Very last Nissan GT-R rolls off production line
After 18 years and almost 50,000 cars, the R35 is no more - but Nissan says the GT-R will return...
While it feels like the end of the Nissan GT-R has been ongoing for a while now, with sales wound up here in 2022 and final editions announced for other markets in recent years, it has been soldiering on in Japan. But now the time has finally come; this Midnight Purple Premium Edition T-Spec is the very last R35 GT-R in the world.
It brings down the curtain on 18 years of production at Nissan’s Tochigi factory, during which time 48,000 R35s have been made. That’s an incredible run for any car, let alone a dedicated performance model; the first ones were made at about the same time as the original Audi R8s, and before even the 997 era of 911 was introduced. While revised regularly throughout its life, the GT-R finished production fundamentally as it entered it; that a twin-turbo six, dual-clutch transmission, adaptive dampers and advanced all-wheel drive (ATTESA ET-S here) would characterise a contemporary sports car shows how ahead of its time the R35 was.
While a more engaging drive than the internet would give it credit for, the GT-R legend was defined by numbers as much as anything else. There were those stunning Nurburgring times, beginning with a 7:38 and culminating in the NISMO’s 7:08, plus a Tsukuba production car lap record of 59.078 as recently as last year. And who could forget the fastest ever drift, at almost 190mph?
With production now complete, some additional stats have come to light also. Nissan says that 37 per cent of R35s have found homes in Japan, and that, incredibly, the same nine ‘Takumi’ master craftsmen have hand assembled the tens of thousands of VR38DETT engines. That’s quite the shift. Add in a Bathurst 12-Hour victory, five Super GT GT500 championships and a Blancpain title (among many other successes) and it’s clear the GT-R departs as a fast car icon of the high order.
The badge isn’t finished yet, either. Ivan Espinosa, Nissan President and CEO, said: “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.”
So that’s something. But there’s definitely a precedent for a big gap between GT-Rs, with five years between the last R34s and the first R35s. Given Nissan’s current travails, moreover, we’d be surprised to see the hallowed badge resurrected anytime soon. Best get your fix from the classifieds, then, with everything on PH from unmolested, low mileage 2009 cars all the way to Track Editions registered 15 years later. With NISMOs, 45th Anniversary Editions and higher mileage heroes along the way. All will deliver an unforgettable driving experience, which is why the GT-R will be so sorely missed. Thanks for the memories, old pal.
(possibly stating the obvious but there are actually 3 different versions of Midnight Purple, so depending on which you were expecting to see on this it might look different)
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