After an almost 18-year stint at the top of Nissan’s line-up, the curtain has fallen on the R35-generation GT-R.
The Japanese manufacturer confirmed the final example of its R35 GT-R left the assembly plant in Tochigi.
Approximately 48,000 R35 GT-Rs were produced across an 18-year stint, with a little less than 1000 arriving in Australia.
The last R35 GT-R is destined for a Japanese owner – a Premium T-Spec version featured in Midnight Purple.
Nissan has promised this isn’t the end for the GT-R nameplate as it is predicted to return by the end of this decade under hybrid power.
“We understand the expectations are high, the GT-R badge is not something that can be applied to just any vehicle; it is reserved for something truly special and the R35 set the bar high,” Nissan CEO Ivan Espinosa said.
“So, all I can ask is for your patience. While we don’t have a precise plan finalised today, the GT-R will evolve and reemerge in the future.”
Australia has not welcomed new GT-Rs since 2021 due to it not being able to meet then-new stringent safety rules before exiting Europe in 2022 and the United States last year.
The R35’s production run holds the distinction of being the longest and most prevalent beating out the R32 by close to 5000.
Elevating the Nissan brand alongside high performance offerings from premium manufacturers including Porsche, Mercedes-Benz, BMW, McLaren and more, the R35 GT-R also raced worldwide in GT3 racing where it won the Bathurst 12 Hour in 2015.
Powered by a twin-turbocharged V6 producing initially 353kW and 583Nm, this was improved by the end of the R35’s life to 441kW and 652Nm mated to an advanced all-wheel-drive, plus a seven-speed dual-plate clutch automatic transmission.
Though a new R36-generation is in the works, Nissan is attempting to kerb its recent financial losses and turn this around following a failed merger with Honda.l