The Nissan GT-R R35 maybe a little over 10 years old but to some it has only gotten better with age while others are of the opinion that it’s just a brick with an atomic engine. In 2018, Nissan and famed Italian design house Italdesign came together and built a commemorative concept called the GT-R50 by Italdesign which silenced all those who critiqued the R35's look.
While the GT-R50 was initially touted as a one-off, devil-may-care concept, it has garnered quite a buzz and as such, Nissan and Italdesign will be making 50 of these Godzilla’s for an astonishing sum of €990,000 or AU$1.6 million a pop. Nissan says that while a “significant number of deposits have already been taken”, there are build slots still available with deliveries slated for ”between late 2020 and the end of 2021”.
“Our customers have relished the personalized experience provided by Italdesign, who have a long tradition in the exclusive field of ultra-rare, bespoke high-performance vehicles,” said Bob Laishley, global sports car program director at Nissan. “Their experience with the GT-R50 has been incredible and I can say first-hand that each car will certainly be a standalone masterpiece.”
The GT-R50 is more than just an (extensive) aesthetic exercise, though. Under the bonnet is a hand-built 3.8-litre twin-turbocharged V6 engine which now outputs some 530kW and 780Nm which is a jump of almost 88kW and 128Nm over the Nissan GT-R Nismo on which it’s based.
It’s turbochargers are taken straight off the GT-R GT3 racer which feature fewer low-inertia vanes that spools faster and improves response. Furthermore, larger intercoolers, reworked and strengthened internals, uprated intake and exhaust systems help the GT-R50 extract those performance figures from the venerable VR-series mill.
While AU$1.6 million might an eye-watering sum of money to splash out on a Nissan GT-R50, visit our Showroom and check out GT-Rs that are way easier on the wallet. A Premium Luxury Trim for less than $200,000 perhaps?
