, particularly the Nissan GT-R, which warrants immediate action,” said Gary Frigo, Nissan GB managing director. “Nissan's number one priority is to ensure that the GT-R and its dealer network are in optimal condition to facilitate and support our customers. “It will take until start of sales in March 2009 to do this. Until that time the UK will have no GT-R trained technicians, no established GT-R parts supply and, most crucial of all, the GT-R will not be covered by a manufacturer's warranty.”