Nissan announces end of the line for iconic R35 GT-R sports car

Nissan has recently confirmed the end of production for the R35 GT-R after a 17-year-long stint in the US. The North American market was one of the last holdouts where the V6 sports car nicknamed ‘Godzilla’ was still on sale but the car is slated to phase out by October this year.

Nissan had discontinued the GT-R in Europe and India in 2022, and the Japanese carmaker will give the car a final send-off by launching two special edition models that were unveiled earlier – the Skyline and the T-Spec Takumi Edition.

The Nissan R35 GT-R was first unveiled in the 2007 Tokyo Motor Show and was launched to succeed the legendary R34 Skyline GT-R. The GT-R label was given to high-performance variants of the Nissan Skyline sedans, but it does not mean that the R35 GT-R was a similar car.

The R35 was based on the PM platform, one that is derived from the FM platform in the Skylines and the Z lineup. While the Skylines and the GT-R shared the same ATTESA E-TS Pro all-wheel-drive system, the twin-turbo six-cylinder engine was different.

The Godzilla's final run

The T-Spec Takumi Edition was made to honour the master craftsmen who have assembled every single GT-R V6 engine by hand. (Nisssan)

Share Via

The T-Spec Takumi Edition was made to honour the master craftsmen who have assembled every single GT-R V6 engine by hand. (Nisssan)

The Nissan R35 GT-R had a 3.0 to 3.6-litre V6 over the Skyline’s 2.0 to 3.0-litre inline-6, and the engine came confiugred with a six-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission. In stock configuration, the GT-R produced around 570 bhp (debuted at 473 bhp) which was sent to the floor through all four wheels.

At the time, the car was heavy compared to its competitors, weighing in at 1,740 kg. The car’s intelligent AWD system and active suspension, however, helped it to not only close the gap to its rivals but also beat it. The Nissan GT-R’s design, albeit unconventional, was a key trait that allowed it to maximise downforce in the corners and minimise drag in the straights.

The final special edition models get exclusive colour schemes that were offered with the R34 Skyline and introduced by the R33. The Skyline edition gets the classic Bayside Blue that emerged from Nissan’s accomplishments in the 1995 24 Hours of Le Mans.

The Takumi edition gets the iconic Midnight Purple on the car’s exterior along with a Mori Green interior. The Takumi edition is named to honour the takumi, master craftspeople at Nissan’s Yokohama factory who have hand built every single GT-R engine till date.

The Takumi edition of the Nissan GT-R is offered with a gold VIN plate with red lettering on the engine bay. While there are no direct successors planned yet, Nissan did preview an all-electric GT-R for the next generation and they hope to get a production version by 2028.

Check out Upcoming Cars in India 2024, Best SUVs in India.