It is the end of an era. The final Nissan GT-R R35 has just rolled off the production line in Japan. This marks the end of an 18-year journey since this version first went on sale. About 48 000 units were sold during this prolonged production run. The very last car is a Premium edition T-Spec, finished in Midnight Purple and is heading to a customer in Japan, which is the last market in the world to still offer this model.
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After 18 remarkable years, the R35 GT-R has left an enduring mark on automotive history. 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. 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. 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
– Ivan Espinosa, President and CEO of Nissan
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A Long Legacy
Not many cars in this day and age can boast an 18 year lifespan. Nissan managed to do this with its halo model as the R35 GT-R was continually evolved throughout each model year, as opposed to having a midlife refresh. Its shape remained unchanged throughout that time. Another constant was the VR38DETT twin-turbocharged V6 engine that delivered its power through an all-wheel-drive system.
Click here to watch our lap of the famous Spa-Francorchamps circuit in a GT-R.
Maximum power rose from 353 kW at launch, up to 419 kW. And those were the power outputs for ‘regular’ versions. There were many Nismo-tuned versions, adopting GT3 racecar-spec turbochargers as well as high-precision, weight-balanced parts including the piston rings, conrods, crankshaft, flywheel, crank pulley and valve springs. As a result engines revved quicker and delivered up to 441 kW.
Racing Record
A really high-performance car needs to prove its mettle on the track and the GT-R did. Nissan set a few lap records with the GT-R, including at the Nurburgring and Tsukuba circuit. They also set the world’s fastest drift in 2016, with a 30-degree drift angle at a speed of 305 km/h. GT-Rs have also racked up multiple races wins and titles. This includes GT500 class and three GT300 class wins in Japan’s Super GT Championship, victory in the 2013 Blancpain GT Series Pro-Am class, a Bathurst 12-hour victory in 2015 and five Super Taikyu Japanese endurance racing series victories.