Ivan Espinosa, President and CEO of Nissan said, “After 18 remarkable years, the R35 GT-R has left an enduring mark on automotive history. Its legacy is a testament to the passion of our team and the loyalty of our customers around the globe. Thank you for being part of this extraordinary journey. 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.”

Since its launch in 2007, the R35 GT-R has become a symbol of performance and innovation, captivating automotive enthusiasts and setting benchmarks in the high-performance sports car segment.

Looking back on the R35 GT-R’s extensive history, the vehicle set a new standard as the ultimate Grand Tourer. More than any of its predecessors, Nissan’s planning and engineering team sought to imbue the R35 GT-R with a "multi-performance" character, delivering a true GT ‘Grand Tourer’ with a comfortable ride, high levels of refinement, and benchmark fit and finish, while also enabling the driver to enjoy world-class performance that embodies the "R" in the GT-R namesake, a nod to racing technology.

Rather than the typical product lifecycle involving a major update midlife cycle, the R35 GT-R continually evolved throughout each model year. Depending on the grade, Nissan’s engineers in Japan aimed to unleash either more power or greater levels of control, increased comfort and luxury, or in the case of GT-R Nismo, breathtaking track-honed performance.

With its powerful VR38DETT twin-turbo V6 engine, acclaimed ATTESA ET-S all-wheel-drive system, and innovative aerodynamics, the R35 GT-R consistently delivered exhilarating driving experiences both on the road and the track.

Remarkably, over the course of its production run, a core team of just nine master craftsman – called Takumi – at Nissan's plant in Yokohama, Japan passionately hand assembled each of the engines installed in the 48,000 units produced. Their names are immortalized on a plaque attached to each engine.

Throughout the course of production, maximum power rose from 480 horsepower up to 570 horsepower from the 2017 model year onwards. In parallel, Nismo engineers were able to extract even more, adopting GT3 racecar-spec turbochargers as well as high-precision, weight-balanced parts including the piston rings, connecting rods, crankshaft, flywheel, crank pulley and valve springs. The result was faster revs and quicker spooling turbo, delivering up to 600 horsepower for GT-R Nismo models.

In 2007, a production R35 GT-R set a lap time of seven minutes, 38 seconds at the Nurburgring Nordschleife circuit in Germany, one of the fastest laps achieved by a production car despite conditions being slightly damp on two corners.

In November 2013, Nissan engineers and a group of elite drivers made another run. This time, and ahead of its official reveal, they used a GT-R Nismo equipped with track options that included aerodynamic tuning, weight-reduction measures, and a uniquely tuned suspension system. With Michael Krumm at the wheel, they managed to record a blistering 7 minutes 8.679 seconds – the R35’s best time at the hallowed circuit.

As Nissan bids farewell to the R35 GT-R, Nissan remains committed to the GT-R nameplate with a vision to reimagine it for a new generation. Learnings from the R35 will be integral to the next-generation GT-R, ensuring its legacy evolves while raising the performance benchmark.

Espinosa said “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. 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.”