AUTONEWS

The end of the line for the Nissan GT-R R35

The Nissan GT-R R35 super sports car, the Godzilla, has ended its production after almost 20 years of history.

The iconic Nissan GT-R R35 has officially ended its long journey after almost two decades of production.

Nissan confirmed on its Japanese website that it will no longer accept orders for the legendary coupe, marking the end of an era for one of the most revered sports cars in the automotive industry.

Japan was one of the last markets where enthusiasts could still purchase a brand new GT-R. In the United States, production ended in October 2024, meaning the model officially said goodbye in the 2024 line.

In Europe and the United Kingdom, the end came earlier, in 2022, due to stricter regulations related to vehicle noise.

The R35 project began in the early 2000s under the leadership of then-Nissan CEO Carlos Ghosn. The model was previewed by concepts, including the GT-R Concept revealed at the 2001 Tokyo Motor Show, before its final version debuted at the 2007 Tokyo Motor Show.

Sales began in the United States for the 2009 model year, and the GT-R quickly gained fans around the world, offering impressive performance at a competitive price.

Powered by a 3.8-liter twin-turbo V6 engine, the model delivered 480 horsepower and 58.8 Nm of torque in its initial configuration, figures that challenged much more expensive supercars.

Over the years, the R35 has received visual and mechanical updates, remaining relevant even after nearly two decades on the market. In its latest version, the base GT-R had 565 hp and 63.4 kgfm, while the Nismo variant raised these figures to 600 hp and 66.6 kgfm.

However, this evolution came at a cost: the starting price jumped from approximately $78,000 at launch to $123,985 in the final version. The most expensive model, the GT-R Nismo, reached $222,895.

The future of the GT-R remains uncertain. Currently, there is no successor ready to take over the legacy of the R35, but Nissan has already signaled that the next generation may feature some level of electrification.

In 2022, executives mentioned both the possibility of a hybrid and an electric model, but in 2024 the brand stated that it had not yet decided on the configuration of the new engine.

A possible preview of the future of the GT-R came with the Hyper Force concept, presented by Nissan in 2023. Developed in partnership with Polyphony Digital, creator of the Gran Turismo game, the model features a futuristic aesthetic, but maintains classic design elements of the GT-R family, such as the iconic round taillights. Despite this glimpse of what may be to come, Nissan faces financial and strategic challenges, including tariffs, declining sales and a failed merger deal with Honda. 

Thus, investing in a new GT-R may not be an immediate priority for the automaker. For now, the legacy of the R35 lives on among enthusiasts and collectors. In the United States, it is still possible to find some new units in dealerships, especially in the color Bayside Blue, a tribute to the classic Skyline GT-R R34. With the end of this generation, we can only wait and see what Nissan's next step in the Godzilla story will be. 

In an interview with Top Gear magazine in September 2024, the automaker’s global product chief Pierre Loing explained why the GT-R was headed for retirement: “It’s been on sale for 17 years and we would love it to last another 17 years, but the regulator is giving us some problems!” he said in the interview. 

Indeed, the supercar was withdrawn from Europe in July 2021 when new noise regulations were introduced. At that time, it had already been removed from the Australian market for failing to meet a stricter side-impact crash test regulation.

Late last year, Nissan’s vice president of global product strategy Ivan Espinosa announced that initial work had begun on a third sports car. However, the revival of the Silvia has yet to be approved for production.

Stricter legislation has killed some sports cars this year in Europe. The Toyota GR86, Subaru BRZ, Porsche Boxster and Cayman have all been withdrawn from the market due to stricter cybersecurity laws. Additionally, Mazda has dropped the 2.0-liter engine from the MX-5 Miata, leaving enthusiasts with just the smaller 1.5-liter unit.

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