Nissan R35 GT-R 'Godzilla' Retires After 18 Years, Final Unit Rolls Off the Line

Nissan has pulled the plug on the R35 GT-R, after 18 years since it first came into production. Remarkably, over the course of its production run, a core team of just nine master craftsmen, called Takumi, at Nissan's plant in Yokohama, Japan, passionately hand assembled each of the engines installed in the 48,000 units produced.

Nissan R35 GT-R

The Nissan R35 GT-R first came to the public eye as a concept at the Tokyo Motor Show in 2001. However, it was the year 2003 when the brand started the production of the 'Godzilla' in October 2007, and sales began in November.

The Nissan R35 GT-R soon became a global sensation, winning several titles. In 2007, a production R35 GT-R set a lap time of 7 minutes, 38 seconds at the Nurburgring Nordschleife circuit in Germany, one of the fastest laps achieved by a production car despite conditions being slightly damp on two corners. Later, in 2008, the R35 GT-R bettered its lap time by nine seconds, achieving 7 minutes, 29 seconds, and cracking the seven-and-a-half-minute barrier for the first time.

Nissan R35 GT-R Milestones

Also, in 2016, the R35 GT-R set the Guinness World Records title for the fastest ever drift. At a special event held at Fujairah International Airport, UAE, a specially tuned MY16 R35 GT-R drifted at 304.96 km/hr at a 30-degree angle.

Talking about the specs, the Nissan R35 GT-R continued with the 3.8-litre twin-turbo V6 petrol engine throughout its lifetime. However, several tweaks and updates over the year pushed the 'Godzilla' to deliver power output ranging from 480 hp to about 600 hp.