End of an era: The final Nissan GT-R (R35) has rolled off the production line
In car terms, 18 years is a very, very long time for one model to stay in production. From a budget supercar slayer to something that could still tackle the threat of properly fast electric vehicles, the Nissan GT-R (R35) has touched the hearts of many enthusiasts around the world.
Other countries saw the GT-R killed off way earlier, but with the order books closing in its home country last March 2025, it only meant the end was near.
And finally, just yesterday, August 26, 2025, the final GT-R rolled off Nissan’s Tochigi plant. It’s a fitting send-off after around 48,000 units were built over the span of 18 years, as it’s a Premium edition T-Spec finished in Midnight Purple destined for a lucky customer in Japan.
The heart of each Nissan GT-R, the 3.8-liter, twin-turbo V6, the VR38DETT, is all hand-built in a special clean room by Takumi craftsmen. You can see this as each engine has a special plaque attached to the front of each block with the craftsman’s name on it.
Early in its lifespan, it was famously stated on Top Gear UK by Jeremy Clarkson that due to the variances in the assembly, each engine had a slightly different power output, meaning nobody knew the exact amount of power it produced.
But over the course of its lifespan, the GT-R’s maximum power output rose from 480 up to 570 horsepower, and in the case of the Nismo variant, learnings from its motorsports campaign allowed the power output to rise to 600 horsepower.
Of course, Godzilla could famously handle all of that power thanks to a whole suite of handling wizardry. ATTESA ET-S all-wheel drive, clever aerodynamics, incredible brakes, and the six-speed dual clutch transmission.
It wasn’t perfect, however. You could only do so much on the same platform before you ran into the technical limitations, which is why most people considered the GT-R as “ancient” in the face of newer supercars that have come out recently.
Changes over the years have refined the GT-R into what it is now, with a legendary motorsports campaign, multiple records, multiple limited editions, and, most importantly, a legacy that most are hoping will continue into the future.
And thankfully, as we’ve seen in the Hyper Force concept and the BNR32EV, Nissan is intent on keeping the GT-R spirit alive in the electric era. Even Ivan Espinosa, the president and CEO of Nissan, said that “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.”
Photos by Julian Panlilio, Sam Surla, and Nissan
