Nissan GT-R R35 order books close in Japan, ending global sales
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Japan's most iconic sports car is no longer available in its home market – the last country where it was still on sale – closing the book on an 18-year run.
The Nissan GT-R sports car can no longer be ordered in Japan – the last country it was still available – ending global sales of the iconic sports car with the 2025 model year.
A simple statement on the Nissan Japan website confirmed the news, which was widely expected.
"We have received many orders for the Nissan GT-R, and we have now finished accepting orders for the planned production quantity," it said.
"We would like to express our sincere gratitude to our many customers for their patronage over the years since its release in 2007."
The current generation Nissan GT-R, codenamed R35, was dropped from Australian showrooms in 2021 after more stringent side-impact safety regulations were introduced, ruling it out – as well as cars including the Alpine A110 and Lexus RC Coupe – for local dealers.
Introduced in Australia in April 2009, the GT-R – a genuine supercar rival to the Porsche 911 – continued to be sold in the United States (US) and Japan after the final batch of Australian orders were taken in October 2021.
The flagship Nissan was subsequently dropped in Europe in 2022 and left North American showrooms in 2024, making it a Japan-only model.
The current 2025 model year was unveiled in March 2024 with a Premium Edition T-Spec and Track Edition, including engine parts from the flagship Nismo version, with production expected to carry on into the middle of 2025.
Confirmation there will not be an immediate successor means the current GT-R has bowed out across all countries, with the previously reported August 2025 end of production now used to fulfill existing orders.
A successor to the R35 GT-R due by 2030 has been confirmed by Nissan – potentially an electric version with as much as 1000kW – however the car maker is currently embattled in a major restructure which saw 9000 job cuts globally before a stillborn merger with Japanese rival, Honda.
Nissan is still working on a long-term strategy, which includes a goal to "actively explore new partnerships" as well as a 400-billion-yen ($AU4.28 million) cost reduction plan by the 2026 Japanese financial year (1 April 2026).
The car maker faces significant debt repayments due in 2025 after slow sales in the previous calendar year, most notably in China and the US.
The retreat may delay – or see the cancellation – of an R35 GT-R follow-up, but either way the next GT-R will be the first not to use a six-cylinder petrol engine, spelling the end of an era.
Over its 18-year run, the R35 GT-R was produced in a single factory for all countries with every example finished in Kaminokawa, Tochigi, Japan.
Its 3.8-litre twin-turbo V6 (codenamed VR38DETT) – producing 530kW in its most potent guise after being launched with 357kW – was hand-built by specialists known as 'Takumi' in Yokohama, south of Tochigi.
The GT-R legend grew globally when the R32 Skyline GT-R was dubbed 'Godzilla' by Australian media in 1989, the nickname carrying on with subsequent versions.
The R32 Skyline GT-R remains the only Japanese car to win the Bathurst 1000 outright, its second and final victory coming in controversial circumstances in the 1992 race – but this is almost certain to change when the Toyota Supra officially enters V8 Supercars in 2026.
The R35 GT-R also raced internationally, with success in Australia including winning the 2015 Bathurst 12 Hour endurance race.
While the original GT-R can be traced back to 1969, the R35 was the first dedicated Nissan GT-R coupe no longer based on the Skyline sedan.
It came with considerable performance – officially 0-97km/h in 3.3 seconds – but also came at a higher price, starting at 7,770,000 yen – $AU83,201 – in Japan in 2007, where the previous R34 generation launched at 4,998,000 yen ($AU53,518) in 1999.
Despite this the R35 GT-R's introductory price in Australia – $148,800 plus on-road costs – meant the Nissan offered Porsche 911 performance for money closer to the cheaper, smaller and slower Porsche Cayman.
The post Nissan GT-R R35 order books close in Japan, ending global sales appeared first on Drive.
