Nissan will soon discontinue the GT-R, but that is not Nissan’s fault.
One of the longest-lasting automotive dinosaurs that has not wanted to die at the moment must be the Nissan GT-R (R35). The successor to the legendary Skyline GT-R R34 was a very impressive machine in 2007. The VR38DETT 3.8 liter V6 is a work of art and Japanese craftsmanship had to be the guiding principle. In hard figures, the GT-R was immediately faster than the lord and master of the segment, the Porsche 911 Turbo. That promises something.
End of GT-R?
Now, the Nissan GT-R was a pretty futuristic thing when it was released in 2007, but 17 years later, the years are starting to tell. The car has been facelifted three times and in that time the figures have also been boosted. However, the recipe feels quite old. You notice that something new would just be cool.
Nissan disagrees. Nissan’s Global Product Manager Pierre Loing wants to keep the GT-R in production, even though he more or less confirms to TopGear that the end is near. That’s because of the regulations. If it were up to Loing, the car could have been in production for another 17 years. Selling a further developed car from 2007 in 2041 would be a stunt. The equivalent of building the Nissan Skyline GT-R R31 now, so to speak.
Flagship
The GT-R remains the flagship for Nissan, however, and Loing confirms that they’d like to do something new in the wake of the R35. Loing has no idea in what form. A full EV flagship would of course be in line with the current world, but hybrid is also an option. As with many of these conversations: you really don’t know yet. Unless you work at Nissan.
