The inevitable has happened. Nissan is bidding a fond sayonara to the beloved GT-R. After 18 years of production, the R35 has reached the end of the assembly line. Around 48,000 units have been built since the first rolled off the Tochigi plant line back in 2007. The final example is a Premium edition T-Spec in Midnight Purple, destined for a customer in Japan.
Looking at the glass half full, this is only a temporary farewell. Nissan CEO and President Ivan Espinosa assures enthusiasts that Godzilla will rise again: “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.”
Photo by: Nissan
However, his follow-up comment makes it clear the R36 isn’t arriving anytime soon: “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.”
Espinosa isn’t the first senior Nissan executive to express commitment to a comeback. Speaking with Motor1 in April at the New York Auto Show, Nissan USA’s chief product planner, Ponz Pandikuthira, confidently said: “The GT-R will be back, without a doubt.” Likewise, Arnaud Charpentier, VP of Product Marketing Strategy, told Auto Express that “there are people working” on a direct successor to the R35.
Nissan has already hinted at the direction the R36 could take. Remember the bonkers Hyper Force concept? The ultra-angular show car wowed crowds at the 2023 Japan Mobility Show in Tokyo with 1,341 horsepower, solid-state batteries, and a 200-mph top speed. Whether the next GT-R will go fully electric or retain combustion power for one more generation remains to be seen.
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Source: Nissan
For now, Nissan has bigger challenges. The company is trying to recover from a dire financial situation. While a halo supercar could help restore its battered image, a low-volume product won’t fix the balance sheet. Cost-cutting measures will, which is why Nissan is preparing to close seven factories and cut 20,000 jobs under the “Re:Nissan” recovery plan. The company also plans to reduce parts complexity by 70 percent and consolidate platforms from 13 to just seven.
Given these circumstances, it’s hard to imagine a highly bespoke, niche product like the GT-R returning anytime soon, though Nissan’s leadership has made it clear that the R36 is still part of the long-term agenda.
The GT-R R35 was among the oldest Japanese cars still in production, though even its lengthy run pales in comparison to the Land Cruiser 70 Series. Toyota has been building the J70 since 1984, and 41 years later, the venerable off-roader is still sold in Japan, Australia, and the Middle East.
