The end is in sight for this generation of Nissan GT-R. Not only do we have the odd coachbuilt specials now - see the Italdesign GT-R50, which could well be sold - but also the admission from designers that a new model is in development. Given how cagey Japanese manufacturers tend to be about upcoming product, that's pretty significant news.
We still don't know quite when the next GT-R will arrive but, regardless, the current R35 deserves to be remembered as one of the great performance cars. Not least because, at long last, it took the old Skyline concept global - a strategy which included the UK for the first time (okay, yes, the R34 and 33 also came here, but in tiny numbers, so they hardly count).
Its arrival in Europe effectively turned the sports coupe sector on its head. Here was a car that cost the same as a BMW M3 yet was demonstrably faster around a track - keeping up with Porsches that sold for twice as much. It has courted controversy and consternation for more than a decade now, and for that reason alone it deserves to be remembered as a legend.
More than that, though, the GT-R should go down as a great driver's car as well. Because despite its detractors, the GT-R still demands the very best from a driver to unlock its potential - everything is not done for you. It's involving, too, with hydraulic steering, some turbo lag, a proper mechanical four-wheel drive system and a dual-clutch gearbox that will clonk and thud however you decide to drive it. By not attempting to imitate any other rival, the GT-R is unashamedly its own car, and such uniqueness should be celebrated. Like certain Honda Type Rs and the various rally replicas, it served to teach the Europeans a thing or two - and its salient lessons are evident everywhere.
While a very different prospect to earlier Skyline GT-Rs - most specifically in terms of performance - the tuning culture that came to define the RB26-engined cars has also made its way to the R35 in the past decade. Which is what makes finding this unmolested, nicely specced, very early GT-R all the more appealing. A grey Premium Edition (the Black Edition sat above it in the early UK GT-R range) with just 45,000 miles, it's for sale at £35,995. Higher mileage cars are available for less, although the GT-R never fell below £30k in the way some predicted.
As a matter of fact, the PH Buying Guide of 2014 suggested that early cars were on offer at £35,000 and upwards, so it would appear that this is as low as Nissan's cult hero will fall for now. Of course there's no guarantee that it won't depreciate some more in time, but it's probably a safer place to put your money than a similarly priced V8 M3. Of course, you do then run the gauntlet of the car's running costs...
There's no getting away from it; a Nissan GT-R will consume a lot of cash, one way or another. But that said, is there a 500hp, 1,800kg car that is cheap to run? Certainly it's hard to imagine a contemporary 911 Turbo (from £50k at the moment, since you asked) being any less brutal with the contents of your wallet.
Finally, while they're not directly comparable, it's hard to resist looking at previous GT-Rs for some context on R35 value. Did you know, for instance, that there's not a single R34 GT-R on PistonHeads currently available for less than £40,000? The best R32s are £50,000 now as well. And as more and more GT-R owners succumb to the temptation of tweaking, these standard cars will only become more desirable - you only need look at its illustrious predecessors for proof of that...
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: 45,000
Price new: £56,795
Yours for: £34,995
See the original advert here.
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