Nissan to Bid Farewell to R35 GT-R in 2025
Following an improbable 17-year run, Nissan has made it official that the R35 GT-R will go out of production in October 2024. When launched back in 2007, the R35 GT-R marked the first time American enthusiasts could get their hands on Nissan's fabled "Godzilla" without the headache of a complicated importation process. Nissan marks the closing down of the production line with two limited-edition models: the T-spec Takumi and Skyline Editions.
Specially, under both special models' hoods is the same potent 3.8-liter VR38 twin-turbocharged V6 that has been leading the GT-R charge since its launch. Helping this powerplant create 565 horsepower and 467 lb-ft of torque are Nissan's revolutionary all-wheel drive system, in company with a six-speed automatic transmission. Although familiar, these are more premium editions that add unique design touches like a gold VIN plate, exclusive to the T-spec Takumi, and an exclusive engine badge.
Special editions in some of the most iconic Skyline GT-R colors pay visual homage to Nissan's heritage: While the Skyline Edition, which any Skyline enthusiast would love, is painted in Bayside Blue and coupled with a Sora Blue interior, the T-spec Takumi is bathed in Midnight Purple and features an astonishing Mori Green interior.
Demand is sure to be quite high, no doubt, since only less than 200 of these limited editions will be sold in the US. The T-spec Takumi Edition fetches a far higher price at $152,985, while the Skyline Edition starts at $132,985. Both are set to reach this summer's dealer stores, which provides one last chance for enthusiasts to own a bit of GT-R history.
To Nissan, the R35's discontinuation means more than the end of a production run. The GT-R was something of a game-changer when it originally went on sale due to its melding of performance and advanced technology for a price that was significantly lower than that of its more expensive competitors. But with time, the situation in the auto industry has dramatically changed: most of the features that were peculiar only to the GT-R have found their application in a mass segment-even in quite reasonably priced performance cars.
Even though nothing has been said by Nissan regarding the next GT-R, the brand's staunchest followers still hold their breath. For now, the T-spec Takumi and Skyline Editions feel like an appropriate swan-song to a game-changing car in the sports car genre, having stolen the hearts of people across the world.