The Future of the GT-R May Not be so Uncertain
Nissan has closed the order book for its iconic R35-generation GT-R after 18 years of production. The automaker's Japanese website noted it received all the orders it could handle through the model's final production, putting a final nail in the legendary sports car's coffin. Despite closed orders, Nissan hasn't officially announced a successor to the R35 GT-R. However, Senior Vice President and Chief Planning Officer for Nissan North America, Ponz Pandikuthira told Motor Authority at the 2024 New York International Auto Show that the GT-R nameplate won't die.
Nissan hasn't yet defined a powertrain for a next-generation GT-R, likely named the R36, with Pandikuthira noting that the automaker is waiting for technology to advance. Still, he promised that performance in near-race conditions won't be compromised, even with a fully-electric powertrain, as Formula E will serve as a test environment. This won't be the first time GT-R fans have had to wait patiently for a new generation. The Skyline Kenmeri GT-R ended production in 1973, and the succeeding R32-chassis GT-R didn't hit the streets until 1989. While no GT-R variant was produced during this 16-year gap, the Skyline lineage continued with models like the C210, R30, and R31.
It's worth noting that Nissan's confirmation of next-generation GT-R development during last year's New York International Auto Show occurred when the automaker's finances weren't as alarming. In the first nine months of 2024, Nissan's profits decreased from 478.4 billion yen ($3.23 billion) during the same time the previous year to 64 billion yen ($435.2 million). A Nissan merger with Honda failed to come to fruition, but a deal could be back on the table after Nissan's CEO stepped down this month.
Pierre Loing, Nissan's head of global product, told Top Gear in September that regulations are the only reason the company is ending production of the R35 GT-R. Nissan was originally hoping to sell the R35 GT-R well into the next decade.
'It's been on sale for 17 years and we'd love to make it another 17 years, but the regulator gives us some trouble!,' Loing said. In Europe, the R35 GT-R fails to meet noise and emissions regulations, while Australian regulators didn't give it a passing crash safety grade. Stricter emissions in the US for 2025 compounded the R35 GT-R's troubles.
Nissan's financial struggles may mean less money for R36 research and development, with more funds going toward sustaining mainline models, such as the Rogue and Altima. The automaker's head of global product said that solid-state batteries could aid an all-electric R36 GT-R's development, noting that the technology would remedy current issues plaguing electric sports cars, like battery weight and overheating hindering performance. Still, Nissan has clarified that they won't have solid-state battery technology ready until 2028.
The Japanese automaker wrote the following farewell statement on its website regarding final R35 orders: 'We have received many orders for the Nissan GT-R, and we have now finished accepting orders for the planned production quantity. We would like to express our sincere gratitude to our many customers for their patronage over the years since its release in 2007.'
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