Few names stir the soul of petrolheads quite like the GT-R. For over half a century, those three letters have meant one thing: domination. Remember that low-quality video of a kid dominating a diss battle by saying, “My dad has a G T R?” Well, that’s the sort of street cred and dominance this sports car had. From clocking a 6.3-second quarter mile to dominating several endurance races, the GT-R, often tuned to produce ungodly amounts of power, has reigned supreme since its debut in 2007.
From its humble Skyline roots in the late ‘60s to its reign as the everyday supercar slayer in the 2000s and beyond, the GT-R has been a symbol of Japan’s engineering brilliance and rebellious spirit. And now, after 18 glorious years, the curtain finally falls on the R35 GT-R. While it’s not the end of the GT-R in its entirety, it is the end of a proper petrol-powered menace — one that the petrolhead community will miss dearly.
From Hakosuka To Godzilla: The Legacy
The GT-R story began in 1969, when Nissan introduced the Skyline GT-R PGC10 — the “Hakosuka” (boxy Skyline). Powered by the S20 inline-six, it tore up Japanese touring car racing and immediately set the tone for the GT-Rs that followed.
The KPGC110 “Kenmeri” followed in the early ‘70s, shorter-lived due to the oil crisis, but cemented GT-R’s cult status. Fast forward to 1989 and Nissan unleashed the R32 Skyline GT-R. With its RB26DETT twin-turbo straight-six and ATTESA E-TS all-wheel drive, it destroyed everything in Group A racing. Australia’s press nicknamed it “Godzilla” for its monstrous dominance, and the name just stuck.
The R33 GT-R carried the torch, famously the first production car ever to crack a sub-8-minute Nürburgring lap. Then came the R34, a car that’s now a legend — partly for its performance, partly for its starring role in motorsport and pop culture. It was sharp, iconic, and raw. The R34, too, set new records, dominated motorsport events, and could be tuned to produce over 1,500hp!
Each generation carried the DNA forward, but what arrived in 2007 is what made the name even more legendary.
The R35: The Everyday Supercar Slayer
When Nissan pulled the covers off the R35 GT-R, jaws hit the floor. At the official unveiling event taking place at the 2007 Tokyo Auto Show, Nissan played a video of the new R35 GT-R clocking a 7:38.54-minute lap time in damp conditions around the Nürburgring Nordschleife. Even before its official unveiling, the R35 beat the Porsche 911’s benchmark lap time.
That was only a sign of things to come. Here was a car that didn’t just compete with supercars but beat them at their own game, at half the price. Its recipe was intoxicating:
- VR38DETT 3.8-litre twin-turbo V6, hand-built by Takumi master craftsmen
- 6-speed dual-clutch transaxle
- ATTESA ET-S AWD system that gripped like nothing else on the road
- A chassis tuned to turn even amateur drivers into Nürburgring heroes
Early cars made 473hp, but Nissan never stood still. Updates over the years brought more power, refinement, and aero trickery. By the time the GT-R NISMO landed, it was pushing 600hp, snapping necks and setting lap times that embarrassed machines twice its price tag.
It was brutally quick, brutally effective, and brutally honest about what it was. Not delicate. Not subtle. Just a track weapon that could also be daily-driven. There are reports of an R35 GT-R clocking over 400,000km on the odo. How’s that for a supercar-slayer?
The Final GT-R R35
After nearly two decades and around 48,000 units built, the final R35 has now rolled off Nissan’s Tochigi production line in Japan. And fittingly, it’s a special one: a Premium Edition T-Spec, finished in Midnight Purple — a paint shade that harks back to Skyline legends of old. It’s the ultimate homage to everything the R35 stood for.
Why The R35 Still Matters
Think about this: the R35 has been with us for 18 years. That’s an eternity in the supercar world. Yet, even today, it’s a genuine performance benchmark. Sure, newer cars boast hybrid trickery, active aero, and computer wizardry—but few have the R35’s raw performance and refinement.
In Fact, its Nurburgring lap time from 2007 is still among the top five fastest for a production car with under 600hp! Every GT-R engine was hand-built and signed by one of Nissan’s Takumi masters. Every car carried with it the weight of half a century of GT-R bloodline. And every drive reminded you why it was called Godzilla — a force of nature that could never be ignored.
What’s Next?
Nissan has confirmed the GT-R nameplate will return, though we’ll have to wait. Rumours suggest a hybrid R36 GT-R, or maybe even a full EV inspired by the radical Hyper Force concept. Irrespective of whatever form it takes, the R32, R33, R34, and R35 can never be replicated, even by Nissan.
Farewell, R35
The R35 proved that Japan could take on the might of Europe’s finest and win. It gave enthusiasts a supercar they could use every day, rain or shine. And it kept the GT-R name relevant long after its rivals came and went. Now, as the last R35 leaves Tochigi, we bid farewell to a giant. The Hakosuka, Kenmeri, R32, R33, R34, and R35 — each chapter of GT-R’s story leaves us with goosebumps.
Godzilla may be gone, but it will never be forgotten. In fact, used car prices are bound to skyrocket. A few decades down the line, the very last one produced might just fetch an absurdly high price at auction, amidst all the EVs and hybrids around. We’ll be cheering from our old age home seats when it does.
Recommend0 recommendationsPublished in News
0
