The GT-R is Dead

Production has finally come to an end for the R35 Nissan GT-R, with the last example rolling off the assembly line at the Tochigi plant in Japan, 18 years after production began. 

The R35 GT-R left the Australian market in 2021 due to the implementation of Australian Design Rules relating to side impact requirements, before being discontinued in the UK and Europe the following year, and North America in 2024. 

Order books in Japan – the last market to offer the GT-R – closed in March this year, with a Midnight Purple T-Spec fulfilling the final order. 

The GT-R made its debut at the Tokyo Motor Show in 2007, with a video of its Porsche 911 Turbo-beating 7:38.54 lap time on the Nürburgring Nordschleife played to the audience just before its unveiling. 

The R35 featured a 3.8-litre twin-turbo V6 – producing 357kW and 588Nm – completing the run from 0-100km/h in 3.6 seconds. 

It’s performance figures were similar to the likes of the Ferrari F430 and the Porsche 911 Turbo that it had beaten around the Nürburgring, but arriving in the Australian market in 2009 with a starting price of $155,800 before on-road costs, it was around half the money. 

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However, the GT-R was yet to reach the height of its performance potential. The NISMO variant – unveiled in 2013 – saw output upped to 441kW and 652Nm along with the addition of a host of performance upgrades.

A special edition GT-R variant – dubbed the GT-R50, limited to a run of just 19 cars – increased the engine output even further, producing 530kW and 780Nm.

Over the course of its lifespan, over 48,000 examples of the R35 GT-R were built, with around 1,000 sold in Australia.  

While the production run of the current generation has come to an end, the GT-R badge still has a future according to Nissan. 

“We understand the expectations are high, the GT-R badge is not something that can be applied to just any vehicle; it is reserved for something truly special and the R35 set the bar high,” said Nissan President and CEO, Ivan Espinosa in a media release. 

“While we don’t have a precise plan finalised today, the GT-R will evolve and reemerge in the future.”

While official plans for the R35’s replacement are yet to be confirmed, early reports suggest the next generation GT-R will feature an electric or hybrid powertrain.