Thursday 15th October

Nissan GT-R (R35) | Spotted

Unmodified GT-Rs do exist - as do barely driven ones... 

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Life is like a box of chocolates - or the Nissan GT-R classifieds. You never quite know what you’re going to get - but, for a car that famously enjoyed a long production run without enormous alterations, you won’t want for variety. There are late R35s at supercar money, wild bodykits that must have taken weeks to fit, power claims to blow the mind and paint straight from the TVR palette. Anyone with even a passing interest in Godzilla’s 21st-century rebirth will find something that appeals. It’s become so much more than just another big Nissan coupe with twin-turbo power, four-wheel drive and the quad rear lights. 

While plenty will claim special status, this one really must be unique. It’s unmodified, for one thing, and that really is remarkable. Not ‘standard except for’, not just a Stage 1 tune, not with a set of lowering springs to better show off new wheels - actually unmodified. And the GT-R looks brilliant for it, too, a reminder of just how smart the original design was. It goes to show just how bold this would have looked in the late 2000s that the GT-R remains confident and pretty punchy to this day. 

The second point of note for this GT-R is its tiny mileage of just 2,711 miles. Again, that’s not 2,711 miles since import, on 2,711 miles this year, or 2,711 miles since a raft of upgrades. This car is almost 18 years old and hasn’t yet covered 3,000 miles. Which, for a car so explicitly designed with driving entertainment in mind - and which was such good value at launch - seems incredible. 

But there it is, in black and white: having spent a few years in storage, the GT-R has enjoyed some modest recent use, with the most recent MOT in April at 2,611 miles. While other low-mileage cars are around, they’re much newer GT-Rs; as far as collectability is concerned, these early UK cars - the ones that first embarrassed 911 Turbos at so much less money - are probably the most desirable.  

Understandably, given the pristine condition and paltry mileage, this isn’t the cheapest GT-R in the classifieds: £85k will definitely buy newer, faster, fancier examples if that's what you want. That being said, it’s only as much as a UK-supplied R33 GT-R with 10 times the miles; with many more R35s around, getting the best of the best isn’t quite as expensive as with the 20th-century icons. 

Could this GT-R be driven? It’d have to be, surely, for proof that even a standard one has the power to shock all these years on. The R35 really is a driving experience like no other, one that deserves exploring to the fullest. With the GT-R story on pause and this likely to always be a very low-mileage example, it’s hard to to imagine values moving much. Let’s hope whoever owns it next can resist the temptation to tinker…

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SPECIFICATION | NISSAN GT-R (R35)

Engine: 3,799cc, twin-turbo V6
Transmission: 6-speed dual-clutch auto, four-wheel drive
Power (hp): 485@6,400rpm
Torque (lb ft): 434@3,200-5,200rpm
MPG: 24
CO2: 275g/km
First registered: 2009
Recorded mileage: 2,711
Price new: £56,795
Yours for: £84,950

See the original advert

[WCZ]

would prefer a nismo as an investment

https://www.pistonheads.com/buy/listing/19900297

not that much more money (but more miles)

[GreatScott2016]

The Nismo is nice, but that standard GTR is lovely, and a rare find given mileage and no upgrades etc. This is one of the cars that I will regret never owning, yes I could buy one, but age is now creeping up on me!!

[Its Just Adz]

Hugely capable and very fast cars. Could use it everyday too.

I just dont have any desire at all to own one.

[snuffy]

Im sure the reason no one leaves them as standard is because, at least initially, its cheap to up the power.

I took mine from 485bhp to 600 for £2.5k (ok, that was a few years ago now), but for that money, its rude not to.

[Andy86GT]

I've always liked these, something very appealing about 'just a Nissan' having such giant killing abilities.
Also much prefer originality.

[fantheman80]

Like many Japanese cars, maybe due in part to the gentleman's 'agreement' on power, there is plenty of headroom left for tunning. I'd want to drive the thing so a little fettled higher miler would get my vote. I was at Santa pod at a Jap show Sunday and seeing these rip up the strip never gets old..

[TheJimi]

GreatScott2016 said:

The Nismo is nice, but that standard GTR is lovely, and a rare find given mileage and no upgrades etc. This is one of the cars that I will regret never owning, yes I could buy one, but age is now creeping up on me!!

Why is age a barrier?

[Clad-Hach]

I've always fancied a go in one of these, where I used to work there was a big Nissan dealer close by, they used to park them out the front to tease you as you drove past.

[WCZ]

Clad-Hach said:

I've always fancied a go in one of these, where I used to work there was a big Nissan dealer close by, they used to park them out the front to tease you as you drove past.

I knew someone who wanted one super bad, sold his r32 golf and went to the dealership that had one in stock, he was dead set on buying one and excited but last minute whilst in the dealers decided to take one for a test drive which in turn put him off as he said the suspension and ride was horrendously stiff and made him feel sick

[GreatScott2016]

TheJimi said:

GreatScott2016 said:

The Nismo is nice, but that standard GTR is lovely, and a rare find given mileage and no upgrades etc. This is one of the cars that I will regret never owning, yes I could buy one, but age is now creeping up on me!!

Why is age a barrier?

