My fellow ghouls and goblins, I have gathered you here today to share the news that the Nissan GT-R is dead. The car that changed everything we knew about performance cars, rewrote the rulebook of street-legal speed, and influenced a generation of performance cars from America to Germany, is riding off into the sunset at the end of the 2024 model year. Seventeen years is one hell of a run, and while some may argue that Nissan’s flagship faded into irrelevance as every other automaker under the sun caught up to its speed, I’d reckon its influence is felt more than ever.
First, you know that the end of a performance car’s production run comes with some last-call special editions, and the Nissan GT-R is getting two. The $152,985 T-Spec Takumi edition includes iconic Midnight Purple paint, a Mori Green interior, a gold VIN plate, and a little red “R” on the engine. Then there’s the $132,985 Skyline Edition, which doesn’t have carbon ceramic brakes or pumped-up fenders but does feature Bayside Blue paint. Nissan’s bringing 200 combined units to America, and it’ll sell every last one of them.
Now, let’s talk a little bit about how the Nissan GT-R changed cars forever. Some cars scythe through corners with scalpel delicacy. The GT-R applied blunt force trauma. It would understeer mid-corner unless you swallowed a brave pill and fed in some throttle, in which case the whiz-bang Gran Turismo gizmos would shuffle torque distribution and claw you toward the apex. It was an elephant in Nikes that was quicker than the 911 Turbo. Love or hate the formula, it got results, and everyone noticed. Today, you can get a Golf that does just the same all-wheel-drive wizardry, or a big BMW coupe, or even a Jaguar F-Type. Sure, other cars used all-wheel-drive for speed before, but the Nissan GT-R made it mandatory that everyone do it. Talk about keeping up with the Joneses.
Likewise, the GT-R’s slug of turbocharged torque was fairly uncommon for 2007. Sure, Porsche made the 911 Turbo, but the fast BMWs, V8 Mercedes-Benzes, Maseratis, and Ferraris were all naturally aspirated. Nowadays, the only automaker selling reasonably attainable naturally aspirated performance luxury cars is Lexus. After all, if you’re spec sheet racing, who could resist a slug of turbocharged torque?
Oh, and then there’s the presence of a dual-clutch automatic transmission in what can plausibly be called a supercar. Back in 2007, who did that? Nissan, sure, but who else? Every Italian automaker was still playing around with wretched single-clutch automated manuals, and America’s two ultra-fast sports cars were stuck with row-your-own gearboxes. Hell, Porsche’s PDK hadn’t even come out by the time the GT-R was unveiled. The only other car playing with a dual-clutch and brutal acceleration was the Bugatti Veyron, and that cost more than ten times as much as a GT-R. Now, the Corvette is dual-clutch-only, as is every Ferrari, every McLaren, and every new Lamborghini save for the Urus.
Now, was the GT-R’s influence entirely good? No. Don’t get me wrong, it played a huge role in making today’s cars unbelievably, brutally, preposterously fast, but it also seemed to be a real-world case of throwing enough tire, damper, and electronics at a problem to beat it into the earth. There’s nothing delicate about a GT-R, nor any signs of delayed gratification, and the lack of those things is what we’ve come to expect of the current crop of performance machines. Think of the massive BMW M8, or the 4,343-pound Mercedes-AMG GT, or the 4,024-pound Mustang Dark Horse. These machines aren’t fast due to their construction, they’re fast despite it.
So, allow me to extend a “thank you,” and also a little bit of a “fuck you” to the Nissan GT-R. Love or hate its brutal formula, we can’t deny that we all watched, and every automaker felt its influence. It was the flagbearer for the turbocharged, all-wheel-drive era of performance cars, reasonably accessible stupid speed, and absurd numbers, perhaps at the expense of ultimate engagement. As it does one last launch-control start into the sunset, let’s take a moment to recognize its importance. It really did change cars forever.
(Photo credits: Nissan)
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I absolutely love this car so let’s pour one out in honor of it’s passing.
I absolutely love this car so let’s pour one out in honor of it’s passing.
The Skyline GT-R BNR32 took all of the things that the GT-R R35 did and applied them to go beat the shit out of Group A. The difference was that the BNR32 did it to enhance an already lithe and powerful pedestrian car in the Skyline ER32. Because it was never a basic pedestrian car first the GT-R R35 is the impostor to the throne and always has been. But because of the ’08 crash just a year after this car debuted paired with Ghosn having done what Ghosn does the impostor had to stick around and have far wider influence than it ever should have. The R35 should’ve died in 2010 and the Infiniti Essence should’ve been the proper replacement like when the G35 replaced the R34 as was heavily implied in 2009.
