Today, as assembly for the Japanese domestic market concludes, Nissan draws the curtain on the R35 GT-R.

Launched in 2007, it became a North Star for attainable supercar pace, a rolling syllabus in how software, metallurgy and bloody-minded development can make physics blink first.

A last salute at Tochigi

At Nissan’s Tochigi plant, about 100 kilometres north of Tokyo, workers gathered as the final car (a Premium edition T-Spec in Midnight Purple) slipped off the line, bound for a customer in Japan. In its lifetime, roughly 48,000 units found homes. 

“After 18 remarkable years, the R35 GT-R has left an enduring mark on automotive history. 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.”

Ivan Espinosa, President and CEO of Nissan

From day one, the R35’s mission wasn’t merely to go fast; it was to be multi-talented; Grand Tourer calm and finish paired with the kind of “R” for racing capability that left supercars sweating through their alcantara.

Rather than the usual mid-cycle overhaul, Nissan kept iterating every model year: some variants gained more power, others greater control, comfort and luxury, and when the badge read GT-R NISMO, the dial turned to track-honed.

Under the skin, the trinity remained constant: the VR38DETT twin-turbo V6, ATTESA ET-S all-wheel drive, and aerodynamics that earned their keep at three-figure speeds. Power climbed from 353 kW (480 PS) at launch to 419 kW (570 PS) from MY2017; NISMO versions adopted GT3-spec turbochargers and meticulously weight-balanced internals (piston rings, rods, crank, flywheel, crank pulley, valve springs), yielding faster revs, quicker spool and up to 441 kW (600 PS).

And here’s the bit enthusiasts still whisper about: across the run, a core team of just nine Takumi master craftsmen at Yokohama hand-assembled every engine, signing each masterpiece with a plaque. Engineering as authorship.

Lap times that made headlines

The numbers tell the story because they were written the hard way.

• 2007: a production R35 clocks 7:38 around the Nürburgring Nordschleife, despite a couple of damp corners.
• Early 2008: on JDM-spec standard tyres and a dry track, chief test driver Toshio Suzuki drops it to 7:29—cracking the 7:30 barrier.
• 2009: back again, 7:26.
• October 2012: 7:18.
• November 2013: a GT-R NISMO with track options (aero tweaks, weight reduction, unique suspension) and Michael Krumm at the helm posts 7:08.679, and today it’s still the R35’s apex lap.

Closer to home, the team took aim at Tsukuba. In December 2019, a MY2020 GT-R NISMO reset the production-car record with 59.361 s. Not content, they returned in January 2024 with a MY2024 GT-R NISMO; Tsugio Matsuda shaved a further 0.283 s to 59.078 s.

And because every hero needs a party trick: in 2016, a specially tuned MY16 R35 GT-R set a Guinness World Records mark for the fastest drift (304.96 km/h at 30 degrees) at Fujairah International Airport, UAE. Unnecessary? Entirely. Glorious? Absolutely.

The racing receipts

The R35 doesn’t just talk a big game; it has the silverware. Among the highlights: five GT500 and three GT300 wins in SUPER GT, victory in the 2013 Blancpain GT Series Pro-Am, a Bathurst 12 Hour triumph in 2015, and five titles in Japan’s Super Taikyu endurance series. 

Ask anyone who’s spent time behind that blocky wheel and they’ll tell you: the genius wasn’t only in the pace, but in the repeatability.

The way the ATTESA brain quietly shuffled torque when conditions turned awkward; how the dual-clutch stayed loyal under heat; how the aero helped the car stay planted on fast, scruffy B-roads. It was German-level fit and finish with a particularly Japanese flavour of engineering voodoo.

The line ends, the story doesn’t

Nissan is clear that the nameplate lives on, and the next chapter will simply be written in a different hand.

“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 finalised today, the GT-R will evolve and reemerge in the future.”

Ivan Espinosa, President and CEO of Nissan

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Dedicated to “pursuing the ultimate driving pleasure,” the GT-R R35, affectionately known as ‘Godzilla’, has steadily evolved since debuting in 2007 as Nissan’s flagship super sports car.

Premium Edition Godzillas are available in six grades – Pure Edition, Black Edition, Premium Edition, Premium Edition T-Spec, Track Edition engineered by NISMO, and Track Edition engineered by NISMO T-Spec.

The Premium Edition T-spec and the Track Edition engineered by NISMO incorporate high precision weight-balanced piston rings, connecting rods and crankshafts, previously only available in the NISMO Special Edition, for snappier revs and faster turbo spooling.

Both models also feature GT-R-exclusive aluminium takumi certification name plates as well as gold-coloured model number plates in the engine compartment. The Premium Edition is available with a special new interior colour, Blue Heaven.

Two NISMO variants will also be available – the NISMO, and the NISMO Special Edition.

All editions come with Nissan’s six-speed dual-clutch transmission with all-wheel drive and are Japan-market only or JDM as known in enthusiast circles.

Although orders can now be placed at Nissan dealers and Nissan High Performance Centres in Japan, production is limited and Nissan says that some orders might not be accepted.

We don’t know of anyone crazy enough to parallel import this new Godzilla into Singapore. Given the new vehicle tax and emissions structures currently in place, a base-model Pure Edition could likely cost close to $500,000 once COE is also factored into the equation.

For context, that’s double or more what Godzilla cost to own in Singapore when it first came out in 2007. Let’s not even talk about what the NISMO variants would cost to bring to Singapore.

The Nissan GT-R online catalogue can be perused here.

Photo Credits: Nissan

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It’s been 16 years since the Nissan R35 GT-R made its debut back in 2007. Not many cars survive that long of a production run, but the boffins at Nissan surprised the world again with the launch of the 2024 GT-R model year, after revealing earlier in 2022 that the R35 GT-R will be ending production.

Ageing chassis infrastructure did not stop engineers from chucking both mechanical and cosmetic improvements to the GT-R. For starters, the biggest reaction from the crowd at its launch was the inclusion of new daytime running lights (DRLs), making the GT-R’s front fascia look more futuristic.

Whether you love or hate it, it’s here to stay, along with a revised grille design and a new front splitter. A new spoiler and rear bumper design are spotted too, which Nissan claims help with the car’s overall aerodynamics.

Nissan will also make you stand out from the crowd with special edition paints. Buy the Premium Edition T-Spec and you can opt for either Millennium Jade or Midnight Purple. These are two of the GT-R’s most iconic colours. Spring for the NISMO Special Edition, and customers can get a NISMO-exclusive Stealth Grey paint option. 

Nothing much has changed under the hood, with the 2024 GT-R churning out 570 bhp and 637 Nm of torque derived from the same handbuilt twin-turbo VR38DETT engine. Like all models before it, power is sent to all four wheels, providing the car with its signature yet deadly launch control.

Nissan launched the 2024 GT-R with two trim options. The demure version with the millennium jade paint is aptly called the Premium Edition T-Spec. It comes standard with a more robust suspension setup and carbon disc brakes for greater performance.

But, what’s more appetising is the new track-focused NISMO Special Edition. The car is decked out from top to bottom in flashy carbon fibre bits, Recaro bucket seats, and crucially more durable mechanical limited-slip differential.

With its NISMO tune, the special edition’s power figures are raised to 600 bhp and 652 Nm of torque.

Excited to get your hands on one? Well, both variants of the new GT-R will go on sale later this year. Prices are unknown at the time of writing.

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