You’re right, it shouldn’t be a barrier at all, but for me, I just think this car is better suited for a younger lad or lass . Oh, and I think Mrs S might divorce me if I brought a GTR home . Umm, on second thoughts ……

[TwigtheWonderkid]

snuffy said:

I took mine from 485bhp to 600 for £2.5k (ok, that was a few years ago now), but for that money, its rude not to.

Can I ask, as someone who probably shouldn't be on PH as I have a 270BHP car and think it's a mental amount of power, how many times have you been in a situation where you've thought "I'm so glad i have 600bhp. If I only had a measly 485, I'd really be missing out".

[snuffy]

TwigtheWonderkid said:

snuffy said:

I took mine from 485bhp to 600 for £2.5k (ok, that was a few years ago now), but for that money, its rude not to.

Can I ask, as someone who probably shouldn't be on PH as I have a 270BHP car and think it's a mental amount of power, how many times have you been in a situation where you've thought "I'm so glad i have 600bhp. If I only had a measly 485, I'd really be missing out".

Well, the thing was, because the GT-R sounds like a hair dryer with the standard exhaust, I had a handmade exhaust fitted. And when you do that, you have to have the ECU remapped for air and fuel and sensors and stuff, and they do the map on the road, specifically to your car. And that's what costs the money (time and ECU licence cost). So they might as well up the power at the same time. To me, I just wanted it to sound better, so I looked at it as "free power", because it would have cost the same either way.

Having said all that, 485 is nuts anyway, 600 is even more bonkers, but I pretty much just tool around in it anyway. So I don't really need it, I just like the idea of having it.

[nismo48]

TheJimi said:

GreatScott2016 said:

The Nismo is nice, but that standard GTR is lovely, and a rare find given mileage and no upgrades etc. This is one of the cars that I will regret never owning, yes I could buy one, but age is now creeping up on me!!

Why is age a barrier?

[nismo48]

TheJimi said:

GreatScott2016 said:

The Nismo is nice, but that standard GTR is lovely, and a rare find given mileage and no upgrades etc. This is one of the cars that I will regret never owning, yes I could buy one, but age is now creeping up on me!!

Why is age a barrier?

Ive got a friend in Hailsham East Sussex who bought a brand new R35 when he was 72 yrs old no less..
That was 8 yrs ago and he's still alive and enjoying it

[TheJimi]

nismo48 said:

TheJimi said:

GreatScott2016 said:

The Nismo is nice, but that standard GTR is lovely, and a rare find given mileage and no upgrades etc. This is one of the cars that I will regret never owning, yes I could buy one, but age is now creeping up on me!!

Why is age a barrier?

Ive got a friend in Hailsham East Sussex who bought a brand new R35 when he was 72 yrs old no less..
That was 8 yrs ago and he's still alive and enjoying it

Yes!

That's what I'm talking about

It makes me feel sad when I see people saying that they can't do XYZ because of their age. I mean, fair enough if there's physical limitations, but beyond that, wear / drive / do whatever the hell you like - imo.

[Robertb]

Its new price in 2009 is equivalent to £94000 now.

So it’s sort of a bargain…

[Clad-Hach]

WCZ said:

Clad-Hach said:

I've always fancied a go in one of these, where I used to work there was a big Nissan dealer close by, they used to park them out the front to tease you as you drove past.

I knew someone who wanted one super bad, sold his r32 golf and went to the dealership that had one in stock, he was dead set on buying one and excited but last minute whilst in the dealers decided to take one for a test drive which in turn put him off as he said the suspension and ride was horrendously stiff and made him feel sick

Christ...I never imagined they were like that, I've kind of got its smaller relation a GR-Yaris and I know how well that goes, the GTR must be something else.

[200Plus Club]

TwigtheWonderkid said:

snuffy said:

I took mine from 485bhp to 600 for £2.5k (ok, that was a few years ago now), but for that money, its rude not to.

Can I ask, as someone who probably shouldn't be on PH as I have a 270BHP car and think it's a mental amount of power, how many times have you been in a situation where you've thought "I'm so glad i have 600bhp. If I only had a measly 485, I'd really be missing out".

600bhp is the new 400!
It's remarkably addictive and very usable given modern brakes/handling etc. Like riding a superbike when you wind that throttle fully open!

[simon_harris]

TwigtheWonderkid said:

snuffy said:

I took mine from 485bhp to 600 for £2.5k (ok, that was a few years ago now), but for that money, its rude not to.

Can I ask, as someone who probably shouldn't be on PH as I have a 270BHP car and think it's a mental amount of power, how many times have you been in a situation where you've thought "I'm so glad i have 600bhp. If I only had a measly 485, I'd really be missing out".

It isn’t the ultimate number that makes the difference at the early stages of GTR tune, it is the mid range punch that is so much more and that makes driving it a much more satisfying experience.

The one thing I found with mine was that no matter how fast you were already going you could almost without pause be going very much faster at the mere prod of the throttle.

[Heaveho]

We imported one in 2008. The poster who related the tale of horrible suspension was right, it was ridiculous and it didn't last long with us. The sheer size of the thing was also an issue on the roads I drove on at the time.