Many people want engines out of supercars because the output and design is the allure. For example the Viper V10 or the F131 V8. Nobody transplants VR38DETT because without the rest of the complex electronics that have to come with it and which will shut down if components are missing and the system isn’t tricked into thinking they’re there, it’s basically useless. The car is a whole package, you can’t take it apart or else you can’t do anything with it. That makes people less inclined towards it because part of enthusiasm is modifying and crossbreeding different parts to create your supposed “ultimate” example.
I respect the R35’s engineering. It is a perfect “theory” car. But I have never liked it. Because perfect theory often is unenjoyable in practice. Think of when you suck the fun out of a videogame by optimizing for maximums in efficiency, going well beyond min-maxing. The R35 is the car version of that.
The Skyline GT-R BNR32 took all of the things that the GT-R R35 did and applied them to go beat the shit out of Group A. The difference was that the BNR32 did it to enhance an already lithe and powerful pedestrian car in the Skyline ER32. Because it was never a basic pedestrian car first the GT-R R35 is the impostor to the throne and always has been. But because of the ’08 crash just a year after this car debuted paired with Ghosn having done what Ghosn does the impostor had to stick around and have far wider influence than it ever should have. The R35 should’ve died in 2010 and the Infiniti Essence should’ve been the proper replacement like when the G35 replaced the R34 as was heavily implied in 2009.
Many people want engines out of supercars because the output and design is the allure. For example the Viper V10 or the F131 V8. Nobody transplants VR38DETT because without the rest of the complex electronics that have to come with it and which will shut down if components are missing and the system isn’t tricked into thinking they’re there, it’s basically useless. The car is a whole package, you can’t take it apart or else you can’t do anything with it. That makes people less inclined towards it because part of enthusiasm is modifying and crossbreeding different parts to create your supposed “ultimate” example.
I respect the R35’s engineering. It is a perfect “theory” car. But I have never liked it. Because perfect theory often is unenjoyable in practice. Think of when you suck the fun out of a videogame by optimizing for maximums in efficiency, going well beyond min-maxing. The R35 is the car version of that.
I have no fondness for super cars, but I love this thing – from the styling to the engineering brutalism, it was the guest whom everyone wonders how they got invited. But are conflicted by a certain sensual thrill.
The designer was questioned about the weight (quaint in the EV age), and said “weight keeps the car on the ground.” ahhh a refreshing counterpoint to the endless “add more lightness” trope.
I have no fondness for super cars, but I love this thing – from the styling to the engineering brutalism, it was the guest whom everyone wonders how they got invited. But are conflicted by a certain sensual thrill.
The designer was questioned about the weight (quaint in the EV age), and said “weight keeps the car on the ground.” ahhh a refreshing counterpoint to the endless “add more lightness” trope.
I saw it as the threat it was to hasten the changeover of performance cars that are actually for drivers into sterile, pointless computer-controlled resource waste for insecure posers that was already underway at the time. Liked the earlier ones, hated this overweight video game project in every way—it’s even ugly AF.
I saw it as the threat it was to hasten the changeover of performance cars that are actually for drivers into sterile, pointless computer-controlled resource waste for insecure posers that was already underway at the time. Liked the earlier ones, hated this overweight video game project in every way—it’s even ugly AF.
Really enjoyed this article Thomas, it’s easy to cast off the R35 as overrated today because we’re so accustomed to it, but it was such a shocking car when it debuted.
However..
“Oh, and then there’s the presence of a dual-clutch automatic transmission in what can plausibly be called a supercar. Back in 2007, who did that? Nissan, sure, but who else?”
Uhh, Volkswagen, since 2004.
*in what can plausibly be called a supercar.*
Really enjoyed this article Thomas, it’s easy to cast off the R35 as overrated today because we’re so accustomed to it, but it was such a shocking car when it debuted.
However..
“Oh, and then there’s the presence of a dual-clutch automatic transmission in what can plausibly be called a supercar. Back in 2007, who did that? Nissan, sure, but who else?”
Uhh, Volkswagen, since 2004.
*in what can plausibly be called a supercar.*
Loss Opportunity to put a manual transmission in it.
With the price of used exotic car with manuals going for loads more than the automatics, i bet they would sell at least a dozen manuals if they had it.
Going out with a “Now with Manual Transmission” Would be awesome.
Loss Opportunity to put a manual transmission in it.
With the price of used exotic car with manuals going for loads more than the automatics, i bet they would sell at least a dozen manuals if they had it.
Going out with a “Now with Manual Transmission” Would be awesome.
I never cared for the GT-R, always thought it was too big, bulky, heavy and really goofy looking. Plus the whiz bang transmission would go BANG into oblivion if you used launch control regularly. At least the first few years were like that, I dunno how much more durable Nissan made later year trannies.
The GTR is like the Jackie Gleason of sports cars, that man could DANCE. Youd never guess he had the moves and was so light on his feet at first glance.
