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In the fast-paced automotive environment that exists today, cars are replaced or reimagined within a few years as buyer expectations change, emissions regulations put a strangle hold on the industry, and safety requirements ramp up as heavier, faster vehilces become more accessable.
However, there is one marque that has stood tall for nearly two-decades and kept soldiering on despite new competition, meanwhile its fan-following has been kept intact. Of course, we are talking about the legendary Nissan GT-R R35 which has finally called it a day after its production was stopped for its last market, Japan.
The current GT-R has been the most popular iteration of this Japanese sports car with around 48,000 units being made and sold since production started in 2007. Compared to the previous generation models, the R35 GT-R was a bigger volume seller, taking this badge to a new level of fan-following. While getting long in the tooth towards the end of its lifespan, the GT-R formula of all-wheel drive coupled with menacing performance has been mantra that is now followed elsewhere within the performance car world.
Built in Tochigi, Japan, the final example was a Premium edition T-Spec draped in Midnight Purple. Unlike other typical product lifecycles, the GT-R received carefully honed updates throughout its 18-year-old product lifespan along with more hardcore variants including the 600PS Nismo variant. Power rose from 480PS at launch to about 570PS from the 2017 model year onwards, while NISMO engineers were able to extract even more by combining GT3 racecar-spec turbochargers with lightweight piston rings, connecting rods, crankshaft, flywheel, crank pulley, and valve springs.
Compared to other sportscars at its price point, the GT-R was increasingly hand-made in a market that had moved towards automated machines. Its VR38DETT twin-turbo V6 engine was assembled by a group of just nine Takumi craftsman, taking six hours to complete. Like a Ferrari or Aston Martin, their names were seen on a plaque attached to the engine.
It was the GT-R who kickstarted the Nurburgring Nordschleife circuit lap time frenzy since the original 2007 model set a lap time of 7:38, which was one of the fastest ever achieved by a production car that time.
Here in Australia, the R35 GT-R has been a much bigger sales success than the R32 with nearly 1,000 examples sold over the 13 year sales run before it was taken off sale due to stricter safety rules.
While its curtains for the current R35 model, it’s not all doom and gloom as the GT-R nameplate will eventually come back in a more futuristic avatar.
“After 18 remarkable years, the R35 GT-R has left an enduring mark on automotive history,” said Ivan Espinosa, President and CEO of Nissan. “Its legacy is a testament to the passion of our team and the loyalty of our customers around the globe. Thank you for being part of this extraordinary journey. To the many fans of the GT-R worldwide, I want to tell you this isn’t a goodbye to the GT-R forever, it’s our goal for the GT-R nameplate to one day make a return.”
It seems the next generation GT-R will not come out before 2028, and it will likely use solid state batteries, but in a hybrid form since fully electric sportscar have had a lukewarm response in the market. That’s promoted Nissan to look beyond an electric only GT-R. Hence, while there is a long wait ahead, GT-R fans can take solace that the badge is returning in its most powerful form ever.
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