After 18 years of production and 48,000 units produced, Nissan announced the end of the line for the R35 GT-R, completing the assembly of the model intended for the Japanese market, the last region in the world where the vehicle is still sold.
Since its launch in 2007, the Nissan R35 GT-R has become a symbol of performance and innovation, captivating automotive enthusiasts and setting benchmarks in the high-performance sports car segment.
In bidding farewell to the iconic model, employees at Nissan’s Tochigi factory, located about 100 km north of Tokyo, produced the last vehicle, a Premium T-Spec edition, finished in Midnight Purple paint, destined for a customer in Japan.
Looking back at the extensive history of the Nissan R35 GT-R, the vehicle set a new standard as a Grand Tourer (GT). More than any of its predecessors, Nissan’s development and engineering team sought to give the R35 GT-R a “multi-performance” character, offering a true GT with comfortable driving, high levels of refinement, and benchmark finishes, while allowing the driver to enjoy world-class performance that does justice to the “R” in the GT-R name, a reference to competition technology.
Instead of the typical product life cycle, which involves a major update midway through the cycle, the R35 GT-R has continuously evolved over each year. Depending on the version, Nissan engineers in Japan sought to give it more power or greater levels of control, enhance comfort and luxury or, in the case of the GT-R Nismo, provide it with uniquely refined track performance.
With its powerful Twin-turbo V6 VR38DETT engine, the acclaimed ATTESA ET-S all-wheel drive system, and innovative aerodynamics, the Nissan R35 GT-R has consistently delivered thrilling driving experiences, both on the road and on the track.
Notably, throughout its production at the Nissan factory in Yokohama, Japan, a team of just nine master craftsmen – called Takumi – passionately hand-assembled each of the engines installed in the 48,000 units produced. Their names are immortalized on a plaque affixed to each engine.
Over the years, the maximum power of the Nissan R35 GT-R has increased from 480 hp at its launch to 570 hp starting from the 2017 model. At the same time, Nismo engineers managed to give it even more power by adopting turbochargers with specifications from GT3 competition vehicles, as well as high-precision, balanced-weight components, including piston rings, connecting rods, crankshaft, flywheel, pulley, and valve springs. The result was faster revs and a more agile turbo, providing up to 600 hp for the GT-R Nismo models.
“After 18 remarkable years, the R35 GT-R has left a lasting mark on automotive history. Its legacy is a testament to the passion of our team and the loyalty of our customers worldwide. Thank you for being a part of this extraordinary journey. To the many GT-R fans around the world, I want to say that this is not a forever goodbye to the GT-R; our goal is for the GT-R brand to return one day.”, said Ivan Espinosa, president and CEO of Nissan.