I never cared for the GT-R, always thought it was too big, bulky, heavy and really goofy looking. Plus the whiz bang transmission would go BANG into oblivion if you used launch control regularly. At least the first few years were like that, I dunno how much more durable Nissan made later year trannies.
The GTR is like the Jackie Gleason of sports cars, that man could DANCE. Youd never guess he had the moves and was so light on his feet at first glance.
This still seems like a new car to me
it’s weirdly brutal, but it has presence and the design has aged very well. I agree, it could be released now and not look dated.
This still seems like a new car to me
it’s weirdly brutal, but it has presence and the design has aged very well. I agree, it could be released now and not look dated.
The R35 is one of those cars that I appreciate, but never wanted to own. The performance was great, the price when it debuted was an absolute bargain, yet I only found it fascinating and not desirable. I can’t really identify why, but it’s the case.
Agreed, but I think I know why. It’s stupid looks. It not only doesn’t look pretty, but it looks like it costs far less than it does. On top of being a $100,000+ Nissan. That’s nothing to aspire to.
I don’t even think it looks bad, though I don’t care for the headlights, so the only thing I can think of is that it has no personality. I like cars with character or soul, and the R35 just never really had any in my eyes. That’s probably just me, but it has always given off “appliance” vibes rather than the emotional vines the R32-R34 had.
It’s a car from a video game – it’s an amalgam of various performance car elements combined together into a generic, non-attributal “fast car” form.
That’s why though the performance is incredible, it doesn’t necessarily spark passion in people. I likewise appreciate it, but I don’t have strong feelings about it.
Well said.
For me, its because it wasn’t available in a manual. I drove Godzilla for a day when photographing one for a media shoot, and when flooring it after doing a U-turn on the highway all I can say is it felt like I was driving something much slower. It got up to 100mph way too easily, but even when gunning it doing a 180 turn it felt much too poised/computer controlled. No connection to the road + nannies galore.
The next gen should be an EV, its the natural successor if everythings going to be automated.
The R35 is one of those cars that I appreciate, but never wanted to own. The performance was great, the price when it debuted was an absolute bargain, yet I only found it fascinating and not desirable. I can’t really identify why, but it’s the case.
Agreed, but I think I know why. It’s stupid looks. It not only doesn’t look pretty, but it looks like it costs far less than it does. On top of being a $100,000+ Nissan. That’s nothing to aspire to.
I don’t even think it looks bad, though I don’t care for the headlights, so the only thing I can think of is that it has no personality. I like cars with character or soul, and the R35 just never really had any in my eyes. That’s probably just me, but it has always given off “appliance” vibes rather than the emotional vines the R32-R34 had.
It’s a car from a video game – it’s an amalgam of various performance car elements combined together into a generic, non-attributal “fast car” form.
That’s why though the performance is incredible, it doesn’t necessarily spark passion in people. I likewise appreciate it, but I don’t have strong feelings about it.
Well said.
For me, its because it wasn’t available in a manual. I drove Godzilla for a day when photographing one for a media shoot, and when flooring it after doing a U-turn on the highway all I can say is it felt like I was driving something much slower. It got up to 100mph way too easily, but even when gunning it doing a 180 turn it felt much too poised/computer controlled. No connection to the road + nannies galore.
The next gen should be an EV, its the natural successor if everythings going to be automated.
This is a car that combined the lack of mechanical connection, lack of character, and weight of a BEV with the performance limitations, mechanical fragility, and mechanical complexity of an ICE car.
Truly the worst of both worlds.
With this car getting smoked by well under six-figure BEVs, and not being able to offer the compensating character and mechanical connection of its predecessor, it was time for it to go away.
If there is an R36 I anticipate it will be a BEV with performance that far eclipses the R35, making the R35 a footnote between the R34 and R36.
This is a car that combined the lack of mechanical connection, lack of character, and weight of a BEV with the performance limitations, mechanical fragility, and mechanical complexity of an ICE car.
Truly the worst of both worlds.
With this car getting smoked by well under six-figure BEVs, and not being able to offer the compensating character and mechanical connection of its predecessor, it was time for it to go away.
If there is an R36 I anticipate it will be a BEV with performance that far eclipses the R35, making the R35 a footnote between the R34 and R36.
Another aspect of these that was incredible when they were new was the pricetag. It’s more than doubled since, but back in 07 these were similar in price to a base Corvette if I remember right which was incredible for the performance.
I remember reading a review in motor trend, automobile or C&D (yep, had all three back in the day) that one driver was chasing a Veyron through a canyon and the Veyron couldn’t get away, the GT-R was on his tail the whole way which just absolutely blew my mind and it was in that moment I knew it was a supercar and forgave it for not having a manual transmission