Nissan builds the final R35 GT-R after 18 years of production

After 18 years and almost 48,000 units made, Nissan has built the final R35 GT-R at its plant in Tochigi, Japan. The concluding R35 was assembled as a T-Spec and finished in Midnight Purple—a signature color in the GT-R’s history.

While this end comes at a troubling season for Nissan, it was, in fact, a long time coming. We first heard of the R35’s possible final run last year, and the speculation was confirmed back in March. Around that time, the brand also announced that it would be implementing a global recovery plan to get back on its feet. 

Since then, several Nissan plants around the world have either consolidated their lines or closed completely. The plan has also shifted the brand’s focus to its passenger cars, and at the moment, there doesn’t seem to be a concrete future for the GT-R.

However, CEO and president Ivan Espinosa offered reassurance and a promise to the GT-R faithful, ”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.”

And set the bar, it did. The R35 has the longest production run of any GT-R, and throughout those 18 years, records were set and championships were won.

The R35 GT-R has five Super GT GT500 Series championships to its name, and another three titles in the GT300 series. It also holds the Guinness World Record for the fastest drift, gliding at a rubber-burning 304.96kph.

All these records and more can be traced back to the hand-assembled VR38DETT twin-turbo V6. The engine itself has also seen several updates and modifications throughout its 18-year run, with the Nismo version being the most powerful GT-R engine to date. That engine was tuned to produce 592hp—a significant upgrade from the standard 473hp output.

In a final drive with the R35, TopGear.com’s Vijay Pattni described the GT-R as “Spectacularly brutal even in 2025, perhaps more so in an age of unearned, easy electric pace. The sheer force unleashed when the T-Spec’s 562hp V6 awakens is genuinely incredible, soundtracked by an engine note that’s a mix of fine-tuned heavy industry and turbo hiss. God, this thing is supernaturally quick.”

It’s a sentimental goodbye—but hopefully, the next time we see the GT-R, Nissan will be in a more secure place. Until then, farewell, Godzilla.

Source: Top Gear
--Agencies