► R35 no longer on sale in the UK
► We revisit the ultimate version
► Deliciously old school
In case you’ve missed the news, the R35 Nissan GT-R is off sale in the UK after over a decade in showrooms. Since its launch in 2007, Nissan has slowly evolved the GT-R year on year, tweaking the engine, chassis and styling in an attempt to keep up with the competition.
However, the same time period we’ve seen multiple generations of its arch-nemesis the Porsche 911 Turbo, a car that’s both more powerful and cheaper than the GT-R Nismo that previously sat atop Nissan’s range. Besides, in this age of electrification, semi-autonomous assistance and downsizing, the GT-R shockingly feels like a bit of a relic.
Indeed, it sat as an outlier in Nissan’s increasingly EV-focused line-up. With the combustion engine ban getting ever closer, it’s no surprise to see the brand ditching sports cars in Europe in favour of the fully electric Ariya SUV, Leaf hatchback and electrified versions of the Qashqai crossover and seven-seat X-Trail. So, has the GT-R’s time passed or is it a reminder of happier, more exciting times?
Tell me about the tech stuff
Fire up the twin-turbo 3.8-litre V6 directly in front of you, and the GT-R awakens with a guttural, mechanical bark. Unlike some of its competitors, the GT-R isn’t a symphony of cylinders – anyone hoping for more than a washing machine full of concrete will be disappointed. The hand-built V6 vibrates the Alcantara seats at idle and lacks much of the refinement of a roadgoing car, but that’s because some of it was never intended for road use.
The turbos that help produce the V6’s 590bhp are pulled from Nissan’s GT3 project; 14.5% lighter and 20% quicker to spool up, they make the Nismo feel more responsive than the standard car. Even so, you’ll need a good few revs on the tach and the engine in one of the racier modes for it to feel as potent as you’d expect.
Nissan engineers have also upgraded the brakes to cope with the speed: now Brembo ceramics and a pan-worrying 410mm in diameter.
It looks fast
Outside, the Nissan has the same silhouette as before, but more of it has been moulded and hacked to improve airflow: vents above the front wheels minimise turbulence, and the NACA ducts remain on the bonnet. At the rear you’ll find a Super GT-esque wing with lethal-looking endplates, and all around, side skirts manhandle air wherever Nissan’s designers thought best. The increased use of carbonfibre also saves just under 30kg compared to the previous car.
And although the Nissan GT-R has never been about delivering the most sumptuous interior, it’s worth noting that it’s a time capsule these days. When the R35 arrived, its infotainment screen and various engine dials felt like something from a PlayStation 2 game; something they still do, albeit surrounded in stitched leather. The world has moved on, and the once cutting-edge tech of the interior really hasn’t.
What’s it like to drive?
Surreal. The steering is lighter than you’d think, but it’s incredibly sensitive too. Despite being 1703kg the GT-R encourages and often requires fingertip handling, with the 55/45 weight distribution helping the front axle really bite.
Left in normal mode and operating in the lower half of the rev range, the GT-R is almost a disappointment. It’s not until you flick it into R mode that the throttle response and gearbox wake up, while the turbos need a good few revs before they start chuffing in anger. After a few bends you’ll probably toggle R mode for the stability control, at which point you’ll be cornering at a speed and angle you didn’t think was possible.
But it is, and it’s thanks to the technology happening all around you. Acceleration is alarming, and the velocity at which the Nissan gets you from point to point is only enhanced by the engine’s rather anonymous note; you’re often catapulted forward without the audible cues you’re usually listening for. Give the right pedal a nudge, and you’re up to 70mph with little fanfare.
The tech isn’t intrusive, though, and most of the time it’ll give any driver the illusion of greatness. The GT-R’s four-wheel drive and various vehicle management systems hum in the background like a team of black Karuko stagehands in Japanese theatre. Balancing grip and power to all four wheels, they’re hard to notice unless you really look for them.
Only when you do something incredibly ambitious or stupid that you really feel the GT-R’s acronyms step in to assist. That’s right, assist; you can still get it very sideways out of bends and it’ll happily spin all four tyres on a damp day. It feels slightly lairy in the best possible way, proving every bit as memorable as the 911 GT3 I’d been in the week before.
Gearshifts are quick and pleasingly haptic. Although you can only grab a couple with all the revs before things get very silly, they still have a sense of violence and urgency that fits in with the racing roots of this car.
But despite all the tech, the Nissan GT-R still makes you feel incredibly close to the road beneath you. Feedback through the wheel and Nismo-tuned suspension is Ultra HD for your hands; it gives a profile of the road surface only short of opening the door and running your fingers over the tarmac yourself.
On a track, the GT-R Nismo promises mind-meld levels of response, carrying out your wishes precisely and without hesitation. On the road, it cooks your brain like an egg cracked onto the titanium exhaust tips.
Can you use it every day?
Yes, but unlike a standard GT-R, you probably wouldn’t want to. The Nissan’s surgical cornering performance comes at the expense of ride comfort, and although it behaves to an extent on motorways, the noise and information flowing into the cabin give the impression you’re bombing down the Nordschleife’s Döttinger Höhe straight.
You can take it to a big Tesco, you can do a big shop and even rest your meal deal on its GT3-sized wing – but eventually you will get tired of the GT-R’s constant desire to go faster, not to mention the firm ride.
Verdict
Could this be the last new GT-R Nismo we ever get to drive? It’s certainly looking that way, at least in its current format. Nissan has already made some noise about an indirect GT-R replacement using an electric or electrified powertrain, with the e-4orce four-wheel drive system fitted to the Ariya and X-Trail already allowing some torque vectoring.
If that really is the case, it’s fitting Nissan has thrown all the R&D it can at its cult hero, ensuring the GT-R is retiring at the very top of its game. Yes, it is something of a throwback these days, but a thrillingly involving one. Whether a plug-in hybrid or fully electric take on this formula can generate as much involvement and adrenaline remains to be seen.