Nissan ends production of iconic GT-R after 18 years
Nissan ends 18-year run of its iconic GT-R sports car due to regulatory hurdles, but vows the legendary name will return in the future.
Nissan Motor Co. has officially ended production of its legendary GT-R sports car, citing difficulties in meeting safety and environmental regulations.
The move marks the close of an 18-year production run for the R35 GT-R.
The GT-R first appeared in 1969 under the Skyline GT-R nameplate, with the R35 model introduced in 2007. The final unit of the R35 rolled off the line at Nissan’s Tochigi plant on Tuesday (August 26), bringing total production of the model to about 48,000 cars over nearly two decades.
Following the end of GT-R production, the Tochigi plant will continue manufacturing the Ariya EV, the Fairlady Z sports car, the Skyline sedan, and the new Leaf EV, set to debut in Japan later this year.
Nissan CEO Ivan Espinosa said the retirement of the GT-R was not a permanent farewell, adding that the company intends to revive the GT-R name at some point in the future.
Meanwhile, Kyodo News reported that Nissan posted a net loss of ¥670.9 billion (US$4.5 billion) in fiscal 2024, driven by weak sales in the United States and China. The company is restructuring and plans to close seven factories worldwide by fiscal 2027 as part of its global production overhaul.
