Wrapping up an on-an-off run stretching back 18 years, the last Nissan GT-R rolled off the line at Nissan’s Tochigi assembly plant in Detroit this week. The latest-generation lasted longer than many had expected. But the real question is what’s next? As part of a major reorganization, Nissan is closing plants – but adding product and new CO Ivan Espinosa suggested a new GT-R just might “make a return.”
The VR-38 engine in the last-generation R35 GT-R was hand-built by Takumi masters.
Nissan has wrapped up production of the GT-R, a move likely to bring a tear to the eyes of those who saw it as a relatively affordable alternative to European supercars.
First introduced at the Tokyo Motor Show in 2007, about 48,000 have since been produced. The final model was a GT-R T-Spec in Midnight Purple believes to be going to a collector in the Japanese market.
Not everyone is ready to accept the idea that the GT-R has ridden off into the sunset, however. The 2-seater previously was on hiatus for a year starting in mid-2021. But what’s more telling is the comment made by Ivan Espinosa, who took over as Nissan CEO earlier this year. He made it clear while marking this week’s events that “our goal for the GT-R nameplate to one day make a return.”
A celebrated history
The GT-R, as a standalone nameplate, first launched in 2007, but those three potent letters first showed up in the Nissan line-up as a version of the automaker’s R32 Skyline. It was more of a monster touring car back then. It would be nearly two decades before the package debuted in something close to current form, Nissan promoting the new GT-R as “A supercar, for Anyone, Anywhere, Anytime”.
The original model made waves by lapping the Nurburgring Nordschliefe in a then-shocking 7:38.54, beating out the Porsche 911 Turbo’s 7:40 lap time.
GT-R first landed in the U.S. in July 2008, then moved on to Europe and other markets.
Over the following years, a series of ever-faster and more powerful packages were rolled out, the latest generation going into production in October 2022 – initially intended solely for the North American market. As production wraps up, however, more than a third of all models were sold in Japan.
The R35
Known to fans as the R35 GT-R, the latest package has been offered in several different configurations, the track-ready GT-R NISMO making 441 kW, or 591 horsepower. The final T-Spec model fell in-between the “base” and track packages, making 565 hp from its hand-built twin-turbo V-6.
The VR38 engine was assembled by a group of nine “Takumi,” or specially trained master craftsmen, the total production time averaging around six hours.
There have been extensive design changes made over the years, and plenty of mechanical updates. Early GT-R often brought complaints that they handled too much like a race car. Some critics felt the R35 had been tamed a little too much, long-time fans also disappointed with the lack of a manual gearbox – though Nissan insisted its manumatic transmission was far faster.
More Nissan News
- Nissan Names Espinosa – a “Real Car Guy – as its CEO
- Nissan Wanted to Keep Building the GT-R. Here’s Why it Didn’t
- Why is Nissan Shutting its Flagship Japanese Plant?
Will it return?
The last GT-R – for now, is a Midnight Purple T-Spec.
As GT-R approached the end of the line there was plenty of debate over the prospects we might yet see another version. Nissan has dropped plenty of hints suggesting it’s absolutely not about to abandon the performance market.
Now, Espinosa has done everything but tell us when a new supercar will reappear, and in what form – though it’s widely expected that if this happens we’d see the use of some form of electrified drivetrain.
“After 18 remarkable years, the R35 GT-R has left an enduring mark on automotive history,” said Espinosa. “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.”
That said, the Nissan CEO stressed that a GT-R badge won’t be slapped on just any high-power model. “We understand the expectations are high,” Espinosa added, “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. So, all I can ask is for your patience. While we don’t have a precise plan finalized today, the GT-R will evolve and reemerge in the future.”
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